Car Of The Day: December 18, 2011

Today's car of the day is Revell's 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix.

The Pontiac Grand Prix is an automobile that was produced by the Pontiac division of General Motors. First introduced as part of Pontiac's full-size model offering for the 1962 model year, the Grand Prix name was also applied to cars in the personal luxury car market segment and the mid-size offering, slotting below the large Bonneville in the company's lineup.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Pontiac Grand Prix

This is one of the cars that survived my basement flooding.  As hard as it is to believe, this was mint in package back in September.  I know, me keeping a car confined to packaging for fourteen years is unheard of!  But for some reason this one never got DLMed when new and ended up in my basement, forgotten.  It managed to fall from its hiding place after the flood abated and I found it laying in a damp patch on the floor.  I immediately DLMed it and got rid of the wet packaging.  However, as I'm looking at these pictures I can't help but wonder if that's mold over the #18 on the passenger side of the car.  Bobby Labonte is from Texas and this car was run at the first race in Texas since he had been driving in the Winston (now Nextel Sprint) Cup Series.

In 1997, the W-bodies received a major redesign. The first 1997 Grand Prix was built on August 12, 1996. Promoted for its "wide track" appearance and racy styling, the second generation W-body Grand Prix sold well. There were 2 trim levels available in 1997; the SE, GT (GT available in coupe and sedan body styles). The Grand Prix came as a base SE sedan or a sportier GT coupe and sedan, as well as with a high-performance GTP package—available for GT models in either body style. Coupes and sedans shared similar styling, except for rear doors and quarter panels. The GTP was an option package under the GT trim level and later became its own trim level. The base engine on the SE was the only engine carried over from the previous generation, the 3.1 liter V6. The GT had a 3.8 liter V6 (3800 Series II) which was an option on the SE. The 3800 Series II was on the Ward's 10 Best Engines list for 1995 through 1997. The GTP added an Eaton M90 supercharger (also used in the 1996-2003 Bonneville) to the 3.8 liter, boosting power from 195 hp (145 kW) to 240 hp (179 kW). GTP trim level featured a "performance shift" button on the shifter that raised the transmission shift points. Also standard was a tire-pressure monitor. The 6-passenger seating configuration with a front bench seat and column-mounted gear shift in the Grand Prix and its sister cars the Buick Regal and Oldsmobile Intrigue (formerly Cutlass Supreme) was discontinued.