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The first Impulse was a coupe version of the company's I-Mark compact sedan. Debuting in 1988, the Impulse used either a 110 hp/127 ft.lbf 2.3 L (2254 cc) I4 or a 2.0 L (1975 cc) turbo engine which produced 140 hp and 133 ft.lbf. 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmissions were available.
The second-generation Impulse debuted in 1990. It was a 2+2 design with semi-concealed headlights and was available with front wheel drive or all wheel drive with center and rear viscous differentials. The suspension was all- independent with MacPherson strutThe MacPherson strut is a type of car suspension system widely used in modern vehicles. It can be used for both front and rear suspensions, but is usually found at the front, where it provides a steering pivot ( kingpin) as well as a suspension mounting fs in front and a multi-linkA multi-link suspension is a type of suspension design typically used in independent suspensions, using 3 or more lateral arms, and one or more longitudinal arms. These arms do not have to be of equal length, and may be angled away from their 'obvious' di system in back. The Impulse used a DOHC 1.6 L (1588 cc) I4 engine which produced 130 hp or, in turbo form, 160 hp. Since the Impulse weighed just 2400 lbs, the turbo engine and all wheel drive gave excellent performance.
Isuzu's parent, General MotorsGM redirects here. This article is about General Motors . For other uses, see GM (disambiguation). General Motors Corporation also known as GM is a United States-based automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevro, also owned Lotus CarsLotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports cars and racing cars based in Hethel, Norfolk, formed as Lotus Engineering Ltd. by the engineer Colin Chapman in 1952. In 1960s and 1970s Lotus was active and competitive in Formula One. Chapman died in 1982, at the time. The Elan got the Impulse's engine, and in exchange, the Impulse got Lotus suspension tuning. This included a passive rear wheel steering system which adjusted the toe of the rear wheels with a clever bushing compression design.
The base 1.6 L engine was replaced with a stroked (by 11 mm to 90 mm) 1.8 L (1794 cc) version in 1992. This larger powerplant was good for 140 hp and 125 ft.lbf. Sales remained poor, and the company to dropped the model after that year.
Impulse