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Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible gains handling gear
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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"What's the most beautiful convertible on the road today?" My state's governor, calling during a political race, wanted to know. "Of course, for political reasons I'm only interested in cars built here in the states."
As a convertible fan, the governor explained, he owned a precise European model but had decided it would be politically savvy to switch to a brand built with American labor and parts. He wanted a classy number, noting that price was not an overriding issue.
Check out the Oldsmobile, I told him, the Cutlass Supreme Convertible -- in white with black accents.
Its slinky stance, accented by a lengthy sloping hood and crisp tail, looks aggressive. The top bar, mounted behind front bucket seats, resembles a serious roll bar and evokes that no-nonsense sporty image.
Packaged around those handsome styling lines, automotive heritage becomes a bonus with the fabled name of Cutlass Supreme, tracking back to 1962 as best-seller time after time for the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors.
Over the years the Cutlass image was reshaped, structure reworked and format redefined, but still it maintains a prime spot in the heart of the O-line.
In reincarnation a few years back, Cutlass Supreme became the first Oldsmobile to muster nimble moves once reserved for ultra-priced European road cars. It ran with potent horsepower, stocked suspension and steering components that aroused lively road action, and wore sheetmetal panels which came together in a tight, right and thoroughly solid fashion.
For the current series, Cutlass Supreme looks, feels and acts better than ever.
It contains new safety systems, such as dual airbags, an overhauled suspension to improve ride quality, plus a new interior rigged with ergonomic instrument panel.
The convertible variation stands atop a simplified Cutlass Supreme model chart which this year includes a 2-door hardtop coupe and 4-door sedan in two trim issues with the choice of two V6 powertrains.
My most recent tests in the 1995 Cutlass Supreme Convertible occurred along sparsely populated back routes across the northern portion of Michigan's lower peninsula. Spotty summer squalls forced me to raise and lower the electrically-operated ragtop four times -- and I found that task not only easy but quick to accomplish in a downpour.
The top, fully lined in a nice execution, locks snugly in place, eliminating pesky wind noise which usually accompanies a convertible with lid up at highway speed.
Coupe and sedan editions provide seating for five with twin front buckets and a rear bench for three, but the convertible divides that rear bench into two single seats in the tradition of 2 + 2 touring models.
Inside, the new design adds nice curves and swoopy lines to eliminate the utilitarian look of past models.
The new instrument panel, zapping former hard-to-handle knobs and a proliferation of buttons and dials, simplifies the layout and clusters four large gauges in direct view of the driver. Everything makes more sense, ergonomically speaking, and operation can be managed without distraction from the primary task of driving.
Steer this latest version and feel the effects of suspension improvements like changes to spring rates, strut and shock valving and sizes of anti-roll bars.
These modifications become most apparent in tight curves, where a former tendency toward excessive body roll has been checked. Also, movements of each wheel have more isolation now, which enhances the overall smooth quality of the ride.
Rack and pinion steering gears yield quicker ratios to generate more responsive turning characteristics.
Better yet, a new electronic device, which varies the effort of steering in relation to car speed, has been placed in versions fixed with the larger V6 engine.
This optional V6, GM's 3400 series plant, displaces 3.4 liters, positions four valves in each cylinder and packs twin cams on top to pump 210 horsepower in tandem with a smooth automatic 4-speed GM shifter.
Installing the larger engine increases the bottom line of Oldsmobile's convertible by about $1,200 but also brings extra gauges, along with sport suspension hardware, dual exhausts and a racy spoiler mounted to the trunk.
Still, the base V6 feels more than adequate.
It measures up to 3.1 liters and generates 160 hp.
Fuel economy figures bump up several points with this plant, running as high as 29 mpg for highway driving.
Starting on the entry track to a 4-lane, my convertible with the lesser engine leaped to action, quickly reaching legal limits as I merged left to the fast side.
The automatic transmission ripped through its shift sequence with surprising grace and quiet movements. At cruise speed, I still found latent energy in the accelerator, a reserve perhaps for emergency maneuvers.
Later, driving the top edition with that 3.4-liter V6,
I followed a narrow twisting route through a ravine, where a series of S-curves and washboard rollers created a challenge for any vehicle.
My car steered through this dicey set with little effort expended and only a slight deviation registered in lateral body movement.
It subtly suggested there might be more to give, more to push toward the limits.
With a convertible, though, performance isn't the key: It's how many heads will turn as you drive past, and this one passed that test with stellar numbers as I rolled through a series of Michigan hamlets, snagging eyes of envy.
With a base price of $25,460 plus freight fee, Oldsmobile's Cutlass Supreme Convertible contains a serious list of standard equipment which ranges from 4-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock controls to comforts like air conditioning and power-everything, plus a tilting and leather-wrapped steering wheel, intermittent wipers, fog lamps, theft deterrent system and 16-inch R-rated tires mounted on alloy wheels.
Features exclusive to the convertible include the electrically operated power top, touring suspension components, color-keyed bumpers and power decklid release.
1995 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS SUPREME CONVERTIBLE
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1995 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS CONVERTIBLE Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size sport convertible |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size sport convertible |
| Wheelbase: |
107.5 inches |
| Overall Length: |
193.9 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 3.1-L V6
DOHC 3.4-L V6 24v
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
3.1-L: 19/29 mpg
3.4-L: 17/26 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 26,000 to $ 28,500 |
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