Oldsmobile Aurora (1st generation)

The Oldsmobile Aurora, a mid-size luxury sports sedan built on the G Platform, the same platform as the Buick Riviera whose platform was in turn originally from Cadillac, entered production in January 24, 1994 as a 1995 model. It was first conceived as 1989's Tube Car concept originally set for a 1992 start of production, which became this after research and development. It was technologically advanced for its time, such as a 6-speaker sound system with a CD and cassette player, power-adjustable front seats, and an onboard computer that displays the current date. In addition to being front-wheel drive, it only came with a 250 4.0 :47 DOHC V8 engine based on Cadillac's Northstar engine, and an Autobahn package was also offered. It had also gained a positive reputation for its ride, build, and engine quality, alongside structural integrity, in which it took General Motors a frame crusher for trucks because while testing its standards, which were twice as higher than other cars, the standard frame crusher for cars broke due to its rigid unibody frame. The tuned engine of a highly-modified version for the Indy Racing League boasting 650 horsepower eventually found its way into Cadillac's Le Mans prototypes. Production ended on June 25, 1999, coincidentally skipping the 2000 model year.

Image date: August 2008