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GM's G-Body platform has underpinned several iconic cars and has become renowned in the world of drag racing.
The General Motors G-Body platform is one of the most renowned car platforms in the automotive world. Hot-rodders swear by the G-Body platform, as it stands as a token of a time gone by when they still made a rear-drive layout with a rear-drive intermediate passenger car platform. GM built their G-Body cars from 1978 to 1988, and with its large engine bay, RWD layout, and body-on-frame construction, hot-rodders fell in love with it. The beauty of the platform also lies in how it managed to retain these characteristics while shedding hundreds of pounds, making it the perfect platform to build drag-racing projects on.
To this day, G-Body cars shine the brightest at the drag strip. Americans bought over 10 million G-Body variants throughout its production, as the platform underpinned some of the most iconic cars from Chevy, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. When it launched, Chevy had named it the A-Body, but later delegated that name to the FWD platform they introduced in 1982. In that vein, let's take a look at some of the coolest cars that ran on the venerated G-Body platform from General Motors.
1978 saw GM introduce a smaller Chevy Monte Carlo. Thanks to the G-Body platform that it rode on (it was called A-Body at the time), the third-gen Monte Carlo came 700 lbs lighter and 15 inches shorter. However, the Monte Carlo became more spacious on the inside than ever.
Chevy gave the '79 Monte Carlo a big 307-cubic-inch 5.0-liter V8 engine, running atop which the Monte Carlo churned out 160 horsepower and 235 lb-ft of torque. The Monte Carlo was never a staggering hit, nor is it too big a deal on the used car market today, but it still is special for being the last fully-traditional Chevy coupe.
Over at Pontiac, the cousins of the Chevy Malibu were the Pontiac LeMans and the Grand LeMans. Named after the renowned 24-hour French race, the Pontiac LeMans rode atop a 305-cubic-inch, 5.0-liter V8, which was rated for 145 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque.
Pontiac's LeMans coupe certainly was a hit with the customers and was even America's sweetheart at the time. The distinctive front nose is what set the Pontiac LeMans apart, and to this day, it remains a hallmark to look out for on the drag strip.
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On paper, the Oldsmobile Hurst Olds was purely awesome. Armed with a 307-cubic-inch 5.7-liter V8 engine that was good for 170 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque, the mid-sized car went like hell. A two-tone paint served to further set it apart.
Making the package even more amazing was one of the greatest shifters, the Hurst Dual Gate unit. Even the aluminum wheels were painted gold, which helped carve out a very distinctive personality for the '79 Oldsmobile H/O.
1982 marked the beginning of the Chevy El Camino's final generation, where it came sporting a new frontal appearance. The '82 El Camino had a cross-hatch grille with its quad-rectangular headlights, which, to this day, remain quite stylish in appearance.
Under the hood, too, Chevy had changed things up. Now riding atop what was officially dubbed the G-Body platform, the 1982 Chevy El Camino came with a 5.7-liter V8 engine, churning out 175 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Quite the stylish muscle coupe, the Chevy El Camino is available between the $15,000 to $25,000 range on the pre-owned market.
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Back in the day, Chevy Malibu cars were mostly considered plain Jane transport cars. However, all of that has changed, as the G-Body Malibu models are now seen setting fire to drag strips today. Not just the sedan, but even the single-headlight Malibu wagon is quite the vehicle.
Fitted with a 305-cubic-inch 5.0-liter V8 engine, the 1982 Chevy Malibu was rated for 145 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque. Even the wagon variant of the Malibu was much loved since no one complains about a race car that can carry its own equipment around everywhere.
The Chevy Monte Carlo SS has the honor of being one of GM's last true mid-sized muscle cars. Fitted with a full frame, a solid rear axle, and a massive 5.-0liter V8 engine that was good for 150 horsepower.
At the end of its fourth generation in 1988, the Monte Carlo churned out 180 horsepower, which was a respectable number considering the times. After that, the car took a 7-year break before returning for a fifth generation in 1995.
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The Buick regal is quite a popular car, as it always has been. In its '83 model, the T-Type Turbo Regal was one of the best G-Body cars available. While the uninitiated might mistake it for a Grand National model, the T-Type came with all the power of the Grand National but with less flash.
It was even cheaper than a Buick Grand National, and its 231-cubic-inch, 3.8-liter V6 Turbo engine was rated for 180 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque.
The 1984 model of the Hurst/Olds celebrated the 15th anniversary of the first H/O models from 1968. The Hurst Lightning Rod floor shifter, which was introduced in the '83 model, remained in the '84 model as well, and a powerful bulge hood and rear spoiler gave the car a lot of personality.
Oldsmobile also gave this car a new 'Hurst/Olds' emblem, and the vehicle had unique red and silver stripes which separated the black and silver dual-tone paint job. Even though the brand originally planned to sell 2,500 units of the car, they took that number up to 3,001, since it was such a success.
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The Oldsmobile 442 is a legend of a car, and there is no understating it. For the 442, Oldsmobile took the Cutlass Salon Coupe and fitted it with the contents from their W42 optional package.
The result was the 442, which had the plush interiors of the Cutlass Salon, and a high-output 307-cubic-inch 5.0-liter V8 engine that churned out 180 horses. The G-Body car ran on a four-speed automatic transmission, and it was its dual exhaust outlets at the back that gave it a lot of its unique personality.
One of the greatest sleeper cars the automotive industry has ever seen, the 1987 Buick Regal GNX was made in conjunction with ASC/McLaren. It is also one of the rarer G-Body platform cars out there today.
A highly collectible car in today's world, the Buick Regal GNX, especially the 1987 model, can fetch from $80,000 to $150,000. One recently sold for north of $200,000, showing just how rare and special the G-Body is.
If it has wheels and an engine, Samarveer Singh is going to be obsessed with it. He is a budding Indian motorcycle racer, competing at the national level in his country in his very first year, chasing his dream around every corner of the racetrack. A touring enthusiast, Samarveer is forever stuck between the urge to constantly redline his bike, or save its clutch plates for longer.