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Been away awhile. Still have my C6 GS, but getting the itch. Haven't seen any rumors yet on a c8 GS. Don't need a Z06 or ERay, but waiting on the wide body. Any thing on that front anyone has heard about?
I love the "10k premium" myth. This is a pipe-dream that refuses to die.
The ER is not excessively priced. If you figure 10k for the widebody, 10k for CCB's and 10k for the hybrid drive--the ER is priced precisely as one would expect.
It does not have excessive weight. Challenger 170 weighs more.
It is not excessively complex. The only thing difference between the SR/Z and the ER is the hybrid-drive--which is neither uncharted territory for GM--nor excessively complex...given GM's experience with EV's. And even the HTC is sourced from a time-tested manufacturer.
---
As Jerry pointed out--there's no benefit to a wide-track on the SR. You're not struggling for grip like on the F/R Corvettes. So the only reason for a GS to exist is for cosmetics--to those who are too cheap, too persnickety or too luddite to buy the Z06/ER. And even if it did exist, you wouldn't get it for a measly 10k upcharge. That was already pushing the limits for GM to offer in 2019 with a Corvette whose base price was far lower. Base SR price has gone up by 15k since then (~$55k > ~$70k). Commensurate increase in upcharge for some "hypothetical GS" would mean a base upcharge SR > GS of ~$17k. So the 10k myth is just that--quantifiable myth.
Now GM could offer a widebody & CCB's with only the LT2 for ~17k. But you won't get a GS without some form of Z06 brakes (that would be sacrilege). And the wide track (additional contact patch) with additional weight means that an LT2-only powered GS would actually be slower in almost every way than the SR.
---
The TLDR here is that the myth of a C8 GS keeps rearing its ugly head from people who are luddites about the ER and/or too cheap to buy a Z06--but also think that the SR is pedestrian and for plebians.
Jeez, this has nothing to do with being too cheap for the ZO6. I don't want that motor for street use. I don't want an eray. Yes, I do want the looks of the wide body. Don't know why that is such a terrible thing.
Been away awhile. Still have my C6 GS, but getting the itch. Haven't seen any rumors yet on a c8 GS. Don't need a Z06 or ERay, but waiting on the wide body. Any thing on that front anyone has heard about?
I had a 2017 C7 Grand Sport. Thought the front spates were silly. Were fine for my 1974 CJ5, V8 Rag to Jeep BUT not an expensive sports car.
The 2014 Z51 285 rear tires were anemic, would lose traction off the line. The C7 Grand Sport solved that. When what now is known as the E-Ray details leaked out in a November 2019 article (posted on the forum) I thought at the time it was and called the Grand Sport in a Pic posted December 2019 on the Forum. Also wrote and posted when I wrote this detailed PDF on why a hybrid: netwelding.com/C8_FWD_Hybrid.pdf
Details on 2019 Pic I made are from the November 2019 leaked article. Very close to what they are. Pic was from a car mags idea of what the car would look like with Z06 body. My E-Ray is at 3400 with TPW next week 2/12/2024. As noted, I thought it would be called the Grand Sport.
PS: Wish the side skirts were full length as I show. In our rural area needed to stop rocks thrown by front tires from marking rocker panels. I have a decision to make when mine comes. Don't care for 'Saran Wrap" PPF but may not have a choice, at least a small amount to cover the exposed area in front of the rear wheel well.
These URLs used to work (I added spaces because this forum truncates links so you can't see the full address). The C8 Stingray links followed the same naming convention as the C7 Grand Sport links by using the "CorvetteGS" moniker in the URL.
C7 Grand Sport:
media .chevrolet .com/media/us/en/chevrolet/vehicles/ CorvetteGS/2017 .html
media .chevrolet .com/media/us/en/chevrolet/vehicles/ CorvetteGS/2018 .html
C8 Stingray:
media .chevrolet .com/media/us/en/chevrolet/vehicles/ CorvetteGS/2020 .html
media .chevrolet .com/media/us/en/chevrolet/vehicles/ CorvetteGS/2021 .html
media .chevrolet .com/media/us/en/chevrolet/vehicles/ CorvetteGS/2023 .html
I remember hearing Corvette exec staff (likely Tadge) saying that the C8 Stingray's performance envelope is already so high that it replaces the Grand Sport. I suspect that's because widening the track yields only a marginal performance improvement on an MR platform compared to an FR platform (C6, C7). Reason being MR already has tons of rear grip whereas FR stands to benefit much more substantially from better rear end traction given Corvette power levels.
Also I don't remember hash marks being an option available to prior generation base level Corvettes. They were reserved for Grand Sport but were available straightaway for the base C8 probably because there was no reason to reserve them for a GS trim that wouldn't exist.
Grand Sport C8 would be an obvious answer to the Eray's problems: excessive weight, excessive complexity, excessive price. Also, no potential "thermal runaway" from the new battery.
How hard would it be to put the LT2 into the wide body and call it a day? Seems like a no-brainer that they could charge another $10K for and make huge profits fast.
These URLs used to work (I added spaces because this forum truncates links so you can't see the full address). The C8 Stingray links followed the same naming convention as the C7 Grand Sport links by using the "CorvetteGS" moniker in the URL.
C7 Grand Sport:
media .chevrolet .com/media/us/en/chevrolet/vehicles/ CorvetteGS/2017 .html
media .chevrolet .com/media/us/en/chevrolet/vehicles/ CorvetteGS/2018 .html
C8 Stingray:
media .chevrolet .com/media/us/en/chevrolet/vehicles/ CorvetteGS/2020 .html
media .chevrolet .com/media/us/en/chevrolet/vehicles/ CorvetteGS/2021 .html
media .chevrolet .com/media/us/en/chevrolet/vehicles/ CorvetteGS/2023 .html
I remember hearing Corvette exec staff (likely Tadge) saying that the C8 Stingray's performance envelope is already so high that it replaces the Grand Sport. I suspect that's because widening the track yields only a marginal performance improvement on an MR platform compared to an FR platform (C6, C7). Reason being MR already has tons of rear grip whereas FR stands to benefit much more substantially from better rear end traction given Corvette power levels.
Also I don't remember hash marks being an option available to prior generation base level Corvettes. They were reserved for Grand Sport but were available straightaway for the base C8 probably because there was no reason to reserve them for a GS trim that wouldn't exist.
Agree, the 60% rear weight and 305 rear tires provide sufficient traction, wider rear wheels NOT NEEDED. Tadge and company said they needed the 285-section width front tires for the E-Ray FWD 160 hp. Since the Z06 needed the 345 rears and body/chassis existed that is why it comes with the same rear tire.
I'm not a fan of stripes. But when I got my 2017 Grand Sport thought; As a Memory to Zora I'll get fender stripes to match his original 1962/63 Grand Sport Race cars. Then checked. They did NOT have fender strips! Didn't get them!
Rodger Penske's Grand Sport Race car and all 5 or 6 others did NOT have fender strips.
GS...marketing, all marketing. Offered when the current model is on its last years. As some say maybe the E-Ray took its place but I'd guess cheap options and higher price for a marketed GS may still come down the pike. Just a guess.
^^^ You could be right.
Certainly, significant less cost for GM to build than the E-Ray.
No need for CCB brakes. ~$8000 MSRP
No Electric motor with Magnesium case, high strength aluminum bolts
No need for all the Hybrid Battery, Motor, Motor Control cooling systems.
No expensive Hybrid or 12- volt Battery
No expensive high current Motor control.
ETC.
Could be priced between the Z51 w/MRC (2024 3LT =$88,000)
and E-Ray (2024 3LT =$117,500)
Note I picked the higher 3LT but could be lower Trim Level.
So all Z51 features with MRC standard for 3LT Grand Sport: ~=$95,000 to $97,000 with GM making a higher margin!
On May 26th, 2022 GM filed a Federal Trademark with the U.S. Patent Office for the nameplate "Corvette Grand Sport". This could mean a number of things, including simply protecting the nameplate heritage, but it should be noted "ERay" was first trademarked in 2015, and re-registered in 2020. ERay is off to a rocky startup, and it seems the take-up rate is not anywhere near the rate of take-up the Grand Sport had in the C7 lineup. From a business front, a Grand Sport with a starting MSRP of around $90K would be an insane success!, .. much to the chagrin of Z06 owners, much like it was in the C7 Generation. https://www.corvetteblogger.com/2022...e-grand-sport/
Agree, the 60% rear weight and 305 rear tires provide sufficient traction, wider rear wheels NOT NEEDED. Tadge and company said they needed the 285-section width front tires for the E-Ray FWD 160 hp. Since the Z06 needed the 345 rears and body/chassis existed that is why it comes with the same rear tire.
I'm not a fan of stripes. But when I got my 2017 Grand Sport thought; As a Memory to Zora I'll get fender stripes to match his original 1962/63 Grand Sport Race cars. Then checked. They did NOT have fender strips! Didn't get them!
Rodger Penski's Grand Sport Race car and all 5 or 6 others did NOT have fender strips.
A little history on the "stripes" or "hash marks" of the original Grand Sports...
THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE SYMBOL OF GRAND SPORT CORVETTES ARE THE HASH MARKS ON THE LEFT FENDER, BUT THAT ISN’T WHERE THEY STARTED…AND, DESPITE THEIR ICONIC STATURE TODAY, THEIR REASON FOR BEING WAS ACTUALLY QUITE MUNDANE. BACK IN 1963, THE MECOM RACING TEAM FIELDED 3 OF THE ORGINAL GRAND SPORTS AT NASSUA - ALL OF WHICH SPORTED THE SAME PAINT SCHEME. SO, IN ORDER TO TELL ONE CAR FROM THE OTHER AS THEY APPROACHED COMING DOWN THE PIT LANE, THE COLOR CODED HASH MARKS (BLACK, WHITE AND RED) WERE PLACED ON THE FRONT OF THE CARS (NOT THE FENDERS). IRONICALLY, THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THESE MARKS WERE EVER USED ON THE ORIGINAL GRAND SPORTS.
^^^^
Good info! Had researched fender stripes back in 2017 when I bought my C7 Grand Sport but did not find that! Great Pic.
There are repro's around because of the value. But the original, as you note, did not have fender strips. It was a GM Marketing Thing!
Was a big fan of Jim Hall and found pics of the car he drove.
Here is one of he and Penske.
SIDEBAR My wife is from Ashtabula OH, where Robert Morrison (founder of Molded Fiberglass) built the 1st 1953 Vettes. She lived on the same street a few blocks done from him. Her brother recalls when Morrison drove down the block in his White '53 and took him for a ride. I was managing an R&D Lab in town for Linde and we had a technician who had worked for Molded Fiberglass and said they made the new Vette model prototypes for a few years after.
Grand Sport C8 would be an obvious answer to the Eray's problems: excessive weight, excessive complexity, excessive price. Also, no potential "thermal runaway" from the new battery.
How hard would it be to put the LT2 into the wide body and call it a day? Seems like a no-brainer that they could charge another $10K for and make huge profits fast.
Originally Posted by Kbmwgt
GS...marketing, all marketing. Offered when the current model is on its last years. As some say maybe the E-Ray took its place but I'd guess cheap options and higher price for a marketed GS may still come down the pike. Just a guess.
I love the "10k premium" myth. This is a pipe-dream that refuses to die.
The ER is not excessively priced. If you figure 10k for the widebody, 10k for CCB's and 10k for the hybrid drive--the ER is priced precisely as one would expect.
It does not have excessive weight. Challenger 170 weighs more.
It is not excessively complex. The only thing difference between the SR/Z and the ER is the hybrid-drive--which is neither uncharted territory for GM--nor excessively complex...given GM's experience with EV's. And even the HTC is sourced from a time-tested manufacturer.
---
As Jerry pointed out--there's no benefit to a wide-track on the SR. You're not struggling for grip like on the F/R Corvettes. So the only reason for a GS to exist is for cosmetics--to those who are too cheap, too persnickety or too luddite to buy the Z06/ER. And even if it did exist, you wouldn't get it for a measly 10k upcharge. That was already pushing the limits for GM to offer in 2019 with a Corvette whose base price was far lower. Base SR price has gone up by 15k since then (~$55k > ~$70k). Commensurate increase in upcharge for some "hypothetical GS" would mean a base upcharge SR > GS of ~$17k. So the 10k myth is just that--quantifiable myth.
Now GM could offer a widebody & CCB's with only the LT2 for ~17k. But you won't get a GS without some form of Z06 brakes (that would be sacrilege). And the wide track (additional contact patch) with additional weight means that an LT2-only powered GS would actually be slower in almost every way than the SR.
---
The TLDR here is that the myth of a C8 GS keeps rearing its ugly head from people who are luddites about the ER and/or too cheap to buy a Z06--but also think that the SR is pedestrian and for plebians.
I love the "10k premium" myth. This is a pipe-dream that refuses to die.
The ER is not excessively priced. If you figure 10k for the widebody, 10k for CCB's and 10k for the hybrid drive--the ER is priced precisely as one would expect.
It does not have excessive weight. Challenger 170 weighs more.
It is not excessively complex. The only thing difference between the SR/Z and the ER is the hybrid-drive--which is neither uncharted territory for GM--nor excessively complex...given GM's experience with EV's. And even the HTC is sourced from a time-tested manufacturer.
---
As Jerry pointed out--there's no benefit to a wide-track on the SR. You're not struggling for grip like on the F/R Corvettes. So the only reason for a GS to exist is for cosmetics--to those who are too cheap, too persnickety or too luddite to buy the Z06/ER. And even if it did exist, you wouldn't get it for a measly 10k upcharge. That was already pushing the limits for GM to offer in 2019 with a Corvette whose base price was far lower. Base SR price has gone up by 15k since then (~$55k > ~$70k). Commensurate increase in upcharge for some "hypothetical GS" would mean a base upcharge SR > GS of ~$17k. So the 10k myth is just that--quantifiable myth.
Now GM could offer a widebody & CCB's with only the LT2 for ~17k. But you won't get a GS without some form of Z06 brakes (that would be sacrilege). And the wide track (additional contact patch) with additional weight means that an LT2-only powered GS would actually be slower in almost every way than the SR.
---
The TLDR here is that the myth of a C8 GS keeps rearing its ugly head from people who are luddites about the ER and/or too cheap to buy a Z06--but also think that the SR is pedestrian and for plebians.
Jeez, this has nothing to do with being too cheap for the ZO6. I don't want that motor for street use. I don't want an eray. Yes, I do want the looks of the wide body. Don't know why that is such a terrible thing.
Lots of rumors and wishful thinking. No actual evidence there will ever be a GS. But the Stingray is probably as wide as your existing GS, so if widebody is what you want.....
Jeez, this has nothing to do with being too cheap for the ZO6. I don't want that motor for street use. I don't want an eray. Yes, I do want the looks of the wide body. Don't know why that is such a terrible thing.
Lots of rumors and wishful thinking. No actual evidence there will ever be a GS. But the Stingray is probably as wide as your existing GS, so if widebody is what you want.....
C6 GS = 75.9" without mirrors
C7 GS = 77.4" without mirrors
C8 SR = 76.1" without mirrors
So yeah...it's not narrow. It's actually wider than the C6 GS.
Jeez, this has nothing to do with being too cheap for the ZO6. I don't want that motor for street use. I don't want an eray. Yes, I do want the looks of the wide body. Don't know why that is such a terrible thing.
That checks, just like I mentioned above; either cheapskate or luddite--and "too good" for a SR body. But hey, body kits making a car slower...that's a time-honored thing for automotive enthusiasts. So even though the bone-stock LT2 can't benefit a lick from widebody...at least you'll have the weight and rolling resistance from it. I just hope that if GM ever does offer it--that it costs a 20k premium...and doesn't even come with Z06 CCB's.
02-06-2024, 02:37 PM
C8 Grand Sport?
You could be right.
https://www.corvetteblogger.com/2022...e-grand-sport/
