There are loads of Pontiacs that actually missed the mark, particularly within the Nineties and 2000s. Remember the 2005 Pontiac Montana? The 2003 Pontiac G3? The Pontiac Aztek? But on the identical time, now and again, Pontiac hit it out of the park with certainly one of their vehicles. And we’re not simply speaking concerning the G8. The 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix was additionally so a lot better than you’d have anticipated out of Nineties General Motors.
If you’re too younger to recollect the ‘97 Grand Prix, don’t simply take heed to me. Listen to everybody’s favourite automobile dad, John Davis. Back in 1996, he bought the possibility to drive the redesigned Grand Prix. You know, the one which gave us all of these “wider is better” commercials? Actually, I assume in the event you’re too younger to recollect the automobile, you in all probability don’t bear in mind the advertisements both.
The base mannequin’s V6 could have solely made 160 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque, however don’t fear. You might get extra highly effective engines that higher matched the Grand Prix’s sporty styling. Upgrade to the Grand Prix GT, and energy elevated to 195 hp and 220 lb-ft of torque. And then there was the top-of-the-line Grand Prix GTP that bought a supercharged V6 that made 240 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. The Toyota Camry positively wasn’t matching that.
Nor might the Camry match the Grand Prix GTP’s dealing with, which had a sportier suspension and, as John Davis put it, “gives the GTP coupe and sedan the true driving excitement that Pontiac has frequently promised but not always delivered. In fact, the Grand Prix GTP beat out the Ford Taurus SHO in a MotorTrend comparison test back in ‘96. No wonder Davis said the Grand Prix’s “design and performance push it towards the top [of the midsize segment].”
Source: jalopnik.com