The Pontiac LeMans was a model name that was applied to subcompact- and intermediate-sized automobiles marketed by Pontiac from 1962 to 1981 (1983 in Canada). Originally a trim upgrade based on the Tempest, it spawned the industry changing signature muscle car, the GTO, in 1964. Manufactured in five generations in the 1960s and '70s, it was replaced by the downsized Pontiac Bonneville for the 1982 model year. From 1988 to 1993 the name was resurrected for a badge-engineered version of the Daewoo LeMans manufactured by Daewoo in South Korea.
Fifth generation (1978-1981)
In 1978, the Le Mans and other GM mid-sized cars were considerably downsized and lost some 600-800 lb. Pontiac's engines were also downsized, with the standard engine being the Buick 3.8 L 231 ci V6, Pontiac 265 ci V8, or optional Pontiac 4.9 L 301 ci V8 for 1978, (a Chevy 305 ci V8 in California). 1978 also saw Pontiac's 350 ci & 400 ci engine production shut down after many years of service as its hallmark V8s. A limited production run of 400ci engines was made, but were only available in 1978 and 1979 Trans Ams equipped with the four-speed manual transmission. Chevrolet's 350 V8 was available in 1979 LeMans Safaris (station wagon) only.
From 1978 to 1980, Pontiac's mid-sized lineup included the base Le Mans, Grand Le Mans, and a revived Grand Am; all available as a Coupe, Sedan, or Wagon. In 1980, the Grand Am was only offered only as a coupe, and the "Grand Am" nameplate was again discontinued until 1985, when it was used on Pontiac's new compact car — a form the Grand Am would take for the next two decades.
The final year for the mid-sized Le Mans was 1981 with only base and Grand Le Mans models offered initially. They were joined mid-year by a new LJ trim level positioned between the base and Grand models. The car was given a new Firebird-eaque slanted nose which made the 2-door coupe popular in NASCAR, especially as a superspeedway race car in 1981, which was the first year these cars were used in the series. A Le Mans driven by Cale Yarborough won the 1983 Daytona 500, and one driven by Tim Richmond at the 1983 Pocono 500. Engine offerings by this time included Buick's 231 CID V6, Pontiac's 4.3 L 265 CID V8, Pontiac's 301 CID V8, and Chevrolet's 305 CID V8 (for California only).
For 1982, because the larger Pontiacs were not selling well, GM decided to discontinue the full-sized Catalina and Bonneville. The Bonneville name was then simply swapped onto the smaller G-body sedan and wagon because GM reasoned that it carried a higher level of name recognition with customers than LeMans; the wagon was replaced by the Pontiac 6000 wagon and overlapped with the Bonneville Safari for two years while the Grand Prix served as the de facto replacement for the coupe. This "new" Bonneville amounted to little more than the existing LeMans with revised front and rear fascia designed to mimic the departed Pontiac B-body. In Canada, this model continued to use the Grand LeMans name through 1983, after which it was badged as a Bonneville. Due to GM cost-cutting measures, Pontiac's remaining V8's, the 265 and 301 were both discontinued late in 1981, with all engine development to focus on the Pontiac Iron Duke four-cylinder engines for GM's smaller cars. That engine was essentially half of a Pontiac 301 V8. The new engine lineup now consisted of the Buick 3.8 L V6, Chevrolet 305 V8, and Oldsmobile 350 diesel V8. For 1984, the Bonneville Safari Wagon was dropped, while the Bonneville four-door sedan continued through the 1986 model year. Beginning in 1987, the Bonneville nameplate was moved to a slightly larger front-wheel-drive sedan that shared its basic platform with the Buick LeSabre and Oldsmobile Delta 88; by 1992, the W body-based Grand Prix had evolved from its personal luxury car origins to become Pontiac's sole midsize offering.
Source: Wikipedia
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