vans, the Lumina Vanâ€"{originally designated the APV) and the Pontiac Trans Sport, is one of life‘s more puzzling mysâ€" teries. Given the past record of extreme automotive designs, one would think that anything unique or bizarre coming from the design studios of the world‘s largest carmaker would be merely a spuirce of amusement at the board table. In the ‘20s and *308, designs that were too far ahead of their time were doomed. The Nash Motor Car Company took some tremendous financial losses on models that were a bit beyond the norm. In more recent times, one just has to think back to the "70s, when Americart Motors tried to move autoâ€" motive design ahead with the "Pacer": The lesson in all of this for the automotive m'.d;z‘thwu‘c l:{mm: ready to take quiantum leaps in their perceptions â€" tional beauty. So why the APV (All Purpose Vehicle)? By Mike Williamsâ€" _ Some things in life just seem to defy all reason. For myself, the popularity of GM‘s midsize passenger Trans Sport SE is a great vehicle to drive Basically, the Pontiae Trans Sport and the Lumina Van mesielss chates i n hnd mEmul SSR IF CARS HAD EGOS w OURS WOULDN‘T FiT ~~Bâ€"K MOTORS 485 King St. North Waterloo, Ontario (519) 885â€"5090 â€" â€" are the same vehicle with the differences being limited to the small styling cues that GM uses to give the individual divisions their unique identity. The Pontiac is designated as the sportier of the two. In the latter part of the 1980s, GM redesigned their entire midsize line and decided to add a passenger van version to it. Mini vans were continuing to increase in popularity so it was only logical to add a vehicle that had the room of a truck and the feel of a car. The idea was to woo those who could use the extra room but could not gee themselves in a truck. One can thus think of the Trans Sport as a Grand Prix with reom for seven! Now, personally this vehicle has never appealed to me. It just plain looks too much like something out of a time warp. I am not alone with my thoughts on this but I can‘t deny the success that these vehicles have had. For 1994, both the Trans Sport and the Lumina Van have received a facelift that does indeed help both vehicles to look better than their predecessors. New front lights and grills create a softer and rounder appearance and are a welcome change to the previâ€" plemental restraint system (dual air bags), receiving these awards docen‘t come as a complete surprise. : ‘Test drive the new 850 Sportswagon and Turbo Sedan. And don‘t worry, if you buy a Voive you won‘t have to add on â€"to your garage to park it. a 8)" 5 L e Mmumudhn&y.hhmmwm ~â€"Of eourse, when you introduce two new cars that manage to combine the exhilaration of cither a 168â€"horsepower or 222â€"horsepower turbo engine with the security of a driver and passenger side supâ€" L ~‘â€".> You can follow your heart: You can listen to logic. 9 Or you can testâ€"drive a Saab and do both. _ __ A RARE COLLABORATION of Canada. Porsche is a reg. TM of Dr. Ing HC.F. Porsche AG. 9008 450 Beimont Ave. W., Kit 744â€"5811 and remain one of this vehicle‘s more unique features. Mounted high up on the rear pillars, they are very visible and distinguishable at night. The windshield is huge, with a very steep rake to it, giving the Trans Sport a spaceshipâ€"type been reminded of the high speed European trains when I look at one. In attempting to maintain a carâ€"like image, styled wheels and trim have been carefully selected. From the waistline down, the Trans Sport could be easily misâ€" taken for the sexy Grand Prix Coupe. Okay, I‘m still not a big fan of the looks but after spending a week with the Trans Sport I can tell you that this is a very enjoyable vehicle to drive. I just loved getting in and sliding a Tim Horton‘s large right into the convenient cup holders. Inside the Trans Sport, the finish and appointments are as we would expect from an upscale car. The cloth interior is rugged and looks like it will stand some wear. Captain‘s bucket seats sit high and are firm and comfortable. Controls 1994 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT SE YOLNO KIT C HE NE R (Continued on page 34