In 1953, hearts dropped and lives were changed. Born to the American public was an icon so influential that our world would seem lost without it. For nearly 60 years, this powerhouse has grown stronger and wiser, becoming an international star along the way. Breaking records all around the globe is one of its favorite pastimes and no one can deny its heart-warming presence. Able to do many things and do them at a rapid pace is the Chevrolet Corvette and there isn’t a better example to explore than the 2011 Grand Sport Convertible.
Since 2005, the most iconic American sports car has been in its sixth generation. The C6 Corvette, like its predecessor, is manufactured at General Motors’ Bowling Green, Kentucky assembly plant. This plant has one and only purpose: build Corvettes. For this, General Motors puts its some of its most advanced technologies into this flagship. The Grand Sport edition, released in 2010, is no different as our tester featured a plethora of Corvette exclusive bits. Replacing the previous Z51 package, the Grand Sport can be seen as a mature version of the track-special Z06.
Our time spent with Chevrolet’s Porsche killer was done so in a 2011 Grand Sport Convertible. Base MSRP is $58,600, undercutting some of its closest competitors such as the Porsche 911 Cabriolet ($90,100) and BMW 650i Convertible ($90,500). Included in that base price are features such as power folding roof, xenon headlamps, satellite radio and six piston front and four piston rear brake calipers with cross drilled rotors. But like its competition, the Corvette can be optioned out and done so handsomely. Included on our test Vette is the $9,700 4LT Premium leather/equipment group, $1,795 navigation system, $1,695 magnetic ride control, $1,195 performance exhaust, and a $300 Supersonic Blue Metallic suit. Total MSRP including destination charge is $74,235. That is a total of $14,685 in options.
Putting price off to the side for a moment, the Grand Sport Convertible looks simply serious. Added to the Grand Sport is the Z06’s wide body kit that includes hood scoop and functional rear brake ducts. Those brakes are also borrowed from the Z06 so stopping power is never really an issue. Unique to the Grand Sport are the side badges as well as the narrow-spoke wheels measuring 18 inches in the front and 19 inches in the rear. Everything adds together to create a vehicle so historically menacing that no one can’t help but do a double take. But oddly, unlike another Chevrolet iconic convertible we tested, the Camaro, driving the Corvette never feels like being the center of attention. Its look is understated enough that it actually appears to be mature. There are no racing stripes to cause shouting and the color, albeit an extra cost option, is sophisticated and subtle. With the top up, the Corvette can actually blend in if wanted. Arrivals can be downplayed, as the Vette is actually refined and polished.
Inside is where this is exemplified. The $9,700 4LT package finally addresses the C6’s biggest complaint: its ‘cheap’ feeling interior. With leather wrapping along the dash, steering wheel, shifter knob and the seats, our Grand Sport felt quality. The seats featured numerous adjustments, including for the bolsters and the cushioning was up to the task of long distances. Unlike the Camaro, the sight lines of the Grand Sport are fantastic as there was no question as to where the front actually was. There isn’t a feeling of being sunk in while driving the Corvette and ergonomically, the cockpit is set up for optimal driving. The seven speaker Bose supplied stereo sounds fantastic, despite the satellite radio readout page needing a rework. Unfortunately, this package ups the quality of the Corvette so much that no model should leave the line without it unless it has plans to be seriously raced. That means that nearly $10 grand will have to put forth to make any Vette truly competitive against its German rivals. If Chevrolet wants to steal more Porsche and BMW drivers away, it must lower the price of the 4LT option.
Our tester may have a sophisticated and mature air about it, but it is still a Corvette. That means up front and under the light-as-air hood is a 6.2 liter, pushrod LS3 V8. Like the V8 in the Camaro SS Convertible we tested not too long ago, the LS3 does not feature direct injection. But unlike the Camaro, due to the optional performance ‘dual-mode’ exhaust, the Corvette makes 436 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque. Borrowed from the Z06 and fitted to the Grand Sport’s exhaust are butterfly valves that open under high-load, freeing up the flow rate. Add that to the Corvette’s increasingly lighter mass (weight is being lost generation to generation) and dropping the hammer on our six speed manual tester is an experience.
No longer is the Grand Sport the mature and well-composed individual it once was, as it becomes a ravenous animal. If the throttle gets floored, especially in the lower gears, thrust comes on as if from nowhere. The heart-warming rumble present at low speeds turns into an all-out scream as the exhaust opens up and the LS3 hits hard. With so much torque and power, the Corvette can pull from any rpm and does so all the way to redline. Once there, the six speed’s shifter offers short and fast movements so the speed can continue. Our tester never felt overworked, even in higher gears. Only a few times was fifth needed to sanely pass on the highway. Simply put, the Grand Sport Convertible is one fast car.
Straight line speed is one thing but being able to carry similar velocity into a corner safely is another. For years, the Corvette has gotten flack for using transverse leaf springs to suspend its independent rear suspension. Some say that on paper, this isn’t the most sophisticated or modern design because leaf springs are more commonly used on heavy-duty pickup trucks. Despite that, Chevrolet has managed to silence those grips as the Corvette’s handling and feel is pure magic. The leather wrapped steering wheel is perfectly placed and every turn of it offers the right amount of communication. The grip from the Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires is fantastic and understeer never was an issue. When equipped with the $1,695 magnetic ride control such as our tester, the Grand Sport has two noticeably different damping settings: tour and sport. When switched to sport mode, the Corvette stiffens up allowing for exceptional rotation. The stability control has three settings: on, off and ‘Competitive Driving Mode’ that only cuts in when handling gets too playful. Still not for the faint-at-heart, the Grand Sport is a bit tail-happy but if you pay attention and actually put forth effort into driving the convertible fast, you will always be rewarded. The Grand Sport Convertible will always tell a driver that things are about to become sideways.
Dynamics wise, the Corvette Grand Sport does not lose its sports car badge when it becomes a convertible. It is fast in a straight line and quick and communicative no matter how tight of a corner it sees. But that isn’t the end of the story as the Grand Sport is ultimately a grand touring car. When placed in sixth gear and in touring mode, the Corvette will cruise at a steady pace at any speed all day without hiccup. It will also stay on the freeway for a while as the Corvette absolutely amazes in an area no one would expect it to: fuel economy. Because of the LS3’s massive torque rating, the Corvette’s light weight and the long range sixth gear ratio, our tester averaged 28 mpg on the highway. On one trip, 30 mpg was seen over 15 miles on uninterrupted freeway. If driven like a normal human being, the Grand Sport will continue to impress with 21 mpg in the city. But as anyone with a heart will tell you, no trip to the grocery store is complete without a romp on the loud pedal. Even factoring that into the equation, our tester never saw anything below 16 mpg.
With the top down, noise is block out as a driver can carry on a conversation with a passenger without raising a voice. It is slightly different when the top goes up as road noise from the big wheels and from the rear do get noticed. All it takes to drown those out is a turn of the volume knob of the Bose stereo. The Corvette is a remarkable car and easy to drive but does have its flaws. The biggest really isn’t its fault as sports cars are inherently difficult to drive on the rough city streets. Care must be taken when piloting the Grand Sport in the city as the front splitter can and will scrap on uneven pavement. And every now and again, second gear did not want to be found, especially and lazy speeds. Just like its sister, the Camaro Convertible, the Grand Sport’s convertible top is still slow to open and close and the electric operating motor sounds tired. But for some reason, all it takes is a single light of the ignition and a rev of the big V8 to forget all of those grips. Add in the admittedly expensive 4LT package and the Corvette is finally complete. It can be so mature and efficient that it smashes the negative connotations put on the sports car. With power and maturity, the 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible will amaze drivers, passengers, and pedestrians for decades without issue.
