GM W platform
| W-body | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | General Motors |
| Also called | GM10 |
| Production | 1988–2016 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class |
Mid-size (D) platform Large car (E) platform |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Body style(s) |
4-door sedan 2-door coupe 2-door convertible |
| Vehicles |
Buick Century Buick LaCrosse Buick Regal Chevrolet Impala Chevrolet Impala Limited Chevrolet Lumina Chevrolet Monte Carlo Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Oldsmobile Intrigue Pontiac Grand Prix |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine(s) |
122 I4 Iron Duke I4 Quad-4 I4 60° V6 Shortstar V6 High Value V6 High Feature V6 Buick V6 LS4 V8 |
| Transmission(s) |
3-speed 3T40 automatic 4-speed 4T60 automatic 4-speed 4T60-HD automatic 4-speed 4T65 automatic 4-speed 4T60-E automatic 4-speed 4T65-E automatic 4-speed 4T65E-HD automatic 5-speed Getrag 282 manual 5-speed Getrag 284 Manual 6-speed 6T70 automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase |
107.5 in (2730 mm) 109.0 in (2769 mm) 110.5 in (2807 mm) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor |
GM G platform (RWD) GM A platform (FWD) GM B platform |
| Successor |
GM Epsilon platform GM Zeta platform(for Chevrolet SS for FWD Impala SS) |
The W-body was an automobile platform from General Motors which underpinned mid-size cars with front-wheel drive. The platform, originally code named GM10, began in 1982 under Chairman Roger B. Smith and debuted in 1988 with the Pontiac Grand Prix, the Buick Regal, and the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupés. Sedans followed for 1990. The engineering work was done by Chevrolet-Pontiac-Canada (CPC) group; also known as the small car division.
The platform cost $7 billion to develop and was to replace all midsize cars produced by Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick. The plan was huge in scope, calling for seven plants that would each assemble 250,000 of the cars, or 21% of the total U.S. car market.[1] It was badly executed from the start, but GM’s 1984 reorganization, combined with changing market dynamics wrought havoc with the program and it never recovered. By 1989, the year before the last of the original GM10's were launched, GM was losing $2000 on every one of the cars it produced.[2]
The later revision of this platform was known as the MS2000 or simply the W2-Car. Early versions used a transversely installed, fiberglass mono-leaf spring combined with struts in the rear. The "generation 1.5" W-body models had updated rear suspensions that used coil springs instead of the transverse leaf spring design inspired by the Chevrolet Corvette. For the 1997 model year the second generation W-body was released with a MacPherson strut coil spring design.
The W platform was updated in 2004 rather than being replaced by a stretched Epsilon platform, as had been planned. Metal fabrication of the floor pan for W-body cars were performed at the Parma Metal Center in Parma, Ohio. The cars were built at GM's Oshawa Car Assembly. The transverse use of GM's small-block engine in the W-bodies was a major addition for 2005.
The GM W Platform was phased out with the production of the new long-wheelbase Epsilon II platform. The last car produced on the W platform was the ninth generation of the Chevrolet Impala, which was replaced by the Epsilon-based tenth-generation Impala, beginning in model year 2014. GM continued to produce the W-body Impala to fleet customers only under the name Impala Limited until production ended in May 2016.[3]
Vehicles using the W-body include:
- 1st Gen 107.5 in wheelbase (mid-size)
- 1988–1996 Buick Regal
- 1988–1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
- 1988–1996 Pontiac Grand Prix
- 1990–1994 Chevrolet Lumina
- 1.5 Gen 107.5 in wheelbase (mid-size)
- 1995–2001 Chevrolet Lumina
- 1995–1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
- 2nd Gen 109 in wheelbase (mid-size)
- 1997–2005 Buick Century
- 1997–2004 Buick Regal
- 1998–2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue
- 2nd Gen 110.5 in wheelbase (full-size)
- 1997–2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
- 2000–2005 Chevrolet Impala
- 2000–2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
- 3rd gen 110.5 in wheelbase (full-size)
- 2004–2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
- 2005–2009 Buick LaCrosse/Allure
- 2006–2016 Chevrolet Impala/Impala Limited[4][5]
- 2006–2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
External links
References
- ↑ Alex Taylor III, Andrew Erdman, Justin Martin, and Tricia Welsh, "U.S. Cars Come Back", Fortune, November 16, 1992
- ↑ Robert A.G. Monks, "GM Corporate Governance Case Study"
- ↑ "Impala Limited Fleet Special Lives On To At Least 2016, Keeps Oshawa Open".
- ↑ "Outgoing Chevy Impala lives another year, as fleet-only model". autonews.com. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
- ↑ "Outgoing Impala to Continue as 2014 Chevrolet Impala Limited for Fleets". Motor Trend. Retrieved March 13, 2013.