GM learned a lot from the X body cars, since all of its later cars would be front wheel drive. Many of the good ideas of the pioneering technology of these cars would be used in all of its vehicles.
To name just a few, front wheel drive at GM brought about:
-Transversely mounted engines and transmissions
-Rack and Pinion steering
-MacPherson strut front suspension
-Lubed for life wheel bearings
Other firsts included:
-"Slip-stream" aerodynamic body styling
-Computer Command Control (CCC) emission control computer
-Front wheel drive transmission (transaxle) with its own internally
incorporated planetary differential
-Transmission with torque converter clutch on later (1983 on) models
[though some rear wheel drive GMs had TCC as early as 1981]