1997 Pontiac Grand Prix: A New W-Body and the Supercharged GTP

This record's own dek states that a new W-body Grand Prix arrives for 1997 with the supercharged 3.8 GTP package at 240 hp. This record's own overview states that MuscleCarClub, crediting the Standard Catalog of Pontiac, gives 1997 Grand Prix production as 159,140 across SE and GT without a split by trim or engine, and that the compiled engine tables list a 3.1-liter V6 at 160 hp and 185 lb-ft, a 3.8-liter V6 at 195 hp and 220 lb-ft, and a supercharged 3.8-liter V6 at 240 hp and 280 lb-ft, all SAE net as compiled with no rpm given.¹

This record's own keyFacts section states that the supercharged 3.8-liter V6, listed at 240 hp and 280 lb-ft for 1997-2003, is the GTP engine of this generation, with no GTP production split found; it also states that Pontiac's 1997 catalog lists three models, the SE sedan, GT coupe and GT sedan, and that the supercharged 3800 Series II V6 came only with the GTP Performance Package, RPO B4S, on GT models, adding a 2.93 axle, a driver-select four-speed automatic, variable-effort steering, sport suspension, a rear spoiler, a trip computer and P225/60R16 touring tires.¹

This record's own production section carries a single total row of 159,140, with a note that the bodystyle column is printed by the source as SE/GT and that the Standard Catalog's own Note 4 calls it the model-year production total of Grand Prixs of all types; a second note states plainly that no published split of 1997 production by body, trim, engine or option was reached. This record's own unpublishedLeads section carries a single Wikipedia claim that production of the 1997 Grand Prix began on August 12, 1996, held back as tertiary text without a traced primary citation.^1,2

This record's own prices section carries three MSRPs from the Chrome-data buyer's guide republished by TheAutoChannel, with destination and date not stated: $18,389 for the SE sedan, $19,419 for the GT coupe, and $20,319 for the GT sedan. This record's own engines section carries the three entries matching the overview: the 3.1-liter standard on the SE sedan and not offered on the GT, with a brochure footnote that the engine became available only in January 1997; the naturally aspirated 3.8-liter standard on the GT coupe and sedan and available on the SE sedan; and the supercharged 3.8-liter restricted to GT coupe and sedan with the GTP Performance Package, not available on the SE sedan. This record's own conflicts section flags a dispute over the naturally aspirated 3.8's own torque, the compiled table's 220 lb-ft against the brochure's own printed 230 ft-lbs at 3,600 rpm, with this record's own treatment note favoring the factory catalog figure as primary for the model year. This record's own transmissions section lists a single entry, the four-speed electronically controlled automatic standard with every engine, with the GTP package version adding driver-select shift controls.^3,1,4

This record's own options section itemizes the GTP Performance Package itself by its own full content, option groups 1SB, 1SC and 1SD across the SE sedan, GT sedan and GT coupe, cruise control, a deck lid release, five distinct Delco radio configurations up to a trunk-mounted 12-disc CD changer, an electric rear defogger, steering-wheel radio controls with leather-wrapped wheel, a six-way power driver's seat, a four-way lumbar adjuster, a 45/55 split front seat with folding storage armrest on the SE sedan, a rear glass antenna, remote keyless entry, a trip computer with Driver Information Center, an EyeCue Head-Up Display, a Custom Interior Appointment Group, a Premium Lighting Group, sport 15-inch wheel covers not available until January 1997, three distinct cast aluminum wheel styles, P225/60R16 blackwall touring tires restricted to the GTP package, and a power glass spoiler-type sunroof with express-open and sun shade.

This record's own paint table lists nine colors, and this record's own interiors section carries two entries: standard sport bucket seats in Doral cloth with two-way seat and lumbar adjustment across all models, code AR9, and available leather seating areas with perforated inserts, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, both drawn from the same 1997 catalog that supplies the record's own engine and dimension detail elsewhere.

This record's own specifications section gives a 110.5-inch wheelbase, 196.5-inch overall length, 72.7-inch width, 54.7-inch overall height, front/rear tread of 61.7/61.1 inches, a 3,373-pound curb weight for the SE sedan, an 18.0-gallon fuel tank, 16.0 cubic feet of trunk capacity, and interior dimensions that differ slightly between coupe and sedan. This record's own performance and identification sections are both empty for the year, leaving no period road test and no series or body-style code on record for the 1997 Grand Prix.