The Pontiac Tempest was a vehicle manufactured by the Pontiac Motor Division as an entry-level compact car. It was introduced in 1960 during the month of September and shared a Y-platform with the Buick Skylark, Buick Special, Oldsmobile F-85 and Cutlass.

In 1964, the platform was redesigned into a full-sized frame and was renamed A-body. The Tempest name was discontinued in 1970 and renamed Le Mans. The Le Mans name had already previously been used for versions of the series that were considered more upmarket.

The designer of the Pontiac Tempest was John Z. DeLorean who would later become famous for starting the DeLorean Motor Company. In 1961, the Tempest was named the Car of the Year in Trend Magazine. It was praised in Road & Truck as having plenty of room and for being one of the best utility cars since the Model A Ford.

There were a total of four models to choose from. The lineup included a sedan, station wagon, convertible and coupe and these were the basic Tempest models. Customers who wanted more luxury could buy a deluxe convertible or coupe under the Tempest Le Mans line. In 1964, the car was redesigned and enlarged from a compact-sized car to an intermediate size.

In 1968, the Pontiac Tempest was again restyled with a more rounded profile, a return to its former horizontal headlights and windshield wipers that were concealed. In 1970, the Tempest name was phased out and replaced by the new T-37 series. After 1971, the T-37 was dropped and the Le Mans nameplate was used for all of the 1972 Pontiac intermediate-sized vehicles. The only intermediate that did not take the Le Mans name was the GTO.

A compact version of the L-body Chevrolet Corsica was marketed as a Tempest and was for sale only in Canada, starting in 1987. Between 1987 and 1991, the car came with a couple of trim levels that were the same as the US Corsica LT and the US Corsica LTZ. The transmission was available in 4-speed and 5-speed automatic as well as 5-speed manual. The Tempest was discontinued in 1991 and was replaced with the Grand Prix sedan.