By Casey Williams
MyCarData

(April 28, 2017) Not long after I first started writing 20 years ago, Chevrolet loaned me a Corvette Convertible to drive from Dallas, Texas, to Bowling Green, Ky., and back over Labor Day Weekend.  When I returned, I bought a 1989 Corvette coupe like my friend’s dad had when we were in high school.  I’ve driven many Corvettes since, but it’s hard to beat driving a 2018 Grand Sport at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
   
Just walking out to pit row caused my heart to patter.  Some of the cars were painted white with black wheels while others wore traditional blue paint under white stripes and red fender hash marks.  Front splitters, Z06-style black mesh grilles, rocker extensions (carbon fiber available), and spoilers tell you these are no ordinary Stingrays – as do 19” front, 20” rear wheels.  They are cars meant to tear up race tracks and road courses around the world.  The Grand Sport is a mean-looking beast.
   
There’s no view comparable to looking through a Corvette windshield and seeing bulging fenders with the head-up display hovering over them.  Everything you need to know is straight ahead, but if you look around the cabin, you’ll notice the reconfigurable instrument display, hand-wrapped leather, and genuine carbon fiber trim. 

The Bose audio system conveys tunes via Bluetooth — made easier with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.  Enact the Performance Data Recorder to measure your speed, g-forces, and other vehicle parameters during hot laps.
   
I’d like to say Chevrolet gave us our choice of Grand Sports, pointed towards the track, and said, “Have at it!”  But, that’s not quite what happened.  We were grouped behind a professional driver in the lead car and followed him to hit all the right spots on the track.  Coming out of pit row, onto the track, our guide stomped the throttle and accelerated up to about 115 mph. 
   
Following him was no problem; my old Corvette could have held its own.  But, Grand Sports channel a combination of the Z06’ chassis with the Stingray’s normally-aspirated engine.  The 6.2-liter LT1 V8, with dry-sump oiling to maximize cornering abilities, delivers 460 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque.  In a car weighing just 3,428 lbs., that’s enough to click 0-60 mph in about four seconds.  My Vette can’t match that!  You can choose a seven-speed manual transmission with rev matching, but our rides were equipped with eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmissions.  Active exhaust outlets ramp up the throaty roar under throttle.
   
Accelerating down the back straight, the Vette felt right at home.  The 5-position Drive Mode Selector adjusts 12 attribute, including steering feel, suspension damping, and throttle response for vastly different personalities.  We left the stability control engaged – you know, just in case.  We swept through Turn 3, following our leader as he traced rubber tracks left by fast-moving Indy Cars, and then let it out to the middle of the track before swooping in again.
   
As we came through Turn 4, the realization of what was happening came front of mind.  On the right were grandstands, but on the left was the famous IMS pagoda.  I was traveling about 120 mph down the front straight at Indianapolis – in a Corvette!  Heaven lift me now, I’m ready to go!  Fortunately, we had another lap, so I tapped the ceramic brakes and swept through Turn One.  Before we knew it, we were slowing into the pits with gi-normous smiles on our faces.  I could do that all day long, but I may never get to do it again.
   
It’s not my first laps in a Corvette at Indianapolis.  Several years ago, I rode shotgun as two-time winner and international racing impresario Emerson Fittipaldi lapped the track at over 170 mph.  I felt safer than in my mother’s arms, but what impressed me the most is the versatility of Corvettes.  It can easily run 170 mph, but we could have exited the track, turned on the air-conditioning, cranked up the Bose audio system, tossed in a week’s worth of luggage, and driven straight to California in long-distance comfort.
   
The Grand Sport is no different.  You and a traveling partner can stuff a whopping 15 cubic feet of luggage under the hatch, adjust the seats and chassis for comfort, and drive almost anywhere.  Keep your foot out of the throttle and you’ll see 15/26-MPG city/highway – absolutely astounding for a car that can lap Indianapolis as if it was born to do nothing else.
   
Prices start at $66,490 for Grand Sport Coupes or $70,490 for Grand Sport Convertibles.