The 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix: Wider Is Better

Screenshot: MotorWeek

There are plenty of Pontiacs that really missed the mark, especially in the 1990s and 2000s. Remember the 2005 Pontiac Montana? The 2003 Pontiac G3? The Pontiac Aztek? But at the same time, every now and then, Pontiac hit it out of the park with one of their cars. And we’re not just talking about the G8. The 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix was also so much better than you would have expected out of 1990s General Motors.

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If you’re too young to remember the ‘97 Grand Prix, don’t just listen to me. Listen to everyone’s favorite car dad, John Davis. Back in 1996, he got the chance to drive the redesigned Grand Prix. You know, the one that gave us all of those “wider is better” commercials? Actually, I guess if you’re too young to remember the car, you probably don’t remember the ads either.

1997 Pontiac Grand Prix Wide Track 90s Commercial (1996)

The base model’s V6 may have only made 160 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque, but don’t worry. You could get more powerful engines that better matched the Grand Prix’s sporty styling. Upgrade to the Grand Prix GT, and power increased to 195 hp and 220 lb-ft of torque. And then there was the top-of-the-line Grand Prix GTP that got a supercharged V6 that made 240 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. The Toyota Camry definitely wasn’t matching that.

Nor could the Camry match the Grand Prix GTP’s handling, 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].”

1997 Pontiac Grand Prix and GTP | Retro Review