2027 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport X proves code is as important as hardware

the hybrid ‘vette is back

When Chevrolet introduced a hybrid system to the Corvette lineup in 2023, creating the E-Ray, many fans were confused. If it was meant to be a performance option, where did it fit alongside the ZR1 and ZR1X? Was this a concession to emissions, or was it a sign of the fabled Stingray getting soft? Promises of silent cruising through neighborhoods and the application of all-season tires didn’t help the situation.

Three years later, the E-Ray is dead, but the hybrid system lives on in the new Grand Sport X. This, though, isn’t intended to be a direct successor. A series of subtle and not-so-subtle software tweaks, plus some additional drive modes and a whole new engine, conspire to create a machine that sounds and feels far more edgy and exciting.

From E-Ray to Grand Sport X

“There were some customers who didn’t necessarily understand the car,” Keith Badgley said of the E-Ray. He was the lead development engineer for that machine, as well as the Grand Sport X and the ZR1X. I spoke with him after spending a few days behind the wheel of the Grand Sport X.

The E-Ray, he said, was positioned as something of a grand tourer, a performance machine that mixed big speed and style with all-day comfort and all-weather capability. Owners had other ideas, though.

“We saw that a lot of people were tracking E-Rays, and some of the feedback was that it was a little tight,” Badgley said. A tendency toward understeer is ideal for predictable handling on canyon roads, but it’s less desirable on a racetrack.

Track performance wasn’t at the top of the list of priorities for that particular Corvette. It was, however, the goal for the bonkers 1,250-hp (932 kW) ZR1X. The development of that car created the opportunity to do something a little more special with the Corvette’s hybrid powertrain.

The electric motor at the front in the ZR1X is more powerful than that found in the E-Ray, and the Grand Sport X inherits that power boost.

Out back, though, is something even newer: the LS6, a 6.7 L naturally aspirated V8 that will become the base engine in new Stingray models. This continues the Grand Sport tradition of sticking with the entry-level engine while borrowing all the performance-minded upgrades from elsewhere in the Corvette line.

That includes carbon-ceramic brakes, standard Magnetic Ride Control suspension, and even optional carbon fiber wheels, all wrapped by the widebody shape that gives the Grand Sport and Grand Sport X a more aggressive look than the base Stingray.

Beyond the powertrain, virtually nothing else has changed on the hardware side between the new Grand Sport X and the old E-Ray. “We were able to stay inside the same damper part number, springs, bars,” Badgley said. “We did look at changing parts; we just did not need to.”

Given that, I didn’t know what to expect when getting behind the wheel.

On the road

I spent a day crisscrossing Colorado in a pre-production Corvette E-Ray back in 2023. It just so happens that the Centennial State would also be my playground for a long weekend spent with one of the first Grand Sport X coupes to roll off the fabled production line in Bowling Green, Kentucky. I revisited some of the same roads from years ago, and I was immediately surprised by how different the two cars felt, considering they shared so much.

Much of that comes down to the engine. The new LS6 V8 has 40 more hp (30 kW) and 50 more lb-ft of torque (68 Nm) than the E-Ray’s V8. Meanwhile, the new electric motor delivers 186 hp (139 kW), 26 hp (19 kW) more than the E-Ray’s electric motor.

The result is a car that’s up 66 hp (49 kW) and 70 lb-ft (95 Nm) of torque over the outgoing E-Ray.

It’s more aggressive, too, both in terms of its sound—especially when outfitted with the quad-pipe central exhaust—and in its power delivery. Badgley said his team uses a predictive algorithm to calculate the car’s dynamic control systems, relying on the additional torque of the new engine to change its feel. “We allowed ourselves to free up the car… relying on that predictive capability to dial in the front axle,” he said.

The software controlling the car’s adaptive suspension, stability control, and even the electronic differential has been revised to enable a sharper feel.

The result is a Corvette that not only fires up with a bit more flair but also puts its power down more aggressively. That shot of EV power from the front axle really helps the Grand Sport X feel properly quick, and when that motor starts to run out of steam, the V8 behind your head comes on at full song to drive you up to whatever maximum velocity you desire.

It doesn’t just deliver that feeling in a straight line. Through the corners, the Grand Sport X feels more eager and aggressive, especially when pushed hard. The average all-wheel-drive car doesn’t respond well to being driven into a corner. While the Grand Sport X still has a tendency toward initial understeer, it does the magical thing some cars with electric front axles can do: using the power up front to help pull its nose through the turn, creating a more balanced response when you push it hard.

But despite that extra eagerness, the Grand Sport X hasn’t sacrificed its everyday appeal. The adaptive dampers still do a fairly good job of smoothing out the ride on Colorado’s concrete highways, and the Corvette’s other charms remain intact. Being able to lose the roof and stow it in the trunk is one of my favorite parts of every modern Corvette, and that’s still true here.

What’s new, though, is the interior that’s exposed when you eject the roof. Gone is the wall of buttons between driver and passenger. The new layout has a 12.7-inch touchscreen and a more open center console that makes room for a wireless charging pad, though it sadly didn’t work so well in my testing.

More than a rebrand

From a hardware standpoint, this is very much a continuation of the E-Ray line, just with the new motor at the front and engine at the back. But today’s cars are defined by code as much as they are components, and in that regard, the Grand Sport X really does feel like a substantially different machine, one that’s far more in keeping with the traditional Corvette experience.

The E-Ray really is dead, and that’s a shame. I liked seeing America’s iconic sports car branch out into new territory, much as Porsche has done by expanding its 911 offerings without diminishing the appeal of the core Carrera.

Regardless, the new Grand Sport X doesn’t disappoint on the road, though getting one there will take a substantial investment. While the non-hybrid Grand Sport starts at $88,495—$15,000 more than a base Stingray—the Grand Sport X starts at $112,195. That’s a hefty premium, and one that threatens to redefine the meaning of “Grand” in this context.