Road Show Indy 500 Coverage: Corvette Grand Sport Chosen For Pace Car Honor

This year will mark the 16^th time a Corvette has had the honor of handling pace car duties at the Indianapolis 500, as well as being the 30^th time overall for Chevy to lead the green flag for the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”. As the folks on duty at the Cnet Road Show blog pointed out this past week, it would almost be a bigger news story is a Chevy or Corvette was NOT pacing for the Indy 500! This year's leader will be the 2019 Corvette Grand Sport that just may be the sweet spot in the lineup with Z06 chassis hardware, and the 460-horsepower LT1 V8 shared with the base Stingray.

To look just perfect for this star-studded job, in pace car trim it will have an 8-speed automatic and wear a Long Beach Red Metallic paint job with dual silver stripes. It's barely noteworthy that this particular model is not as powerful as last year's ZR1, as the Grand Sport's performance chops will absolutely be enough might and muscle, boasting a 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds. On board to help it navigate through the demanding trials and turns that lie ahead is Magnetic Ride Control Suspension and Brembo carbon ceramic brakes, providing amazing cornering capability.

To many making the pilgrimage this year to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, they are poised in place to enjoy this all-important leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport. The Monaco Grand Prix and 24 hours of Le Mans are the other two events in this awesome racing-lover's feast, with permanent seating capacity upwards of 250,000. Pop-up infield patrons raise the race-day attendance to approximately 300,000, at this celebrated world-class event that celebrated its 100^th anniversary in 2011. The most successful drivers in history are A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr, and Rick Mears, all of whom have won the race four times each.

So much excitement always encompasses this annual event: drivers fervently race for 200 laps, counterclockwise around the circuit, with the grand distance total at 500 miles. We have always been overly proud here at West Chevy of our esteemed brand's presence in such a spectacle: the total purse exceeded $13 million in 2011, and it remains as one of the richest cash prize funds in existence in the sports arena with $2.5 million awarded to the winner. Built back in 1909 as a gravel-and-tar track, the very first event was won by racer Bob Burman, on a treacherous surface that lead to two deaths during the first two long-distance events held here. As the 'Vette has developed and changed so much through the decades, it has been thrilling to watch as it is time and time again the leader of such a legendary and memory-making event in Indy!

           

The 2017 Corvette Grand Sport is the Corvette We’ve Always Wanted

Chevrolet will release the newest edition of its beloved Corvette Grand Sport at the end of the summer. Currently, the Corvette comes in three editions: the Stingray, known for its quality and affordable price; the Z06, equipped with the enormous Z06 engine, automatic transmission, and convertible top; and finally the Grand Sport, which falls somewhere in between the two.

The Grand Sport has a rich history, beginning in 1961 when Corvette Godfather, Zora Arkus-Duntov and legendary racer, Briggs Cunningham entered a few “mostly-stock” Corvettes into Le Mans. Despite winning its category and bringing home 8th overall, GM decided not to produce the vehicle, and only a few leaked out to customers. In 1984, Chevrolet came close to the Grand Sport with its Z51 package; however it wasn’t until 1996 that the Grand Sport was officially produced.

Over 50 years later, the 2017 Corvette Grand Sport will feature bigger wheels, Michelin pilot Super Sport tires, Brembo brakes reminiscent of those on the Z06, wider rear fenders, special grille inserts, stiffer spring rates, and an electronic limited-slip differential. It has a LT1 V8 engine rated at 460 lb-ft of torque and comes in either a 7-speed manual or 8-speed automatic editions. Standard on this vehicle is GM’s sophisticated Magnetic Ride Control.

The Grand Sport is the perfect vehicle for those Knoxville drivers who are intimidated by the Z06, but want more than what the Stingray offers. Chevy has stated that the Grand Sport is capable of reaching 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. Like Porsche’s 918 Spyder, the Grand Sport (equipped with the Z06 package) is predicted to go from 60-0 mph in less than 100 feet. Unlike the 918 Spyder, it’s price will be significantly less than a million dollars.

We can’t wait for the 2017 Corvette Grand Sport to hit dealerships, like West Chevrolet, at the end of this summer! In the meantime, come to West Chevrolet and check out our entire inventory today! 

West Chevrolet anxiously awaits the 2017 Grand Sport

Big tires, aggressive aeronautics, and a 650 horsepower supercharged V8; The Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport has all this and more. It is the fastest, craziest, most insane vehicle on sale today. This track-focused car made its debut last month at the Geneva Motor Show. 

West Chevrolet was ecstatic, when Chevrolet announced their release of the aggressive Grand Sport. It features 6.2L LT1 V8 engine is capable of 460 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. 

The Grand Sport’s aerodynamic package and carbon ceramic brakes are optional on the Grand Sport. Michelin Pilot Sport Cups are contained by flared fenders that are much wider than the Pilot Super Sports on a regular Stingray. The Grand Sport is only 0.6 seconds slower than the last-generation ZR1, despite being down 180-horsepower. 

The Chevrolet Corvette has always been a favorite at West Chevrolet. With the new addition of the 2017 Grand Sport, West Chevrolet believes that Corvette sales will skyrocket. Although pricing has not been announced, it is believed that it will not break buyer’s banks.