Corvette C7 Grand Sport: Show-Off
CORVETTE C7 GRAND SPORT
SHOW-OFF
Words by Max Gonzaga
It’s big, wide, has a macho look and exudes its “Born In The U.S.A.” anthem from all angles. But unlike the previous series, the Corvette C7 also finds fans in Europe and not only as a beautiful metal object on four wheels, but also for its performance skills finally suitable to face the competition of the old continent. The C7 has been around for a couple of years now and the Grand Sport version, available both in coupe and convertible declination, does nothing but keep the level of astonishment high as soon as you see it on the road. The first thing you will hear will undoubtedly be the roar of the naturally aspirated V8, an American classic with more than generous dimensions, in fact the 6.2 mumbles idling and fills the air that surrounds it as soon as the tachometer’s needle moves upwards. And trust me that it does that quite quickly. The almost vertical cut tail is one of the most beautiful angle of the seventh generation of Corvettes and also in this case we still have the four exhaust pipes in the middle.
Making its personality distinctly aggressive we have to do with an aerodynamic package devoted to maximum sportiness – so much so that Corvette marketers define it as a track weapon given to the road. It is here that we also appreciate the possibility of choosing for the optional Z07 package, which offers a carboceramic brake system and wider tires, all to the advantage of greater stability. Mechanically, the Grand Sport has a limited slip differential as standard, which intervenes on the rear axle when you decide to act on the throttle with the violence expected having to do with a stars and stripes icon. It is here that everything changes, compared to what we remember about the previous series and compared to what the inevitable detractors could expect, with improved stability that makes the behavior of the Corvette Grand Sport more manageable, although it has certainly not lost its nervousness, especially when you enter through corners too fast or accelerates too early on your way out.
The eight-cylinder engine is powerful enough and delivers 466 horses at 6000 rpm, but what contributes to the fun factor is the significant amount of torque: 630Nm at around 4600 rpm. Using high gears will limit the thrust of the engine, but handling properly with the gearbox, available with a 7-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic, you cannot help but notice that once the ideal delivery range is reached, the pressure on the seat will be something you can’t miss again. To season this rich and tasty dish, the constant roar of the engine in front, under that seemingly endless bonnet. You have to take some measures and not take too much confidence, especially when driving on winding roads and where you do not have run-off areas of a racing track, but once you get in tune with the size of the car and the weight of almost 1.700kg you start being able to exploit its grand tourer nature, suitable for some shots on secondary roads, long motorway trips and to be manhandled on the track, where it certainly offers the best of it, just by virtue of the transmitted safety factor of the playground itself.
The lateral acceleration is equal to 1.02G, 1.2G with the Z07 pack. As standard, regardless of the new Grand Sport set-up, you will have the sports exhaust, the Performance Traction Management and the Magnetic Selective Drive Control, not bad for a tag price that starts at around € 100,000, surely more attractive, and not only aesthetically, of the European competition, which requires a few thousand Euro more to boast such an engine and figures. Looking at the performance box, the 300 per hour are almost reached here, with a maximum speed ranging from 260 (Z07 manual) to 290 (Coupe, both manual and cabrio). The 0-100 is covered in 3.9 for the automatic Z07, 4.1 for the manual Z07 and for the automatic versions of the coupe and the convertible, while it takes 4.2 seconds for coupe and convertible with a manual transmission. All clear, right? In terms of fuel consumption, the 19.5 l/100km declared by the brand seem a pretty optimistic figure, either because you will always be looking for a road suitable to unleash the 8 cylinder, either because it is a Corvette and in perfect tradition, we can’t expect an average consumption similar to that of a city car. In short, the Grand Sport is angry and already equipped in the best possible way (both aesthetically and mechanically), boasting a modern cockpit and no more cheap plastics in the cockpit. Give me € 99,830 and I’m gonna buy one tomorrow.
CORVETTE C7 GRAND SPORT
Layout – front-engined, rear wheel drive
Engine – V8 cylinder 6.2cc – n/a
Transmission – 7-speed manual gearbox/8-speed auto
Power – 466 hp @ 6.000 rpm
630 Nm @ 4.600 rpm
Weight – 1.680 kg
Acceleration – 4,1 sec. ca.
Top Speed – 290 kph
Price – from € 99.830