Cars - Oldsmobile Aurora

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	Cars - Oldsmobile Aurora

Overview

The Oldsmobile Aurora was a luxury automobile made by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors and launched in 1995. It was a luxurious 4-door sedan riding on the same Cadillac-derived G platform as the 2-door Buick Riviera. It was introduced to bring new life to Oldsmobile, but the first few years of Aurora did not even feature the Oldsmobile name. There was even a rumor at the time that the name of the whole Oldsmobile marque would be changed to simply "Aurora."

1995

The 1995 Aurora introduced Oldsmobile's "Aurora" L47 V8, a DOHC engine based on Cadillac's 4.6 L Northstar V8. The Aurora was highly regarded at the time for its refined engine, excellent build quality, and well-balanced ride. As a symbol of its clean break from other cars in the lineup, the Aurora bore no Oldsmobile badging or script, except on the cassette deck and engine cover. Oldsmobile quickly launched other new models with the Aurora "look," including the all-new Intrigue and Alero, the redesigned Eighty-Eight, and even updated the division's "rocket" logo to be more visually in-line with the Aurora's emblem.

The first generation Aurora went into production on January 31, 1994. All Auroras were built in Orion, Michigan, along with the Buick LeSabre, Buick Park Avenue, Buick Riviera, Oldsmobile 88, Oldsmobile 98 and the Pontiac Bonneville. Production of the first generation Aurora ended on June 25, 1999.

Specifications

Wheelbase: 113.8 inches
Overall length: 205.4 inches
Overall Width: 74.4 inches
Overall Height: 55.4 inches
Curb weight
: 3,967 lbs

Engines:

1995-1999 L47 4.0 L (244 in³) V8, 250 hp @ 5600 rpm, 260 ft·lbf torque @ 4400 rpm.

2001

Oldsmobile's original intention for the second generation was to move the Aurora further upmarket, retaining its V8-only drivetrain and sharing a platform with the new Buick Riviera, as the original Aurora had done. This would have created more room within the Oldsmobile lineup for a four-door Eighty-Eight successor known as the Antares. However, Buick dropped its Riviera development plans and fiscal trouble found Oldsmobile, so Oldsmobile was forced to re-engineer the Antares into an acceptable Aurora in short time. The 2001 Aurora is the product of that re-engineering.

The second-generation Aurora went into production in early 2000 as a 2001 model. It used a new, less-expensive version of the G platform with a shorter wheelbase. Unlike the original Aurora, this platform was shared with other GM divisions, with Buick offering the Park Avenue and LeSabre, and Pontiac offering the Bonneville.

Oldsmobile also offered a V6 engine in the Aurora for the first time. The V6 in question was the LX-5, a cut-down relation of the DOHC Aurora V8, dubbed the "Shortstar." The V6-powered Aurora was produced for the 2001 and 2002 model years only, with production ceasing in mid-2002.

The second generation Aurora went into production on November 10, 1999. The last Aurora 3.5s rolled off the assembly line on June 21, 2002. The Final 500 Aurora 4.0s ended production on March 28, 2003. The Orion, Michigan plant built a total of 71,722 second-generation Auroras (53,640 in 2001, 10,865 in 2002, 7,217 in 2003).

Specifications

Wheelbase: 112.2 inches
Overall length: 199.3 inches
Overall Width: 72.9 inches
Overall Height: 56.7 inches
Curb weight
: 3,627 lbs

Engines:

2001-2002 LX5 3.5 L (214 in³) V6, 215 hp @ 5600 rpm, 230 ft·lbf torque @ 4400 rpm.
2001-2003 L47 4.0 L (244 in³) V8, 250 hp @ 5600 rpm, 260 ft·lbf torque @ 4400 rpm.

Future

It is not clear what the future of Aurora would have been if not for the shuttering of the brand. At one point, it is said Oldsmobile asked to borrow the then-developing rear wheel drive Sigma platform from Cadillac, a proposal Cadillac refused. Whether or not this Sigma-based Aurora was Oldsmobile's second choice after the original abandoned second-generation project or a proposal for a third-generation is unclear.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Oldsmobile Aurora ]

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Cars - Oldsmobile Aurora

Overview

1995

Specifications

2001

Specifications

Future

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