The 2017 Corvette

The Overview

The 2017 Corvette was the Grand Sport, revealed at Geneva on March 1, 2016: the Z06’s aluminum-framed wide body (2.2 inches wider in front, 3.15 at the rear), its 19 x 10 and 20 x 12-inch wheels on 285/30 and 335/25 Michelin Pilot Super Sport ZPs, its Brembo six-piston brakes, Magnetic Ride, electronic limited-slip differential, dry sump, differential and transmission coolers and the Z07-style FE6 suspension, with the naturally aspirated 460-hp LT1 and the performance exhaust in place of the supercharged LT4, for $66,445 as a coupe and $70,445 as a convertible, $14,000 under the Z06.

For the first time a Grand Sport could have Z07 ($7,995; 1,422 cars): carbon-ceramic brakes, Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires and the carbon aero package, for 1.2 g and, Chevrolet said, a Milford lap within a second of the old ZR1. The Heritage Package (Z15, 3,863 cars) brought hash marks in six colors, and the Collector Edition (Z25, $4,995 on a 3LT) Watkins Glen Gray with Tension Blue hash marks, satin-black stripes, black wheels, a Tension Blue leather-and-suede interior, the 1963 Grand Sport embossed in the headrests and a numbered plaque: 1,000 planned, 935 built, 784 coupes and 151 convertibles. Buyers took 11,958 Grand Sports, 36 percent of the year, more than the Stingray coupe.

The Stingray and Z06 carried over at $50 more ($56,445 and $80,445), with red seat belts (3F9, 2,010 cars), the hash-mark and center-stripe options, the Z06’s revised hood and supercharger cover for better cooling, carbon-ceramic brakes alone on 1,301 Z06s (J57, up from 120) and three new colors, Watkins Glen Gray (5,822, the second best seller), Black Rose (1,333) and Sterling Blue (921, dropped after February 2017), in place of Shark Gray, Laguna Blue, Daytona Sunrise Orange and Night Race Blue. The design packages went on 808 cars, the eight-speed into 78 percent, and production fell to 32,782 from 2016’s 40,689 as the Stingray halved: 11,253 coupes and 2,298 convertibles, with 6,197 Z06 coupes and 1,076 convertibles. An Arctic White Grand Sport with Z07 paced the 101st Indianapolis 500 on May 28, 2017, the 14th Corvette pace car, with actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan driving.

Corvette Racing’s No. 3 C7.R of Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen won Sebring, Circuit of the Americas and Virginia International Raceway and took the IMSA GTLM drivers’, team and manufacturers’ championships at Petit Le Mans, the pair’s second title together after 2013; at Le Mans the same car with Jordan Taylor led GTE Pro into the final lap before a puncture handed the win to the Aston Martin, finishing third, and the No. 64 was eighth after losing a wheel.

The year closed with the reveal of the 755-hp 2019 ZR1 in Dubai on November 12, 2017, and with the mid-engine C8 an open secret in the spy photographs.

The 2017 Corvette Story

Since its introduction in 1953, Corvette has proven itself as not only a contender on the race track, but as a champion in most elite racing programs around the world. With the continued success of the seventh-generation Corvette platform in all its iterations, and especially given the car’s direct ties to its race-car counterpart, it seemed only logical that the 2017 model year would witness the return of the Corvette Grand Sport.

The Corvette Grand Sport - A Brief History

The Corvette Grand Sport was first introduced in 1963, at the urging of Zora Arkus-Duntov, to be an American contender in the 1963 Le Mans race. The plan was to build 125 ultra-light, high-powered cars which would satisfy the homologation rules for the GT production class. Unfortunately, only five of the Grand Sport Corvettes were built before General Motors issued an edict that eliminated “factory” racing support of any kind. The Grand Sport program ended before the car made it to Le Mans.

Despite the racing ban, Arkus-Duntov let the five completed Grand Sport cars slip into the hands of such racers as Roger Penske, A.J. Foyt, Jim Hall and Dick Thompson. By allowing the cars to be raced privately, Arkus-Duntov was able to obtain valuable technical information and to evaluate the real-world capabilities of these early race cars. This insight would help fuel the evolution of the Corvette into the car it is today.

Over the course of the next fifty years, an iteration of the Grand Sport would manifest itself in almost every generation of Corvette. Each of these cars would have direct links to Corvette’s racing heritage, and many would go on to dominate racing programs including the SCCA Showroom Stock program and Le Mans.

While Corvette Racing officially returned to the world stage in 1999 as a factory sanctioned race program, the Grand Sport heritage would continue to enable drivers at all levels to purchase a car that was appointed with improved suspension, a wider chassis for better handling, and a unique color/badging design that called back to the earliest racers developed by Arkus-Duntov in the early days of Corvette.

The 2017 Corvette Grand Sport

For the 2017 model year, Chevrolet unveiled its newest iteration of the Corvette Grand Sport at the Geneva Auto Show. During its unveiling on March 1, 2016, it was announced that the all-new 2017 Corvette Grand Sport was the culmination of the car’s motorsports-bred pedigree. Like the C7.R race car, the new Grand Sport combined a lightweight architecture, a track-honed aerodynamics package, Michelin tires and a naturally aspirated engine.

“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. 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.”

— Mark Reuss, GM executive vice president of global product development

Equip Your Grand Sport With the Z07 Performance Package

To enhance the Grand Sport’s capabilities, Corvette engineers utilized the chassis tuning, upgraded cooling systems, and the performance technologies previously developed for use in the Z06. The result is a Grand Sport Corvette that is truly derived from its race-car brethren.

“We didn’t hold back with the new Grand Sport. For the first time, buyers can equip the Grand Sport with a Z07 performance package – which adds carbon-ceramic brakes, Michelin Sport Cup 2 summer tires, and carbon-fiber aero package that delivers true downforce.”

— Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer

When equipped with the Z07 performance package, the 2017 C7 Grand Sport rivals the performance of the previous generation’s ZR1 Corvette. Chevrolet said a Z07-equipped Grand Sport lapped GM’s Milford Road Course within about a second of the previous-generation ZR1.

In addition, the 2017 Corvette Grand Sport also was good for an estimated 1.05 g in cornering, and 1.2 g with the Z07 package.

Options

The 2017 Grand Sport came well equipped, with:

Michelin Pilot Super Sport summer tires: 285/30ZR19 (front) and 335/25ZR20 (rear); Specific Grand Sport wheel design: 19x10 inches (front) and 20x12 inches (rear); Brembo brake system with (355 mm) 14-inch rotors and six-piston calipers in front and (340 mm) 13.4 inch rotors and four-piston calipers in the rear; Standard magnetic ride control, specific stabilizer bars and unique springs; A standard electronic limited-slip differential; The LT1 V8 engine rated at (343 kW) 460 hp, with dry-sump oiling system and active exhaust; A seven-speed manual transmission with active rev match, or an available eight-speed paddle-shift automatic with specific performance calibration; The available Z07 package featured carbon ceramic-matrix brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.

Exterior

For its exterior, the Grand Sport featured wider front fender elements which included special inserts, and a Z06-style grille. The rear end of the car similarly featured wider quarter panels. Both the wider fenders and quarter panels were specifically designed to accommodate a wider track. A front splitter, special rockers and wicker bill rear spoiler were also incorporated into the Grand Sport’s design (with carbon-fiber ground effects optional).

The Grand Sport models were available to consumers with the Stingray’s full exterior and interior color palette. To further differentiate the Grand Sport however, an available Heritage package was also offered. This package (RPO Z15; 3,863 cars) included hash-mark fender graphics in six colors — Torch Red (2,157), carbon fiber (1,284), Fusion Gray (226), yellow (123), green (40) and orange (33) — and matching interior trim. These hash-mark color palettes carried over to the interior’s brushed aluminum trim. Full-length stripes – running from the nose of the car to the rear decklid – were also offered as an option.

“The choices are almost endless. The packages take personalization to an unprecedented level, enabling customers to create their own Corvette Grand Sport statement like no other.”

— Harlan Charles, Corvette product marketing manager

Interior

Inwardly, the 2017 Grand Sport Corvette offered almost as many amenities to customize the driving experience to the driver’s individual preferences, including:

A five-position Drive Mode Selector that tailored 12 vehicle attributes to match the driver’s environment; An interior that offered genuine carbon fiber and aluminum trim, hand-wrapped leather materials and dual eight-inch configurable, color driver/infotainment screens; The Chevrolet MyLink with an 8-inch-diagonal color touchscreen; The Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone projection capability; Available red safety belts; PDR updates that included a mute button for recording, an enhanced recording screen which showed the selected overlay, and an odometer added to the Valet, Sport and Track overlays.

Safety Features

Four standard air bags, which included side-impact air bags; Four-wheel disc brakes with four-channel ABS; Active Handling with electronic stability control; Safety belt pretensioners; A standard rear-vision camera and available front curb-view cameras; Tire pressure monitoring system with run-flat tires.

In short, the engineering team behind the 2017 Grand Sport Corvette did not compromise on safety, even in their proclamation of having manufactured one of the most track-capable Corvettes ever.

Grand Sport Collector Edition

Like so many Corvette models before it, the 2017 Corvette Grand Sport would also be offered to consumers in a special Collector’s Edition package. The Grand Sport Collector Edition Corvette featured an exclusive Watkins Glen Gray Metallic exterior with Tension Blue hash-mark graphics, satin black, full-length stripes, black wheels and a unique Tension Blue full leather and suede wrapped interior.

The choice to wrap the interior of the car in Tension Blue – which some considered an unconventional color choice – actually pays homage to the color hue historically associated with the Corvette Grand Sport Corvette. To further tie the current Grand Sport to its ancestry, a three-dimensional representation of the original Grand Sport race car is embossed in the headrests of the Collector Edition’s seats. It is also used on the instrument panel plaque that carries the car’s build number. Chevrolet planned 1,000 Collector Editions, 850 of them for the United States, and built 935, 784 coupes and 151 convertibles, on their own VIN series from 300001; the package (RPO Z25) cost $4,995 on a 3LT Grand Sport, $80,190 and $84,190 delivered.

With a base price of $66,445 for the coupe and $70,445 for the convertible, both including the $995 destination charge, the Grand Sport was a more affordable alternative to the Z06 Corvette – while also being a more track-ready car than the standard coupe or convertible.

The Grand Sport’s numbers were impressive:

0-60mph in just 3.6 seconds; Quarter-mile of 11.8 seconds at 118 mph (with the Z07 package and the eight-speed automatic).

When it comes to stopping – the numbers are just as impressive. The Brembo braking system (which was adapted from the Corvette Z06) offered an estimated 60-0 mph distance of less than 100 feet. The available Z07 package added larger carbon ceramic-matrix brake rotors to ensure tight, uncompromising braking in even the harshest driving conditions.

Everything Else

While Chevrolet’s primary focus for the 2017 model year was the introduction of the Grand Sport to the Corvette stable, Chevrolet continued to offer all of the earlier models, including the base coupe and convertible and the Z06 coupe and convertible. While the Grand Sport became an immediate success among Corvette enthusiasts who were looking for more car than the base models offered, and who also wanted to spend less money than the Z06 options commanded, there were still plenty of consumers who decided on something other than the Grand Sport model.

While not a new concept for the 2017 model year, Chevrolet continued to offer the Stingray with a number of different trim packages that let buyers “customize” their cars’ interior, exterior and performance trims. The 2017 Corvette lineup featured several different trim packages – for the Stingray, the Z51 and the Grand Sport, these were designated by sub-trim packages 1LT, 2LT and 3LT. For the Z06, the sub-trim packages were delineated as 1LZ, 2LZ and 3LZ.

Features & Packages

Standard

The standard features on the 2017 Corvette Stingray 1LT included:

18-inch front and 19-inch rear wheels with summer tires; Brembo brakes; Xenon headlights; LED running lights; Heated mirrors; Keyless ignition and entry; Dual-zone automatic climate control; Cruise control; Leather upholstery; Eight-way power front seats; A power-adjustable steering wheel; OnStar (with a 4G LTE data connection and Wi-Fi hot spot capability); Bluetooth; A color information display for the driver; An 8-inch central touchscreen with Chevy’s MyLink infotainment interface; A rearview camera; Apple CarPlay/Android Auto; A nine-speaker Bose sound system with two USB ports, an auxiliary audio jack, an SD card reader and satellite radio.

For consumers looking to improve of the handling and performance of their 1LT models, the Corvette Stingray could also be equipped with the Z51 package. This package fitted the car with 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels, an exterior aero trim package, larger front brakes, slotted rotors, a more robust suspension tuning, revised transmission gear ratios which provided more aggressive response (only in cars equipped with a manual transmission), an electronic limited-slip differential, a differential cooler, a dry-sump oil system for the LT1 V8 engine and a dual performance exhaust (also available on non-Z51 Stingrays).

Stingray 2LT Package

Stingrays equipped with the 2LT package came with all the same equipment listed in the 1LT package, but in addition also received the following amenities:

A front-view parking camera; Auto-dimming driver side and rearview mirrors; A head-up display; A cargo shade (coupe only); Interior-color console and armrest trim; Heated and ventilated seats with power lumbar and side bolster adjustments; Driver memory settings; A 10-speaker Bose sound system with enhanced bass response.

3LT Package

Finally, for the most discerning customers, a 3LT package was also offered that incorporated all of the features of the 1LT and 2LT packages, while also adding premium leather upholstery with extended service coverage, synthetic-suede upper interior trim, an interior-color instrument panel and a navigation system (optional on 1LT and 2LT cars), which included the Performance Data Recorder.

Z06 Package: Once Again on the Menu

The 2017 Corvette Z06 was once more offered to consumers who were looking for a car with more power and performance than either the base Stingray or Grand Sport could provide. As before, the car was praised as “the most powerful production Corvette of all time.” This distinction was certainly warranted, and consumers looking for a car with a direct tie to the C7.R Corvette race car need look no further than the Z06 platform.

But just as the Stingray came in several trim levels, the Z06 also offered the same three levels of trim, though the Z06 incorporated some of the optional elements that were offered on the Stingray as standard features on even the base level Z06.

1LZ Package

The Z06 1LZ package included all the elements found on the Stingray’s Z51 1LT package and added the following:

A supercharged LT4 engine; A Z06-specific sport-tuned suspension; Larger brakes on both the front and rear wheels; Wider tires; A carbon-fiber hood; A more aggressive aero package (including wider front and rear fenders, expanded cooling vents and a unique front grille and rear fascia); A head-up display (a 2LT item on the Stingray).

2LZ & 3LZ Packages

The Z06 2LZ package received the 2LT’s content (the head-up display being standard on every Z06) and the 3LZ the 3LT’s.

Still, the 2017 Corvette Z06 included a number of optional items that consumers could purchase when building their Corvette. While the trim packages were developed to provide potential buyers with many of the most desired options in a single upgrade package, Chevrolet recognized that some consumers would want to further customize their cars to further enhance both the aesthetic and performance capabilities of their Z06.

The two ground-effects packages below added an enhanced front splitter and rocker panels along with a larger rear spoiler with a fixed “wickerbill” vertical extension on the back. The upgraded front splitter and rocker panels were also included in the Z07 performance package (although that package featured larger end plates for the front splitter).

In addition to the upgraded front splitter and rocker panels, the Z07 package also featured an adjustable, see-through center section to the rear spoiler (which enabled drivers to “fine-tune” the car’s downforce for track performance). It also included special tires, carbon-ceramic brake rotors and adaptive dampers.

Optional Equipment

For 2017, the optional equipment for the Z06 included:

A Carbon Flash-painted ground effects package (CFZ, $2,995; 3,981 cars) or a visible carbon-fiber ground effects package (CFV, $3,995; 2,512).

For all 2017 Corvettes, regardless of the model or trim level, Chevrolet offered consumers optional sport seats. All coupes could be equipped with a transparent roof panel. Additionally, optional carbon fiber roof panels and two-tone color upholstery trims were also available to consumers at the time of purchase.

A New ZR1 Corvette & the Corvette Zora

As the 2017 model year ended, Chevrolet revealed the 2019 ZR1 in Dubai on November 12, 2017: a 6.2-liter LT5 with a 2.65-liter supercharger and both port and direct injection, 755 horsepower and 715 lb-ft, the most powerful Corvette ever built, with a top speed of 212 mph, on sale in the spring of 2018.

Behind it was the mid-engine Corvette, by then an open secret from the camouflaged mules photographed through 2016 and 2017: the C8, revealed on July 18, 2019 as a 2020 model, the car Zora Arkus-Duntov had first proposed in the early 1960s.

It was an exciting time to be a Corvette fan.