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2017 Corvette Grand Sport- 01.26.17

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It all started with Shawn telling me about how we “could” drop Chevrolet LT1 E-ROD crate engine into our ‘96 Land Cruiser for our next step in our NOTFZJ80 Project… of course my first question was, “What does it feel like?” which prompted him to tell me it’s in the Corvette Grand Sport! So, when Chevy offered one to us for a week, it was the perfect way to kick off 2017 and try the LT1!

First impressions of the 2017 Corvette Grand Sport? So fun to drive, and it turns (surprising) heads everywhere you go. There’s something about styling (much like the original stingrays) that just makes people stare, grin, and wave… from little boys to old ladies, to everything in between. It was hard to stop in anywhere and NOT get asked about it. For lack of a better phrase, it definitely had a more all-American-all-ages vibe from the crowd it drew, compared to some higher end luxury sports cars. Even non car folks were excited by it. But to be honest, it is SO fun to drive, that the only time you notice all the grins and stares are while being a passenger. That sport mode on S curves is fantastic. And the touring mode was surprisingly comfortable for such a low car with a stiff suspension! While we can’t give you a ride, we can show you all the details that we love… so take a peek on the next page!

Between the (much needed) LA rains - we got a few pockets of sunshine, including during the arrival of the Corvette!

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You can see the ominous clouds looming… though that trumpet like quad exhaust is hard to look away from…

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First detail to catch my eye once stepping in… the little top view original C2 Grand Sport badge!

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A few more interior details - the sport seat designs, garage openers on the visor, corvette as you step out, and the strangest detail was definitely the electric door opener buttons - with a manual release almost equally close to you!

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My favorite interior detail… the secret compartment behind the screen! If this was my personal car, i’d definitely rub the “SCREEN” text off, and put something far more boring on it to dissuade anyone from pressing it.

It’s a stunning car!

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A quick history of the Corvette… corvette14.jpg

The design of this car is definitely driver centric. The driver’s seat feels like a cockpit, and the passenger seat feels a lot like a sidecar! As a passenger you’re in your own little pod - reaching up and over into the driver’s territory to press any buttons besides your personal a/c button. The passenger also has a handle on each side to hold on to dear life when the driver goes for it!

As a result of this - while Shawn and I drove together, we also took a few solo drives to test the full power of the Corvette Grand Sport. Here are a few pictures from Shawn’s Malibu excursion!

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Here’s what Shawn had to say - “Without a doubt the new styling caught my attention. All of the aerodynamic elements, vent holes, wide side skirts, and fender flares are pure eye candy. The bits from the Z06/Z07 really set this apart from the standard Stingray, but it doesn’t stop there. I did not have many expectations before driving it, after all it has been at least 10 years since I have been behind the wheel of a Corvette. In the end it would not have mattered what I thought because the Grand Sport is flat out impressive by any standard. The LT1 engine is properly quick and the chassis is extremely nimble. The Brembo ceramic brakes and Z07 suspension components produce G-forces that hurt your insides.”

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Don’t laugh - but my 2017 Corvette Grand Sport curiosity really did star with our NOTFZJ80 ‘96 Land Cruiser Project… we needed to clean up the engine a bit to pass smog, and as usual, once we dove into the engine and started cleaning and tweaking it, we started dreaming of doing an engine swap… and naturally started looking at the Chevrolet LT1 E-ROD crate engine, which is exactly what is inside the 2017 Corvette Grand Sport.

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… after driving it… wow… can you imagine that engine in the Land Cruiser?!?!?!

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Tempting… we will see… The 2017 Corvette Grand Sport is definitely a stunner inside and out!

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Just a fun pic from our @NOTlabs Instagram adventures with the Corvette… had a pit stop at Sidecar Doughnuts, and the card was too cute! Also felt extra relevant as i popped back into my sidecar of a passenger seat!

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