Oldsmobile Aurora

The Oldsmobile Aurora was a luxury car made by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors and launched in 1995. It was a luxurious 4-door sedan riding on the same Cadillac-derived G platform as the 2-door Buick Riviera. Since the demise of the Ninety Eight in 1996, the Aurora became the flagship Oldsmobile. Also, in a way, it is the successor of the Ninety-Eight or the Eighty-Eight (at least for 2000). A V6-powered version was introduced in 2001 to supplant the Eighty-Eight and the LSS. It was introduced to bring new life to Oldsmobile, but did not display the Oldsmobile name on the exterior. There was also a rumor at the time that the name of the whole Oldsmobile marque would be changed to simply "Aurora."

See Wikicars' comprehensive  Review.

Second Generation (2001–2003)
Oldsmobile's original intention for the second generation was to move the Aurora further upmarket, retaining its V8-only drivetrain and sharing a platform with the new Buick Riviera, as the original Aurora had done. This would have created more room within the Oldsmobile lineup for a four-door Eighty-Eight successor known as the Antares. However, Buick dropped its Riviera development plans and fiscal trouble found Oldsmobile, so Oldsmobile was forced to re-engineer the Antares into an acceptable Aurora in short time. Still using the G-body design, the re-engineered aurora was the result, but retaining it's 4.0 V8 northstar still mounted to a 4T80E.

Oldsmobile also offered a V6 engine in the Aurora for the first time. The V6 in question was the LX5, a cut-down relation of the DOHC Aurora V8, dubbed the "Shortstar." The V6-powered Aurora was produced for the 2001 and 2002 model years only, with production ceasing in mid-2002. This engine transferred power to the wheels using the GM 4T65E.

The second generation Aurora went into production on November 10, 1999. The last V6-powered Auroras rolled off the assembly line on June 21, 2002. The Final 500 Auroras ended production on March 28, 2003. These were all a special burgandy color, had special chrome wheels, and Final 500 badging. The Orion, Michigan plant built a total of 71,722 second-generation Auroras (53,640 in 2001, 10,865 in 2002, 7,217 in 2003).

2nd Generation Engines:


 * 2001-2002: 3.5 L (214 in³) LX5 V6, 215 hp @ 5600 rpm, 230 ft·lbf torque @ 4400 rpm.
 * 2001-2003: 4.0 L (244 in³)L47 V8, 250 hp @ 5600 rpm, 260 ft·lbf torque @ 4400 rpm.

First Generation (1995-1999)
The 1995 Aurora introduced Oldsmobile's "Aurora" L47 V8, a DOHC engine based on Cadillac's 4.6 L Northstar V8. The Northstar engine and 4T-80E had been exclusive to Cadillac prior to the Aurora. The Aurora was highly regarded at the time for its refined engine, excellent build quality, well-balanced ride, and structural integrity. In fact, during normal crush-to-failure tests done by automakers to evalute body rigidity, the Aurora's unibody construction actually broke GM's testing machine. A frame-crusher otherwise used to test stronger truck frames had to be used instead, with the car exceeding federal standards for passenger cars by two times.

As a symbol of its clean break from other cars in the lineup, the Aurora bore no Oldsmobile badging or script, except on the cassette deck and engine cover. Oldsmobile quickly launched other new models with the Aurora "look," including the all-new Intrigue and Alero, the refreshed Eighty-Eight, and even updated the division's "rocket" logo to be more visually in-line with the Aurora's emblem. The 1997 redesign of the Silhouette and the 2002 redesign of the Bravada also saw the "Aurora look" on their front fascia.

The first generation Aurora went into production on January 31, 1994. All Auroras were built in Lake Orion, Michigan, along with the Buick LeSabre, Buick Park Avenue, Buick Riviera, Oldsmobile 88, Oldsmobile 98 and the Pontiac Bonneville. Production of the first generation Aurora ended on June 25, 1999.

1st Generation Engine:


 * 1995-1999 L47 4.0 L (244 in³) V8, 250 hp @ 5600 rpm, 260 ft·lbf torque @ 4400 rpm.

Year-to-year changes
1996: Daytime running lights were installed in 1996 Auroras, and Oldsmobile claimed to have eliminated the distortion in the rear window, which had produced many complaints. A MAF sensor was added before the throttle body.

1997: An electronic compass was incorporated into the inside rear-view mirror this year. The right-hand outside mirror now tilted down when the car was put into reverse, allowing the driver to see the curb edge. An in-dash CD player joined the optional Bose sound system, and a 12-disc CD player could be ordered with the Bose setup.

1998: For 1998, GM modified the suspension and steering to provide a more comfortable ride and better low-speed steering feel. Also new was an optional satellite navigation system/cellular phone called OnStar.

1999: Aurora production continued through the year, but no 2000 model was offered. A redesigned 2001 model debuted early in 2000.

Build Numbers
1995: 45,677

1996: 22,349

1997: 25,579

1998: 23,955

1999: 18,729

2001: 53,640

2002: 8,576

2003: 7,217

Styles and Major Options
On the first Aurora, the only trim was the 4.0 STD sedan

First Generation Options
12-disc Bose CD-Changer Chrome Wheels Gold Package (added gold-like finish to the emblems) OnStar Safety System (on '98 and higher models)

Second Generation Options
The second generation of the Aurora had two Trim options, the 3.5 and 4.0 sedans. The options list featured most of the original's features, along with the addition of Oldsmobile's GuideStar Navigation system.

Pricing
Today's actual prices for the MAKE MODEL can be found at CarsDirect.

Gas Mileage
As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:

Trivia

 * The Aurora was the Indianapolis 500 pace car for 1997 and 2000.
 * The character of Bob Cutlass (voiced by Bob Costas) in the 2006 Disney/Pixar animated film Cars is a 1999 Aurora.
 * The car that an Upgrade Agent jumps on in the movie The Matrix Reloaded from a cop car is a 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora.
 * In the 24 Hours of LeMons, an endurance race for old cars, Car and Driver Magazine entered a 1995 Aurora and finished 17th out of 33 cars.