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Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, August 18,1993, Page 11 Local racer 3rd Local racer Terry MacDonald- Cadieux has moved into a third- place tie in the overail points race in the Michelin Enduro- series. She and co-driver Trisha Hes- singer finished eighth in the Grand Sports class at the Trois Rivieres Grand Prix in Quebec over the weekend. That followed a fourth-place finish in the Toronto Star Great 1,000km Race at Mosport and a fourth in the previous race. The next race is at Mosport Sept. 3 to 5. PONTIAC GRAND-AM Pontiac's 'Grand' alternative By Glen Konorowski When looking for practical but sportyperformance, the Pontiac Grand-Am is one car that always comes to my mind. All new in 1992, the Grand-Am received a look all its own. I had always been a big fan of the first. generation Grand-Am, with its sporty European-type look. After the restyling in 1992, I wasn't that thrilled with the front end look, at least at first. As time goes on, I have really come to admire the car's flowing lines. The Grand-Am comes in two models, the SE and the GT. Both models come as either a coupe or sedan. My test car was a basic SE coupe, which is by no means really that basic. All Grand-Anis are well equipped with the basic amenities to mak drivinq con- fortable and fun, ependng on your needs. In the SE line of Grand-Ams, the buyer has two engine choices -- a 2.3-litre single overhead can four-cylinder or a double over- head cam version of the same engine. Power rating for both engines is 115 and 155 respec- tively. During my testing, the 115 h.p. engine was more than fine for normal driving. Those need- ing more power for slightly live- lier performance should move up to the higher output engine, com- monly known as the Quad 4. Moving up to the GT line, power either comes fron a high- output version of the Quad 4 or a regular V6. Again, depending on one's needs, either engine deli- vers good performance. The V6 does have the distinct advantage of more pull off the line compared to the Quad 4. The high revving high-output Quad 4 produces 175 h.p. while the 3.3- litre V6 nakes just 160 h.p. Those more concerned about confort are in for a treat. All SEs and GTs get a very comfor- table interior, second to none. Inside one finds bucket seats standard up front, with a three- passenger rear seat. I was really satisfied with the comfort in the bucket seat, and I am picky about seats. For a more sporty appearance, the SE models with the base engine can be ordered with a full gauge package. Safety items on all Grand-Ams include four-wheel anti-lock brakes, and doors that automati- cally lock when the vehicle is in motion. As of yet, the Grand-Am does not have an air-bag in the steering wheel. Transmission picks are limited in the Grand-Am to just two. On the base engine and the high- output engine, a five-speed manual transmission is stan- dard. In fact, on the high-output engine, the five-speed transmis- sion is all that is available. The rest of the line gets a three-speed automatic transmission which is optional on the base model. On the base engine car, the three-speed tends to make acce- leration rather sluggish. I recom- mend the five-speed manual if you are planning on a base engine car, as you will be much happier with the performance. On the rest of the line, the three-speed works well, giving the car good performance. Coming in at a starting price of around $15,000, the Grand- Am is a worthy competitor to any off-shore model in the same class. On the performance end of things, there isn't too much that will give you this kind of fun, plus seating for four. Standing behind our Saturn family. Our Saturn customers have been asked to contact Motorcity Saturn and arrange an appointment to replace a linkage. We want to make certain each of our clients is treated like a member of our own family - so we're checking every vehicle. We wish these kinds of problems did not occur in the car business, but they do, and we very much appreciate your understanding. We believe that customer trust and confidence doesn't corne from doing the easy thing. It comes from doing the right thing. The Motorcity Saturn Team MOTORCITY SATURN SAAB ISUZU SATRN 1520 Dundas St. E., Whitby 430-2350 GORD MILES NEW& USED SALES REPRESENTATIVE A local person anxious to assist you with your automotive needs! Business 436-2222 Toronto Line 427-4444 2728 Courtice Road • Courtice • Ontario • L1 E 2M7 Corner of Hwy. 2 and Courtice Road We. are sorrv for anv inconvenience this has caused.