Pontiac 6000

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Pontiac introduced the A-body 6000 in 1982 as a replacement for the departed rear-drive LeMans, and was built on the same 104.9" front wheel drive X-body Phoenix chassis and drivetrain. The 6000 was offered along with its corporate mates, the Buick Century, Chevrolet Celebrity and Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, and while those cars catered to a more conservative crowd, Pontiac fancied the 6000 as a quasi-alternative to Audi and BMW sport sedans - a lofty goal indeed. Bodystyles included a 2-door coupe and a 4-door sedan. They were available in Base and LE trim levels. Gasoline engine choices also mirrored the Phoenix's, starting with a fuel-injected 92 hp 2.5L (151 cid) I4 and the 2.8L (173 cid) V6, but a 4.3L (262 cid) diesel V6 was also optional. A 3-speed automatic transmission was initially the sole transmission choice.

1983 6000s continued largely unchanged, but to show that Pontiac was serious about the 6000 being a contender among European sport sedans, a new STE package, available only on the 4-door sedan, debuted to rave reviews from various car magazines as the closest American alternative to an Audi or BMW sport sedan yet. The STE was initially offered only in silver, had a unique front-end treatment with integrated fog-lights beside the headlights (giving the impression of 6 headlights), but most importantly was equipped with a high-output 130 hp 2.8 V6, an exclusive among A-bodies for the time being. A 3-speed automatic was still the only transmission choice, but a floor-mounted shifter, 60-series Goodyear Eagle GT tires, blacked-out exterior trim, sportier-tuned suspension with thicker anti-roll bars nonetheless gave the STE a decidedly European sports car feel and gave decent performance for the day. Unfortunately, the STE still used the basic 6000 dashboard design, with its old-school strip-style speedometer with no tachometer... very unsporting and definitely more Buick than BMW. 1984 STEs would correct that omission (for the most part), offering a digital dash option with a bar-graph tachometer. An all-new station wagon bodystyle debuted this year also, in 6- or 8-passenger configurations, and available on all except the STE.

The rest of the 6000 line continued mostly unchanged in 1985 save for some new color choices, the Base and LE models could now have the 130 hp 2.8 V6 that had once been exclusively reserved for the STE. The base 2.5 I4 and 2.8 V6 continued. The STE now got some new color choices - standard silver, black and maroon. All models got slightly revised nose - the grilles were now horizontally slatted instead of vertically, and tail treatments included larger taillights. The transmission choice still remained the 3-speed automatic for all models. For 1986, all engines were now fuel injected, and the rarely-ordered diesel engine was finally discontinued. There were no appreciable changes for 1987, but in 1988, the I4 was dropped - all engines were now a 125 hp 2.8 V6, and 4-speed automatic replaced the 3-speed (except for the STE). Trim choices were now Base, LE, SE and STE. The SE had been introduced as sort of a budget-STE model.

In 1989, the 6000 had its first major restyle, with a more rounded rear window, a revised nose and tail treatment. Base models were dropped, as there were now LE, SE and STE models. Drivetrain choices for the LE and SEs remained unchanged, but the STE was now available with an all-new 140 hp 3.1L (191 cid) V6 and standard all-wheel-drive. Transmission choices for the STE remained, strangely enough, the 3-speed automatic while other models got the 4-speed unit.

To be continued...