Chevrolet Reveals Rare Racing-inspired 2017 Corvette Grand Sport

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Chevrolet today unveiled its 2017 Corvette Grand Sport at the Geneva International Motor Show, a name used judiciously over the 63-year lifespan of the sports car. The beefed up version of the Corvette Stingray, with some performance parts from the Z06, will go on sale this summer.

“Racing has been part of Corvette’s essence for more than 50 years, and that track experience has helped us build better, more capable cars,” says Mark Reuss, GM’s executive vice president of global product development and global purchasing and supply chain. “The global acclaim for the seventh-generation Corvette validates that direct link and the 2017 Grand Sport takes its track-bred technology to a new, exciting threshold.”

The 2017 version was inspired by the 1963 Grand Sport, which was designed to take on the world’s best sports cars. Only five vehicles were built before a corporate decision suspending investments in direct motorsports ended the project.

The Grand Sport offers sport summer tires, a seven-speed manual transmission, and a brake system with 14-inch rotors and six-piston calipers. The car has a V8 engine that produces more than 450 horsepower and 340 kilowatt-hours of torque. Pricing details will be released shortly.

The sports car has specific front fender inserts and wider rear fenders. Grand Sport models are offered with the Stingray’s full exterior and interior color palette, and full-length stripes are available.

Reuss says a Grand Sport Collector Edition will also be available later this year, and will feature a metallic gray exterior, blue graphics, black full-length stripes, black wheels, and a blue full leather and suede-wrapped interior.

IN OTHER GM NEWS, U.S drivers of select 2016 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac models equipped with eight-inch infotainment touchscreens will be offered a free software upgrade enabling Android Auto capability.

Android Auto is built around Google Maps, Google Now, and the ability to talk to Google, as well as WhatsApp, Skype, Google Play Music, Spotify, and certain podcast players.

The upgrade will be available to owners of the 2016 Cadillac CT6 and the 2017 XT5; the 2016 Chevy Malibu, Impala, Volt, Camaro, Camaro Convertible, Corvette, Corvette Convertible, Colorado, Silverado, Silverado HD, Tahoe, and Suburban; the 2016 Buick Regal and LaCrosse; and the 2016 GMC Canyon, Sierra, and Yukon.

The update is available through brand dealerships.