Oh yeah!!!

I needed a new car, wanted something sporty, and didn't want to pay $30,000+ for it. I'm a single guy and wanted a coupe...sedans are for families. Not a lot of choices to meet that criteria, or at least not anything that doesn't look like every other car on the road. Hmm? What to get, what to get? I looked at the Honda Accord Coupe. It is a nice looking car and Honda certainly has a fine reputation for reliability, but the Accord coupe came with very little in the way of goodies standard, everything was an option. The other problem with the Accord coupe was that I was having a problem finding them on dealer's lots. I don't have the patience to order a car and wait for it, I am more in to instant gratification. So, I turned my attention elsewhere...enter the Pontiac Grand Prix. I had seen them around, and the redesigned body (for the '97 model year) was certainly appealing, back to the drawing board.

I started looking for a Grand Prix coupe and was having the same problem trying to find a coupe on any dealer's lot. Then, one fateful Friday evening, I decided to venture to an out of state Pontiac dealer about 30 miles from my house (at about 10 in the evening). I couldn't believe my eyes when I drove on their lot, there it was, in the silver color that I wanted, and it was even a coupe. I looked it up and down and noticed the badges on the doors read "GTP". To be honest, I didn't know the GT from the GTP model, but when I went back to the dealer the next morning, I found out. The main difference between the GT and GTP is the engine. The GT comes with a respectable 200 hp. V-6. The GTP has the potent 240 hp. supercharged V-6. Don't let anyone tell you the difference between the GT engine and the GTP engine is only 40 horsepower. Those 40 horsepower are well worth the extra money, trust me on that point. No, I mean it, trust me!

My car was loaded with almost every option available: The supercharged 240 hp (280 ft. pounds of torque) engine of course, leather seating, power sunroof, head-up display, power everything, heated driver seat, steering wheel mounted radio controls, electrochromic rear view mirror (auto dims), traction control, 16" alloy wheels, dual exhaust, and on and on.

I knew this was the car for me before I even got in it or drove it. For whatever reason, the salesman went with me on my test drive, and I think he was sorry he did, because I gave that car a workout. 90 minutes later, I was on my way home in my 1999 Silvermist Grand Prix GTP. I have been in love ever since.

I have had my Grand Prix for 2 1/2 years now, and currently have 29,000 miles on it. My complaints are few, the radio reception from the integrated rear window antenna is poor. The shoulder belt tends to ride high across my neck, I know that the seat belt height is adjustable on sedans, but not on my coupe. Also, the factory leather showed a lot of wear and tear early on. I solved that problem by having an aftermarket leather interior installed, made out of a better quality leather, I was also able to do a two-tone color scheme by going that route to jazz up the interior somewhat. The only actual problem requiring service was the power lumbar switch in the driver seat had to be replaced at about 10,000 miles.

As an added bonus, there are lots of aftermarket accessories available for both the performance and appearance of Grand Prixs.