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Pontiac Grand Safari

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The Pontiac Grand Safari was Pontiac 's top-of-the-line full-size station wagon offered from 1971 to 1978. The Grand Safari used the grille and interior trim of the Bonneville and Grand Ville passenger car series, and most (but not all) examples were trimmed with woodgrain paneling on the sides and tailgate.

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54-869: For 1971, the Pontiac Grand Safari was introduced as the top-trim Pontiac station wagon, sharing trim with the newly introduced Grand Ville sedan. Slotted above the Bonneville Safari, the Grand Safari was a counterpart to the Buick Estate and the Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser . Though officially designated as B-body cars by GM (in line with the Chevrolet Impala/Caprice station wagons), the Grand Safari and its Buick/Oldsmobile counterparts shared

108-426: A longitudinal engine layout and rear-wheel drive (or all-wheel drive). However, V8 engines have also occasionally been used in transverse engine front-wheel drive vehicles, sometimes using closer cylinder bore spacings and narrower cylinder bank angles to reduce their space requirements. The classification of 'big-block' or 'small-block' refers to the engine's external dimensions and does not necessarily indicate

162-416: A 127-inch wheelbase with "senior" C-body sedans. In contrast to other B-body sedans, B-body station wagons were fitted with multi-leaf rear springs (instead of coil springs). The 1974-1976 Grand Safari (and Catalina Safari) station wagons are the largest Pontiac vehicles ever built, with a 127-inch wheelbase and 231.3-inch overall length. At a curb weight of approximately 5300 pounds, a three-row version

216-544: A 2.5 L (153 cu in) V8 engine. BMW's first V8 engine was the 1954–1965 BMW OHV V8 engine , a petrol engine with overhead valves and all-aluminum construction. The company resumed production of V8 engines in 1992 with the BMW M60 aluminum double overhead camshaft engine, and V8 engines have remained in production until today. BMW's first turbocharged V8 engine was the 1998–2009 M67 twin-turbocharged diesel engine. The first turbocharged V8 petrol engine from BMW

270-525: A 5.6 L (340 cu in) Chrysler LA engine and built on the chassis of a 1950s Chrysler Imperial. The 1934–1938 Tatra 77 rear-engined sedan was initially powered by 3.0 L (183 cu in) petrol V8, which was air-cooled and used an overhead camshaft that operated the valves using a 'walking beam' rocker arrangement. This model line continued until 1999 when the Tatra 700 ended production. Tatra also produced diesel V8 truck engines from

324-560: A 60-degree V-angle, since it was derived from the 60 degree V12 Rolls-Royce Meteor which in turn was based on the Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 engine . Other V-angles have been used occasionally. The Lancia Trikappa , Lancia Dilambda , and Lancia Astura , produced 1922–1939, used narrow angle V8 engines (based on the Lancia V4 engine ) with V-angles of 14–24 degrees. The 1932 Miller four-wheel drive racing cars used

378-570: A V-angle of 90 degrees and was built in displacements of 4.1 L (253 cu in) and 5.0 L (308 cu in), the latter being de-stroked to 5.0 L (304 cu in) in 1985. The Holden V8 engine was used in various models, including the Kingswood, Monaro, Torana, Commodore, and Statesman. Versions tuned for higher performance were sold by Holden Dealer Team and Holden Special Vehicles , including versions stroked to up to 5.7 L (350 cu in). The Holden V8 engine

432-591: A V8 engine was the 1965 Chrysler Valiant (AP6) , which was available with an American-built 4.5 L (273 cu in) Chrysler engine. The first locally designed V8 Ford was the 1966 Ford Falcon (XR) and the first V8 Holden was the 1968 Holden HK , both using engines supplied by their parent companies in the United States. The first V8 engine to be mass-produced in Australia was the 1969–2000 Holden V8 engine . This cast-iron overhead valve engine used

486-464: A V8 engine was the 1988 Audi V8 luxury sedan. Its first model to use a V8 diesel engine was the D2 A8 3.3 TDI in 2000. The first V8-engined Alfa Romeo road car was the 1967–1969 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale mid-engined sports car, of which 18 were produced. This was followed by the 1970–1977 Alfa Romeo Montreal front-engined sports car. The engines for both cars are based on the 90-degree V8 engine from

540-406: A V8 engine with a V-angle of 45 degrees. The 8-cylinder versions of the 1945 through 1966 EMD 567 diesel locomotive engine also used a V-angle of 45 degrees. Most V8 engines fitted to road cars use a cross-plane crankshaft since this configuration produces less vibration due to the perfect primary balance and secondary balance. The cross-plane crankshaft has the four crank pins (numbered from

594-528: A common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration . The first known V8 was the Antoinette , designed by Léon Levavasseur , and built in 1904 by the French Antoinette company for use in speedboat racing, cars, and later, airplanes. Also in 1904, V8 engines began small-scale production by Renault and Buchet for use in race cars. Most engines use a V-angle (the angle between

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648-462: A mix of imported and local parts. A 4.4 L (269 cu in) version of the Rover V8 engine was produced in Australia for the ill-fated 1973–1975 Leyland P76 sedan. The engine had an overhead valve design and was the only all-aluminum engine made in Australia. The 1958–1965 Hongqi CA72 was a luxury car, of which approximately 200 were built for government officials. It was powered by

702-478: A single overhead camshaft and was rear-mounted in the vehicles. The company's first V8 road car was the 1973–1974 Dino 308 GT4 mid-engined sports car. The engine is a 90-degree all-aluminum V8 with double overhead camshafts. In 1975, the 2.0 L (122 cu in) engine in the Ferrari 208 GT4 became the smallest production V8 engine ever produced. The model lineage of mid-engined V8 road cars continues to

756-654: A strict ruleset to follow until the 1972 season, when engines were no longer allowed to be any bigger than 358 cu in (5.9 L) for the purpose of reducing speeds caused by the rapid aerodynamic advancements from 1969 to 1971. In the American Top Fuel class of drag racing, V8 engines displacing 500 cu in (8 L) today produce outputs of over 7,000 kW (10,000 hp). and 10,000 N⋅m (7,400 lb⋅ft). The engines used in Top Fuel and Funny car drag racing are typically based on

810-561: Is a full-size car that was a sub-series trim package for the Pontiac Bonneville from 1971 to 1975, which had served as Pontiac's top-trim model since 1958 while remaining below the top level Pontiac Grand Prix . The Bonneville name remained but was now downgraded, and in effect replaced the Pontiac Executive . The Grand Ville and Bonneville shared a number of trim and design elements that distinguished them from

864-483: Is also the heaviest vehicle ever produced by the brand. A 400 cubic-inch V8 was the standard engine on the Grand Safari for 1973 and 1975. A 455 cubic-inch V8 was offered as an option those two years and was standard for the other four years of this generation. The Grand Safari wagons featured a two-piece ' Clamshell ' tailgate design, marketed as the Glide-away Tailgate. In an industry first,

918-409: Is considered to be the first V8 engine produced in significant quantities. The 1914 Cadillac L-head V8 engine is considered the first road-going V8 engine to be mass-produced in significant quantities, with 13,000 sold the first year. This engine was built in the United States and was greatly assisted by Cadillac's pioneering use of electric starter motors . The popularity of V8 engines in cars

972-440: The 1962 , 1963 , 1964 , and 1965 seasons were won by drivers of V8-powered cars. From 1962 through 1965, the top three manufacturers in each season's Constructor's Championship all predominantly used V8 engines in their cars. In 1966, the engine capacity limits were increased to 3.0 L (183 cu in) (or 1.5 litres with a supercharger), and both the 1966 and 1967 Constructor's Championships were won by cars powered by

1026-559: The Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 racing car, and have double overhead camshafts and a dry sump. The 33 Stradale engine has a displacement of 2.00 L (122 cu in) and a flat-plane crankshaft, while the Montreal uses an engine enlarged to 2.6 L (160 cu in) and uses a cross-plane crankshaft. The 2007–2010 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione / Spider sports cars are powered by a 4.7 L (290 cu in) version of

1080-632: The Australian Ford Falcon and Ford Fairlane models. It was also used in several low-volume DeTomaso sports cars and luxury sedans built in Italy. Australian production ceased in 1982 when Ford Australia temporarily stopped production of V8 cars. From 1991 until 2016, the Ford Falcon was available with the imported Ford Windsor , Ford Barra , or Ford Modular V8 engines; the latter was marketed as "Boss" and locally assembled from

1134-772: The Brabham-Repco V8 engine . From 1968 until 1981, the Cosworth DFV V8 engine dominated Formula One racing. During this time, the Manufacturers' Championship was won by Cosworth DFV-powered cars every season except 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1979, which 12-cylinder Ferraris won. After a long period of dominance, the Cosworth DFV was eventually outpaced by turbocharged straight-four and V6 engines. The next period of significant V8 usage in Formula One

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1188-569: The Ferrari F136 engine with a cross-plane crankshaft. Ferrari's first contact with V8 engines was the Vittorio Jano -designed 1955 Lancia-Ferrari D50 , a Formula One racing car that the company acquired as part of its purchase of Lancia's Formula One racing department. The first Ferrari-developed V8 engines were used in the 1962 Ferrari 248 SP and Ferrari 268 SP sports prototype racing cars designed by Carlo Chiti . This engine had

1242-661: The Hewitt Touring Car became the first car built in the United States with a V8 engine. The engine was designed and built by Edward R. Hewitt who emphasized the V8's superiority to the typical I4 and I6 and six-cylinder engines of the time because of its lower weight and easier to make crankshaft compared to the I6s of equal power as well as the V8 not taking much more space than a I4. The 1910 De Dion-Bouton — built in France—

1296-532: The oil crisis of late 1973 and early 1974 led to gasoline shortages, long lines at filling stations, and high fuel prices. These factors sharply cut into full-sized car sales in 1974 as buyers moved towards smaller cars. For 1975, the Grand Ville became the Grand Ville Brougham and included more standard equipment than in previous years, such as power windows and a carpeted trunk. This would be

1350-526: The 1915 Cadillac engine. A flat-plane crankshaft is used by many V8 engines fitted to racing cars. From the gas dynamics aspect, the flat-plane crankshaft allows for even exhaust gas pulses to be achieved with a simple exhaust system. The design was popularized in motor racing by the 1961–1965 Coventry Climax FWMV Formula One engine, and the 1967–1985 Cosworth DFV engine was highly successful in Formula One. Several production sports cars have used flat-plane V8 engines, such as every Ferrari V8 model (from

1404-653: The 1939 Tatra 81 to the present day Tatra 815 . French manufacturers were pioneering in their use of V8 engines in the early 1900s with the 1904 Antoinette aircraft engine (the first known V8 engine) and the 1910 De Dion-Bouton . However, there were few French automotive V8 engines in the following decades, with manufacturers such as Delage , Delahaye , Talbot-Lago , Bugatti , and Hotchkiss using six-cylinder or straight-eight engines instead. From 1935 until 1954, Matford (Ford's French subsidiary, later renamed to ' Ford SAF ') produced cars with V8 engines, closely based on contemporary American Ford models. Simca purchased

1458-704: The 1973 Ferrari 308 GT4 to the 2019–present Ferrari F8 Tributo ), the Lotus Esprit V8 , the Porsche 918 Spyder , and the McLaren MP4-12C . The first V8 engine used in a road-going car was the 1905 Rolls-Royce built in the United Kingdom. This model was initially equipped with a 3.5 L (214 cu in) V8 engine. However, only three cars were made before Rolls-Royce reverted to using straight-six engines for their cars. In 1907,

1512-481: The 2019–present Ferrari F8 Tributo . Five-valve-per-cylinder versions were used from 1994 until 2005 in the Ferrari F355 and Ferrari 360 . Turbocharging was introduced on the 1984–1987 Ferrari 288 GTO flagship car, and the range of entry-level mid-engined sports cars switched to turbocharging with the 2015 Ferrari 488 . The Formula One team resumed using V8 engines for the 2006–2013 seasons, beginning with

1566-505: The 8.2 L (500 cu in) V8 engine used in the 1971–1978 Cadillac Eldorado and BMW's 3.0 L (183 cu in) M60B30 V8 engine found in cars such as the BMW E34 530i. V8 engines intended for motorsport are often small and short-stroke to maximize RPMs and thus power. The Cosworth DFV 3.0 L (183 cu in) is such an engine. Due to its large external dimensions, V8 engines are typically used in cars that use

1620-458: The Bonneville or Catalina . For 1974 only, the Grand Ville had unique parking lights which wrapped around the corner of the front fender. The car was often sold with deluxe appearance options, such as sport wheels and vinyl tops. Rear fender skirts were featured on the 1973 to 1975 models. Standard equipment on Grand Ville models included a 455 cubic-inch V8 (for 1975, a 400 cubic-inch V8

1674-769: The Catalina, and the 1971-72 Grand Villes were built on a stretched-wheelbase version of the GM "B" platform that nevertheless had identical interior dimensions to all other full-size Pontiacs. In addition to more luxurious interior trimmings, the Grand Ville had distinctive chrome trim at the front and rear to set it apart from the rest of the Pontiac line. Between 1971 and 1974 Grand Ville hardtops featured more upright "formal" C-pillar and backlight treatments that were similar to those found on contemporary GM "C" platform cars ( Oldsmobile Ninety Eight and Buick Electra ) and not shared with

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1728-574: The Ford SAF in 1954 and continued to produce various models powered by the Ford Flathead V8 until 1969. After WW2, France imposed very steep tax horsepower charges - the owners of cars with engines above 2 L were financially penalized, so France had a small domestic market for larger-engined cars, such as the V8. Despite this, Facel Vega produced luxury and sports cars powered by Chrysler V8 engines from 1954 through 1964. One of

1782-536: The Grand Safari adopted a different set of engines, as the 301 cubic-inch V8 became standard, with an Oldsmobile-supplied 403 V8 as an option; for 1978, a Pontiac 350 V8 became an additional option. For 1979, Pontiac renamed the Grand Safari as the Bonneville Safari; after the Bonneville became the mid-size Pontiac sedan for 1982, the station wagon became the Pontiac Safari through the 1989 model year. Pontiac Grand Ville The Pontiac Grand Ville

1836-413: The Grand Ville was Pontiac's only full-size convertible offering; 1971 and 1972 full-size Pontiac convertibles were offered in the entry level Catalina line as well. (There were no convertible Bonnevilles after the 1970 model year.) The rarest of the Grand Ville convertibles was the 1971 model with just under 1,800 examples built. The 1975 model was the most plentiful with just over 4,500 cars built, as being

1890-402: The actual engine displacement. Engines with displacements from 6.0 to 6.6 L (366 to 403 cu in) have been classified as both small-block and big-block, depending on the particular manufacturer's range of engines. V8 engines have been used in many forms of motorsport, from Formula One , IndyCar , NASCAR , DTM and V8 Supercars circuit racing, to Top Fuel drag racing. Among

1944-522: The aluminium-conversion Chrysler 426 Hemi engine and run on highly explosive nitromethane fuel. The world's fastest non-jet-powered (i.e., piston-engine powered) wheeled land vehicle, the Speed Demon, which achieved a speed of 744.072 km/h (462.345 mph) in 2017, is powered by a V8 engine based on the Chevrolet small-block engine design. The first Australian-designed car to use

1998-411: The crankshaft can be machined from a flat billet and does not require counterweights so it is lighter. However, it produces more vibration due to a secondary imbalance. Most early V8 road car engines also used a flat-plane crankshaft since this was simpler to design and build than a cross-plane crankshaft. Early flat-plane V8 engines included the 1910 De Dion-Bouton engine, the 1915 Peerless engine, and

2052-462: The downsizing of the platform reduced the wheelbase from 127 inches to 115.9 inches, shared with both B-body sedans (and Chevrolet Impala/Caprice station wagons), ending its relationship with the C-body chassis. In a major functional change, the "Glide-Away" tailgate was replaced by a three-way configuration similar to AMC, Chrysler, and Ford. As the curb weight was reduced to just over 4,000 pounds,

2106-401: The final year for the Grand Ville series, which included Pontiac's last convertible until 1983. For 1976, the Grand Ville nameplate was dropped and the lineup was renamed Bonneville Brougham, returning that nameplate back to its former full-size top trim level status. Grand Ville convertibles were rare, with production never exceeding 5,000 units per year during the model run. From 1973 to 1975

2160-654: The final year of production increased demand. The Grand Ville convertible had the lowest production amongst its corporate cousins, the Oldsmobile 88 Royale , Buick Centurion and the Chevrolet Caprice Classic convertible lines. Starting with 1973 through 1975 the Grand Ville was offered as a station wagon as the Grand Safari . V8 engine A V8 engine is an eight- cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share

2214-460: The first German V8 engines was the 1928–1945 Argus As 10 aircraft engine. This engine was air-cooled, used an 'inverted V' design, and was used in several training, surveillance, and communications airplanes. From 1933 until 1940, the Horch 830 luxury cars were powered by V8 engines (sold alongside Horch's larger straight-eight engines). Shortly after, the 1934–1937 Stoewer Greif V8 was powered by

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2268-399: The first V8 Formula One cars to compete were the 1952 AFM entry and the 1954 Lancia D50 , with a development of the latter powering Juan Manuel Fangio's 1956 car to victory in the driver's championship. The 1.5 L Formula One era of 1961–1965 included V8 engines from Ferrari, Coventry Climax, British Racing Motors (BRM), and Automobili Turismo e Sport (ATS). The driver's championships for

2322-523: The front) at angles of 0, 90, 270, and 180 degrees, which results in a cross shape for the crankshaft when it is viewed from one end. The rumbling exhaust sound produced by a typical cross-plane V8 engine is partly due to the uneven firing order within each of the two banks of four cylinders. A usual firing order of L-R-L-L-R-L-R-R (or R-L-R-R-L-R-L-L) results in uneven intake and exhaust pulse spacing for each bank. When separate exhaust systems are used for each bank of cylinders, this uneven pulsing results in

2376-412: The rear power-operated glass slid up into the roof as the tailgate (manually or with power assist) slid into a recess under the cargo floor. The power system was operated by switches on the instrument panel or a key switch on the rear quarter panel. While heavy and complex, the system was intended to reduce the space needed to load or unload the 19-foot long wagons in tight spaces. The clamshell design

2430-693: The rumbling sound typically associated with V8 engines. However, racing engines seek to avoid these uneven exhaust pressure pulses to maximize the power output. The 1960s cross-plane V8 racing engines used long primary exhaust pipes (such as the Ford GT40 endurance racing car) or located the exhaust ports on the inside of the V-angle (such as the Lotus 38 IndyCar) to link the exhaust systems from each bank and provide even exhaust gas pulses),. A flat-plane crankshaft configuration provides two benefits. Mechanically,

2484-421: The two banks of cylinders) of 90 degrees. This angle results in good engine balance , which results in low vibrations. However, the downside is the greater width of the engine compared to those that use a smaller V-angle. V8 engines with a 60-degree V-angle were used in the 1996–1999 Ford Taurus SHO , the 2005–2011 Volvo XC90 , and the 2006–2009 Volvo S80 . The Ford engine used a 60-degree V-angle because it

2538-677: Was also used in touring car racing and formed the basis of the Repco-Holden engine used in Formula 5000 racing. In 1999, the Holden V8 engine began to be replaced by the imported General Motors LS1 V8 engine. In 1971, Ford Australia began local production of the Ford 'Cleveland' V8 , an overhead valve cast-iron engine. The engine was produced in displacements of 4.9 L (302 cu in) and 5.8 L (351 cu in) for use in

2592-549: Was based on a V6 engine with a 60-degree V-angle. Both the Ford and Volvo engines were used in transverse engine chassis, which were designed for a front-wheel-drive layout (with an on-demand all-wheel drive system in the case of the Volvos ). To reduce the vibrations caused by the unbalanced 60-degree V-angle, the Volvo engines used a balance shaft and offset split crankpins . The Rolls-Royce Meteorite tank engine also used

2646-575: Was first used on the Mercedes-Benz M113 engine in 2002 and turbocharging was first used on non-commercial diesel V8 engines in 1999 with the OM628 and on petrol engines with the M278 engine in 2010. Porsche's first road car to use a V8 engine was the 1978 Porsche 928 coupe. Its first to use a V8 diesel engine was the second-generation Cayenne S Diesel in 2014. Audi's first road car to use

2700-496: Was from 2006 to 2013 , when the rules mandated use of 2.4 L (146 cu in) naturally-aspirated V8 engines, with regular power outputs between 730 and 810 hp (in order to reduce the power outputs being achieved by the previous 3.0 litre V10 engines). These were replaced by 1.6 litre turbocharged V6 engines for the 2014 and later seasons. V8 engines have dominated American premier stock car racing NASCAR series since its inaugural 1949 season . However, there wasn't

2754-544: Was not adopted by other automakers, and GM replaced the design with a 3-way tailgate for its 1977 B-body redesign. For 1977, the Pontiac Grand Safari was redesigned. Using the newly downsized GM B-body chassis, the model line became the station wagon counterpart of the Pontiac Bonneville sedan (the Grand Ville was discontinued). The Pontiac counterpart of the Buick Estate and Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser,

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2808-466: Was significantly increased following the 1932 introduction of the Ford Flathead V8 . By the early 21st century, the use of V8 engines in passenger vehicles declined as automobile manufacturers opted for more fuel efficient , lower capacity engines, or hybrid and electric drivetrains . The displacement of modern V8 engines is typically from 3.5 to 6.4 L (214 to 391 cu in). However, larger and smaller examples have been produced, such as

2862-528: Was standard and the 455 optional), Turbo-Hydramatic automatic transmission , power steering and power front disc brakes. Popular options included air conditioning, power windows and driver's seat, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, AM/FM stereo with tape deck and much more. One of the rarest options available on Grand Villes and other full-sized Pontiacs during this period was the adjustable brake and accelerator pedals offered from 1974 to 1976. The Grand Ville enjoyed moderate success from 1971 to 1973. However,

2916-496: Was the 2008–present BMW N63 engine. Their first eight-cylinder engine since passenger car and motorsport straight-eight engine production stopped in 1944 and 1955 respectively, Mercedes-Benz began production of the Mercedes-Benz M100 petrol V8 engine in 1963 and has continued production of V8 engines to the present day. The M100 had a single overhead camshaft, a cast-iron block, and an aluminium head. Supercharging

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