The

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

L platform (commonly called the L-body or L car) was a

front-wheel drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longit ...

compact car Compact car is a vehicle size class — predominantly used in North America — that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars. "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification. However, p ...

automotive platform A car platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components, over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of cars, often from different, but somewhat related, marques. It is prac ...

that was produced from 1987 through 1996. The L platform was very similar to the

GM N 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. First generation Th ...

however the 1st generation N cars were engineered by

Oldsmobile Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors 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 produ ...

while the L cars were engineered by

Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...

. The L platform used a

Twist-beam rear suspension The twist-beam rear suspension (also torsion-beam axle, deformable torsion beam or compound crank) is a type of automobile suspension based on a large H or C-shaped member. The front of the H attaches to the body via rubber bushings, and the r ...

and

MacPherson strut The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles, and is named for American automotive engineer Ear ...

s in front and featured a wheelbase. Both platforms were used to replace the

GM X platform General Motors has used the X-platform or X-body designation for two different automobile platforms. All X-bodies were compact car Compact car is a vehicle size class — predominantly used in North America — that sits between subcompact c ...

on which the

Citation A citation is a reference to a source. More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression embedded in the body of an intellectual work that denotes an entry in the bibliographic references section of the work for the purpose of ...

, among others, were built.

Canadian Pontiac Tempest

Pontiac sold their own version of the L-Body in Canada only. It was marketed as the Tempest from 1987 to 1991. This model featured a unique grill and tail lamps (which were later used on the updated Corsica). This model was dropped following the 1991 model with due to the introduction of the new 1992 Grand Am sedan. Previously the Grand Am sedan had not been offered for sale in the Canadian market. The L car lasted just one generation, with the nameplates being retired and replaced by the

Chevrolet Malibu The Chevrolet Malibu is a mid-size car manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet from 1964 to 1983 and again since 1997. The Malibu began as a trim-level of the Chevrolet Chevelle, becoming its own model line in 1978. Originally a rear-wheel-drive ...

. This platform was the basis for the following vehicles: * 1987–1996

Chevrolet Beretta The Chevrolet Beretta is a front-wheel-drive two-door coupé produced by Chevrolet from 1987 until 1996. The Beretta was designed in the same design studio as the Camaro and the Corvette, Chevrolet Exterior Studio 3, and was built at the Wilm ...

* 1987–1996

Chevrolet Corsica The Chevrolet Corsica (named after Corsica, France) is a front-wheel drive compact car that was produced by Chevrolet from 1987 until 1996. The Corsica was built upon the L-body platform. It shared the L-body with the 2-door Beretta, and the reb ...

* 1987–1991

Pontiac Tempest The Pontiac Tempest is an automobile that was produced by Pontiac from 1960 to 1970, and again from 1987 to 1991. The Tempest was introduced as an entry-level compact in October 1960 at the Paris Auto Show for the 1961 model year. An innovative ...

(

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

) {{General Motors platforms L