Chevrolet Is Done With The C8 Corvette

The mid-engine C8 Corvette is nearing the end of the line, with the brand confirming that the recently revealed Grand Sport will be the last major variant of the C8.

Introduced in 2019 as the first Corvette with the engine behind the driver, the C8 was a quantum shift for America’s sports car. Its life hasn't been without hurdles—production delays tied to a labor strike and the global pandemic marred the car's early life—but Chevrolet pushed through and gradually filled out the lineup in the years since.

With the Grand Sport trim now joining Z06 and ZR1, there's not much left for the C8 team to do.

According to Corvette Chief Engineer Josh Holder, the lineup is effectively complete. Speaking on The Gas podcast, Holder confirmed that while Chevrolet will continue refining the car, no additional core models are planned.

“We’re never completely done—we’re always tweaking and improving,” he said. “But as far as the model lineup goes, the Grand Sport is going to round out the eighth generation of Corvette.”

Historically, Grand Sport models have arrived late in a Corvette’s lifecycle, serving as a bridge between lower-spec base models and higher-performance variants. The C7 Grand Sport debuted in 2017, just a couple of years ahead of the C8’s debut, while the C6 version arrived in 2010, four years before the next-generation car arrived.

The 2027 Corvette Grand Sport slots neatly between the Stingray and Z06, offering many of the same performance upgrades as the Z06, just without the exotic flat-plane crank V8. The Grand Sport is moved by GM’s next-generation 6.7-liter LS6 V8, producing 535 horsepower and 520 lb-ft of torque. That engine should eventually find its way to the base model Stingray once the calendar flips to 2027.

AutoGuide's Take:

While the C8 may be reaching its final chapter, Chevrolet obviously isn’t done with the Corvette. Holder hinted that development of the next generation is already underway, though specifics remain under wraps. “We’re always working on the next Corvette,” he said.

Sources familiar with the matter indicate the next-generation C9 Corvette will debut before the end of the decade. Chevy is expected to show the next-gen Corvette in late 2028 or 2029, with plans for the car to start arriving at dealers as a 2030 model.

It's unclear exactly what Chevrolet has in store for the C9 Corvette, last year the brand rolled out a series of Corvette concepts meant to hint at the future direction the car is heading. Outside of some obvious styling cues, most of the concepts were decidedly electrified—including the C10 concept, which was a pure battery car.

To be fair, it's unlikely we see GM bet the farm on turning the Corvette into an EV. Given who the target market is, and the difficulty sportscar makers are having moving fully electric wares, it's a good bet the C9 Corvette retains the tried and true General Motors small-block V8.

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