The original Corvette Grand Sports were purpose-built racing prototypes that looked like production models — only five were ever built. There have been a few other Grand Sport Corvettes through the years, and the latest version is the C7 Grand Sport. “The racing DNA of the original Grand Sport race cars is in the 2017 model, adding greater dimensions of capability and driver involvement to the Corvette’s award-winning architecture, for a purer driving experience,” said Harlan Charles, Corvette product marketing manager.

This special Vette features Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, Brembo brakes, a 7-speed manual transmission, an electronic limited-slip differential and unique springs. An optional Z07 package adds ceramic brakes and Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, making the Grand Sport the ultimate track toy. Performance stats are impressive — the Grand Sport can corner at 1.2 Gs and reaches 60 mph in 3.6 seconds.

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It looks like future Corvettes may be getting Active Aerodynamics.

The newest rumor is based off a patent filed way back in May of 2016, but just published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent shows a C7 Corvette sporting the system, but while General Motors used a C7 Corvette to show the system, there is no way to be sure if the Vette will get it, or if it is for some other vehicle, or for both. As the Corvette is GM’s flagship performance car, it is easy to assume that a future Corvette may be getting this system; ZR1 anybody?

The name GM gave the system in its filing was “Vehicle Ride-Height Determination for Control of Vehicle Aerodynamics”. The patent has details on an active-aerodynamics setup that includes an adjustable rear wing, diffuser, front splitter, air dam, hood louvers, and [...]

If you want to be in the sports car game today, you need to at least be thinking about active aero. The C7 Chevrolet Corvette may be the next vehicle to jump in the active aero pool, as General Motors has filed a patent for a comprehensive aerodynamic system that includes an adjustable spoiler, front splitter, diffuser, and ride height.

The patent application was filed in May 2016 but was just published today. The filing describes a “system for controlling aerodynamics of a vehicle.” Part of that control includes varying vehicle ride height for optimum aero performance. A sketch shows a Corvette from the side and points out the various changes proposed in the patent. We can see a new wing, diffuser, splitter, air dam, and moveable hood louvers and shutters, though the patent says all those elements are “generically [...]

Corvette Racing is unquestionably one of the strongest teams in the world of production-based endurance racing, racking up a long list of major event wins (and championships) all over the world during the course of the past decade. Included on that list are wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2015 and 2016, so when the teams rolled into Sebring International Raceway for the 2017 running of the historic endurance race, the bright yellow Corvettes were the odds-on favorite to lead the GTLM class.

Unfortunately, when the #4 Corvette ran into overheating issues early in the race and the #3 car was buried in the pack with less than two and a half hours left, it didn’t look like there were good odds of Corvette Racing pulling off the Sebring three-peat. However, the sign of a great race team is defying the odds, and [...]