1969 Corvette Stingray "AstroVette" Apollo-Themed

  

Summary

NASA + Corvette: GM connected the Corvette brand with NASA astronauts through cars, publicity, and an executive lease program.

Three Special Corvettes: Apollo 12 astronauts Alan Bean, Pete Conrad Jr., and Richard Gordon Jr. received matching 1969 Riverside Gold Stingrays.

The AstroVette Look: The cars received distinctive black "wings," a white dividing stripe, and special red, white, and blue astronaut emblems.

Big-Block Power: The AstroVettes packed 427-cu.-in. big blocks, four-speed manuals, and 490 horsepower.

Only One Known Survivor: Alan Bean's AstroVette is the only one of the three known to still exist.

A Piece of Space History: The car was preserved and restored to its original appearance and has been displayed at major Corvette and NASA-related venues.

This Corvette you're looking at was built specifically for Astronaut Alan L. Bean. There were only two others made just like this one for two other astronauts, Richard Gordon Jr. and Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. All three men were launched into orbit on the Apollo 12 mission, the second lunar mission to land on the Moon.

NASA and General Motors
GM President Ed Cole saw the potential of linking the NASA program to the GM brand for product growth. GM had already given astronaut Alan Shepard, the very first man to break his way into space, a new white 1962 Corvette with a custom space-age interior. GM had also done business with astronaut legends like Neil Armstrong and high-performance enthusiast Gus Grissom.

In the '60s and early '70s, NASA astronauts were like rock stars in America. Reaching the Moon before Russia was something America accomplished that helped bring a divided country together after the controversial Vietnam War.

Of course, it's hard to imagine GM giving away Corvettes, but Cole's decision to do so, according to his widow, Dollie (Chairman of the National Corvette Museum and Vice Chairman of the National Air & Space Museum), made sense to Cole.

"The astronauts were incredibly visible," she says. "And good publicity is good publicity."

But putting astronauts in Corvettes wasn't just about publicity.

"Who more worthy than guys who represent our country?" says Dollie. "They were literally risking their lives. Space travel today isn't 'ho-hum,' but people perceive it that way. There were so many unknowns then. The cars were a way of saying 'Thank you.'"

Executive GM Lease Program For NASA 

Eventually, GM would see big benefits from being affiliated with NASA, so they went ahead and started an executive lease program for NASA employees. If you qualified for the lease program, you could lease a GM vehicle for $1 for one year.

According to astronaut Alan Bean, most qualifying employees chose Corvettes, making it an interesting sight when you drove past the Space Center and looked into the parking lot.

Those Who Fly Together, Drive Together

All three astronauts who boarded the Lunar Module for the Apollo 12 mission were very close, and all were car guys in their own right. They became good friends with Jim Rathmann, a Chevrolet and Cadillac dealership owner who was also known for winning the 1960 Indy 500.

Jim's dealership was located in Melbourne, FL, and its close proximity to the Space Center is what helped develop the friendship between the three astronauts and others at NASA, including Neil Armstrong.

With "Pete" Conrad Jr., Gordon Jr., and Bean successfully completing the Apollo 12 mission, they decided they should get matching Corvettes with some special visual upgrades to distinguish them from the rest of the Corvette owners and lessees.

Rare Riverside Gold Corvette Color

It just so happened that in 1969, Corvette was offering a one-time-only Riverside Gold exterior color for the Stingray. The three astronauts joined forces with their friend and dealership owner, Jim Rathmann, who helped get all three gold Corvettes to his dealership.

No one really knows where the black "wings" were painted over the Riverside Gold base paint, but it wasn't at the factory or Rathmann's dealership. As the story goes, the three astronauts took a lot of time deciding what design they wanted before settling on the black "wings."

Rathmann decided to get his friend involved, Alex Tremulis. Tremulis was an industrial designer who held automotive design positions at Cord Automobile, Duesenberg, General Motors, Tucker Car Corporation, and Ford Motor Company before later establishing a consulting firm.

Tremulis and Rathmann both had a hands-on part in the design. Rathmann placed the white stripe that separates the black and gold colors, while Tremulis designed and painted the special red, white, and blue logos on the fenders.

The Special Red, White, and Blue Emblems and The Meaning

The red, white, and blue emblems represent what you would think: America, the American flag, and NASA. Each emblem had a different set of initials drawn on a certain color of the emblem, representing the Corvette owner's rank during the Apollo 12 mission.

Bean's LMP initials were placed on the blue tag, signifying him as the Lunar Module Pilot. Pete's initials, CDR, were on the red tag of the emblem, standing for Commander. Dick's initials, CMP, for Command Module Pilot, were drawn on the white tag.

The colors the initials were painted on also represented the color each astronaut used to label his belongings during the Apollo 12 mission.

Corvette "AstroVette" Spec.

• 427 cu.-in. Big Block L36 

• 4-Speed Manual Transmission

• 490 Horsepower - 460 lb.-ft. of Torque

• Four-Barrel Rochester Carburetor

• Hydraulic Four-Wheel Disc Brakes

• Fully Independent Suspension

• Optional Side Exhaust Selected But Not Installed

• Performance: 0-60 mph 6.0 Seconds; Quarter-Mile 14.3 at 93 MPH

• One-Year-Only Riverside Gold

• Special Steel Wheel Covers

• Curb Weight: 3,450 lbs.

Where Are The Iconic "AstroVette" Stingrays Now?

Out of the three 1969 Stingray "AstroVette" Corvettes that were delivered to the Rathmann dealership for the crew of the Apollo 12 mission, only one is known to exist.

Alan Bean's Corvette is the last AstroVette known to exist. It was turned in after the $1, one-year lease was up. In 1971, it showed up in Austin, TX, on a GMAC car lot. It went up for auction, where a space enthusiast named Danny Reed put in a bid. He initially lost the auction, but the original winner couldn't come up with the money, and Danny eventually won the "AstroVette."

Making the "AstroVette" Perfect

The Stingray "AstroVette" was put on track to be restored to its original state to preserve its integrity, which meant no full restoration. Danny Reed worked with many Corvette experts throughout the process to get it back to its original look—the way it would have looked when it came right off the assembly line, with overspray in the correct spots and everything.

The National Corvette Restoration Society (NCRS) has given it many awards at some of the most prestigious Corvette car shows in the world.

It has been on display at NASA events, the National Corvette Museum, the Kansas Cosmosphere, Florida Space Center, Johnson Space Center, Houston Space Center, in Washington, and many other worthy places.

Alan Bean has since been reunited many times with his now-famous "AstroVette." Bean became a painter after his days of walking on the Moon. Much of his painting work has to do with space and his moonwalking, as he wrote:

"Our time on the Moon ended much too quickly and, in the years since then, I have created paintings to try to capture the feeling of our Apollo 12 mission, as well as all the other Apollo missions, too. It's my hope that these paintings will help other people share in the great adventure."

How to Tell If You Found One of The Lost "AstroVette" Stingrays?

Just like all rare cars, there are some imposters out there, but there is a way to tell if you found a real "AstroVette."

Only these three Corvettes in the lease program were special-ordered and registered in the lessee's name. This featured Corvette has a tank sticker that says, "Courtesy car delivered to Alan L. Bean." If found, the other two would have a similar tank sticker with the corresponding astronaut's name—Richard Gordon Jr. or Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr.

All other Corvettes for the NASA executive lease program were put in the military's name.

There is nothing like a little Corvette and NASA history! The $1, one-year executive lease program for the astronauts ended in 1971. Whether or not it was because the Space Program became less popular and the executive lease program was less worthwhile from an advertising standpoint, I'm not sure.

But there was a time for a while when being an astronaut was better than being a Hollywood star or a pro athlete.    

1959 Corvette: Unbeatable Purple People Eater MKIII

   

Summary

Born to stand out: The Corvette team painted their cars metallic purple with white trim so they could actually find them in the pits and on the track.

The name fit perfectly: They called it the “Purple People Eater,” inspired by Sheb Wooley’s bizarre 1958 hit—and because the Corvette was eating up the competition.

A serious race car: Three Purple People Eaters raced during the ’58 and ’59 seasons, winning SCCA National B-Production titles and a race at Nassau Speed Week.

Built for speed: The factory race-spec Corvette featured a 283 Chevy V-8, Rochester fuel injection, four-speed manual transmission, heater delete, and heavy-duty brakes and suspension.

Then it became a workbench: The last known MKIII was bought for just $800 by Chip Miller and Ken Heckert. After a short stint racing autocross, it spent 14 years as a garage workbench.

A lucky discovery: Car enthusiast Mike Philsbury spotted unusual parts and options, leading to the discovery that this forgotten Corvette was actually the legendary Purple People Eater MKIII.

Back from the dead: Chip and Ken restored it to its original racing form, and in 2002 it received the American Heritage Award.

And that's why this purple ’59 Corvette is a whole lot more than just a pretty color.

1959 Corvette Purple People Eater MKIII

Oddly enough, this Corvette was named after the very odd song “One Eye, One Horn, Flying Purple People Eater,” a Sheb Wooley hit back in the ’50s.

There were two reasons for the paint job and the name for this 1959 Corvette. The idea for the paint job came about because the Corvette racing team was having trouble finding their car in the pits and on the track—all the cars looked too similar to one another. Kind of like trying to find your car in a mall parking lot on the weekend, the week before Christmas.

So, a standout color scheme was born. The color scheme they created was metallic purple for the base color and bright white for the trim and decals. Next, they needed a name for the Corvette, so they decided on the “Purple People Eater.” It was kind of a no-brainer since the song itself was topping the charts in 1958–59, and the Purple People Eater Corvette was eating up all the competition on the track every single weekend.

Nickey Chevrolet In Chicago 

Back in the ’50s, a lot of racing teams were owned by dealerships, and this Corvette team was no different. Nickey Chevrolet in Chicago was the owner of this team and, at the time, the largest factory dealership specializing in high-performance muscle car sales and service. Their parts department functioned as a huge speed shop.

When it came time for the Nickey Chevrolet Race Team to hire a driver and a mechanic, Nickey Chevrolet took some help and advice from none other than the legendary Zora Arkus-Duntov, the Corvette engineer and designer who helped make the Corvette what it is today.

Zora suggested they use an aggressive driver named Jim Jeffords and a talented mechanic who was known as the guy who could turn a “Javelin into a competitive race car,” Ronnie Kaplan.

The “Purple People Eater” Corvette Eating Up The Competition

The Purple People Eater Corvettes (yes, there were three altogether) raced during the ’58 and ’59 seasons. During that time, they won the SCCA National B-Production titles and a race at Nassau Speed Week.

During the 1959 season, the cars never finished worse than second place in any race, always making the Purple People Eater the car to beat at the track.

Ordering Your Own Corvette With Race Specs

If you ordered a factory Corvette with race specs in the late 1950s, you received a Corvette with heater delete, and a heavy-duty brake and suspension package. 

The Corvette came with a 283 Chevrolet V-8 with factory Rochester fuel injection and a four-speed manual transmission, the same way the Purple People Eater was raced.

In an interview, Kaplan said, “GM helped with some technical advice, and I got that fuel injection figured out pretty quick. It was very reliable. I told Jim to keep that engine at about 6,000 rpm, and it never broke. He is a very big, strong man and was tough on equipment. I swear he could break off a shifter.”

Where Did The Purple People Eater End Up?

The last one known to exist is the “Purple People Eater MKIII.” It was sold for $800 to Chip Miller and Ken Heckert, who raced the 1959 Corvette for a short time at autocross events. Not knowing its future historical significance, it was parked and used as a workbench for a very long time.

After 14 years of being a garage workbench, the sharp eye of car expert/enthusiast Mike Philsbury noticed that there were a few things different about some of the parts and options on the car.

After some deep research, Mike, Chip, and Ken confirmed that they were eating their lunch every day on the 1959 Corvette “Purple People Eater MKIII.”

The American Heritage Award In 2002

Knowing what they knew, Chip and Ken went to work and restored the Corvette back to its racing form—color and all.

In 2002, the Corvette was awarded the American Heritage Award. Thanks to two guys who just wanted a Corvette to go autocross racing in, and a car enthusiast named Mike Philsbury, the 1959 Corvette “Purple People Eater MKIII” lives on.

Street Racing: Not Like on TV or The Movies. Not Worth It!

Summary

Street racing can have serious consequences.

Drag racing is safer, legal, and more controlled.

If you want to race, take it to the Drag Strip. (ebook linked)

The Bad Times Over Shadows The The Fun Times

Growing up, I spent many years at the Drag Strip. But when my father and I built my first car—a '71 455 Buick Skylark that ran low 12s in the quarter-mile—I found a whole new way to skip school and stay out late at night.

Throughout all my drag racing adventures (and troubles), I managed to almost kill myself and an old lady while skipping auto class to drag race a friend. A few years later, I got caught in a drag racing sting in Detroit that cost me time off work and a fortune out of my pocket. Add in the mountain of traffic tickets, and the stupidity really starts to add up.

As young adults, we were out of control. At the time, it all seemed like fun and games. But recently, I lost a friend to street racing, and it hit me hard: none of us are invisible. Maybe this really was as dangerous as everyone had warned me.

My advice to anyone out there: Settle it at the Drag Strip.

Advantages

• A speeding ticket plus a drag racing ticket can cost you a whole lot more.

• No reason to fight because you can't cheat. (Leave your guns at home.)

• Professional safety help is available for the purpose of dealing with a racing accident. 

• You don't have to worry about running away from the scene when police show up. The mad dash to get a way cuases accidents—damages to a vehicle you put a lot of time into. 

• You're far more likely to stay alive and avoid injuring innocent people.

• And usually, people are pretty friendly. You might even make some friends instead of making enemies.

1994-1996 Chevrolet Impala SS: General Motors' Only Muscle Car of the Decade—Not Sports Car—Muscle Car

  

Summary

1994–1996 Chevy Impala SS — a full-size sedan with true 1990s muscle-car attitude.

5.7L LT1 V8 producing 260 hp and 330 lb.-ft. of torque.

Rear-wheel drive, limited-slip differential, heavy-duty suspension, 12-inch disc brakes, and dual exhaust.

Comfortable enough for five, but capable of 0–60 mph in about 7 seconds.

The LT1 offered plenty of potential for aftermarket performance upgrades.

Only 69,758 were produced, making clean, original examples increasingly desirable.

A big, comfortable American cruiser with legitimate muscle-car DNA.

The Big and Bold

These beautiful 94-96 Chevrolet Impala SS sport sedans weren't in production for long, but they did make a big impact in the Chevy lineup for a couple of years. What made this Caprice in disguise such a success was the addition of a Corvette 5.7-liter LT1 V8 engine, along with a few other upgrades.

• 260 Horsepower and 330 lb.-ft. of Torque

• 4L60E Automatic Transmission

• 3.08 Tall Rear Gear with a Limited-Slip Differential

• Lowered Heavy-Duty Suspension from the Caprice Police Car Package

• Performance-Oriented Shocks w/Semi-Stiff Anti-Roll Bars

• 12-Inch Vented Disc Brakes

• 0-60 in 7.0 Seconds and 15.0-Second 1/4-Mile Time @ 92 MPH, Give or Take, with Plenty of Potential

Now, of course, that doesn't sound like much today, with V6 SUVs outperforming this big-bodied vehicle. But this 4,220-pound beast was considered pretty fast for its size 26 years ago.

The funny thing is, the decision to go with the Caprice/LT1/Impala combination came about because the original Caprice 4.6-liter engine was having a hard time meeting emission standards. The LT1 engine that was placed in the Corvette, Camaro, and Pontiac sports cars was doing fine passing emissions and smog regulations, and that's why it got the duty of lugging the Impala SS around.

Potential For More Power 

Dropping the 4.6-liter and moving to the LT1 made the Impala SS even more like a muscle car. Since there wasn't a lot you could do in terms of upgrades to the 4.6-liter, the dud you got in the '93 and older Caprice was the dud you got. The LT1, on the other hand, offered plenty of room for upgrades.

If you could get an upgrade for a Corvette, Camaro, Firebird, or Trans Am, chances are you could get it for the Impala. This opened the door for easy upgrades, from cold-air induction and computer programmers to cams, heads, and nitrous. I'd go over all the upgrade options, but I figure you could use your imagination here.

Four-Door Competition

It was definitely faster than its American four-door competitors, i.e., the Ford Taurus SHO and the Pontiac Bonneville SSEi. Moreover, it was $65,800+ cheaper than the Mercedes-Benz S500 and could accelerate faster, handle better, and match the Benz in braking abilities, all while sounding like true American Muscle.

What The Impala SS Had Its Sports Car Companions Didn't 

That's easy: front bucket seats that made you feel like you were sitting on a sofa, a back seat where people—even those 6 feet tall and hefty—could sit comfortably, and a trunk you could neatly place a dead body in. 

The Impala's colors were limited. In 1994, you were only able to get one in Black, but the '95 and '96 models brought about a Dark Cherry Red and a Dark Green color.

                        

There were also a few other differences about the 1994 Impala SS. There was a digital dashboard with no tachometer and a column shifter. When Chevrolet noticed the consumer's want for this vehicle in the muscle car capacity, they added in an analog dashboard with a tach and a floor shifter to add to the muscle car feel. 

For all three years, the exterior sported special 17-inch 5-spoke rims wrapped in large 255/50R-17 tires. A nice-sounding dual-exhaust system was added, along with a rear spoiler and deleted Caprice chrome. The stance, the sound, the power, and the name alone—Impala SS—made this disguised Caprice no longer a car you would expect a 90-year-old church-going lady to drive. 

Taking One For A Ride

I've taken a few for a ride here and there while working at a dealership. They're not that fast, but one thing they are is a little surprising. You just don't think a '94-'96 Caprice with special SS Impala badges is going to offer you so much.

The Impala gives you more than enough throttle response to get the big, long sedan into the passing zone and go. It also gives you plenty of comfort, from the legroom and headroom to the soft suspension that performs well but still gives you a ride that reminds you of your grandpa's unmolested Lincoln.

And no, there is no media center, cell phone connectivity, or sophisticated driver-assist safety functions that allow you to disregard paying attention to the road. These Impala SS big-bodies are true cruising cars. A car that you can shine up, hit the road, listen to the mufflers hum, and get a few looks of envy from drivers in their cookie-cutter trucks and crossovers.

Purchasing a 94-96 Impala SS

With 69,758 Impala SS sport sedans produced between '94 and '96, they are not the rarest cars in the world. But a lot of them are stored away in garages as their value goes up. If you're looking to purchase one of these modern Impala SS muscle cars, your best option is to look for one that has low miles and has little to no upgrades.

Some of these cars have been heavily modified, and some have been around the block a time or two.

Look for rust in the usual places, signs of years of abuse, aftermarket-hacked stereo systems and suspension components, and beat-up interiors. Some of these cars may still have potential, but it would depend on how much money you want to put into them.

There are still plenty of good ones out there that have been well taken care of and can offer you a fun and cool multi-purpose Hot Rod!.

   

2027 Corvette Grand Sport X: The Legend Is Back in a Very Dangerous Form

Summary

2027 Corvette Grand Sport X brings the legendary Grand Sport name back with a modern twist.

6.7L naturally aspirated LS6 V8 makes 535 hp, paired with a 186-hp front electric motor for a combined 721 hp.

All-wheel drive and an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission deliver a 2.4-second 0–60 mph and 10.4-second quarter-mile.

The hybrid system isn't about saving fuel—it's about adding performance and traction.

Standard carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes and Magnetic Ride Control help handle all that power.

Starting at $109,700, the Grand Sport X offers exotic-level performance without an exotic-car price.

Like the original Grand Sports, it's not about being the most powerful Corvette—it's about being one of the best all-around performers.

Chevrolet took the Grand Sport formula and made it faster, smarter, and more capable than ever.

How To Bring the Grand Sport Back To Life

There are many ways Chevrolet could have brought the Corvette Grand Sport name back for 2027. They could have simply put some Grand Sport badges on the C8, added some wider bodywork, upgraded the suspension, and called it a day. Honestly, nobody would have been too surprised if that was the formula.

But that would have been too easy.

Instead, Chevrolet took one of the most respected names in Corvette history and gave it something that none of the previous Grand Sports ever had — an electric motor driving the front wheels. The result is the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport X, and if you thought the Grand Sport was always supposed to be the Corvette sitting in that sweet spot between everyday Corvette and full-blown track monster, well, that's exactly what Chevrolet did again. 





This isn't just another Corvette with a bigger number on the horsepower chart. The Grand Sport X has a 535-horsepower naturally aspirated 6.7-liter V8 with an electric front-axle motor producing 186 horsepower for a combined all-wheel-drive setup horsepower rating of 721 ponies. An 8-speed dual-clutch transmission takes care of shifting, and the Vette has a launch-controlled 0-60 time of only 2.4 seconds. Chevrolet says it can cover the quarter-mile in 10.4 seconds at 131 mph.

That's serious business.

Like in the past, Grand Sport isn't trying to be the Corvette ZR1. It doesn't need to. The Grand Sport has always had a different job, and that job is taking everything that makes the standard Corvette great and adding the things necessary to make it much more capable when the road gets serious.

The Grand Sport Formula Has Always Been Different

If you have followed gmpowerhouses.com for a while, you may remember my earlier look at the 1996 Corvette Grand Sport: Throw Back to the '63 Corvette Grand Sport. Back then, Chevrolet was trying to give the fourth-generation Corvette something special before the C4 disappeared. The 1996 Grand Sport received the LT4 V8, which produced 330 horsepower, along with wider tires and other performance upgrades.

Chevrolet built only 1,000 of them, and the Admiral Blue paint, white center stripe, and red hash marks made sure nobody would mistake it for an ordinary Corvette.

That Grand Sport was special because Chevrolet didn't simply try to make it the most powerful Corvette. It made it different. And that's really the secret behind the Grand Sport name.

Go all the way back to 1963, and the story stays the same. Zora Arkus-Duntov wanted a lightweight Corvette that could go racing against some of the best sports cars in the world—not the fastest Corvette in the lineup, but the most capable. The original plan called for 125 cars to be built, but only five original 1963 Corvette Grand Sports were completed before the program was shut down.

Those five cars have since become some of the most valuable and recognizable Corvettes ever built.

I recently wrote about just how crazy the market has become for these original cars and how you could own A '63 Corvette Grand Sport Without Paying Millions by cloning one.

Obviously, Chevrolet isn't trying to duplicate a 1963 race car in 2027. But the philosophy is still there. Build a Corvette that isn't satisfied with simply being fast. Build one that is engineered to be better everywhere that matters.

That's what the Grand Sport has always been about.

The LS6 Is The Heart Of This Corvette

One of the things I really like about this new Corvette is that Chevrolet didn't abandon the naturally aspirated V8. In a world where manufacturers are adding turbos, electric motors, and increasingly complicated powertrains, there is still something special about a big naturally aspirated Corvette V8.

The LS6 is a 6.7-liter V8 with a 100mm stroke and a 13.0:1 compression ratio. That 13.0:1 compression ratio is the highest ever used in a Corvette V8, and the engine also uses a continuously variable oil pump designed to maintain the proper oil pressure across different operating conditions.

Then there is the transmission. The Grand Sport X gets an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, and that combination is important because the Grand Sport X isn't supposed to feel like a V8 with an electric motor attached to it. The engine, transmission, and electric front axle are all working together. The result is one powertrain that makes it feel like a true American muscle car, not a small, snobby, gas-saving hybrid.

The Electric Motor Isn't Here To Save Fuel

This is one of the most interesting things about the Grand Sport X. When most people hear "hybrid," they immediately think about fuel economy, emissions, and being responsible. That's not what Chevrolet is doing here.

The electric motor is being used as a performance weapon.

The front-mounted electric drive unit can deliver power directly to the front wheels, while the naturally aspirated V8 sends its power to the rear wheels. That means the Grand Sport X can use electric torque to help launch the car while the V8 continues doing what Corvette V8s have been doing for generations: Make Power And Lots Of It.

The system is built around a 1.9-kWh battery, but this electric motor isn't an attempt to turn the Grand Sport into a long-distance electric vehicle. Instead, the battery is there to provide short bursts of performance and capture regenerative energy.

That makes a lot of sense for a sports car. You don't need a massive battery if the goal isn't to drive 50 miles on electricity. You need a battery that can deliver power quickly, and that's exactly what the Grand Sport X is designed to do.

It's a hybrid system, but it's a very different kind of hybrid system. 

Chevrolet says the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport X can hit 60 mph in 2.4 seconds. That's faster than the original E-Ray's published 2.5-second 0-60 time, and it puts the Grand Sport X firmly into the kind of acceleration territory where Corvette starts making some very expensive European sports cars nervous.

The quarter-mile is just as impressive. Chevrolet lists a 10.4-second quarter-mile at 131 mph. Think about that for a second. We're talking about a Grand Sport here. Not the ultimate Corvette. Not the ZR1X. The Grand Sport.

That's where the new Vette becomes really interesting. The Grand Sport isn't supposed to be the most extreme Corvette. The ZR1 and ZR1X already occupy that territory. Instead, the Grand Sport X is showing how much performance Chevrolet can build into the middle of the Corvette lineup. And that's exactly what the Grand Sport has always done.

Corvette Technology Is Getting Smarter

The C8 Corvette already changed the game when Chevrolet moved the engine behind the driver. Now the Grand Sport X is taking another step.

The computer-controlled relationship between the rear-mounted V8 and front electric motor allows Chevrolet to use the electric system in situations where an ordinary rear-wheel-drive Corvette would be fighting for traction. Launching from a stop is the obvious example, but it goes beyond that.

The electric motor can provide torque to the front wheels while the rear tires are putting down V8 power. That gives the driver an additional layer of control and, more importantly, gives Chevrolet another tool for making the car faster around corners, not just in a straight line. 

The Grand Sport X gets performance strategies designed to manage the electric energy during serious driving. There is a Charge+ function designed to maintain the battery's state of charge for repeated performance use, along with specialized performance modes designed around qualifying-style performance and maximum power. And then there is Stealth Mode, which can allow the Corvette to operate on electric power alone at low speeds.

That Stealth feature is almost funny when you think about it.

A 721-horsepower Corvette can quietly sneak around town on electric power. Then you put your foot down and wake up a 6.7-liter V8. That's a pretty good definition of having your cake and eating it too.

And Don't Forget The Brakes And Suspension

You can't build a Corvette capable of 10.4-second quarter-mile times and high-speed corner cutting and then forget about stopping.

The 2027 Corvette Grand Sport X gets some serious brakes—carbon-ceramic as standard:

• Front: 15.7 × 1.5 in (398 × 38 mm)
• Rear: 15.4 × 1.3 in (390 × 34 mm)
• Calipers: Brembo monobloc, 4-piston front and 4-piston rear
• System: eBoost-assisted carbon-ceramic discs

Chevrolet confirms the X gets the J57 carbon-ceramic brake package as standard, unlike the regular Grand Sport.

That's a very substantial setup, especially considering the Grand Sport X is around 3,800 lb. The carbon-ceramics also help with heat management and repeated hard stops

The suspension is badass as well, coming with Corvette's Magnetic Ride Control adaptive dampers and a Touring suspension as standard. It uses the C8's independent SLA/double-wishbone suspension front and rear.

A few key points:

• Adaptive dampers: Magnetic Ride Control continuously adjusts damping electronically.
• Standard setup: Touring calibration, with relatively softer springs/damper tuning aimed at road comfort and long-distance drivability.
• Sport Performance option: A Z52 Sport Performance Package is available, adding stiffer springs and a more aggressive Magnetic Ride Control calibration, along with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires.
• Hardware: Independent SLA/double-wishbone suspension front and rear, with monotube shocks and Magnetic Ride Control.

A fast Corvette isn't impressive because it can accelerate. It's impressive when it can accelerate, brake, turn, and do it repeatedly without falling apart.

That's something I've always liked about Corvette engineering. GM has historically understood that adding horsepower isn't enough. You have to build the rest of the car to handle it.

This Is Where The Grand Sport Becomes A Real Problem For Other Sports Cars

For years, one of Corvette's biggest advantages has been its ability to give buyers serious performance without requiring them to spend exotic-car money.

I've written about this several times on gmpowerhouses.com. Back when I covered the C6 ZR1, I talked about how that Corvette could produce 638 horsepower, run to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and reach a 200-mph top speed while carrying a price tag that was dramatically lower than comparable European supercars.

That same philosophy is still alive, except Corvette has now gotten much faster. The 2027 Grand Sport X starts at $109,700, according to Chevrolet's current listing, before options and destination charges. For a 721-horsepower, all-wheel-drive, mid-engine sports car capable of a 2.4-second 0-60 time, that's a pretty remarkable number. And this is where Corvette continues to make other sports-car manufacturers uncomfortable.

You don't have to spend Ferrari money to get Ferrari-level acceleration. You don't have to spend Porsche money to get Porsche-level performance. And you certainly don't need to buy a European exotic just because you want a car that can dominate a road course. That's been part of the Corvette story for decades.

So, Like Always, I Think We Can All Admit, Chevrolet Has Done It Again!

I have written before about Corvettes that seemed impossible for their time.

The 2009 ZR1 was one of them.

The C7 ZR1 was another.

The C8's move to a mid-engine layout was another huge step.

And now Chevrolet has taken the Grand Sport name and done something that would have sounded completely crazy when I was writing about the 1996 version back in 2017.

They added an electric motor to the front of a naturally aspirated V8 Corvette.

And instead of using that technology to make the Corvette quieter and slower, they used it to make the car 

FASTER. MUCH FASTER!

This combination is one that is very difficult for other sports-car manufacturers to ignore.

• Not because it is the most powerful.
• Not because it is the most expensive.

• But because, just like the Grand Sports that came before it, it gives you a Corvette with the best all-around performance for the money.

And that's exactly what a Grand Sport is supposed to do.