Chevrolet has owned the "Grand Sport" name for what seems like forever, but it wasn't available with every generation of the Corvette. The first time it was used for the second-generation Corvette in 1963, and then it made a comeback in 1996 with the fourth generation, then skipped a generation and made a return in 2010 with the C6, and then again in 2017 with the C7.

Now it seems that the Grand Sport name is about to make a come-back as Chevrolet trademarked the name again with the “US Patent And Trademark Office”. Or it could be a simple renewal as the current trademark expires at the end of November 2022.

So, the question is: which of the future Corvette models will get this nomenclature? Well, we know that Chevrolet has two more versions coming: one is the hybrid version, which was already teased but doesn't have a name, and the other one is the electric version - for which Chevy trademarked the name E-Ray back in 2015. So, chances are that the future hybrid version could be in fact the Corvette Grand Sport. However, this will mean a huge changeup for the name.

When Chevy teased the hybrid Corvette it announced the model will also be all-wheel drive - the first one in the history of the sports car. For seven decades, the Corvette was offered with a traditional front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, and this will no doubt be a very interesting change. It is true that the sports car will not get the traditional all-wheel drive system you are thinking about, but it will be AWD. The powertrain will combine a 6.2-liter V-8 engine that powers the rear wheels with one electric motor that will provide power to the front wheels. This will also make the future hybrid Corvette front-wheel-drive when in EV mode. No matter what, the hybrid Corvette is rumored to deliver up to 1,000 horsepower - also making it the most powerful Corvette for the moment. For the sake of comparison, the C8 Corvette Z06 delivers a total of 670 horsepower!

This means that if the Grand Sport name will actually be applied to the hybrid Corvette, the model will take a big step away from its ancestors. Traditionally, the Grand Sport models are naturally aspirated, lightweight, and track-prepped models. Think about the C2 Grand Sport, for example. That model was about 800 pounds lighter than the standard version. In a hybrid model, keeping the weight down will not be possible anymore. Chevy will probably find ways to reduce weight no matter what, but it is unlikely it will end up being lighter than the standard C8 Corvette. Of course, this is where the extra power will come to the rescue.

It is also true that the Grand Sport name is used towards the end of a generation, which means it could be a completely different model. According to rumors, Chevy still has at least three models to offer for the current Corvette: hybrid, electric, and the long-rumored Zora, which means the C8 Corvette still has years to live. No matter what, we will find out more about these future models in the next months, and things will be clarified, so stay tuned!