The 1978 downsizing that remade the LeMans cut 600 to 800 pounds off the car in a single model year — one of GM's most dramatic mid-size diets of the era.
Lead trim: LeMans 301 cu in Pontiac V8 (optional, 1978)
Pontiac Lemans1978–1981
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Pontiac Lemans yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe 1978 downsizing that remade the LeMans cut 600 to 800 pounds off the car in a single model year — one of GM's most dramatic mid-size diets of the era.
In 1978 the Le Mans and other GM mid-sized cars were considerably downsized and lost some 600–800 lb, and Pontiac's engines were downsized too: the standard engine was the Buick 3.8 L 231 ci V6, or a 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 the Pontiac 350 and 400 engines' production shut down; a limited run of 400s was made only for 1978 and 1979 Trans Ams with the four-speed manual, and Chevrolet's 350 V8 was available in 1979 LeMans Safaris only. From 1978 through 1980 the mid-sized lineup included the base Le Mans, Grand Le Mans and a revived Grand Am, available as a coupe, sedan or (except Grand Am) wagon; the final year for the mid-sized Le Mans was 1981, when sedans got a formal roofline and an LJ trim was added mid-year. Wheelbase 108 in (Canada continued production to 1983).
Collectors Spotted in the Pontiac Lemans Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Pontiac Lemans yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
2 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeMans 231 cu in Buick V6 (standard, 1978) | 1978–1978 | 3.8 L V6 | — | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| LeMans 301 cu in Pontiac V8 (optional, 1978) | 1978–1978 | 4.9 L V8 | 150 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
The Daewoo-built Pontiac LeMans wore three different badges depending where you bought it — Pontiac in the US, Passport Optima in Canada — and its five-speed gearbox was an Opel design built in Japan by Isuzu.
GM and Daewoo announced their joint LeMans factory in January 1984 — political turmoil in South Korea held the car up for four years before it reached American showrooms in 1988.
The 1978 downsizing that remade the LeMans cut 600 to 800 pounds off the car in a single model year — one of GM's most dramatic mid-size diets of the era.
In 1977, Pontiac kept selling the old mid-size LeMans right alongside its all-new, smaller full-size Catalina and Bonneville — a deliberate hedge in case the radical downsizing flopped.
Pontiac's new 350 V8 wasn't designed from a blank sheet — it was stitched together from three existing engines, borrowing the 389/400/326's crank stroke and stretching the 326's bore to get there.
The overhead-cam six under this LeMans's hood was John DeLorean's idea, years before he left to build his own stainless-steel sports car.
The first Pontiac LeMans put its transmission out back next to a four-wheel independent suspension, chasing near-50/50 weight balance on a compact nobody remembers as a handler.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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