General Motors N platform

Last updated
GM N Platform
3rd-Pontiac-Grand-Am-sedan.jpg
Overview
Manufacturer General Motors
Also calledP-90
GMX130
Production1984–2005
Body and chassis
Class Compact platform
Mid-size platform
Layout FF layout
Body style(s) 4-door Sedan
2-door Coupé
Vehicles Buick Skylark, Buick Somerset, Chevrolet Malibu/Classic, Oldsmobile Achieva, Oldsmobile Alero, Oldsmobile Calais/Cutlass Calais, Oldsmobile Cutlass, Pontiac Grand Am
Related GM J platform
GM L platform
Powertrain
Engine(s) 122 I4
Ecotec I4
Iron Duke I4
Family II engine I4
Quad-4 I4
60° V6
Buick V6
Transmission(s) 3-speed THM125 automatic
3-speed 3T40 automatic
4-speed 4T60-E automatic
4-speed 4T40-E automatic
4-speed 4T45-E automatic
5-speed Getrag 282 manual
5-speed Getrag F23 manual
5-speed Isuzu manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase 103.4 in (2,626 mm)
107 in (2,718 mm)
Chronology
Predecessor GM X platform
GM L platform
Successor GM Epsilon platform

The General Motors N platform (commonly called the N-body or N car) was a front-wheel drive compact automotive platform produced from 1984 to 2005. The GM N platform was based on the GM J-Body and replaced the GM X platform.

Contents

First generation

The N body was introduced in late 1984 for the 1985 model year. Initially, offered as the Pontiac Grand Am, Oldsmobile Calais and Buick Somerset coupes, GM positioned them as premium models at an affordable price. Standard in all models was the 2.5 liter "Iron Duke" 4 cylinder engine developed by the Pontiac Motor Division. Optional was the Buick built 3.0 liter V6 with multi-port fuel injection. All models could have a 5 speed manual or 3 speed automatic. During the 1986 model year, four door models were added to all three brand entries. The N platform was very similar to the GM L platform; however, the first generation N cars were engineered by Oldsmobile while the L cars were engineered by Chevrolet. The first generation used a twist-beam rear suspension and MacPherson struts in front, and featured a 103.4 in (2,626 mm) wheelbase.

The N platform was used for the following vehicles: [1]

Second generation

For the 1992 model year, General Motors heavily modified all of their N-Body offerings. The Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais was dropped in favor of the new Achieva, while the Buick Skylark and Pontiac Grand Am nameplates continued. In addition to new styling, this generation was longer and carried more distinctive sheet metal for each brand. The second generation N-Body continued until 1998 when it was replaced by the third and final generation.

Third generation (GMX130)

In 1997 and 1998 General Motors consolidated the 2nd generation N platform with the GM A platform (FWD) and GM L platform during the corporately engineered P-90 project which became known as GMX130. This automotive platform featured fully independent suspension and a wheelbase of 107 in (270 cm). This was the last vehicle with significant engineering involvement of Oldsmobile and also the last one produced at the Lansing Car Assembly plant on April 29, 2004. A mid-size version spawned the 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu & Oldsmobile Cutlass of 1997-99, including the 2004-05 Chevrolet Classic.

The GMX130 platform underpinned the following vehicles:

The GMX130 was replaced by the Epsilon platform for 2006.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldsmobile</span> Former entry-level luxury division of General Motors

Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produced over 35 million vehicles, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldsmobile Cutlass</span> American car model

The Oldsmobile Cutlass was a series of automobiles produced by General Motors' Oldsmobile division between 1961 and 1999. At its introduction, the Cutlass was Oldsmobile's entry-level model; it began as a unibody compact car, but saw its greatest success as a body-on-frame intermediate. The Cutlass was named after Vought F7U Cutlass, as well as the type of sword, which was common during the Age of Sail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme</span> Motor vehicle

The Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme is a mid-size car produced by Oldsmobile between 1966 and 1997. It was positioned as a premium offering at the top of the Cutlass range. It began as a trim package, developed its own roofline, and rose during the mid-1970s to become not only the most popular Oldsmobile but the highest selling model in its class.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Motors Y platform</span>

The Y platform, or Y body, designation has been used twice by the General Motors Corporation to describe a series of vehicles all built on the same basic body and sharing many parts and characteristics. The first was for a group of entry-level compacts including the conventional front-engine compacts built by GM divisions Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac from 1961 to 1963. The second, and current, incarnation is used for a high-end rear-wheel drive sports-car platform from the 1970s through the 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Motors 60° V6 engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The General Motors 60° V6 engine family is a series of 60° V6 engines produced for both longitudinal and transverse applications. All of these engines are 12-valve cam-in-block or overhead valve engines, except for the LQ1 which uses 24 valves driven by dual overhead cams. These engines vary in displacement between 2.5 and 3.4 litres and have a cast-iron block and either cast-iron or aluminum heads. Production of these engines began in 1980 and ended in 2005 in the U.S., with production continued in China until 2010. This engine family was the basis for the GM High Value engine family. These engines have also been referred to as the X engines as they were first used in the X-body cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buick V6 engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The Buick V6 was an OHV V6 engine developed by the Buick division of General Motors and introduced in 1962. The engine was originally 198 cu in (3.2 L) and was marketed as the Fireball engine. GM continued to develop the and refine the 3.8 L (230 cu in) V6, referred to simply as the 3800, with numerous iterations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Motors W platform</span> Motor vehicle platform

The W-platform was a General Motors automotive platform underpinning both mid size and full-size front-wheel drive cars — across the platform's three generations from 1987-2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldsmobile Diesel engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The Oldsmobile Diesel engine is a series of V6 and V8 diesel engines produced by General Motors from 1978 to 1985. Their design was based on the Olds 350 gasoline engine architecture. A 350 cu in (5.7 L) V8 was introduced in 1978, followed by a 261 cu in (4.3 L) V8 only for the 1979 model year. In 1982, a 263 cu in (4.3 L) V6 became available for both front front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quad 4 engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

Quad 4 is the name of a family of principally DOHC inline four-cylinder engines produced by General Motors' Oldsmobile division between 1987 and 2002; a single SOHC version was built between 1992 and 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais</span> Motor vehicle

The Oldsmobile Calais is a compact car that was manufactured and marketed by Oldsmobile from 1985 through 1991, superseding the Oldsmobile Omega and named after the city of Calais, France. Renamed the Cutlass Calais for 1988, and briefly available in 1987 as the limited edition GMO Quad 4, the Calais shared the GM N platform with the Pontiac Grand Am and the Buick Skylark/Buick Somerset — and was superseded by the Oldsmobile Achieva in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Motors B platform</span> Motor vehicle platform

The B platform is a full-size, rear-wheel drive, body-on-frame car platform, that was produced by General Motors (GM) from 1926 to 1996. Originally made for Oldsmobile and Buick, all of General Motors's five main passenger car makes would use it at some point. It was closely related to the original rear-wheel drive C and D platforms, and was used for convertibles, hardtops, coupes, sedans, and station wagons. With approximately 12,960,000 units built, divided across four marques, the 1965–1970 B platform is the fourth best selling automobile platform in history after the Volkswagen Beetle, Ford Model T, and the Fiat 124.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser</span> Car model produced by Oldsmobile from 1971 to 1992

The Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser is an automobile that was manufactured and marketed by Oldsmobile from 1971 until 1992. Marking the return of Oldsmobile to the full-size station wagon segment, the Custom Cruiser was initially slotted above the intermediate Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, ultimately above the later mid-size Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldsmobile Achieva</span> Motor vehicle

The Oldsmobile Achieva is a front-wheel drive compact sedan and coupe that was introduced by Oldsmobile for the 1992 model year. The Achieva was based on the GM N-body platform, which it also shared with its siblings the Pontiac Grand Am and Buick Skylark. The Achieva replaced the GM N-body Cutlass Calais after its final 1991 model year, and ended production after the 1998 model year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lansing Car Assembly</span> American automobile factory

Lansing Car Assembly was a General Motors automobile factory in Lansing, Michigan. It contained two elements, a 1901 automobile plant in downtown Lansing, and the 1920 Durant Motors factory on Lansing's Far Westside.

Arlington Assembly is a General Motors automobile factory located in Arlington, Texas. The plant has operated for more than 60 years and today manufactures large SUVs from GM's divisions Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac.

The 4T60-E is a series of automatic transmissions from General Motors. Designed for transverse engine configurations, the series includes 4 forward gears. The 4Txx family is an evolution of the original Turbo-Hydramatic 125 transverse automatic introduced in the late 1970s and the Turbo-Hydramatic 440 transmission developed in the mid-1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Motors G platform (RWD)</span> Motor vehicle platform

The General Motors G platform was an automobile platform designation used for mid-sized rear-wheel drive cars. It made its first appearance from the 1969 to 1972 model years, adapted from GM's A-body, and reappeared from 1982 to 1988. The second series of G-bodies began production designated as A-body cars in 1978, but were redesignated as G-body when the new front-wheel drive A-body platform was introduced in 1982.

The GM A platform was a rear wheel drive automobile platform designation used by General Motors from 1925 until 1959, and again from 1964 to 1981. In 1982, GM introduced a new front wheel drive A platform, and existing intermediate rear wheel drive products were redesignated as G-bodies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Motors A platform (FWD)</span> Motor vehicle platform

The General Motors A platform was a mid-size platform designation used from 1982-1996. The same designation had previously been used for rear wheel drive mid-sized cars.

In the context of the automobile industry, downsizing is a practice used to transition vehicles from one size segment to another. Commenced during the Malaise era, downsizing is done in response to consumer and government demands influencing vehicle design. As vehicle product lines completed their model cycles, automobile manufacturers developed the next generation of a vehicle with a smaller exterior footprint to allow for weight reduction and increased fuel economy, using a shortened wheelbase and body length.

References

  1. "Oldsmobile Achieva Parts | GM Parts House". Archived from the original on 2011-10-11. Retrieved 2011-09-30.