Segment: Coupe
Production years: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988
Pontiac tried to attack the sport-compact market with a mid-engined vehicle in the mid-'80s and produced the Fiero, but it failed to convince customers and pulled the plug in 1988.
On paper, the Fiero should have been an excellent vehicle. Something that should eat the Toyota MR2 for breakfast and, at lunch, to outperform any Civic around. Yet, it failed to do any of these despite its Ferrari-like construction. It showed many design and engineering flaws that led to many recalls. And the first mistake made by GM was to market the vehicle as a commuter car, when in fact, it was more like a sports-car.
The exterior, with its wedged lines and pop-up headlights, was outstanding for an American car. Yet, the designers (or the marketing team) didn't go all the way to install side panels next to the engine compartment, and eventually, the car looked like a three-box sedan with two doors. Later on, they fixed that issue, and it finally looked well.
Inside, the Fierro offered room for two occupants, with a high center console between them. Its high and squared-looking dashboard didn't look like it belonged in a sports car, but the instrument cluster offered a good view to a wide tachometer. That was extremely useful, especially when the car was fitted with a manual transmission. Pontiac didn't offer a power steering for the Fierro, and that was a serious drawback since its rack-and-pinion steering system required some muscles.
Under the hood, Pontiac installed a 2.5-liter inline-four engine that produced only 98 hp. That was not enough for a vehicle that weighed over 2600 lbs (1180 kg), unless it was considered just a mid-engine commuter vehicle with an excellent fuel-efficiency.
ENGINE SPECS - 2.5L 5MT FWD (94 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 2471 cm3 |
Power: | 69 KW @ 4400 RPM 94 HP @ 4400 RPM 93 BHP @ 4400 RPM |
Torque: | 134 lb-ft @ 2800 RPM 182 Nm @ 2800 RPM |
Fuel System: | Electronic Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 97 mph (156 km/h) |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 185/80 R 13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 160.7 in (4082 mm) |
Width: | 68.9 in (1750 mm) |
Height: | 46.9 in (1191 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 57.8/58.7 in (1,468/1,491 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 93.4 in (2372 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 5.3 in (135 mm) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.37 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2504 lbs (1136 kg) |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.8L V6 4AT FWD (137 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 2837 cm3 |
Power: | 100.8 KW @ 4400 RPM 137 HP @ 4400 RPM 135 BHP @ 4400 RPM |
Torque: | 134 lb-ft @ 2800 RPM 182 Nm @ 2800 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 97 mph (156 km/h) |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-Speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 185/80 R 13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 165 in (4191 mm) |
Width: | 68.9 in (1750 mm) |
Height: | 46.9 in (1191 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 57.8/58.7 in (1,468/1,491 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 93.4 in (2372 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 5.3 in (135 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 1.3 cuFT (37 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.37 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2504 lbs (1136 kg) |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.8L V6 4MT FWD (143 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V6 |
Displacement: | 2827 cm3 |
Power: | 105 KW @ 5200 RPM 143 HP @ 5200 RPM 141 BHP @ 5200 RPM |
Torque: | 170 lb-ft @ 3600 RPM 230 Nm @ 3600 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 112 mph (180 km/h) |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 215/60 R 14 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 165.8 in (4211 mm) |
Width: | 68.9 in (1750 mm) |
Height: | 46.9 in (1191 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 58.4/59.3 in (1,483/1,506 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 93.4 in (2372 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 5.3 in (135 mm) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.37 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2672 lbs (1212 kg) |