Is it the Poor man`s STE or Pontiac`s version of the Chevy CelebrityEurosport? We tend to favor calling Pontiac`s new 6000 S/E the “thinkingman`s“ STE and Pontiac`s version of the Eurosport.
The new `86 S/E goes on sale this month. It`s what the STE could havebeen if Pontiac put more into performance and less into promotion. The STEevolved when Pontiac removed the chrome from the 6000, added blackwalls,raised the price to obscene proportions, and claimed it had come up with theworld`s finest Eurosedan.
While the STE was a clever creation of marketing minds, the 6000 S/E is a real car with sporty ride and handling, lively performance and a price tagmore people can afford. Base: $11,200.
The STE made a boast, but the S/E delivers on it. The S/E is for theperson who wants sporty performance and handling in a larger midsize car; for the driver who wants to move quickly from the light or take a corner or turn abit sharply in a car that still holds five people.
Rumble-tuned dual exhausts add performance sound effects in case youdon`t feel the 2.8-liter V-6 engine and its 125 h.p. nudging you back in your seat when you step quickly on the gas pedal. You comprehend the power when youcheck mileage and find it has an 18 m.p.g. city rating.
Chevy`s 2.8-liter multiport fuel injected V-6 engine teamed withautomatic-only provides the power. Optional electronic ride control withfirmer rally tuned suspension, front and rear stabilizer bars, and 14-inchEagle GT radials provide the sports ride and handling and eliminate typicalsedan body roll in the corners and turns.
One area where the car comes up short is looks, or lack of anything outof the ordinary, other than an S/E badge on the deck lid, to tell you it`s notan ordinary 6000. The S/E package is available on 4-door sedan and wagonsonly, not 2-door coupes.
