The Last Pontiac Fiero Ever Built Is Going Up for Sale for the First Time

thedrive.com ^ | 10/07/2020 | Peter Holderith

[hoosierham]

Pop-up or actually roll-up headlamps were essential to Opel GT styling.I had two GT in the 70s. Fun car.

[kosciusko51]

Tesla is making a new Roadster, but it is a 2+2, and is $200,000+: https://www.caranddriver.com/tesla/roadster

[cyclotic]

I was in the back seat of a Mustang GT. We were driving down the freeway and the rear broke loose into a 180 on dry pavement.

When we got married, my wife had a 81 Camaro. While we were in college we weren’t going out yet but were in the same group of friends. We were heading somewhere once in two cars in a couple inches of snow.

I looked in the mirror and saw her camaro doing multiple 360’s. Probably five or six then stopped in a snowbank.

She said it happened a couple other times.

[Joe 6-pack]

"Nowadays, when you can integrate LEDs almost anywhere, it truly is a designer's dream world."

I have been a Jeep loyalist for almost 30 years. I've owned a few other makes in addition to Jeeps, but have had a Jeep in the stable since 1994. When the new Cherokee came out in 2014, I was somewhat taken aback by the sneering, evil look of the running lights, thinking this looks nothing like what a Jeep is supposed to look like.

The look grew on me and in 2018 I bought a new Trailhawk, really like the triple bank look of the lights.

By 2019, I guess the Jeep people decided the look was a little too edgy and returned to something a little more conventional looking for the Cherokee.

In retrospect, I'm glad I got the last model year of the quirky look :-)

[1Old Pro]

Yep, 360 in a Mustang with slicks on the back of a friend’s car. We had a 1972 Camaro 307, Not great in the snow but I do remember taking it skiing once.

[Yardstick]

Interesting. That’s getting pretty close to a pure sports car. I wonder how it handles? If it handles well, it must be due to either A) some kind of expensive battery technology to keep the weight down, or B) expensive technology in other places—like lots of carbon fiber in the chassis—to offset the weight of the battery. It would nice if it were the former, since that would mean lighter weight batteries are a possibility but just not yet economical.

[faucetman]

“Does it come with a fire extinguisher?..................”

The one I put out didn’t have one. I had to put the engine fire out with mine. Lucky for them I just happened along in my work truck where I always carried a fire extinguisher.

[SES1066]

The look grew on me and in 2018 I bought a new Trailhawk, really like the triple bank look of the lights.

What? You didn't add an aftermarket LED Light-bar or two? Just think of the fun?!?

[Joe 6-pack]

"What? You didn't add an aftermarket LED Light-bar or two? Just think of the fun?!?

I need the money for gas lol.

Just
Empty
Every
Pocket

[mowowie]

I have owned Two 80 and a 78 Camaro here in the Boston area.
YES they are horrible in snow.

Then i bought a supra Turbo that would get stuck on wet mowed grass or 1/10 inch of snow.
Then i bought a used but great condition Infinity J30...
THAT car was the absolute worst car i have ever driven in bad weather.
My knuckles still ache..some fingernails have yet to grow back.
Unbelievable.
random 270 degree wipeouts doing 30 in moderate snow....stuff like that.

Best snow car i ever drove was my grandmothers otherwise POS 86 Buick Skyhawk.
that car could plow through almost anything.

[IndyTiger]

I also had an ‘84 Fiero in the late ‘80s. Fun to drive and cool looking. Had the ‘iron duke’ engine. Sold it when I got engaged and bought a 4-door Honda Accord. Much more practical!

[Flying Circus]

Back when headlights were fixed round or rectangular bulbs the pop-ups could improve aerodynamics. Now that headlights can be shaped into the body lines there is no aerodynamic benefit and with worldwide pedestrian safety regulations the pop-up headlight is dead.

People really like those pop-ups. The first generation Miata had pop-ups and those are really starting to appreciate in value now. A few years ago you could pick nice examples up for less than $2000 all day long, now a decent one will run $5000, even riced out, beat up cars will fetch over $2000 and on BaT really nice, low mileage examples are going over$20,000, considerably more than they cost new. People really like those pop-ups.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm1J42mnKho

[jeffc]

Too true, LOL. After I got my settlement from the insurance, I bought an 87 Nissan Stanza GXE. Still a fun “sporty” car to drive, but nothing like the Fiero. I’ve never heard of the iron duke engine....

[brooklin]

I had one of those Fuegos... It was fun up to 50,000 miles. Then the repairs were horrific. Got rid of it at 65,000.

[Yardstick]

Yeah, I think pop up headlights are cool, with the coolest being the vacuum powered ones like on the old Corvettes.

[Ouderkirk]

You were lucky to get 50k miles.

The one a girlfriend at the time drove got abou 35k before it blew up

[Joe 6-pack]

"Yeah, I think pop up headlights are cool, with the coolest being the vacuum powered ones like on the old Corvettes."

Like I wrote to SES1066 in post #51, I think pop ups can make or break a design. While I know it's highly subjective, I think the most aesthetically beautiful car ever was the Jaguar E-Type, which is beautiful with the way the round, traditional headlights are sculpted into the design. As I noted, other cars would not be what they are without pop ups.

I think one of the worst design fails ever are the lights on the Porsche 928, which looks like a dead walleye with the lights down, and looks even worse with them popped up.

[Yardstick]

which looks like a dead walleye with the lights down
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hah, I agree. And kind of like a frog with them up. OTOH the 944 has nicely integrated pop up headlights.

I had a couple of ‘80s era Supras with good pop ups. They also had headlight sprayers which were cool. Some BMWs had headlight wipers which were even cooler. There’s something about complications related to headlights that’s just neat.

[SES1066]

I think one of the worst design fails ever are the lights on the Porsche 928, which looks like a dead walleye with the lights down, and looks even worse with them popped up.

I 'think' I remember a BBC Top Gear episode when the (old crew) chaps bought used Porsches to flog around with. One, I believe, was a 924 with one lamp up and that vision has returned to my brain. Thank you so very not much!

[Joe 6-pack]

I had a ‘91 Mitsubishi Eclipse with pop-ups, and later a ‘93 Miata. I liked the pop ups on both, though I think later model Eclipses look better with the flush lights. I’m kind of indifferent between the new and old Miatas, but if they were getting rid of the pop ups, I wished they would have gone with something round to further evoke the traditional MG/Triumph roadster spirit the original intended to capture.