Chevrolet revives the Corvette Grand Sport with a V8

General engines $GM’s Chevrolet brand announced this week the return of the Corvette Grand Sport nameplate for the 2027 model year, introducing two variants: the Grand Sport and Grand Sport. X $TWTR – each powered by a 6.7-liter LS6 V8 engine. The vehicles are expected to go on sale in summer 2026, according to Chevrolet.

The LS6 is the sixth generation of the Chevrolet Small Block $SQ V8, in a lineage spanning 72 years that had produced only five previous generations, GM said. Rated at 535 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque, it is the most powerful standard engine in Corvette history and what GM describes as the highest-torque naturally aspirated V8 ever made.

The LS6 is an evolution of the 6.2-liter LT2 it replaces. Engineers lengthened the piston stroke from 92mm to 100mm to achieve 6.7 liters of displacement, while the bore remained at 103.25mm. The resulting 13.0:1 compression ratio is the highest ever recorded for a Corvette V8, eclipsing the 12.5:1 of the 427 cubic inch L88 Big. Block – a racing engine produced from 1967 to 1969. “The only way we could beat that today with unleaded gasoline was to use our forward controls,” said Mike Kociba, deputy chief engineer of the Small Block.

Despite the increase in displacement, the engine improves emissions from its predecessor, GM said. “Historically, when you make large, high-horsepower, high-torque engines, there is a penalty,” Kociba said. “But thanks to advanced controls, our new fuel system and a higher compression ratio, we were able to improve emissions with a larger engine.”

The Grand Sport is rear-wheel drive. The Great Sport X adds an electrified all-wheel-drive front axle for a combined 721 horsepower, with the electric drive unit sending 145 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels from a 1.9 kWh lithium-ion battery, Chevrolet said.

Both models feature an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, Magnetic Selective Ride Control 4.0, and a wide chassis. The Grand Sport is available in coupe and convertible configurations across three trim levels.

The LS6 will be assembled at GM’s Michigan Flint Engine Operations plant. The original Chevrolet Small Block was first produced in Flint on July 9, 1954, and engine production continued there until 1999, GM said.