2019 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible

Throughout the 66 years it has been produced, the Chevrolet Corvette has been called many things, some derogatory and some not. "An American icon," "the poor man's sports car," "King of the Hill, or even, "Plastic Fantastic." But removing oneself from fan club affiliation and donning a pair of objective glasses reveals that each of those names is accurate. Like its predecessors, the Corvette is a highly emotional machine - not quite muscle car, more unhinged than a sports car, and definitely something to be enjoyed and reckoned with at the same time. The Grand Sport, however, is an attempt to turn the Corvette into a gentleman's track day machine. It's for the chess player of a driver who doesn't need the outrageous output of the Z06 nor the softer grand touring abilities of the Stingray, just the precision apex-finder for the weekly slalom. However, the Grand Sport Convertible's ability to take down its top and soak up the sun also means it has fun baked into its bones that brings drivers closer to the drama outside of the car.

The base price of the cheapest Corvette Grand Sport Convertible available is an MSRP of $71,495 for the 1LT before tax, registration, licensing, dealer fees, and a $1,095 destination charge. From there, the 2LT carries a base MSRP of $75,950, while the range-topping 3LT is priced from $81,240. Upgrading to the eight-speed automatic transmission on any one of the three trims carries a premium of $1,995.

It should be known that any owner living near bumpy roads will want to own a cushy daily driver alongside the Grand Sport Convertible. That's because, despite the Corvette's adjustable Magnetic Ride Control dampeners, the Grand Sport suspension system does a wonderful job of conveying the road's texture to a driver's bottom. Bumpy roads translate to a jarring ride, but the tradeoff is incredible grip in the corners and steering that's easy to feed precise inputs into once getting over its slightly unnatural feel. On smoother roads, the chassis clearly conveys what the wheels are doing and allows a driver to use the Corvette's bluntest instrument, it's pushrod V8 with gobs of torque available low in the rev range and remaining omnipresent until the moment before the eight-speed automatic snaps another gear into place. With wide tires, a long track width, and the 6.2-liter positioned as close to center chassis as possible, the Grand Sport Convertible responds to steering inputs sharply and doesn't push wide in the corners. But with the top down, it's possible to feel just how powerful the wind gets at speed. The wind's power, in this case, finds itself pushing the rear end down thanks to the flap at the rear. That helps keep the Grand Sport Convertible from oversteering as easily as the Stingray does, but press hard on the throttle with a willingness to engage opposite-lock and the rear wheels will light up the pavement. Start to get aggressive in Sport or Track modes and a "Performance Shift Active" message will light up on the gauge cluster, manifesting in the form of quick shifts that crack off in rapid succession during acceleration and jolting downshifts when digging deep into the brakes.

That depends on how it'll be used. If you've been a Corvette dreamer all your life and are aching to own your own for pleasant top-down drives down scenic roads, then you're better off with a Stingray. The Grand Sport Convertible is too uncomfortable to use as a daily driver or as a grand tourer. But at the same time, the burlier Z06 is the car to own if you spend weekends whittling down your personal lap time record. The Grand Sport, in this case, is the middle ground. It's for the beginner who wants to learn the technicalities of track driving without the annihilating nuclear capabilities of the Z06, or for the expert who has a fantastic road in mind for the weekend and wants to spend more time savoring the drive than holding back their throttle foot.

More generally, the Corvette should be a car for performance lovers more than for those wanting to show off at the weekend car meet. Its interior really is cheap enough to turn smiles into frowns and comfort is low on the list of priorities, but as long as performance is the main focus, the Grand Sport will hardly disappoint.

Even buyers looking to buy the Grand Sport Convertible for track days will likely want the ability to get coffee at some point, and that means parking. For that, you want to go no lower than the 2LT package since its front cameras will be the front-end's saving grace as soon as curbs come into play. And while our 3LT didn't come with the Z07 Performance Package, the grippier rubber and upgraded brakes would be welcomed on any track day. But the biggest amendment we'd make to our test vehicle is the transmission. There's nothing wrong with the automatic, and it's certainly quicker than the seven-speed manual, but the Corvette already sends so many raw inputs to the driver that it just feels right having full control over the shifting process too. As the driver's car of the bunch, the Grand Sport Convertible would be perfect as a 2LT with a manual transmission, the Z07 Package, and obviously, as all Corvette should have, an outlandish exterior and interior color scheme.

The Corvette Grand Sport Convertible is said to combine the best aspects of the Stingray and Z06 in one package. But is it really good enough to justify not buying a Z06? The differences between these sports cars are few, but the biggest of which is the engine, with the Z06 packing a supercharger and 650 horsepower, which when paired with the upgraded aerodynamics and suspension make for an incredible track weapon. The Grand Sport Convertible handles just as well, but at times it feels like it could do with more power, particularly when on the track. Ultimately, it comes down to where you're likely to use your 'Vette. If you're at your nearest racetrack every second week, then the Z06's extra power will be up your alley, but if your focus is primarily on street use with the odd track day every once in a while, the Grand Sport Convertible, at $15,000 less than the Z06 Convertible, is the thinking man's Corvette.

If the Corvette Grand Sport Convertible is to be regarded amongst the sports car greats, it needs to be good enough to rival the benchmark of all topless sports cars - the Porsche 911 Cabriolet. In Carrera S Cabriolet guise, the 992 generation 911 closely matches the Grand Sport Convertible for power, weight, and rear-wheel drive nature, although the Porsche can be optioned with all-wheel drive. Both offer a choice between a seven-speed manual gearbox or an eight-speed auto, and on track, both are equally adept at laying down rapid lap times within a second of each other. But on the road, the 911 is more comfortable, more maneuverable, and feels easier to live with. The Porsche is also vastly more luxurious and has semi-usable rear seats, making it more practical. But, the Grand Sport Convertible starts out nearly $50,000 cheaper than the 911 and offers 90% of what the Porsche does. The 911 might be the benchmark sports car, but is it $50,000 better than a Grand Sport? I don't think it is.