2027 Chevy Corvette Grand Sport X First Drive Review: E-Ray With Attitude

• What's new: The Corvette Grand Sport X gets a new V8 engine plus the ZR1X's hybrid system, which makes for a compelling electrified 'Vette.
• Why it matters: The Grand Sport is typically the sweet spot for Corvette enthusiasts, and that continues here — even though the X's $112,195 starting price is a big jump over the base Grand Sport's $88,495 MSRP.
• Edmunds says: With its electrified power and instant throttle response, the new X brings extra urgency to the Grand Sport game. And while it's expensive, this car continues the Corvette tradition of punching well above its weight in terms of value.

Hybrid system means instant power

High-tech and meticulously engineered, the LS6 is the latest in a long line of big V8s that have driven Corvettes through the ages. But even a modern engine without turbochargers takes a moment to bring itself to full song, and that's where the Grand Sport X's hybrid system comes in. Throttle response is instant in any gear at any speed, the motor at the front axle delivering a quick surge of acceleration just long enough to carry you forward until the LS6 comes up to boil.

This results in a quicker, more aggressive car, getting to 60 mph in 2.4 seconds (vs. the E-Ray's 2.5) and running the quarter mile in 10.4 seconds (two-tenths quicker than the E-Ray). It's that responsiveness — combined with the big V8 power and sound — that sets the X apart on the road, not only from the base Grand Sport but from the Corvette E-Ray hybrid that came before. We haven't been able to put the Grand Sport X through our full series of instrumented performance tests, but we look forward to seeing how it stacks up — and bests — the old E-Ray.

More engaging than the E-Ray

Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical that adding all-wheel drive plus the weight of a hybrid system would actually elevate the Grand Sport experience. After all, when Chevrolet first hybridized the Corvette for the E-Ray, it was positioned as a slightly more laid-back grand tourer. 

That was not the intent with the Grand Sport X. Keith Badgley, lead development engineer for the Grand Sport X, told me that while the suspension hardware on the X is unchanged compared to the E-Ray, the setup for its active dampers, plus the software for the vehicle dynamics system, was significantly revised to create a more fun, more engaging car.

The result? Success. Where the E-Ray was sometimes known for nose-heavy, somewhat reluctant handling chops, the Grand Sport X is lively through turns. It dives in with aggression and uses its electric power not just to help with acceleration on straightaways, but to pull the nose through corners as well. Most importantly, the steering doesn't feel heavy or muted. It's still a sweet-steering, engaging Corvette.

The new interior is a big step in the right direction

Probably the biggest upgrade in the 2026 Corvette is the revised interior, which is a huge leap forward over the original C8 and its wall of buttons that separated driver from passenger. The 2027 Grand Sport X inherits this new interior, which has a far more logical and usable layout.

The new mode selector is a simple and unassuming toggle switch, slightly less dramatic than the old, oversized knob, but it makes for far easier and quicker cycling from one mode to the next. All this makes room for a wireless smartphone charger, which even has a little clamp built in to keep your phone from flying around. Sadly, though, that charger struggles to work unless your phone is in the absolute perfect position. 

Some of the finer details are a bit disappointing, however. For example, the chrome coating on the neutral button was already starting to peel up on the car I tested despite it having less than 2,000 miles on the clock. But even so, the Corvette remains shockingly practical for a mid-engine sports car, with a proper trunk out back that'll hold shopping bags, suitcases or even golf clubs.

A grander Grand Sport

With its extra performance, the X doesn't quite fit into the same template as storied Grand Sports that have come before. But it's not without its own charm, that jolt of electric power making it feel substantially quicker not only than the base car but even more so than the ballistic Corvette Z06. 

The Grand Sport X is a car that legitimately expands the Corvette spectrum without compromising the core C8 virtues of everyday drivability, extreme looks and track capability. Perhaps most significantly, with its $112,195 starting price, it steps away from the Grand Sport's traditional relative attainability. That is probably the biggest strike against this electrified take on the Grand Sport package, but given the way prices of everything are going these days, it's hard to hold a high MSRP against a car this good — and one that still manages to punch well above its weight.