New-for-2010 Corvette Grand Sport borrows some from Z06 model

Grand Sport returns to Corvette line

Already bargain priced for the handling, power and iconic status it delivers, the Chevrolet Corvette ratchets up its value-for-the-dollar appeal this year with a new Grand Sport model.

The first Corvette with the Grand Sport name since 1996, the new model slots below the pricey Corvette Z06, which has a starting price tag of more than $75,000.

The Grand Sport, in comparison, has a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price, with destination charge, of $55,720 for a coupe and $59,530 for a convertible with at least 430 horsepower. This is $5,840 more than a base Corvette coupe and $5,000 more than a base Corvette convertible.

But the Grand Sport, which borrows many body panels from the Z06 and adds a taller spoiler and wider tires than the base Corvette has, looks a lot like a sinister, 505-horsepower Z06 on the outside.

The Grand Sport also has an advanced suspension because it mixes in some suspension parts from the much-revered Z06. Brakes are updated from the base Corvette for solid performance, and buyers can add Grand Sport fender stripes as an option.

The result is an eye-catching, showy two-seater with a noteworthy — even memorable — ride.

As for competitors, the Corvette Grand Sport, which is something of a mid-range Corvette in the lineup, costs at least $23,000 less than comparable imported sports coupes.

The 2010 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe with 345-horsepower, six-cylinder and manual transmission starts at $78,750. A 2010 Nissan GT-R with 485-horsepower, twin-turbo V-6 and automatic transmission with manual shift mode starts at $81,790.

Yes, the Grand Sport has the base Corvette engine — a 6.2-liter, overhead valve V-8 with 430 horsepower with standard exhaust system and 436 horses when a dual exhaust system is added as an option.

But the standard six-speed manual has different gearing than a base Corvette for improved response.

And car enthusiast magazines have clocked the new Grand Sport, which generates up to 428 foot-pounds of torque at 4,600 rpm, traveling from zero to 60 miles an hour in 3.9 seconds to 4.1 seconds.

The test Corvette Grand Sport Coupe had me convinced the first time I floored the accelerator and felt the rush of power. The V-8 engine roar — the test car came with optional dual exhaust that didn’t muzzle the sounds — added to the sensation of raw, ready power.

The Corvette wasn’t just strong on straightaways, where it pushed my head into the head restraint as it accelerated. I could keep a lot of speed in corners. as the front and rear double wishbone suspension with monotube shock absorbers tightly controlled the chassis.

Even downhill, off-camber sweeping curves were enjoyable. The car and its performance tires clung like glue to the road and made quick work of twisty roads.

The Corvette Grand Sport felt well-balanced, thanks to an exemplary weight distribution of nearly 50-50 front and rear and to a very low center of gravity.

One issue, though: I sat so low to the pavement, I felt like I could reach out and touch it. My legs were flung out in front of me on the carpet, not downward as in a chair or a sport utility vehicle.

I raised the seat height as much as I could, and with just 2 inches of clearance between my head and the ceiling, I couldn’t see much of the car’s hood. Worse, I couldn’t see past the bumper — and sometimes the undercarriage — of trucks and sport utility vehicles ahead of me.

Another issue that cropped up: A 6-foot-tall family member who has had back problems wound up with a painful twinge after a 30-mile ride in the Corvette.

And it took effort to drop into the Corvette’s low seats and push upward to climb out.

Seats are flatter and less supportive than I prefer in a sporty car. Given the $55,000 price, I expected something with more lateral support, in particular.

Riders seem to feel every bump, manhole cover and expansion crack on the roads. Road noise also comes through, but I didn’t notice any wind noise in this sleek car.

The optional chrome-covered aluminum wheels are an appropriate option, and their placement next to brake cooling ducts and front fender Grand Sport badging (also in shiny silver) is a nice touch.

Don’t assume that with the sizable 6.2-liter, LS3 V-8 and the long hood, the Corvette Grand Sport Coupe is a heavy car. Actually, at 3,311 pounds, it weighs a quarter-ton less than Nissan’s GT-R.

But the Vette is a wide car that stretches more than 6 feet from one side to the other. And the visual barriers — narrow rear window, obstructive metal pillars at the corners and tall rear end — make it challenging to back up and park.

The Corvette has some old-school parts, such as the pushrod V-8, while the GT-R has newer technology, such as the six-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission.