2009 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
April 27, 2009 by David Twomey
Grand Sport, it’s one of the most storied names in the Chevrolet Corvette’s illustrious racing heritage and it is returning to the lineup.
Chevrolet announced the new, 2010 Corvette Grand Sport at the 12th annual C5/C6 Corvette Birthday Bash, held at the National Corvette Museum, in Bowling Green, Kentucky in the good old US of A.
The new Grand Sport model combines the Corvette’s LS3-based powertrain with unique, wide-body styling and a racetrack-bred suspension for a distinctive, starting grid-ready performer.
It is offered in both coupe and convertible body styles, with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.
The LS3 6.2L engine is rated at 321kW and 575Nm with the standard exhaust system. An optional two-mode exhaust system elevates the power ratings to 325kW and 580 Nm.
The Grand Sport replaces the Corvette’s previous Z51 package and brings a greater degree of handling performance, with wider wheels and tires; revised shock, stabilizer bar and spring specifications and specific gearing.
The equipment enables cornering capability of 1.0g, as well as a 0.2-second improvement in 0-100km/h acceleration vs. standard LS3-powered models.
Grand Sport coupe models equipped with the manual transmission are uniquely outfitted for racetrack competition, too, with a dry-sump oiling system, differential cooler and a rear-mounted battery.
The complete list of content and special features for the Grand Sport includes
• Wider front and rear fenders – including specific front fenders with integrated Grand Sport badges
• Z06-style front splitter and tall rear spoiler
• Functional brake ducts and extra cooling
• Unique 18-inch front and 19-inch wheels; painted finish standard and chrome finish optional
• Large 275/35ZR18 tires in front and 325/30ZR19 tires in the rear
• Z06-size brakes, including 14-inch (355 mm) front rotors with six-piston calipers and 13.4-inch (340 mm) rear rotors with four-piston calipers
• Specific manual transmission gear ratios
• Specific rear axle ratio on automatic-equipped models
With its special equipment, the Grand Sport offers a unique blend of performance and amenities. Its suspension package approaches that of the Z06, but includes a removable roof on coupes (Z06 has a fixed roof) and, of course, the availability of a convertible body style.
Also, the paddle-shift six-speed automatic transmission is offered, while a manual transmission is the only choice with the Z06.
Print it: 
i guess its more of an equipment package with a different name than an entirely new model.
Yeah.
Why would you have expected it to be an entirely new model?
The Grand Sports have always been an ‘options package/special edition’ type.
Small car , huge engine, fast on the straights crap round the corners. 2/10 rubbish.
If this is meant to get GM back into the red then they don’t havn’t an ice block in hells chance.
Cupid Stunt: LOL
If G.M wasn’t in so much s..t they could put an engine in the Vette that wasn’t so much of a Joke.!
^ Small car, huge engine? Sounds like the perfect combination for a sports car to me.
Also ‘crap round the corners’ may have been true of the Corvettes of old but the later models are a huge improvement. Sure they’re no Lotus but the average driver behind the wheel of a modern Corvette will most likely reach their own limits before they reach the car’s.
The incredible ZR1’s recent lap record at the Nurburgring is testament to this. Faster than a Nissan Godzilla (so far) – and all without all-wheel drive
@Doug- Your right it could be great around corners if they took what they learnt from the ZR1.
Sad that people bash a car they know nothing about only going off what older models were like. Im the first to admit previous vettes were rubbish but didnt the ZR1 teach you people anything?
Gee Doug&AussieCars I’d feel quite proud too that it took a 6.2 litre supercharger V8 or was it the 7 litre V8 to beat a 3.5 litre V6 around the Nurburgring.
The Vette in G.M’s eyes competes with Lambo,Ferrari,Porsche
Aston Martin,BMW,Merc,Jag etc.etc LOL!
Which company going broke “Doug” and has cost the US tax payer 25 billon dollars “AussieCars”.
Schah7 you are an absolute spanner.
Who cares how the power is made??? Even if the GTR made all its power from 1cc what bees d*@& worth of difference would that make to the Corvette??? Nowhere have I said that the Corvette’s engine is technically advanced – as long as it puts out the appropriate levels of power and torque I couldn’t give a crap if it was a freakin 100 year old steam engine.
Also why do I care that GM’s going broke? That doesn’t stop the current Corvette from being a great car.
Also the Corvette DOES compete with alot of the cars from the brands you’ve mentioned above. There are also alot of cars from said brands that it doesn’t. Do some research on the Corvette – especially the ZR1 – you might be surprised. Oh and don’t compare apples to oranges.
I’ll be sure to ask GM to apologise to you for not meeting you lofty standards. I’m sure they’re concerned with your opinion.
Hopefully you were dropped on your head at birth or something, because I’d hate to think you made your stupid comments by choice.
Doug you were the one that mentioned how the ZR1 beat the GTR Nissan around the “Ring” not me. I just highlighted the fact that the Vette required a engine of Twice the capacity to achieve this and now that you have mentioned it the Vette was also 4ookg lighter.!
“THAT” Vette sorta sounds really “Handicapped” does it.!
The reason I also mentioned that G.M. is in the “finanical cactus” may have quite a bit of influence on keeping up the development of the Vette to keep it competitive.
Compared to the Europeans the Corvette is a JOKE.
Now even the Japanese are making IT look silly.
Doug ya ment to say:
Nissan GTR= Apple
Corvette = LEMON
Schah7 like I said, it doesn’t MATTER how it beat it, the fact is it still beat it. I’m just trying to point out that it’s not as ‘rubbish’ as cupid stunt (and yourself) seems to believe. I’m not saying it’s the perfect car, and I’m not saying that Nissan won’t put out another GTR version next week which I’m sure will beat the ZRI – Nissan having way more development funding.
As to the Corvette being a ‘Joke’, The Eurojaps’s aren’t laughing so hard anymore – why do you think Nissan is expending so much to try and beat the ZR1 – if they didn’t take the Corvette seriously then they wouldn’t bother.
People don’t give it enough credit. That’s my point.
Do you need me to draw you a picture?
Doug I feel you are just a “sad victim” of the slow death
of General Motors.
Need to draw me a picture,Hu?
I’d say you would be the sorta guy thats gotta “picture” of “Peter Brock” under you pillow. LOL.!
Sorry to say this but who cares who beats who around the ‘ring? Seriously the GTR is a milestone of engineering knowhow and technology, the Corvette is one of the last bastions of a bigone era where to drive a car fast, first you had to learn how to drive.
Eg your GTR is perfectly balanced has a space shuttle worth of computer control and is able to be driven safely and competitively by average ability drivers (this by the way is a good thing and I am not against it) where as the Vette (and cars like this commonly known as “muscle cars” because they need to be muscled around the track) will bite the hand of a novice without notice.
So comparing the two is pointless. If you don’t understand the GTR then you wont appreciate it, same for the ‘vette.
Personally I’d have the ‘vette. ;-)
Frontman fair comment but the Vette compaired to most Sports/Muscle is trapped in a “time-warp”[engine&suspension
design] and basicily a POS.
When “ya-Broke” ya get “left in the dust”.