Under the hood, the 2000 SSEi didn’t change much across the last eight years, with 205 hp and a 17 city, 27 highway mpg economy competing with the likes of the Chevrolet Lumina (175 hp) and Volvo S70 (236 hp).

Pontiac’s most luxurious Bonneville had been born from the company’s desire to develop more of a speedy, powerful image, as Jenkins’ performances on the Bonneville Salt Flats had demonstrated. Doing so, however, is a matter of more than just what’s under the hood. It’s also about raw aesthetics. Departing from tradition, the 2000 SSE lacked the sportier look that became synonymous with the SSEi model. This helped to set it apart in the Bonneville family, and it retained a suite of mod cons, including luxurious leather seats, up to three different sockets, and a streamlined yet sophisticated display system.

This year, the SSEi opened up customization options for drivers, including dispensing with the supercharger if preferred (it cost approximately $1,200, Car and Driver estimated at the time) and adding a sunroof. For the rest of the SSEi’s life until the arrival of the GXP trim (pictured above), Pontiac would add such options for drivers.

[Image by IFCAR via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and Scaled | Public Domain]