A Pontiac Fiero Raised by A Pack of Corvettes

Did you know, that GM has only made three cars that don’t have their engines located ahead of the driver? Until 2019, it was just the Corvair and the Fiero, and then in 2020, the C8 Corvette was added to the list. One might think the Corvair was the most derided and misunderstood, but we think it was the mid-engined Pontiac Fiero that debuted in 1984.

The Fiero project was “sold” to GM beancounters as a two-seater “commuter car” that would lift most of its components from the General’s vast parts bin. It mounted the X-Car’s transverse 2.5L Iron Duke four-cylinder and transaxle behind the front seats and nicked the front suspension from the Chevette.

Photo: Fiero Project

It married these sub-assemblies to an innovative space frame steel chassis cloaked in SMC (sheet molded compound) body panels attached with a proprietary fastener system.

Pontiac was the assigned homeroom for the Fiero’s development, and the chief engineer was Hulki Aldikacti, a Turkish-born executive with years of automotive experience under his belt. The two-seater’s development budget, from drawing board to showroom, was 400 million dollars, a fraction of a normal GM project.

Photo: General Motors

It was rushed into production, and it caused a sensation, selling 136,000 units in 1984. The 1984 model had a notchback body style, a four-cylinder engine, and an automatic or four-speed transaxle. Over its five-year product cycle, it received a V6, a fastback model, a five-speed transmission, and various trim levels, including a Pace Car version, GT model, and Formula.

Photo: Cars and Bids

The 1988 model ironed out most of the foibles from the earlier models, including a new, unique front suspension system. Sadly, it was too late for Fiero, as sales began to slide, and it gained an undeserved reputation as fire-prone. Pontiac built almost 400,000 of them through five years of production, and 1988 was its last year.

With so many built, and plentiful on the used car market, the Pontiac Fiero gained status as a platform to hop up. Many “Ferrari” Fieros were built by backyard mechanics and soon folks were shoehorning small-block Chevy V8s sideways between the rear wheels. We stumbled upon such a conversion over on Doug DeMuro’s Cars and Bids and it’s quite nice.

Photo: Cars and Bids

The heart of the transformation is a supercharged LT1 5.7-liter V8 engine, replacing the original 2.5-liter four-cylinder. This engine is paired with a 5-speed manual transmission, providing a hair-raising ride. To handle the increased power, the Fiero has also received many mechanical upgrades, including a reinforced engine cradle, upgraded suspension, and beefed-up brakes.

Photo: Cars and Bids

Beyond the mechanical enhancements, the Fiero has also been given a cosmetic freshening. The exterior has been repainted in a Pace Car-like white and gray color scheme, and the interior has been reupholstered in a high-contrast red and gray color scheme. A Chase Race 6-point roll cage has also been added for safety.

Photo: Cars and Bids

Like many C4 Corvettes, the Pontiac Fiero has seen its fair share of hideous “customizations.” This one is fairly tasteful and doesn’t squash the coolness of the original design. The interior is a bit loud but not a deal breaker. We can only imagine how fast his thing is with the supercharged Gen II Chevrolet LT1 V8.

Photo: Cars and Bids

Lastly, unless built by a truly talented driveway DaVinci, or the friggin Ring Brothers, most modified cars have diminished value. So what’s this thing worth? The car sold for $11,000 with 11 bids. We think the new buyer got a helluva street rod and should be the belle of the ball at any car meet, not to mention the dragstrip.