n 1990, work began on a redesigned Grand Prix alongside other W-body cars under design chief John Manoogian II. By 1993, a final design was approved and show concept developed during the latter half of 1994. On January 4, 1995, General Motors unveiled the 300 GPX Concept at the 1995 Detroit Auto Show in Detroit. This was a near-exact preview of a redesign for the Grand Prix, due within the 1996 calendar year. In January 1996, the 1997 Grand Prix was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show. Promoted for its "wide track" appearance and racy styling, this second-generation W-body Grand Prix sold well.[31]

On the YouTube Rare Classic Cars & Automotive Historychannel, Manoogian conducted a number of interviews about his and his team's seminal idea for the seventh generation Grand Prix: "a Learjet for the ground."[32] They proposed a coupé, but also a sedan that would straddle aspects of a coupé, sacrificing the more "upright, wear your hat utility"[32] of a traditional sedan — for the sleekness of a coupé.[32] Responding to Pontiac's marketing credo, We Build Excitement, Manoogian felt the idea would be well received and was able to convince his management, decades before numerous prominent examples of four-door coupésarrived on the market, namely the Volkswagen CC and Volkswagen Arteon and Mercedes CLA.