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 ...

N platform (commonly called the N-body or N car) was a front-wheel drive

compact Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to: * Interstate compact * Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines * Compact government, a type of colonial rule utilized in British ...

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 ...

produced from 1984 to 2005. The GM N platform was based on the GM J-Body and replaced 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 ...

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 The General Motors L platform (commonly called the L-body or L car) was a front-wheel drive compact car automotive platform that was produced from 1987 through 1996. The L platform was very similar to the GM N platform however the 1st generatio ...

; however, the first 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 first generation used a twist-beam rear suspension and MacPherson struts in front, and featured a wheelbase. The N platform was used for the following vehicles: * 1985–1991

Pontiac Grand Am The Pontiac Grand Am is a mid-size car and later a compact car that was produced by Pontiac. The Grand Am had two separate three-year runs in the 1970s: from 1973 to 1975, and again from 1978 to 1980. It was based on the GM A platform. Production ...

* 1985–1991

Oldsmobile Calais 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 availab ...

* 1985–1987

Buick Somerset The Buick Skylark is a passenger car formerly produced by Buick. The model was made in six production runs, during 46 years, over which the car's design varied dramatically due to changing technology, tastes, and new standards implemented over ...

* 1986–1991 Buick Skylark

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. * 1992-1998

* 1992–1998 Oldsmobile Achieva * 1992-1998 Buick Skylark

Third generation (GMX130)

In 1997 and 1998

consolidated the 2nd generation N platform with the

GM A platform (FWD) The General Motors A platform (informally called the A-body) was a mid-size car, mid-size automobile platform, platform designation used from 1982-1996. Previously the GM A platform (RWD), A body designation had been used for rear wheel drive mid- ...

and

during the corporately-engineered P-90 project which became known as GMX130. This

featured fully

independent suspension Independent suspension is any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically (i.e. reacting to a bump on the road) independently of the others. This is contrasted with a beam axle or deDion axle system in w ...

and a wheelbase of . This was the last vehicle with significant engineering involvement of

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 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 greates ...

of 1997-99, including the 2004-05 Chevrolet Classic. The GMX130 platform underpinned the following vehicles: * 1999–2004

Oldsmobile Alero The Oldsmobile Alero is a midsize car that was produced by General Motors for its Oldsmobile division. Introduced in 1998 as a 1999 model, the Alero was the replacement for both the Achieva and Cutlass. The Alero was Oldsmobile's last new model ...

* 1999–2005

* 1997–1999

* 1997–2003 Chevrolet Malibu * 2004–2005 Chevrolet Classic (a previous-generation Malibu sold to fleet buyers) The GMX130 was replaced by the Epsilon platform for 2006.

References

{{General Motors platforms N