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Chevrolet Lumina
Overview
The Lumina
was a midsize, front-drive 6-passenger sedan that arrived in late spring 1989
to replace the Celebrity, as GM's challenge to the Ford Taurus. A coupe joined
the sedan that fall on the same 107.5-inch wheelbase, roughly replacing the
rear-drive G-body Monte Carlo, which had departed in 1988. Chevrolet's sedan
was the first 4-door from the GM design that produced the 1988 Buick
Regal, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, and Pontiac Grand Prix coupes. Luminas seat
six, and came in base or sportier Euro guise. Euros wore blackout body trim
and had a sport suspension (not available on base cars), and either 15- or 16-inch
tires. Base Luminas made do with 14-inch rubber. Standard equipment on all models
included 4-wheel disc brakes, power steering, and a fully-independent suspension
all around. Euros added air conditioning.
| Limited
Editions Lumina Thunder - This two-door coupe started out as a Lumina Euro, but was clad with ground-effects package and "Thunder" decals. It was a promotional car for the movie "Days of Thunder" starring Tom Cruise. It is unknown how many were produced. |
| Exterior Specifications | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2-door | 4-door | |
| Wheelbase (inches) | 107.5 | 107.5 |
| Track, front/rear | 59.5/58.0 | 59.5/58.0 |
| Brake type, front/rear | Disc/Disc | Disc/Disc |
| Fuel tank (gallons) | 16.5 | 16.5 |
| Length (inches) | 193.9 | 193.7 |
| Width (inches) | 71.0 | 71.0 |
| Height (inches) | 52.3 | 54.8 |
| Curb Weight (lbs) | ~3200 | ~3300 |
| Turning Circle (ft, curb-to-curb) | 36.7 | 36.7 |
| Drag Coefficient | 0.297 | |
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Available
Transaxles
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| Years | Model | Description | Engine Application (VIN) |
RPO | Comments |
| 1991-1993 | HM-284 | Getrag 5-speed manual | X | M27 | Rare, strengthened version of HM-282 |
| 1990-1993 | 125C | 3-speed automatic | T,R,4 | Vacuum controlled, no overdrive | |
| 1988-1989 | 440T4 | 4-speed automatic | W,T | ME9 | Vacuum controlled, overdrive |
| 1990-1991 | 4T60 | 4-speed automatic | T | Same as 440T4, updated numbering | |
| 1994 | 4T60E | 4-speed automatic | T,M,X | Electronic version of 4T60 | |
| Time Line |
|---|
| 1990 |
| First model year for Lumina. It was available first in a 4-door and then in a 2-door. |
| 1991 |
| A high-performance Z34 coupe arrived during 1991, powered by GM's new twin-cam 3.4-liter engine. The Z34 was the only Chevrolet model to get that potent V-6. Special styling touches included a louvered hood, ground-effects body add-ons, and a rear lip spoiler- enough to give the Z34 coupe a personality different from its more conventional mates. In addition to the hotter engine, the Z34 contained a sport suspension, high-performance tires on alloy wheels, analog gauges (including tachometer), and sport bucket seats. A body-colored, louver-style grille replaced the black-out unit on Luminas, and Euros got "touring" tires for a softer ride. |
| 1992 |
| Anti-lock braking became available in '92, standard in the Euro and Z34, but optional in base models. Also, the 3.4-liter engine was offered in Euro sedans as well as in the Z34 coupe. The 3.4-liter Euro option package came only with 4-speed automatic, so the engine was rated 200 horsepower. A CD player joined the option list. Manual 4-way adjusters were added to split front seats. |
| 1993 |
| A 2.2-liter 4-cylinder engine replaced the 2.5-liter in base Luminas, but all coupes carried a V-6 this year. Doors now locked automatically when the automatic transmission was shifted out of park, or a manual-shift Lumina exceeded 8 mph. |
| 1994 |
| All '94 Luminas had a V-6 engine and 4-speed automatic transmission with new electronic controls. The base coupe departed, leaving only Euro and Z34 coupes. Sedans continued in three levels: base and Euro, plus the Euro 3.4 option. This was the last model year for the first-generation Lumina. |
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