What is so "Wide Track" about the Pontiac Grand Prix?

[NFS4]

I've been hearing Pontiac tout "Wide Track" for years saying how the wheels on the Grand Prix are pushed way out for added traction.

The Ford Taurus's front track is only .1" narrower in the front and it is actually wider than the GP's track in the rear. Same for the Accord and Camry. They're all withing about a half an inch of each other.

 

[Mrfrog840]

its for when you turn sharply so the car doesnt flip

 

[Gunbuster]

PR/Marketing people

They told you it's wide, it must be better than any other car

 

[vi edit]

It's a little thing called MARKETING. Tell your average schmuck that something is beneficial to them, slap a cool name on it like "Wide Track", and bingo! People think they are actually getting something significant out of it.

 

[NFS4]

<< its for when you turn sharply so the car doesnt flip >>


That's pretty much a given, but cars aren't the ones that normally flip over in turns...it's SUV's.


<< It's a little thing called MARKETING. >>


Well of course it's &quot;MARKETING.&quot; But usually, marketing has at least some logical basis behind it. I can't find a factual or logical basis behind &quot;Wide Track.&quot;

 

[Demon-Xanth]

It's a touch wider than the Regal and Lumina. But I think it has to do with the styling.

And as far as flipping, Corvettes have the highest rollover fatality rate.

 

[bigbootydaddy]

well, its just stretched out, remember the commercials??

i could have sworn i noticed it

 

[yakko]

What are the dimensions on the old Pontiac Grand Prix? It may be wider compared to that.

 

[LAUST]

And as far as flipping, Corvettes have the highest rollover fatality rate.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Laust: I'd have to look up where I got that (it was about 5 years ago) to figure out which organization made those up.

yakko: they are definately wider than my '91 Grand Prix.

 

[GL]

You've all got it wrong. If you want to race that thing you'll need a &quot;wide track&quot; cuz that car doesn't handle for sh*t

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

It must be indicative of the state of Pontiac's engineering that they spend so much time and money advertising a &quot;feature&quot; that does not even exist. Between those stupid Wide Track commercials and all their crummy ribbed plastic cladding, I am surprised they have any money left for anything else.

 

[Rio Rebel]

Until this year, I drove a 95 Grand Prix. The recent models certainly *seem* wider.

I would think they're just saying it's wider than previous Grand Prix's.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Pontiac advertised 'wide-track' before too, like in the muscle-car era. I remember watching an episode of American Muscle Car on Speedvision. One of the older Pontiac engineers mentioned how it was just marketing.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Well, if you're gonna knock Pontiac for bad body cladding, take a look at Nissan's &quot;truck&quot; and try not to laugh.

 

[puffpio]

Wider is better

having a wider track does make the car more stable in cornering

however, the pontiac grand prix wide track does NOT have a wide track, it only has a wider body style.

Thus it is all marketing BS

 

[NFS4]

<< however, the pontiac grand prix wide track does NOT have a wide track, it only has a wider body style.

Thus it is all marketing BS >>


I bet it helps out a lot in NASCAR HAHAHA

 

[prontospyder]

Chrysler's sedans with cab-foward design are the true &quot;wide track&quot; cars.

 

[RossGr]

We have a '98 Pontiac Grand Prix. I like it, comfortable, plenty of power even with the small 3.1l V6, and easy to find in a parking lot. I beleive that is the first year they went to the wide track, here are the specs from the Drivers Manual.

Wheelbase 110.5&quot;
Front 61.7&quot;
Rear 61.1&quot;

Overall length 196.5&quot;
Overall Width 72.7&quot;

Now instead of talking general you have something solid to compare to.

Oh, you may ask how a Pontiac GP is easy to find, well mine is the only PINK one we have seen.

 

[ElFenix]

hehe pink...

wider is better but it can't be wider than the wheelbase or it becomes unstable.

 

[NFS4]

<< Oh, you may ask how a Pontiac GP is easy to find, well mine is the only PINK one we have seen. >>


HAHAHA, someone in the family is apart of the Mary K cult

 

[Lvis]

The wide track thing goes back to the sixties. John Deloren claimed in one of his books that it was his idea. It really just meant that they had wider tires, thus making the cars look a bit more expensive. The split grill came along at the same time. The whole idea was to make pontiacs look different from the other gm lines.