1990 Pontiac Grand Prix: The Turbo Returns as Sedans Join the Line

This record's own dek states that the Turbo returns for 1990 as a coupe and an STE sedan, with sedans joining the W-body line. This record's own overview states that MuscleCarClub, crediting the Standard Catalog of Pontiac, gives 1990 Grand Prix production as 128,067 across LE, SE, SET and STE without a split by trim or engine, and that the compiled engine tables list a 3.1-liter V6 at 140 hp and 185 lb-ft, a turbocharged 3.1-liter V6 at 205 hp and 220 lb-ft, and a 2.3-liter I4 at 160 hp and 155 lb-ft, all SAE net as compiled with no rpm given.¹

This record's own keyFacts section states that for 1990 the ASC/McLaren turbo package was offered on the coupe and on the STE sedan, the turbocharged 3.1 V6 rated 205 hp and 220 lb-ft with a mandatory four-speed automatic; it also states that the 1990 sedan catalog lists the Grand Prix LE Sport Sedan and the STE, with engine and transmission teams of a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic with the 3.1-liter V6, a four-speed Performance Automatic with the 3.1-liter turbo V6, and a three-speed automatic with the 2.3-liter Quad 4, anti-lock brakes standard on the turbo STE.²

This record's own production section carries three rows: the 128,067-unit total, a 2,749-unit Turbo Grand Prix row with a note that the body split is not stated by the source and that a second source treats all Turbo counts as estimates, and a 5,773-unit combined STE and Turbo sedan row whose own note flags the source wording as ambiguous, since it may mean all STE sedans including the Turbo or Turbo sedans alone. This record's own unpublishedLeads section carries a Pontiac Customer Assistance Center reply quoted on a forum giving 49,490 LE coupes, 56,407 LE sedans and 16,397 SE coupes for a 122,295 total with no Turbo or STE line at all, well short of the Standard Catalog's own 128,067.^1,3,2

This record's own conflicts section carries three separate disputes. The first addresses 1989-1990 Turbo Grand Prix production, one retrospective's 751-for-1989 and 2,749-for-1990 against a second retrospective's combined estimate of 3,500 to 3,700 for both years, with this record's own treatment note presenting the year counts as reported while flagging that no factory or ASC record was reached. The second addresses the 3.1-liter V6's own rating, the compiled table's 140 hp and 185 lb-ft against the sedan catalog's own 135 hp and 180 lb-ft, with this record's own treatment note observing the catalog figure applies specifically to the sedans it describes. The third addresses what the 3.1-liter V6 cost on the LE, Consumer Guide's 1990 entry giving $640 for the V6 plus $200 for the required automatic against its own 1993 retrospective calling the V6 a no-cost option with only the automatic priced at $200, with this record's own treatment note observing both figures come from Consumer Guide pages and neither is a factory price list.^3,4,1,5,6

This record's own prices section carries six figures: $18,539 for the STE sedan, $23,775 for the STE Turbo sedan, and $26,016 for the Turbo coupe, all from the Encyclopedia of American Cars, plus $14,564 for the LE coupe, $14,564 for the LE sedan, and $17,684 for the SE coupe from Consumer Guide. This record's own engines section carries four entries, including a fourth 3.1-liter V6 row specific to the 1990 sedan catalog's own 135-hp rating, distinct from the compiled table's 140-hp entry for the same displacement. This record's own transmissions section lists the mandatory four-speed automatic with the turbo engine, a three-speed automatic with the 2.3-liter Quad 4 only, a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic both with the 3.1-liter V6, and a four-speed Performance Automatic exclusive to the 3.1-liter turbo V6.^2,5,7

This record's own options section itemizes a Sport Appearance Package for the LE Sport Sedan with a special front and rear fascia, fog lamps, red-accented body side moldings, 15-inch aluminum sport wheels and a Rally gauge cluster; a Silver Metallic lower accent treatment for the LE Sport Sedan; an anti-lock brake system available on all sport sedans and standard on the turbo STE; and leather trim for seating areas and door panel inserts on the STE. This record's own paint table lists nine colors, and this record's own interiors section carries two entries, the LE Sport Sedan's own standard Pallex cloth seats and the STE's own power articulating front buckets with eight-way power driver adjustment and optional leather.

This record's own specifications section gives a 107.5-inch wheelbase, 194.8-inch overall length, 70.9-inch width, 54.3-inch overall height, a curb weight range of 3,250 to 3,491 pounds, a 16-gallon fuel tank, 15.5 cubic feet of trunk space, 64/36 front/rear weight distribution, power four-wheel disc brakes, steering ratios and turning circles that differ between the LE and STE, and Level I or Level II tire packages up to Goodyear Eagle GT+4s restricted to the STE. This record's own performance section carries two factory-quoted figures for the STE turbo, 0-60 mph in 8.0 seconds and 0.84g of lateral acceleration, both from a professional driver on a General Motors closed test area. This record's own identification section is empty for the year.