What Engine Is In A 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix & How Much Horsepower Does It Have?

With its production run spanning four decades, and eight generations, the Pontiac Grand Prix was among the GM-owned carmaker's most popular vehicles. For most of the decade after its 1962 introduction, Pontiac positioned the Grand Prix as a full-size performance coupe. Over successive generations, however, the car would undergo several transformational changes, culminating in it eventually becoming a four-door sedan by the time its production run ended in 2008. Well over a decade since the last Pontiac Grand Prix rolled out of the assembly lines, the car is still very much in demand — especially the older variants of the car dating back to the '60s and '70s.

By the time the late '80s rolled in, the Pontiac Grand Prix was in its sixth generation. The first sixth-generation Grand Prix launched in 1988 and was among the first cars to use the W platform (or W-body) that would become the mainstay of General Motors' mid-size cars sold between 1987 and 2016.

Here we are looking at the 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix, which was an updated variant of the car launched just a year after the Grand Prix had transitioned to the W platform. Aside from several changes to the design, this generation also witnessed Pontiac introduce features like optional anti-lock brakes and a remote keyless entry system on the LE and SE models. The 1989 model of the car also saw an older 2.8L engine being replaced by a larger engine. GM also offered the 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix in a special edition, turbocharged variant that produced way more power than the standard variants.

When the sixth-gen Pontiac Grand Prix was introduced in 1988, the company offered the car in a single-engine option — a 2.8-liter V6 with support for MPFI (multi-point fuel injection). This engine produced 130 hp of power at 4800 rpm and generated 160 lbs.-ft. of torque at 3600 rpm. The transmission options on offer were a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual for those opting for the SE variant of the car. While introduced in 1988, Pontiac continued selling the Grand Prix with this engine well into the last quarter of 1989.

In September 1989, Pontiac replaced this 2.8-liter engine with a larger, more powerful 3.1-liter engine. This was a new V6 that produced 140 hp of power at 4,500 RPM and generated 180 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm.

In addition, 1989 was also the year a new special edition variant of the car launched with the 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix Turbo. This variant of the car featured an upgraded 3.1-liter engine, that was modified by ASC/ McLaren with a turbocharger that helped it generate more power than the naturally aspirated variants. The Pontiac Grand Prix Turbo was a limited-edition model, and continues to be sought-after machines in the classic cars market. These engine upgrades let the car make 205 hp of power and 220 lb-ft of torque.