Straight-Piped Pontiac Grand Prix GXP Sounds Like Thunder, Doesn't Shine Like Lightning

The most affordable versions of the final Pontiac Grand Prix came with a choice of two V6 engines, making 200 and 260 horsepower. As for the one missed by the petrolhead crowd, it added the GXP suffix to signal the presence of a sportier mill under the hood, joined by the uprated brakes, re-tunes chassis, revised bodywork, and different alloys.

The firepower came from an LS4 motor that was based on the LS1 block. The 5.3-liter V8 was good for 303 horsepower (307 ps/226 kW) back in the day and was rated at 323 pound-feet (438 Nm) of torque. A four-speed automatic transmission delivered the output and thrust to the front wheels, and this muscly sedan could sprint to sixty miles an hour (97 kph) in less than six seconds.

Any car packing a V8 engine sounds good, though certain owners demand a louder noise to let everyone know that they're passing by, and so does the owner of this Pontiac Grand Prix GXP. Part of the 2008 model year, the last one for this series, the muscly four-door machine paid a visit recently to a tuning shop specialized in exhaust systems to get straight pipes.

This recipe is a great way to turn gasoline into noise every time you press the right pedal, and we've got to admit that this Pontiac Grand Prix GXP sounds like pure thunder courtesy of this modification. Its young owner has, thus, achieved the look-at-me status, and we think his neighbors aren't going to appreciate this mod. After all, no one wants to hear a loud V8 engine late at night or early in the morning, right?

The muscle sedan in question looks like a properly maintained example with the usual amount of wear for a car that is over 15 years old. It has a black paint finish, rides on five-spoke alloys that spin around the brake calipers with a red look, and features some sticks on the side skirts and front fenders. The rear privacy windows complete the look, and it also comes with a touch of chrome on the grille.

We're not going to complain about the engine, as a naturally aspirated V8 is a better choice compared to a smaller turbocharged unit with similar power. But as we already mentioned in the intro, the Pontiac Grand Prix hasn't aged well at all, and we're not fans of the GXP's look either. We hope you feel the same, or it would be an awkward way to end this story.