2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport First Drive
The superhuman Corvette for the everyman.
Jul 21st 2016
Alex Kierstein
AutoBlog.com
Sometimes a place lives up to its stereotype. Atlanta Motorsports Park, which is about 90 minutes north of the city, was sweltering this week. The 2017 Corvette Grand Sport's temperature display claimed it was nearly 100 degrees outside, and the humidity was almost comical. In the distance, thick thunderclouds were stacking themselves up, threatening to saturate the track and end the day early. We hurried to gulp down water and put on helmets, heading out for hot laps on a day set to broil. Luckily, the Grand Sport is always in a hurry.
It's also, to cut to the chase, absolutely the Corvette you want if you have any intention of visiting a place like AMP on a regular basis. The base Stingray, a 1LT Coupe with no options, is plenty quick on the street but is missing some critical components to prevent grenading its engine or an expensive trip through the gravel trap.
Adding the Z51 package provides that peace of mind: a performance dual-stage exhaust that adds a few horsepower, sportier suspension (and available Magnetic Ride Control, worth every penny of $1,795), a rear differential cooler, an electronic limited-slip differential, and most importantly a dry-sump oil system to make sure the LT1 6.2-liter V8 is properly lubricated under high g-loads. A Z51 will circle the skidpad at around 1.03 g, bringing us closer to an ideal dual-purpose Corvette.
CONTINUE AT LINK ABOVE
Images courtesy of, and credited to, AutoBlog.com
The superhuman Corvette for the everyman.
Jul 21st 2016
Alex Kierstein
AutoBlog.com
Sometimes a place lives up to its stereotype. Atlanta Motorsports Park, which is about 90 minutes north of the city, was sweltering this week. The 2017 Corvette Grand Sport's temperature display claimed it was nearly 100 degrees outside, and the humidity was almost comical. In the distance, thick thunderclouds were stacking themselves up, threatening to saturate the track and end the day early. We hurried to gulp down water and put on helmets, heading out for hot laps on a day set to broil. Luckily, the Grand Sport is always in a hurry.
It's also, to cut to the chase, absolutely the Corvette you want if you have any intention of visiting a place like AMP on a regular basis. The base Stingray, a 1LT Coupe with no options, is plenty quick on the street but is missing some critical components to prevent grenading its engine or an expensive trip through the gravel trap.
Adding the Z51 package provides that peace of mind: a performance dual-stage exhaust that adds a few horsepower, sportier suspension (and available Magnetic Ride Control, worth every penny of $1,795), a rear differential cooler, an electronic limited-slip differential, and most importantly a dry-sump oil system to make sure the LT1 6.2-liter V8 is properly lubricated under high g-loads. A Z51 will circle the skidpad at around 1.03 g, bringing us closer to an ideal dual-purpose Corvette.
CONTINUE AT LINK ABOVE
Images courtesy of, and credited to, AutoBlog.com