The Corvette Grand Sport is Style and Speed all in one
The Corvette Grand Sport was meant to see production in two years and it sort of did. In 1963 there were only a handful that were produced and in 1996 there were an even grand. Now in 2010 the Corvette Grand Sport is reborn and as always it represents style and speed in one hot looking package.
In early 1962 the then Chief Engineer for the Corvette named Zora Arkus-Duntov set out on a top-secret project. It was called the Grand Sport design and it was meant to be a Corvette that would be produced in order to end the embarrassment that the Corvette was feeling at the race track due to the Shelby Cobra.
The Corvette that Arkus-Duntov had in mind would be the most definitive Corvette ever built. It would represent a light and powerful factor built racing machine like no one had ever seen before. The Corvette Grand Sport would feature a 377 cid small block V-8 engine that would use Weber side draft carbs to burp out an unbelievable 550 hp. Finally Chevy would have what it needed to dominate the tracks of Sebring and Lemans and would hopefully have the Shelby Cobras and the Ford GT 40s seeing nothing but tailpipes.
The early prototypes proved to be everything Arkus-Duntov wanted and more and there was supposed to be 125 of these beasts produced for the 1963 sales year. But that was simply not to be. After the powers that be found out about the engineer’s ‘Mission Impossible’ they shut down production and closed the operation. However, five did make it to production and those were not scraped but rather raced; and raced well, smoking everything in their path.
Though the 1963 Grand Sport never made it to full production, the enthusiasts of the Corvette world have kept the five that did make it past the chopping block alive and well. Still today all five that were produced are still kept by private collectors and though they rarely see more action than just being displayed at a car show, one look at these beauties will bring anyone back to the days of race dominance that were once held by these magnificent machines.
The next crack at the Corvette Grand Sport would not come until 1996 which was the last year of production for the C4 generation of the Vette. To give it a fitting farewell General Motors decided to re-introduce the Grand Sport and offer it to a select few. The designers were leery and unsure of the design as they had toyed with the idea of a Grand Sport in 1993 but the design didn’t bring much acclaim.
The 1996 Corvette Grand Sport was only going to be produced in a very small number because of this fact and because the big boys at GM feared the upcoming C5 would hurt the last year of sales for the Corvette. As a result there were only 1,000 Grand Sports built for the year and each was sequentially numbered. The total number of 1,000 was a combination of convertibles and coupes though the coupes probably made up the majority.
Today the 1996 Corvette Grand Sports continues to be a highly sought after Vette. They are unmistakable when seen as they have a brilliant Admiral Blue paint job with the white center stripe that is accented with red edges, which pays tribute to the 1960s racing monster. With an LT4 engine that produced an increase of 30 bhp and the same wheels and tires of the ZR1, there was no mistaking how great of a sports car miracle the 1996 Grand Sport was.
Now in 2010 another Grand Sport has emerged and this one is an absolute icon in the making. The new Corvette Grand Sport has the Vette’s LS3 power with a totally unique body styling and a suspension that was born at the race track. It comes in both the coupe and the convertible and is also available in a wide variety of colors including a throwback to the 1996 Grand Sport. The 6.2L engine screams as it produces an unreal 424 horses with the standard exhaust and an even more impressive 436 hp with an optional two mode exhaust. To put it bluntly, this is one bad machine.
Yes the Corvette Grand Sport is back and though it is inevitable that there will one day again be another model to come out, the 2010 Grand Sport will be a tough act to follow. From top secret to top design, the Corvette Grand Sport has made its mark in the world of Vettes and will live forever in the hearts of all enthusiasts.
Tags: Arkus-Duntov, Corvette, Corvette Grand Sport
