The Perfect Corvette? Driving the C7 Grand Sport Featuring the PDR System and Hitting the Sweet Spot

The original Corvette Grand Sports were made in a very limited manner - just five of them, to be precise, with one being a convertible. These were made to run in the 1963 Le Mans race and act as a test bed for continuing Corvette development. The original plan called for 125 to be produced, thus qualifying it as an homologation race car for the GT Production Class, but the AMA ban on racing was in full swing, and the Grand Sport was quashed. Using a little subterfuge, the five did make their way in to the hands of some of racing's premier drivers, including Roger Penske, AJ Foyt, Jim Hall, and Dick Thompson. They did well, but had only mild success against the Cobras.

Since then, the Grand Sport name was used sparingly - first, for a special edition of the C4, and then again for the C6 - but neither were focused mechanical packages, instead mostly about styling. Not so the C7 Grand Sport, which brings all the suspension goodies of the ultra high performance Z06 while maintaining the standard 6.2 liter V8 from the base Stingray. Instead of feeling like a compromise, it bring s a tremendous balance to the C7 platform, giving the average guy enough power to exploit without terror and a suspension that can make the best use of it on the street or the track. It will turn more than 1.1Gs on the skid pad, and rocket to 60 in 3.7 or so seconds. While it's not entirely fair to call a 460HP machine a "momentum car," it is essentially as balanced as a Miata, and just as track friendly to the average-skilled driver.

So call it the "Goldilocks" Corvette - perfectly positioned in the trim lineup to give you the most bang for the buck, and a thoroughly enjoyable street/track experience. As for the 500 or so Grand Sport Convertibles made in 2018, I suspect they'll be very popular at Barrett-Jackson in 2045.

Видео The Perfect Corvette? Driving the C7 Grand Sport Featuring the PDR System and Hitting the Sweet Spot канала Curious Cars