I miss Pontiac. We are getting a trans am. If people today bought real sports cara and not corollas with heated seats Pontiac would still be with us. Love these fieros they r just too small for us
They didn't have a choice. Pontiac took away the perfomance out of their cars. And it's consumer base extra income and union jobs was taken away. That was the 1 2 punch for Pontiac future. The loss of the Firebird didn't help as well.
I sat in a Fiero at a Pontiac dealer while helping my mom buy a 6000LE. It was an earlier model - I believe in was an '85. I owned a 280ZX turbo at the time and loved it and wasn't looking for a new car. I would have had no idea about the time it was taking Pontiac to ramp up design improvements. Based on what I am seeing, an '88 would have been the one to have hands down. I have to admit, I'd like to drive one now...
The 88 Fieros had a suspension co developed with Lotus in the UK which GM acquired a couple years earlier. Great handling and the 88 Fiero GT with a manual is a very good sports car. Now a collectible.
Lotus' involvement has been denied by virtually everyone on the Fiero team, including Hulki Aldikacti. The 88 suspension was allegedly intended from the Fiero's getgo but GM rejected it over tooling costs, hence the Chevette/Citation parts. Once the car was profitable, Pontiac was allowed to develop it further.
At 0:13, look where the front tires are pointed...the driver didn't even try to compensate...I loved the handling of my old Fiero...if you can't drive in the first place, we can't help you.
I know right. What a total waste of time, money, and resources to completely redesign the front & rear suspension (and parts of the chassis as well), upgrading the brakes, reducing steering effort by tweaking the suspension geometry. In fact the new suspension for the 1988 model year was the suspension design that Pontiac engineers had wanted to go with from the very beginning, but unfortunately some of the bean-counting executives wouldn't allow the money & resources for it, which is why the pre-1988 Fieros had to do with a hotchpotch of Chevette front suspension and Citation front suspension which was modified to be used as the rear suspension.They finally got the car to a very competitive and appropriate level, and then they stop production. What a shame, it had SO much potential.
+Seth Thomas From what I've read there's supposed to be a noticeable difference, not only does the 88 model year handle better but it supposedly rides better too. The improvement in suspension design should make a difference in both the ride and handling, and the revised suspension geometry also reduced steering effort despite the continued lack of a power steering option in the 88 model year.
If my memory serves me right, in Motor Trend or Car & Driver or one of the auto mags, as a kid I read about the Fiero being killed and GM said in the article there was no market for a small 2-seat sports car. Then, I believe on the same page, there was a blurb about Mazda introducing a new car in '89 called the Miata. Now that is typical GM.
Great job putting the MotorWeek Fiero videos all together! Wow didn’t realize they killed it so quickly at the end! Did they ever get that new electro-hydraulic steering rack operational and installed? What a shame - the platform proved itself at the end. Did aftermarket ever do a small bolt-on supercharger for the V6? That could’ve been pumping 250hp and absolutely killed the MR2 for the same net price. 🏁
The 2.5 engine could be had in marine form and could be fitted from the Super Duty Pontiac V8 guts, bullet proof for boost. Need to add, had a friend killed in one, a Bonneville oncoming slid sideways into his path in the winter of 98. Not much protection in frontal impact with higher bodies.
times were different then don't count the fiero out though, put in 3.8 L67supercharged v6 from a grand prix and you got a car that will do burnouts all day everyday
We have one of these in the family it only has 25,000 miles on it and has t-tops and the WS6 package and the 3speed automatic, it would had been nice if it came with four speed auto with overdrive.
This all makes me think GM planned to kill Pontiac all the way through the 1980's and 90's. They got their wish and I haven't bought a GM car in years. I have owned 2 Pontiac's in my lifetime but now it's my Ford Mustang and Mazda 3.
Wow, I had an '85 GT and you could do anything in that car and there was never even a hint at spin or being twitchy. I could literally turn 90 degrees, doing 60mph, just yank the wheel hard, and the car would just go where I pointed it, at worst it would skip sideways until the tires got traction again. Now the guy that had it before me had lowered the car, so perhaps he did more to the suspension than I thought, because my experience was absolutely nothing like what they show here.
Based on price alone the test should have been the fiero formula vs the regular MR2. The mr2 was 150 percent the price of the fiero for gosh sakes. Huge difference in price
a $19K Toyota against a $13K Fiero....How fair is that? Should have been a NON supercharged MR2...the conclusion would have been more obvious. I liked the MR2, BUT it was UGLY, and in a wreck, with the Fiero getting the NHTSA safest domestic car rating all the years it was made, I wouldn't have survived it in thin skinned MR2. Seen wrecks in both, multiple times as a wrecker driver and long time bus driver...TRUST ME, you don't want to be in a wreck in the Toyota....
I had an '85 GT and loved it - but I have no issue with the test here, plus the Fiero won overall in any case. I will say I didn't have the issues with my '85 GT that they talked about with the '86 GT, it wasn't twitchy in the least - but the person who owned it before me made some suspension mods where he lowered the car, so perhaps it made a bigger difference than I thought. As for thin skinned, I'm not sure how much thinner the MR2 could have been than the Fiero, which had tiny thin doors. I did hear good things about the test ratings for front on crashes with the Fiero, but I never heard it won any safety awards. In any case I wouldn't have wanted to be hit in that car, it was basically a go-kart. But that's also why it was so fun to drive, you could do literally anything in that car and never lose control, it stuck to the ground like a vacuum cleaner.
Been in a wreck in a first gen MR2. Like the Fiero its not to bad to get in a wreck. Much better built car too. Own both. Fiero looks better,has more room and better for long trips for sure.
I miss Pontiac. We are getting a trans am. If people today bought real sports cara and not corollas with heated seats Pontiac would still be with us. Love these fieros they r just too small for us
*sighs* too much too late for a car that got to be the best . damn you GM and for getting rid of Pontiac.
They didn't have a choice. Pontiac took away the perfomance out of their cars. And it's consumer base extra income and union jobs was taken away. That was the 1 2 punch for Pontiac future. The loss of the Firebird didn't help as well.
I sat in a Fiero at a Pontiac dealer while helping my mom buy a 6000LE. It was an earlier model - I believe in was an '85. I owned a 280ZX turbo at the time and loved it and wasn't looking for a new car. I would have had no idea about the time it was taking Pontiac to ramp up design improvements. Based on what I am seeing, an '88 would have been the one to have hands down. I have to admit, I'd like to drive one now...
Forgot to point out Pontiac no-rust no-ding body built on space frame. Very innovative.
The 88 Fieros had a suspension co developed with Lotus in the UK which GM acquired a couple years earlier. Great handling and the 88 Fiero GT with a manual is a very good sports car. Now a collectible.
Lotus' involvement has been denied by virtually everyone on the Fiero team, including Hulki Aldikacti. The 88 suspension was allegedly intended from the Fiero's getgo but GM rejected it over tooling costs, hence the Chevette/Citation parts. Once the car was profitable, Pontiac was allowed to develop it further.
@@jonrev Yes you are right. Pontiac designed a system SIMILAR to Lotus. Lotus did not build that system. It even says so in Wikipedia about Fiero.
At 0:13, look where the front tires are pointed...the driver didn't even try to compensate...I loved the handling of my old Fiero...if you can't drive in the first place, we can't help you.
decent accelerations for old cars, in those days 6.5 0-60 was very fast... still brisk even today
Typical GM. Half-ass something, finally get it going on the right track and build a following, then kill it.
I know right. What a total waste of time, money, and resources to completely redesign the front & rear suspension (and parts of the chassis as well), upgrading the brakes, reducing steering effort by tweaking the suspension geometry. In fact the new suspension for the 1988 model year was the suspension design that Pontiac engineers had wanted to go with from the very beginning, but unfortunately some of the bean-counting executives wouldn't allow the money & resources for it, which is why the pre-1988 Fieros had to do with a hotchpotch of Chevette front suspension and Citation front suspension which was modified to be used as the rear suspension.They finally got the car to a very competitive and appropriate level, and then they stop production. What a shame, it had SO much potential.
I have ridden and driven a 86 V-6 but not a 88. Is there a big difference?
+Seth Thomas From what I've read there's supposed to be a noticeable difference, not only does the 88 model year handle better but it supposedly rides better too. The improvement in suspension design should make a difference in both the ride and handling, and the revised suspension geometry also reduced steering effort despite the continued lack of a power steering option in the 88 model year.
If my memory serves me right, in Motor Trend or Car & Driver or one of the auto mags, as a kid I read about the Fiero being killed and GM said in the article there was no market for a small 2-seat sports car. Then, I believe on the same page, there was a blurb about Mazda introducing a new car in '89 called the Miata. Now that is typical GM.
@@rodmunch69
The Corvette division of GM had the Fiero killed. FACT.
Great job putting the MotorWeek Fiero videos all together! Wow didn’t realize they killed it so quickly at the end! Did they ever get that new electro-hydraulic steering rack operational and installed? What a shame - the platform proved itself at the end. Did aftermarket ever do a small bolt-on supercharger for the V6? That could’ve been pumping 250hp and absolutely killed the MR2 for the same net price. 🏁
The 2.5 engine could be had in marine form and could be fitted from the Super Duty Pontiac V8 guts, bullet proof for boost.
Need to add, had a friend killed in one, a Bonneville oncoming slid sideways into his path in the winter of 98. Not much protection in frontal impact with higher bodies.
H K Angel Dang - sorry for your friend! 🙏🏼
Too bad 1988 was the last year...
times were different then don't count the fiero out though, put in 3.8 L67supercharged v6 from a grand prix and you got a car that will do burnouts all day everyday
We have one of these in the family it only has 25,000 miles on it and has t-tops and the WS6 package and the 3speed automatic, it would had been nice if it came with four speed auto with overdrive.
This all makes me think GM planned to kill Pontiac all the way through the 1980's and 90's. They got their wish and I haven't bought a GM car in years. I have owned 2 Pontiac's in my lifetime but now it's my Ford Mustang and Mazda 3.
a man this video was cool when i see that the voices are out of place i whas awwwwwwww
Wow, I had an '85 GT and you could do anything in that car and there was never even a hint at spin or being twitchy. I could literally turn 90 degrees, doing 60mph, just yank the wheel hard, and the car would just go where I pointed it, at worst it would skip sideways until the tires got traction again. Now the guy that had it before me had lowered the car, so perhaps he did more to the suspension than I thought, because my experience was absolutely nothing like what they show here.
Based on price alone the test should have been the fiero formula vs the regular MR2. The mr2 was 150 percent the price of the fiero for gosh sakes. Huge difference in price
The demise of the Fiero was a precursor of what was to come of the entire brand 20 years later.....
Guys with 88s are having trouble finding certain parts like wheel bearings.
fiero jest SUPER AUTEM MAM WIEM JEST ZAJEB.......
pause at 04:16 ****THIS VIDEO IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!**** unpause
but why?
probably just translated from JAPANESE!!!!!
a $19K Toyota against a $13K Fiero....How fair is that? Should have been a NON supercharged MR2...the conclusion would have been more obvious. I liked the MR2, BUT it was UGLY, and in a wreck, with the Fiero getting the NHTSA safest domestic car rating all the years it was made, I wouldn't have survived it in thin skinned MR2. Seen wrecks in both, multiple times as a wrecker driver and long time bus driver...TRUST ME, you don't want to be in a wreck in the Toyota....
I had an '85 GT and loved it - but I have no issue with the test here, plus the Fiero won overall in any case. I will say I didn't have the issues with my '85 GT that they talked about with the '86 GT, it wasn't twitchy in the least - but the person who owned it before me made some suspension mods where he lowered the car, so perhaps it made a bigger difference than I thought. As for thin skinned, I'm not sure how much thinner the MR2 could have been than the Fiero, which had tiny thin doors. I did hear good things about the test ratings for front on crashes with the Fiero, but I never heard it won any safety awards. In any case I wouldn't have wanted to be hit in that car, it was basically a go-kart. But that's also why it was so fun to drive, you could do literally anything in that car and never lose control, it stuck to the ground like a vacuum cleaner.
Been in a wreck in a first gen MR2. Like the Fiero its not to bad to get in a wreck. Much better built car too. Own both. Fiero looks better,has more room and better for long trips for sure.
A white dude said, "Creeping" back in the late 80s?! BWAHAHAHAHA!