The Geo Storm was a sport compact car manufactured by Isuzu and sold in the United States by General Motors from 1990 through 1993 as part of GM's Geo line of inexpensive automobiles. The same vehicles, with minor variations, were sold in Canada in the 1992 & 1993 model years only. The Storm was intended to be a budget car with the look and feel of a sports car. It replaced the related Geo Spectrum, which was sold in hatchback and sedan, and like its predecessor, it is only sold in 2-door hatchback and station wagon. The automatic gear selector in a Ford Five Hundred vehicle An automatic transmission (commonly abbreviated as AT) is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, thus freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually (similar but larger devices are also used for railroad... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Kerb (sometimes mis-spelled as curb by Americans) weight is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables (such as motor oil and coolant), a full tank of fuel and not loaded with either passengers or cargo. ... The Isuzu Gemini was a compact car built by Isuzu and sold from 1974 through 2000. ... The Isuzu Stylus was a compact car sold from 1991 through 1993. ... The Isuzu Impulse was a small sporty 3-door hatchback (though always classified as a coupé by Isuzu) sold from 1981 through to 1992. ... The Isuzu Impulse was a small sporty 3-door hatchback sold from 1983 through 1992. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Isuzu Impulse. ... The Geo Storm was a sport compact car manufactured by Isuzu and sold in the United States by General Motors from 1990 through 1993 as part of GMs Geo line of inexpensive automobiles. ... The Asüna Sunfire was a version of the Isuzu Impulse, sold only in Canada for the 1993 model year. ... The Isuzu I-Mark was an unremarkable compact car sold in the United States for just two years, 1988 and 1989. ... The Geo Spectrum was a subcompact car. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Automotive design. ... Giorgetto Giugiaro (b. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Hot hatch. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about a truck manufacturer. ... General Motors Corporation, also known as GM or The General, an American multinational conglomerate corporation, is the worlds largest auto company by annual production volume for 2006, and the second largest by sales volume as of the first half of 2007, behind Toyota Motor Corporation. ... Geo was a brand of small cars and SUVs marketed by General Motors and sold through Chevrolet dealerships throughout North America beginning in 1989 in the United States, and 1992 in Canada. ... The Geo Spectrum was a subcompact car. ... Renault Megane hatchback, a proper hatchback which has shown huge success in Europe Peugeot 306 hatchback, with the hatch lifted and the parcel shelf tilted for access Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by... A notchback full-size luxury sedan. ... Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage, though station wagon is widely used) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ...

The Geo Storm was a rebadged version of the sporty Isuzu Impulse minus some of that car's more expensive features. The Storm and the Impulse were sold in Japan as the Gemini Coupe^[1]. The Storm lacked the Impulse's Lotus-tuned suspension as well as the Impulse's optional turbocharger and all-wheel drive transmission. Although they were essentially the same car, sales of the Storm were much stronger than those of the Impulse—indeed, the Storm sold better than most small GM cars of that era. Slow sales of the Isuzu version doomed the Storm as when the Isuzu Impulse was canceled, the Geo Storm derivative had nothing to be built from, meaning both cars were discontinued in 1993. Badge engineering is a term that describes the rebadging of one model of car as another. ... The Isuzu Impulse was a small sporty 3-door hatchback (though always classified as a coupé by Isuzu) sold from 1981 through to 1992. ... Lotus Logo with monogram of its founder, Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at Hethel, Norfolk, England. ... Air foil bearing-supported turbocharger cutaway made by Mohawk Innovative Technology Inc. ... Four wheel drive or 4x4, is a type of four wheeled vehicle drivetrain configuration that enables all four wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously in order to provide maximum traction. ...

The Storm was manufactured at Isuzu's main plant in Fujisawa, Kangawa, Japan. The Storm and Impulse was sold in Canada by GM as the Asüna Sunfire. The Asüna Sunfire was a version of the Isuzu Impulse, sold only in Canada for the 1993 model year. ...

Versions

The most common body style for the Storm was a three-door hatchback. The 1990 and 1991 hatchbacks were produced in two trim packages, but all Storms shared front disk and rear drum brakes and had an anti-sway bar to tighten the front suspension. The base model was priced at $10,390, and the GSi was $11,650 .USD^[2] Renault Megane hatchback, a proper hatchback which has shown huge success in Europe Peugeot 306 hatchback, with the hatch lifted and the parcel shelf tilted for access Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...

1991 PA-NERO (Japan spec)

The base model's SOHC engine produced 95 hp (71 kW) and had a 9.1:1 compression ratio.^[3] The more powerful 1990-1991 GSi used a 1.6L DOHC engine that produced 130 hp (97 kW) and had a 9.8:1 compression ratio.^[4]. The GSi package also included driving lights, a spoiler, a rear anti-sway bar, and a transmission with a gear ratio that was slightly better for acceleration^[5] than the base model's transmission. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x1024, 337 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Geo Storm Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x1024, 337 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Geo Storm Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... Single overhead cam (also SOHC) refers to the internal combustion engine design where one camshaft is located above the valves. ... A double overhead cam (also called a dual overhead cam, DOHC, or twincam) engine is a type of internal combustion engine where the camshafts that operate the intake and exhaust valves are mounted above the cylinders, and where there are separate camshafts for inlet and exhaust valves. ...

For 1991 and 1992, customers had the option of purchasing a two-door station wagon body style, also called a wagonback. The base price of the station wagon was $11,450, and it was never offered with the stronger GSi engine. Oddly, the station wagon was marketed as a "hatchback" and the normal Storm - an actual hatchback - was marketed as a "coupé"^[6]. Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage, though station wagon is widely used) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ... The Peugeot 406 Coupé, designed by Pininfarina 1990 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC coupé, noted for its large, angular design 1997 Rover Vitesse Coupe, club coupé Rover P5 Coupe, a traditional four-door coupé Mercedes CLS, a modern four-door coupé Gala-Coupé of Leopold II, Brussels 1970s Sunbeam Alpine fastback coup...

1992 Geo Storm WagonBack

In 1992, the Storm was restyled to have a smoother front fascia without the pop-up headlight covers on earlier models. The 1992–93 base models retained the same engine, features, and price that were on the earlier car, with slight interior changes such as different stereos, revised rear speaker locations, and interior trim and upholstery. The GSi version from these years cost considerably more ($13,645–14,560) but this price included a larger 1.8 L 140 hp (104 kW) engine. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1056x690, 105 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Geo Storm Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1056x690, 105 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Geo Storm Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... The liter (spelled liter in American English and litre in Commonwealth English) is a unit of volume. ... This article is about a unit of measurement. ... For other uses, see Watt (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Engine (disambiguation). ...

Performance

1990 Geo Storm GSi hatchback in autocross

Modern sport compacts have faster acceleration and better handling, but the performance figures for the Storm were quite respectable for an economical compact car from that era. AutoWeek's 1990 review of the storm was titled "Slick, Quick And Inexpensive", and described the car as "a good performer" that "handles better than the average new car."^[7] When Road & Track compared ten sport compact cars they said the Storm had "the highest skidpad rating (0.85 g), sticks like pine tar to the autocross course, is second-quickest through the slalom and stops shorter from 80 mph (129 km/h) than many highly respected sports cars".^[8] Image File history File linksMetadata StormAutoX3. ... Image File history File linksMetadata StormAutoX3. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Hot hatch. ... AutoWeek is a weekly automobile magazine based in Detroit, Michigan. ... Road & Track is an automobile enthusiast magazine in the United States, founded by two friends in 1947. ... A Skidpad is a large, circular area of flat pavement used for various tests of a cars handling. ... Mini Cooper participating in an autocross event Autocross is a form of motorsports that emphasizes safe, low-cost competition and active participation. ...

Skid pad test figures ranged from 0.81 g^[9] to 0.85 g,^[10] meeting or exceeding those of the Mazda RX-7 convertible.^[11] Sport Compact Car listed the storm as number three in their "Top Ten of 1992".^[12] Hot Rod Magazine's Jeff Smith drove a Geo Storm that was set up for SCCA Super Production^[13] racing and declared it to be "every bit as demanding and fun" as racing a Trans-Am series car.^[14] The Mazda RX-7 (also called the Ẽfini RX-7) is a sports car produced by the Japanese automaker Mazda from 1978 to 2002. ... Sport Compact Car is a magazine that focuses on racing and modifying compact sports cars. ... Cover of Hot Rod magazine, featuring Don Garlits dragster Hot Rod magazine is the oldest magazines devoted to the hobby of hot rodding, modifying automobiles for performance and appearance, having been published since 1948. ... The SCCA could be considered the grass-roots level of auto racing in the United States. ...

Two different Geo Storm Celebrity Races^[15] were held in 1991, the first on July 13 in Des Moines, Iowa, and the second on August 24 in Denver, Colorado. Although they are not the most common type of race cars, modified Storms are still occasionally used to compete in road racing, drag racing and autocross. One of the 2003 entries in the Grassroots Motorsports Challenge was a Storm GSi.^[16] is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... “Des Moines” redirects here. ... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location of Denver in Colorado Location of Colorado in the United States Coordinates: , Country State Founded [1] November 22, 1858 Incorporated November 7, 1861 Government  - Type Strong Mayor/Weak Council  - Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) Area [1]  - City & County  154. ... Road racing can be a term involving road running, road bicycle races, or automobile races. ... Drag racing is a sport in which cars race down a track with a set distance as fast as possible. ... Mini Cooper participating in an autocross event Autocross is a form of motorsports that emphasizes safe, low-cost competition and active participation. ... Image:Grassroots Motorsports-December 2005. ...

Reviews

The Storm sold well and was popular with owners, despite getting mixed reviews from automotive magazines. The body styling was "mildly controversial".^[20] Kevin Smith of Car and Driver used phrases like "Planet Zarkon" and "space-capsulish" to describe the body, which he listed as one of the best and worst features of the Storm.^[21] AutoWeek said that college-aged people tended to "shower the Storm with attention", but that baby boomers tended to "think that at best, the Storm is unusual looking, at worst, odd."^[22] Cover of Car and Driver from age of psychedelic lettering Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. ... For the video game, see Baby Boomer (video game). ...

The shape of the body was not the only thing automotive journalists criticized. The engine was described as a "buzzbomb"^[23] or "just plain noisy".^[24] A few reviewers disliked the suspension, saying the storm has "above average body lean and needs more rebound control".^[25] Some complained about the small cargo area, visibility and the absence of headroom for backseat passengers.^[26]

Other aspects of the Storm were more popular with magazine test drivers. Many praised the wide power band of the engine. AutoWeek said, "It revs quickly and easily. Running up to the 7600 rpm redline can be a delight."^[27] Automobile Magazine liked the handling, saying, "It's a delight to negotiate twisty...roads with its firm yet compliant suspension." For other uses, see Revolutions per minute (disambiguation). ... Automobile Magazine is an automobile magazine in the United States. ...

Still on the road

It has been over a decade since Geo Storms were produced, but they can still be found in the used car market where their primary selling points tend to be low cost and reliability, features that make them ideal cars for student commuters. Hot Rod magazine's Jeff Smith said, "The Storm is also exceptionally durable and easy to maintain."^[28]

Year to year changes

1991: A "hatchback" (station wagon/wagonback) model was added, other than that, the Storm carried on unchanged.^[29]

1992: All three models of the Storm got a new headlight cluster, tail light, and front clip. The GSI version also got a new spoiler and a larger DOHC engine which offered 10 extra hp.^[30]

1993: The wagonback was dropped, and the hp rating of the base model dropped from 95 to 90 which would be the Storm's final season.^[31]

Overall, there were six versions of the storm; the GSi, station wagon and base models were all produced with both the original flip-up lights design and with the smoother look of the 1992-1993 model years^[32] . A double overhead cam (also called a dual overhead cam, DOHC, or twincam) engine is a type of internal combustion engine where the camshafts that operate the intake and exhaust valves are mounted above the cylinders, and where there are separate camshafts for inlet and exhaust valves. ...

References

1. ^  History of the Gemini series of cars from Isuzu.

1. ^ Geo Storm GSi. (includes related articles) (evaluation). John Phillips III, Larry Griffin, Nicholas Bissoon-Dath and David Kunkler. Car and Driver v35.n11 (May 1990): pp61(5). (2378 words)
2. ^  Geo Storm Specifications
3. ^ Geo Storm Hatchback. (evaluation). Phil Berg. Car and Driver v36.n10 (April 1991): pp165(2). (836 words)
4. ^ Slick, Quick and Inexpensive, Autoweek, April 16, 1990 (includes their own review, as well as quotes from owners and from the staff of other magazines like Motortrend, Car and Driver, and Automobile magazines.)
5. ^ "Little squirts: ten sporty point-and-shoot cars for a price that won't soak you. (includes related rating information from six reader/testers) (Evaluation). Kott, Douglas. Road & Track 44.n9 (May 1993): 56(12).
6. ^ "Top Ten of 1992; #3 Geo Storm". Alan Paradise. Sport Compact Car. August 1992. P. 27-28.
7. ^  SpeedWorld's explanation of Super Production cars and the World Escort Challenge
8. ^ Storm Warning; Customizing Chevrolet Geo Storms for Racing. Jeff Smith. Hot Rod. November 1991. P. 60-62.
9. ^  Information on Geo Storm Celebrity Races
10. ^  photos from the 2003 GRM challenge
11. ^ The Bonsai GTs. (comparison test of the Nissan NX2000, Geo Storm GSi and Mazda MX-3 GS) (includes article on the retirement of the Honda CRX) (evaluation). Richard Ceppos. Car and Driver v37.n5 (Nov 1991): pp112(7). (1941 words) From Professional Collection.
12. ^  Consumerguide review on the Geo Storm
13. ^  CarTalk survey results for Storm Owners
14. ^ "Eleven for thirteen. (quality sports cars under $13,000) (evaluation)." Smith, Kevin. Car and Driver 35.n12 (June 1990): 46(13)
15. ^ Industry News (Race Prepped Storms). Sport Compact Car. Summer 1991.
16. ^ Geo Storm. All Chevy. November 1989.
17. ^ Geo Storm. Super Chevy. December 1989.
18. ^  This site has pictures of all storm versions

is the 106th day of the year (107th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ...

External links

• Geo Storm History
• Storm pricing and specifications
• In its first year, the Geo Storm outsold GM's Cavalier, Sunbird, Corsica, and Beretta
• Storm Addicts Website

Racing

• Isupage
• Steve Lockett's Storm configured for SCCA Improved Touring (ITB) Road Racing
• Video: Steve Lockett's 10.9 pass beats a camero at the drag strip
• Geo Storm autocrossing.