The Pontiac Fiero 1984-1988
From wikipedia.org, June 13, 2007 version
Once a dream originally envisioned by John DeLorean (inspired by his Pontiac Banshee prototype), the Fiero -- meaning "proud" in Italian and also "fierce" in Spanish -- was designed by Hulki Aldikacti as a Pontiac sports car. The Fiero was the first two-seater Pontiac since the 1926 to 1938 coupes, and also the first mass-produced mid-engine sports car by a U.S. manufacturer. Additionally, many technologies incorporated in the Fiero design were radical for its time. Alternative names considered for the car were Sprint, P3000, Pegasus, Fiamma, Sunfire, and Firebird XP. The Fiero 2M4 (2-seat, Mid-engine, 4-cylinder) was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1984. The 1984 Fiero was the Official Pace Car of the Indianapolis 500 for 1984, beating out the new 1984 Corvette for the honor.
Already selling the Chevrolet Corvette, General Motors management and accountants were opposed to investing in a second two-seater sports car. But in 1979, during the infamous oil-crisis, management saw a market opportunity for a fuel-efficient sporty commuter car and design work on the Fiero commenced. To this end, it was fitted with an extra-fuel-efficient version of Pontiac's 2.5L 4-cylinder engine capable of 27 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway with the economy 5-speed transmission option, but the 3-speed automatic reduced highway mileage to only 32 mpg. It was impressive mileage for a 2.5 liter engine of the period, and still good by today's standards. In this respect, the Fiero would appeal to a market niche for which the Chevrolet Corvette with its V8 engine was unsuitable.
A mid-engine layout was chosen as a way to reduce both aerodynamic drag and vehicle weight to improve fuel efficiency, and also for it's handling, traction, and braking benefits. The sports car potential of the mid-engine layout was not fully realized when the Fiero debuted. In line with its market position, the tires, brakes, and some suspension components were carried over from other GM economy cars (like the Chevrolet Citation and Chevrolet Chevette) so the Fiero could be priced appropriately. As a result, the handling and cornering abilities of the initial Fiero were merely on par with other contemporary sporty coupes (Road & Track 1985). The public had high expectations for the Fiero with its mid-engine layout and futuristic styling which resembles more exotic mid-engine sports cars costing much more. While initially garnering good reviews for its handling (Motor Trend 1984), the Fiero soon received disappointing reviews, as the automotive critics expected higher performance from a mid-engine two-seater. Despite the critical press, the Fiero sold extremely well and Pontiac operated three shifts at the factory during 1984, and could not keep up with initial demand.
The sharing of suspension components with other GM cars meant the rear suspension and powertrain was almost identical to that of the Chevrolet Citation and Pontiac Phoenix; the Fiero even included rear tie rod ends attached to a "steering knuckle", although these were hard-mounted to the engine cradle and only used for maintaining the rear tire alignment. Chevrolet Chevette enthusiasts found they could upgrade their undersized brakes and rotors using Fiero parts.
By 1985, the oil-crisis was a thing of the past and demand developed for a Fiero having more engine power and better sports car performance. Pontiac responded by introducing the GT model which included upgraded suspension tuning, wider tires, and a V6 engine having 43 additional horsepower compared to the base 4-cylinder. In 1986, the GT model was restyled to look even more sleek.
Numerous changes were made to the 1988 Fiero. The most significant was a completely redesigned suspension (and parts of the space frame) to realize the potential of the mid-engine layout. Now original to the Fiero, the new adjustable race-bred suspension included lighter aluminum brake calipers and upgraded brake rotors for 1988. The available 4 & 6-cylinder engines benefitted from evolutionary improvements, but the planned availability of turbochargers and newer DOHC engines did not happen before production ended. Officially, production ended because of an internal GM forecast of insufficient future profits due to an expected decrease in overall demand for two-seater sports cars. The forecast may have been a year premature, as the actual sales in 1988 were lower than prior years but still double the forecast. The Fiero was still turning a small profit for the company even in its final year.
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