Photography courtesy Chevrolet
What does a purist car mean to you? Manual transmission? No electronically aided anything? Heck, throw out creature comforts, like a/c, too? We’ll see how far Chevrolet takes its new Grand Sport when they reveal it on March 26, but the company says it’s “for the purist and will be a high-volume model.”
The C2 version, the first one, was not a high-volume model–only five were made–but it maybe was as pure a car can get as it was built with racing in mind. Jim Hall and Roger Penske took a C2 Grand Sport to a 12 Hours of Sebring win in 1964. In fact, it was Penske who helped present the new Grand Sport during the 12 Hours of Sebring this past weekend.
Other generations of the Grand Sport were geared more toward street use than pure track use.
The C4 featured a more powerful 5.7-liter LT4 V8, with ZR1 chassis upgrades.
The C6 had wider bodywork, larger brakes, among other upgrades taken from the Z06. The manual models received unique gear ratios and a dry-sump oiling system.
The C7 also had wider bodywork and Z06 components.
And the C8 Grand Sport? So far, all that Chevrolet says is that it will have “the next generation of GM V8 technology, the C8 Grand Sport is built by and for enthusiasts.”
Stay tuned.
Neat. I know there have been countless rumours, but it's cool to see that it's actually a thing.
If it were me, I'd model the C8 Grand Sport after the most recent Camaro Z/28–not necessarily the fastest Camaro, but more of a "club sport" version, if that makes sense.
Why did they move the stripes??
In reply to Stueck0514 :
Perhaps a nod to the fact that the engine is in the back now?
guess I'm the only one who thinks it should have a manual option (if you can even call no-lift and auto rev-match shifting that). Oh well...the marketers know what sells
The new V8 has piqued my interest, too. I'm curious about that. Hope they offer a lot more details later this week. I believe they will.
Tig said:guess I'm the only one who thinks it should have a manual option (if you can even call no-lift and auto rev-match shifting that). Oh well...the marketers know what sells
I'm in that camp as well. To me, "purity" is more about the driving experience rather than a level of performance I will never have the skills to achieve.
Those pics suggest the widebody of the Z06, like prior gens. So yay.
The manual trans thing is a ship that has sailed. It isn't just about market penetration. Drive a high hp car on a sim with a manual and you literally can't keep up. I'm all for it till about 400hp. After that manuals are just unusable on a road course.
You all have GOT to let the manual transmission thing go.
It's just not that big a part of the overall driving experience.
In reply to BA5 :
LOL
In reply to SphinxRacing :
Don't care. Want 3 pedals.
(My Z06, for instance? 3 pedals. Don't care if it's unnecessary and if the auto is faster.)
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