Chevrolet Trans Sport
Pontiac Trans Sport, with twin Chevrolet Lumina APV models and Oldsmobile Silhouette, Pontiac Montana, and later, the minivans produced in the 90s by General Motors, were characterized by a radical styling and modern solutions.
The idea and the need for a modern minivan was established in the company of General Motors in the second half of 80, in order to compete with Chrysler products, primarily from the platform Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager which in different versions then dominated the American market. GM had then only vans on chassis frame tylnonapędowych Chevrolet Astro for example, which are difficult to compete with Chrysler about growing up fast family MPV market.
In 1986 he presented a concept car Pontiac Trans Sport, with a futuristic shape, appearance and solutions. MPV relatively low body with an elongated front and a huge front windscreen and glass roof (stylistic modeled on helicopters), opened to the side and up the big side door; futuristic interior, steering wheel and dashboard with HUD and CRT displays, deflectable seating layout, custom wheels and powerful engine, and many other unusual technologies – all this in spite of strong innovation, has been fairly well received by critics and the market. In the years 1986 to 1989 on the basis of this concept was implemented production version, with significant "uÅ‚adzeniami" but still quite innovative and futuristic, presented in 1989 as a model in 1990. Parallel versions were developed under the brand Chevrolet Lumina APV ie (called all-purpose vehicle, not confused with the Lumina sedan), a version of the budgetary Simplified equipment, and the brand Oldsmobile Silhouette ie with maximum facilities and customer facing higher segments. Pontiac Trans Sport version of the intermediate remained oriented in the Pontiac brand image on sporty design and performance.
During the implementation of the production came to give up many solutions that have proven to be too expensive or too difficult to mass production. For example, the glass roof was too heavy and expensive, opening up the door – expensive and impractical, replaced by sliding; experimental wheels and tires replaced conventional, applied much less innovative dashboard and steering wheel, etc., etc.
However, despite the necessary "cuts" the car had many unusual and innovative solutions. Even the design of the vehicle was unique (was based on the experience of General Motors model line Fiero and Saturn) – the car consisted of spatial floor plate, galvanically protected against corrosion of embedded on the body, completely made of laminated fiberglass-polyester (classified in GM as a platform U). This provided an absolute corrosion resistance and relatively high strength, also at small impact (this is a commonly used material for building boats and sail boats, including tanks, etc.).
A flat floor plate 7 is designed for mounting seats, the two constants in the first row, and five light (15kg) in the back row of two (3 2), easily removable przestawialnych and also the change in the distance between the rows.
With a futuristic dashboard, leaving only unusual switches and regulators, disappeared conceptual displays and handlebar.
During production introduced airbags, self-leveling rear suspension, built-in child seats, remote controlled electrically operated sliding doors, traction control and other modern solutions.
The car was picked up, especially in the North American market, as very controversial. The elongated, relatively low mass does not associate the clients with minivan or even the known superstructures. The unprecedented front of a huge window and a great distance from the lower edge of the steering wheel unusual reception deterred by the driver view of the road and the position of the hill. vehicle – this part is designed on the model of the helicopter, and so it is received by the drivers. The proportions of the rear portion of the interior because of the relatively large length and width, and a slightly reduced height, are also perceived as "abnormal" or "bus" for the passengers of the rear row. Clients and users missed the second side door.
It turned out that the concept of the car is very innovative and controversial, and General Motors failed to hit a significant segment of the market. Demand for stylistic minivan did not meet the expectations of the group, which resulted in a number of changes, which on the one hand, were an attempt to improve and enhance the technical model, on the other hand – reduced output innovation and imitate stylistically Trans SportaPro and twin to the leading competition, especially all Chrysler vans. Thus, in the course of production systematically shortened front of the car, including the replacement of headlights; changed layout of the cockpit, painting the C-pillar, and carried out other activities to small cost to "restore" the traditional style of a typical American minivan. On the other hand, were corrected facilities, adding many novelties and improvements, but also for example, replacing a bit too weak engine 3.1 (120HP) combined with 3 speed manual transmission AUTOMATIC… much better engines 3.4 and 3.8 (170HP) with more economic translations, adniami 4 running gear.
It should be noted that in Europe Trans Sport family met with much warmer than the adoption of North America. The European market was a "seasoned" to the futuristic style of the Renault Espace minivan and body of the vehicle or system did not raise such great controversy, liked the functionality of the interior and rich furnishings. However, in Europe, the vehicle also did not become a hit, but that for other reasons – gas guzzlers V6 powertrains plus automatic transmission, and the large size of the vehicle caused the Trans Sport also on this side of the Atlantic took only a little, to hope General Motors niche. Failed to change the introduction, for the European market, 2.3 16v engine with a manual gearbox – never offered so popular in Europe, the diesel engine.
3.8 engine used in the family Trans Sport, more commonly known as GM 3800 of the most popular engine of all time (more than 25 million copies) and is considered one of the best and most durable mechanically V6 engines. The engine was built in the 60s with the shortening of the two cylinders Buick V8 (hence unusual for the V6 angle of 90 °), the production was officially completed in August 2008.
Trans Sport minivanami were often the strongest of his time – similar versions of the engine (longitudinal) fueled the "weaker" versions such as the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird
A four-automatic transmissions used in the Trans sport derived from the great family of GM Hydramatic transmission, characterized by the use of two-factor torque converter in place of the commonly used trzyelementowego hydrodynamic torque converter.