Page 223 - Wayne Carini's Guide to Affordable Classics

significant engine upgrades, with the Quad 4 taking over as the base engine and the 24-valve “Twin Dual Cam” 60-degree V6 (from the Lumina) as the uplevel option. Development proceeded to the prototype stage, with one example retained by GM’s Heritage Center.
Having led such a short lifecycle – and with only a single model year, 1988, that summed up all of the Fiero’s improvements – it is today an under-appreciated footnote in GM’s history. And given that it was a somewhat unloved car, well-preserved models are few and far between. Those that do somehow survive, especially 1988 V6 GT models, demand prices as high as $30,000, while less pristine examples are less than half that amount.
THE DRIVE
Famed racing driver Phil Hill was on hand for the Fiero’s 1983 press launch and shared his thoughts with Automobile Quarterly. Hill was quick to compliment the Fiero’s packaging, interior arrangement and overall quietness given the engine’s proximity to the driver’s head. He also praised the chassis design, noting that its much more balanced feeling was a departure from the usual Detroit formula of improving handling at the expense of ride comfort with stiffer springs and more tightly valved shock absorbers. “Drive the Fiero quickly,” he concluded, “and one of the most interesting points is that you don’t feel the mass of the drivetrain behind you.” Hill also strongly recommended the uplevel WS6 suspension.
2.8-liter OHV V6 wasn’t what the Fiero’s creators originally had in mind for an uplevel engine, but it was certainly an improvement over the “Iron Duke” four.
divisional keepers knew that excitement was the key element the Fiero lacked. The addition of the 140-horsepower 2.8-liter V6 in 1985 was a big step forward in the performance department, taking the Fiero’s 0-60 time from 11.6 seconds (not all that bad for a commuter car) to 8.2 seconds. Where the excitement factor trailed off a bit was in the manual transmission department, where Car and Driver described it as “spaghetti. Spaghetti that was nicely al dente, but spaghetti all the same.”
Hill added his voice to those inside and outside of GM that
knew the Fiero was begging for an improved engine to address
the weaknesess of the Iron Duke. “Perhaps one reason why the
2.5-liter engine feels rather weak is that the chassis is capable of
handling a great deal more horsepower.” Pontiac’s advertising
tagline at the time was “We Build Excitement” and the Fiero’s steering damper assembly, shorter spindle length, smaller scrub
The next step in the Fiero’s steady improvement was the addition of the five-speed transmission in 1986, which helped balance the overall spread of ratios. But the real improvement came in 1988 with the upgraded WS6 suspension, which was designed to improve steering effort and ride. In front, that included elimination of the
Pontiac Fiero
Attractive, simple and reasonably fun to drive, the Fiero remains an affordable sports car with plenty of upgrade potential.
Wayne Carini  Affordable Classics  221