Corvette Grand Sport, an impressive supercar

Where only five original Corvette Grand Sports were made, the 2017 Grand Sports will come from a big litter of convertibles and coupes.

Only five original Corvette Grand Sports were made in 1963. The last to sell at auction went for $5.8 million.

Three generations of Corvette Grand Sport: 2010, 1996 and 1963.

The original intent of the Corvette Grand Sport was for racing – by Roger Penske among others – way back in 1963.

Corvette Grand Sport comes in a convertible trim with a variety of colors like this Arctic White coat.

The Corvette Grand Sport features the same normally-aspirated, 460-horse V-8 found in the base Stingray.

You can keep the Corvette Grand Sport in TRACK mode setting on the street – I like the heavier steering and wake-the-dead exhaust yowl.

The Corvette Grand Sport isn't perfect. Two notable flaws: 1) the mushy manual tranny and 2) oily interior smell.

Corvette Grand Sport comes in a dizzying array of colors and interior choices, but my favorite is the (new for ’17) Watkins Glen Gray Metallic paint – accented with red GR hash marks.

Features from Stingray’s popular Z51 package are standard on the Corvette Grand Sport, including rear-differential cooler and dry-sump oil system essential for hot laps.

The Corvette Grand Sport features a variety of Drive modes to suit the driver's preference.

I like the stealthy, Watkins Glen Gray exterior for the Corvette Grand Sport. Save the WOW! factor for the black and red lipstick-leather trimmed interior.

The Corvette Grand Sport is an impressive supercar to behold. You’ll know it by its birthmarks – twin “hash mark” stripes on either bicep – er, front fender – just aft of the ginormous, 19-inch tires.

Detroit News' auto columnist spent a day with the Corvette Grand Sport around Atlanta Motorsports Park.

The 2017 Corvette Grand Sport debuted to media at Atlanta Motorsports Park.

The Corvette Grand Sport is as fun on the street as the track. Outside Atlanta Motorsports Park I drove the Grand Sport for miles through the rolling hills and small burgs of suburban Atlanta.

Chief engineer for the Corvette Grand Sport is Chevy veteran Tadge Juechter.

The Corvette Grand Sport set an unofficial production car track lap record at Atlanta Motorsports Park of 1.23.6 seconds in the hands of Andy Pilgrim.