Pontiac Grand Prix Owner's Manual

About The Grand Prix

Many OEMs have at least one example of a car model that has been around for a long time, even several decades. The GM Pontiac Division had one such model manufactured across eight generations from 1962 to 2008, namely the Pontiac Grand Prix. Over the years, it has been built on 4 different GM platforms, as well as in both RWD and FWD drivetrain configurations.

The Grand Prix is a full-size car manufactured as a luxury vehicle from 1962 to 1987, and then as a more simple full-size sedan from 1996 to 2008, with some as mid-size coupes in the interim 1988 to 1996, and then 1996 to 2002. As a luxury vehicle, it was related to the Buick Wildcat and Chevrolet Impala SS, offering a 6.4-liter V8 engine paired with a 3-speed or 4-speed manual transmission.

Through the 1960s and 1970s, the Grand Prix evolved from a huge, boxy and typically all-American design to something more sporty and contemporary in the 1980s, with perhaps the biggest departure from earlier designs being the arrival of the sixth-generation models in 1988. These midsize models included a 2-door coupe and 4-door sedan, with sleek narrow front headlight designs, a more aerodynamic curve on the hood, a rear spoiler, and more.

It continued to evolve through the 1990s and early 2000s, eventually delivering the eighth and final generation in 2004. These models included a very pleasing 5.3-liter V8 powertrain delivering up to 303hp, paired with a 4-speed automatic transmission. The top-end GTP trim came with a special Comp-G package that gave the model red brake calipers, a driver head-up display HUD, sports-tuned suspension, paddle shifters, and other performance enhancements.

Despite nostalgia that existed for previous models, the latest versions in those final years were actually well-received by critics, making Pontiac’s own demise in 2009-2010 all the more lamentable for fans of the model.