2019 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Coupe

The Grand Sport moniker, unlike so many modern-day performance labels, has its roots firmly planted in the history of motorsports, and more specifically, the world-renowned 24 Hours of the Le Mans endurance race. The first Grand Sport was born in 1963 after Chevrolet engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov took a 1963 Corvette and made it lighter, fitted an aluminum block 377 ci V8 engine, and worked on the aerodynamics. The MK1 Grand Sport was designed to compete with the GT cars of Europe, but unfortunately, it never got to see the track officially. Since then, the Corvette has gone on to enjoy a successful career in motorsports, especially in the GT class at Le Mans. Now the Grand Sport name lives on in the 2019 C7 Corvette, and thanks to a 6.2-liter V8, a honed chassis, and performance suspension, it's better than ever, comparing to the likes of the BMW M4 and Corvette's own Z06. The 2019 Grand Sport starts off at $65,900 and offers accessible supercar rivaling performance for the man on the street.

The 2019 Grand Sport starts off with an MSRP of $65,900 for the 1LT in manual guise. Opting for the automatic transmission will see that number grow to $67,895. The manual 2LT will cost you $70,355 while the auto will set you back $72,350. At the top of the pile sits the 3LT, which goes for $75,645 in manual guise, and $77,640 for the auto. These prices exclude a destination freight charge of $1,095.

The Grand Sport lives up to its name and racing heritage when it comes to handling and sporty driving. It all starts off with a superbly balanced chassis with carbon-nano-composite underbody panels, that offer a robust platform for the performance-tuned suspension and wider tires to do their thing. The GS shares its suspension and tire setup with the Z06, which means stabilizer bars grow from 26.7 mm to 30.7 mm, and shock piston diameter goes from 35 mm to 46 mm. Those wide fenders now house 285/30ZR19 front and 335/25ZR20 rear tires, a significant change in size over the Stingray.

All this culminates in a car that offers more handling capability than most drivers will ever be able to really appreciate. Grip levels are extraordinary, but even with the wider tires, the 6.2-liter V8 will happily kick out the rear-end on demand. The steering rack in the GS is quick to respond and gives a razor-sharp turn-in response. Steering weight gets progressively heavier as you go through the selectable drive modes. The GS can get slightly twitchy when encountering mid-corner undulations, but feels planted and flat most of the time; this issue is taken care of when the optional magnetic selective suspension package is added, which offers a superior balance between comfort and performance dampening. The larger Brembo rotors and pads on the GS are more than capable of bringing the party to a halt and should prove to be more than capable in every day driving situations and light track use.

The 2019 Grand Sport might be the most balanced car in the Corvette range. It borrows the naturally aspirated 6.2-liter engine from the Stingray and uses suspension parts and exterior bits from the supercar-slaying Z06, which allows it to feel laid back and practical as a daily driver, but more than capable of entertaining even the most experienced drivers when the occasion arises. The interior, just like the rest of the range, leaves something to be desired in terms of quality, but the driving experience makes up for any qualms with the workmanship of the cabin. The amount of trunk space is one characteristic of the Grand Sport that separates it from the rest of the pack and turns this Corvette into a properly practical sports car. With an asking price of $65,900, the Grand Sport offers supercar-rivaling performance at a fraction of the cost. You'll be hard-pressed to find something as good at the same price.

With more than $10,000 separating the base model from the range-topper, there is a broad spectrum for new owners to choose from. Seeing as all three cars offer the same level of performance, with only a few minor interior upgrades being added to the 2LT and 3LT, the 1LT should be a good choice. Add in the Z07 package, and you have yourself a Grand Sport Corvette that will go around a track faster than the top of the range 3LT and still in excess of $1,000 less. If outright performance isn't the main focus, then the 3LT should be the one to go for. There is a price gap of more than $5,000 between the manual 2LT and 3LT, but the added extras and exclusivity should make up for it.

The Grand Sport is basically a combination of the Stingray and Z06. The Z06 is a full-blown performance car and, compared to the GS, it feels like a more focused one at that. The most glaring difference between these two cars has to be the addition of a supercharger on the Z06's 6.2-liter V8, which now pushes out 650 hp and a monstrous 650 lb-ft of torque. This makes the Z06 capable of hitting 60 mph in only 2.85 seconds, 100 mph in 6.0 seconds and it will go on to complete the quarter-mile within the 10-second range. The Z06 is a heavier drinker and will get an estimated 15/22/17 mpg city/highway/combined. In terms of interior and safety features, there are only minor differences. The GS is the more practical daily driver, and offers a more approachable entry into the world of Corvette ownership, whereas the Z06 thrusts you into the supercar arena with full force.

The BMW M4 is the European answer to the Corvette, and it doesn't have anything to be shy about. As is the trend with European performance cars, BMW has opted for a smaller turbocharged power plant instead of a large capacity naturally aspirated engine. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six engine in the M4 produces 425 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, considerably less than the Corvette, but its party trick is in providing all that torque. Where the Corvette needs to get up to 4,600 rpm to reach its maximum torque curve, the BMW pulls from as little as 1,850 rpm. The BMW will hit 60 mph in a similar 3.8 seconds and will stick with the GS through the corners. What sets the M4 apart from the Corvette GS is in the quality of its interior and standard features list. The BMW feels like a proper premium car and boasts standard active safety tech that's sorely missed in the Grand Sport. The addition of rear seats doesn't hurt the M4's chances either. The BMW M4 should be the choice for those who want sports coupe performance and premium luxury in the same package, whereas the Corvette presents its capabilities in an in-your-face way that stays true to its American roots.