1998 Pontiac Grand Prix: The Daytona 500 Pace Car Year

This record's own dek states that the supercharged 3.8 continues at 240 hp for 1998. This record's own overview states that MuscleCarClub, crediting the Standard Catalog of Pontiac, gives 1998 Grand Prix production as 142,346 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. This record's own keyFacts section states that Pontiac built 1,500 Grand Prix Daytona 500 Pace Car specials for 1998, each with a sequentially numbered console plaque, according to Consumer Guide.^1,2

This record's own production section carries two rows: the 142,346-unit total, 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, and a 1,500-unit Daytona 500 Pace Car edition row whose own note states body and powertrain are not stated by that source and that the count is included in the model-year total rather than additional to it. A second production note states that the only sourced split of 1998 production found is the Pace Car count, and that paint, interior and some equipment in this record come from a Canadian-market catalog and are labelled accordingly.^1,3,2

This record's own unpublishedLeads section carries a Wikipedia claim that the 1998 Daytona 500 pace-car replicas had Medium Gulf Blue Metallic paint, Sparkle Silver 16-inch Torque Star wheels and a numbered plaque, and that of the 1,500 built, 200 had sunroofs, held back as tertiary text without a traced primary citation, with this record's own reason field noting the sunroof count is not confirmed elsewhere. This record's own prices section carries three MSRPs from the Chrome-data buyer's guide republished by TheAutoChannel, with destination and effective date not stated: $18,795 for the SE sedan, $20,415 for the GT coupe, and $20,665 for the GT sedan.⁴

This record's own engines section carries the three entries matching the overview, all cross-sourced to the Canadian-market catalog, with the supercharged 3.8-liter specifically tied to the GTP Performance Package on GT coupe and 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 Canadian catalog's own printed 225 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm, with this record's own treatment note stating both are shown since no U.S. 1998 factory specification was reached. This record's own transmissions section lists a single entry, the four-speed electronically controlled overdrive automatic, the only transmission for the year, with the GTP Performance Package specifying a heavy-duty version.^1,5

This record's own options section itemizes the GTP Performance Package by its own full content, a heavy-duty transmission, full-range traction control, GTP nameplates, a rear deck-lid spoiler, sport suspension, P225/60HR16 Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires and a trip computer, requiring the supercharged 3.8; the Daytona 500 Pace Car edition with its numbered console plaque at the same 1,500-unit count as the production row; a Security Package with remote keyless entry, trunk release, panic feature and an audible and visible theft-deterrent system; and a Premium Light Package, the last three all from the Canadian-market catalog.²

This record's own paint table lists nine colors, and this record's own interiors section carries a single entry describing cloth and Prado leather trim in Graphite, Taupe and Camel, with the Canadian catalog's own compatibility chart pairing every exterior color with Graphite, the sole interior color the chart lists against the full paint range, leaving Taupe and Camel without any stated exterior pairing in this record's own text.

This record's own specifications section, also drawn from the Canadian-market catalog, gives final drive ratios of 3.29 for the 3.1- and 3.8-liter engines and 2.93 for the supercharged 3.8, a 1,000-pound maximum trailer weight when properly equipped, overall lengths of 197.1 inches for the coupe and 196.5 for the sedan, front/rear tread that differs between coupe and sedan, estimated curb weights of 3,375 pounds for the SE sedan, 3,481 for the GT sedan and 3,414 for the GT coupe, and a 68-liter fuel tank printed as 15.0 gallons, a note flagging that printed gallon figure as an imperial conversion rather than a US gallon measure. This record's own performance and identification sections are both empty for the year.