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Secrets of the 2027 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport

Secrets of the 2027 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport

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About this episode

Chevrolet’s Corvette chief engineer Josh Holder breaks down the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport, the first mid-engine Grand Sport, powered by a new 6.7L “LS6” V8 making 535 hp and 520 lb-ft. The discussion covers how the engine achieves high compression and efficiency with direct plus port fuel injection, plus Grand Sport’s Z06-derived widebody, tire, and cooling formula—tuned for more approachable canyon driving. The episode also spotlights the Grand Sport X hybrid AWD (721 hp total) replacing the e-Ray, and debates where it fits versus the Stingray. Later, the hosts pivot to American 250 editions, Honda canceling its EV “Zero” lineup (including Sony Honda Mobility’s Afeela), and what to watch at the New York auto show.

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Car

Ford Mustang

"...o and all American show this week with Corvettes, Mustangs, Ram trucks and Sony's. Sony's?"

The Mustang is a performance car made by Ford. It’s known for being a classic American muscle car and it comes in different versions. It’s often mentioned because it’s a major name in the U.S. performance car world.

Car

Corvette Grand Sport

"...mid-engine Corvette era, we're getting a Corvette Grand Sport. The Grand Sport, of course, being one of the en..."

The Buick Gran Sport is a performance version of a Buick model name. In the podcast, it’s brought up in connection with performance expectations and what Buick might be doing in that era. It’s essentially a name that signals a more sporty, performance-focused Buick.

Term

stingray

"but this engine is going to go in the stingray as well."

The Stingray is another Corvette model. They’re saying this new engine will be used there too, not just in the Grand Sport.

Term

direct injection

"We've had direct injection for a while on our V8s. We've added port fuel injection to go with that system."

Direct injection means fuel is sprayed right into the engine’s combustion area. It helps the engine burn fuel more precisely.

Car

Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport

"The formula for Grand Sport is one we've used for a while, so we're going to use the wider tires and wheels off the Z06, so that track width combination and performance tire bring a lot of handling capability... Grand Sport slots into the lineup very nicely, especially with the new engine."

The Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport is a sporty version of the Corvette. It’s designed to handle well on roads and tracks, and it gets wider tires and a wider look to help it grip better.

Term

downforce

"the Z06, the carbon-arrow package that provides a little over 700 pounds of downforce."

Downforce is the downward aerodynamic force that increases tire grip by effectively increasing the car’s load on the road. Higher downforce generally improves cornering performance, especially at speed, but it can also affect drag and efficiency.

Concept

combined output of 721 horsepower

"[487.8s] So Grand Sport X gets 186 horsepower on the front axle, the 535 horsepower LS6 in the [494.3s] rear for a combined output of 721 horsepower. [497.9s] It's a significant upgrade and one that customers are really going to love."

Combined output is the total power figure when both the rear V8 and front electric drive contribute. This is important in electrified AWD cars because the performance is the sum of multiple power sources working together.

Term

All-wheel drive

"All-wheel drive comes in with the acceleration, as you mentioned, even track performance coming out of corners and all the different dynamics."

All-wheel drive means the car powers all four tires instead of just two. That usually helps it grip better when the road is slick, like in snow or heavy rain.

Term

splitter

"You get to where you can literally plow snow from the splitter. And when you can't see out of your windshield..."

A splitter is a low front piece on the car that helps it stay planted. In snow, it can get so close to the ground that it starts pushing snow.

Term

tires and wheels

"You must have a pretty big budget for tires and wheels getting busted on potholes up there."

Tires and wheels are key wear-and-damage items on rough roads: potholes can damage wheels and accelerate tire wear or alignment issues. The speaker ties Michigan road quality to higher tire/wheel replacement costs.

Brand

Michelin

"Michigan roads aren't great here... Michelin has a winter tire that's available to put on those cars for those that really want to drive these in the winter."

Michelin is a major tire manufacturer, and the speaker references a Michelin winter tire option. Winter tires are designed with softer rubber compounds and tread patterns that improve grip in snow and cold temperatures.

Term

winter tire

"Michelin has a winter tire that's available to put on those cars for those that really want to drive these in the winter."

A winter tire is a tire made for cold weather. It grips better in snow and icy conditions than regular tires, helping you stop and turn more confidently.

Concept

refresh

"Oh, it's set. Yeah. And I mean, yes, because we got the refresh."

A refresh is a mid-life update to a car—usually small changes like new styling or updated features. It’s not a brand-new generation, but it keeps the car feeling current.

Term

wide body

"And I think the wide body really makes it stand out. Also with the Grantsport X, I think these couple of steps above the E-Ray are going to make a big difference."

A wide-body setup means the car’s fenders are widened. That usually lets the car run wider tires for better grip, and it also makes the car look more aggressive.

Company

GM

"But now that it's here, you're seeing exactly what GM can extract out of it. And I think that before this is all said and done, whether it's two years from now or, you know, four years from now, whatever, however, much longer, you know, we've got with this particular, you know, generation, you're still going to see GM squeeze more out of it."

GM (General Motors) is the company that makes Chevrolet and the Corvette. They’re saying GM’s engineers are passionate and keep finding ways to improve the car.

Car

Corvette

"because the thing that came through in the interview with Josh is like these GM engineers, they love Corvette. Like, yeah, it is a passion project for the people that work on it."

Corvette is Chevrolet’s famous performance sports car. The point here is that each new Corvette generation (and later updates) brings changes that make it feel like a step forward.

Concept

mid engine

"It's going to be interesting to see what happens with the ninth generation car. Obviously the, the eighth generation switch in the mid engine was a seismic shift."

A “mid engine” means the engine sits more toward the middle of the car instead of the front. That can help the car feel more balanced and easier to handle in corners.

Concept

GT

"...it lets you do, you know, a crossover, let you do a front engine sort of GT, you know, and it lets you keep the mid engine sports car that's the access, the"

“GT” typically means “Grand Touring,” a category focused on comfortable high-speed cruising with performance. In the segment, the host uses GT to describe a potential front-engine Corvette direction that would complement the existing mid-engine sports car.

Term

EcoBoost

"[1497.6s] It's a $3,000 option on top of the EcoBoost premium. [1501.2s] So call it $44,000 out the door. [1504.4s] Does the Mustang EcoBoost have the potential to finally become a cool car?"

EcoBoost is Ford’s name for engines that use a turbocharger. The goal is to get more power without giving up too much fuel economy.

Concept

Le Mans

"And, you know, they brought the cars over to Le Mans last year. Seems like they're finding an audience for the Mustang."

Le Mans is a super famous endurance race—cars race for about 24 hours. If a brand brings cars there, it’s a big deal for proving performance and reliability.

Concept

NASCAR

"eventually replacing the Camaro in NASCAR. [1708.9s] No details on what that car might be."

NASCAR is a major American race series. Teams race cars built to the rules of the series, so “replacing a car in NASCAR” means changing what model gets used for racing.

Concept

appearance packages

"commemorative appearance packages, uh, that it's going to be launching this year. And now Ram's starting to roll out its America 250 edition."

An appearance package is basically a set of cosmetic upgrades. It changes how the car looks—like colors, stitching, and decals—more than how it drives.

Term

denim upholstery

"It has denim upholstery with red, white and blue stitching. Jeep just brought back denim upholstery in the new rock slide editions of the Wrangler and Gladiator."

Denim upholstery means the seats are covered in a denim-like fabric. It’s mostly a style choice, but it can also change how easy the seats are to clean and how they age.

Car

Jeep Wrangler

"Jeep just brought back denim upholstery in the new rock slide editions of the Wrangler and Gladiator."

The Jeep Wrangler is a popular off-road Jeep. Here, they’re talking about a special edition that brings back denim-style seats and interior materials.

Car

Jeep Gladiator

"Jeep just brought back denim upholstery in the new rock slide editions of the Wrangler and Gladiator."

The Jeep Gladiator is Jeep’s pickup truck. In this episode, they mention it’s getting the same denim upholstery style as the Wrangler.

Concept

decals

"And I see people putting those decals on their cars already, but they also see people driving around with custom cars with big giant red, white and blue American flags on it."

Decals are stickers or graphic overlays that you put on a car to change how it looks. People use them to make the car feel more personal or themed.

Concept

CES

"They've been showing up at CES every year with this car as they've been rolling out the information about it."

CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is a major annual tech conference in Las Vegas where automakers and tech companies often debut prototypes and future mobility tech. The segment uses CES as context for why this electric car and its features were being publicly shown.

Company

Apple

"Apart from it being this collaboration. I think Apple was very smart to dip its toe in this and then say, no, we're not going to do that."

Apple is a tech company. Here, the speaker is saying Apple tried partnering in the auto world, but then decided not to fully get involved.

Brand

Acura

"Why not just collaborate with Honda, put the Sony tech into Honda branded vehicles, Acura branded vehicles."

Acura is Honda’s luxury car brand. The speaker is saying it would have made sense to sell the cars under Acura (or Honda) instead of doing something brand-new.

Term

pillar to pillar screen

"If you see it, even it doesn't have to necessarily be electric cars, combustion cars where you get in and it's a pillar to pillar screen. Essentially, uh, now that dictates what the, what the user experience is."

A pillar-to-pillar screen is a huge display across the front of the car, like one big screen instead of separate gauges and smaller displays. It’s meant to make the dashboard feel more modern and easier to read.

Concept

user experience

"Essentially, uh, now that dictates what the, what the user experience is. So, um, there's always opportunity for stuff like that, but there really was never an opportunity for a bland four door sedan..."

User experience is basically how easy and pleasant the car is to use. If the dashboard has big screens and lots of menus, that design changes how you interact with the car while driving.

Brand

Hyundai

"Uh, you mentioned Hyundai's got something that is very, very hush hush under wraps that they're going to unveil, but listen, it's smart."

Hyundai is a major global automaker that, like other brands, uses secrecy and timed reveals to build anticipation. The episode mentions Hyundai as an example of keeping an upcoming product “under wraps” until it’s ready to be unveiled.

Concept

New York auto show

"because the reality is the foot traffic for the New York auto show is massive and it's a great opportunity to put new stuff in front of people who want to look at it and touch it and sit in and all that fun stuff."

An auto show is a big event where car companies bring cars for people to see in person. The New York one is especially important because lots of people go, so it’s a good place to get attention for new vehicles.

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