‘Corvette Grand Sport’ Filing May Indicate the Return of a Legendary Nameplate
‘Corvette Grand Sport’ Filing May Indicate the Return of a Legendary Nameplate
GM has once again filed to trademark Corvette Grand Sport, but will it lead to a new version of that beloved nameplate?
When the C8 Corvette debuted in 2019 for the 2020 model year, it did so with a singular offering – the base Stingray, though it was obvious that many other variants would eventually follow. One of those wasn’t slated to be the Corvette Grand Sport, however, an iconic name in the iconic sport car’s history that dates back to the second-generation model. However, earlier reports indicated that GM would be effectively replacing the Corvette Grand Sport with the hybrid E-Ray, though a recent trademark filing could be a sign that the GS will once again rise from the dead, according to GM Authority.
GM filed the Corvette Grand Sport trademark on May 26, 2022 under the goods and services category”motor land vehicles, namely, automobiles, sport utility vehicles, trucks, and vans.” Of course, trademarks get filed all the time and that doesn’t necessarily mean that a company like GM is going to use them, but in this case, it certainly seems feasible given the fact that Grand Sport has been used extensively through the Corvette’s history.
If nothing else, it would certainly make sense to pair the Stingray’s 6.2-liter LT2 V8 with the Z06’s wide body treatment, a popular combo for those that want some extra looks without the extra price and performance of the latter model (as glorious as it may be). Regardless, GM Authority also speculates that the Grand Sport name could be applied to a model in the next-generation C9 Corvette lineup, too.
Regardless, the Grand Sport name is far too special to the Corvette’s history to simply sit on the wayside forever. Much like the Z06 and ZR1 have become important components of the Corvette’s lineup, the same could be said of the Grand Sport, which has come and gone a bit over the years. With any luck, GM will do the right thing and bring it back on some sort of cool, unique future model.
Photos: Chevrolet
