September7
It’s no secret that General Motors is working on a new Pontiac coupe based on the 2009 Chevrolet Camaro. What’s less certain is the name of the vehicle. GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has referred to project with the GTO moniker, but some recent reports have suggested the Firebird name will be used instead. On October 6th, 2006, General Motors’ “Firebird” trademark will be ‘published for opposition’ — a required step in the trademark process. While the automaker has long held rights to the name, the recent republication seems to suggest the nameplate could be revived. Meanwhile, the automaker also reregistered the Fiero name in late June. We can only imagine the name might be intended for the much-rumored Pontiac Solstice coupe. However, there’s little evidence to back this hypothesis. (Firebird illustration by Germany’s Chrom und Flammen.)
Why would they bring back Fiero?! That car was horrible. Are there even anymore on the road now a days?
By the time this car beit Chevy or Pontiac hits the showfloor it will be too late for GM. Ford will have a new Mustang and Dodge will have about 8 new cars. Sad.
Don’t do it GM there is a market for a personal sized coupe but Ithink Mustang CHallenger and Camaro got the retro muscle car thing soen up.
Something like the 63 Riviera or 69 Grand Prix or Original MOnte Carlo.
Didn’t the Oldsmobile Cutlass SUpreme Brougham Coupe used to be the best selling car in America?
A beautiful hardtop 5 passenger coupe is what is needed maybe a whole range of Catalinas Coupe Sedan and Nomad style wagon
I’m all for the Firebird.
But… I think ONLY Pontiac should have a pony car, and that it should be the brand’s volume seller. Pontiac won’t survive if Chevy has the Camaro.
C’ mon, Chrom und Flammen, the Firebird with the Screamin’ Chicken had those 4 square (rectangle) headlamps and the hood ’scoop’ should be asymetrical…if ya have to go retro, do it right!!
A Camaro clone?? Gezz….when would GM learn its lesson.
Too bad GM ***STOLE*** GTO from Ferrari back in the ’60’s.
Firebird. Any other name and this car will fail.
pontiac may be gone in 3-4 years - as a brand - but i can see one or two vehicle nameplates remaining, being sold through other GM dealerships.
i don’t see much potential for buick surviving in any form, though. with or without tiger woods and his $40MM payday.
Too much too late. How about a Jim Rockford edition? lol
and maybe a special commerative Knight-Rider edition, lol.
I’ll take a Camaro “Chrom und Flammen” special edition with a hood ornament like the spike from a stahlhelm.
Firebird 0wns! Hell yeah GM, just do it!
If they ever release it, it won’t last.
Unfortunately, I think Veda is right. It probably won’t last. GM will be unlikely to sell more than 50,000 given the price they will likely ask for these cars and the high price of gas which makes people think twice about buying the firechicken.
Yay Firebird, boo Fiero.
yes (v)ike there are still Fieros, and why exactly was it horrible. i think it would be a great move.
a solstice coupe (if priced right) could possibly be the entrylevel car pontiac needs to go all rwd
just as the original fiero could have been
I dunno, i think a Fiero needs to be mid-engined.
Wait until the last year to buy a Fiero, they will be semi-decent then.
GM developes its product through the consumer. Just watch the Solstice get to “just about acceptable” in four years.
Mazda did it on the first year’s production. Those things are still on the road.
i8 am huge gm fan but i have to say plz font gm ur cars with diffrent names that look the same are getting kind of old!!
Nothing says AMERICAN like a Flaming Chicken and a big hood-scoop. This is what Dodge has figured out: cloning Japanese cars and euro-wanabes don’t sell. Embrace your heritage, revel in it, live it.
As for the Fiero][, why revisit that black mark? That would make as much sense as Cadillac reviving the Cimarron name. As a rule, GM should avoid anything that reminds buyers of the dark domestic car days of the ’80s
Sell that car in the pic to Burt Reynolds……..then he and Sally Field can go dig Jerry Reed out of his grave and we can relive the ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ all over again……..
If you really want GM, Chrysler & Ford to go under……then yeah, GM should bring back Fiero, followed by Chrysler w/the ‘Aspen/Volaire’ twins and Ford w/the Pinto—The BBQ that seats four!
I agree with LSCMKVII…This is a big mistake on four wheels.
Its a seriously stupid looking sized up Alfa Romeo if u ask me produced by Americans
it’s a rebadged camaro concept
::downgrade::
LSCMKVII, DCX has revived the Aspen nameplate as the Chrysler version of the Dodge Durango.
Sorry for the confusion Richard……what I meant was if Chrysler wanted to do something really stupid, they could’ve plastered ‘Aspen’ or ‘Volaire’ on one of their new intermediates or compacts (leading some people to recall the MANY problems experienced w/those two models back in the late 70’s)
A simple demographic study probably shows a financial case for the car. if there are enough former customers that are qualified buyers then it might be worth the chance. Corporations rarely work on an emotional basis, ie reviving the screaming chicken as a nostalgic effort is not how they would think. While it might not be the cup of tea for many of us on this board, there probably plenty of potential customers out there.
By the way, the Fiero was not a bad idea. It was a bit ahead of its time in a few ways, including synthetic body panels etc… If I remember right, later models had
good power for a compact car. I would like to see one with an up to date suspension and nice four cylinder turbo.
It had many attributes that lots here are claiming are missing from current US products today.
You can’t have it both ways folks.
What are you bashing? The Fiero was just fine! It shared the same exact drivetrain as many other GM vehicles of it’s time, and they all shared the same issues that the Fiero had. Just as many Citations, Cavaliers, Sunbirds, Celebrities, Pont 6000s, etc… had the same EXACT problems. Fiero (the new kid on the block) just got all the flack from it. Have you ever driven one? If not, then don’t complain, and don’t be so quick to bash it. A well maintained vehicle will not catch fire or have any major issues. My GT was the best $1,250 I ever spent on a used car. Low, sleek, fast, clean, handled well, and had no major issues other than the usual wear items, and the standard GM sensor problems which were cheaply remedied. The body paneling was an innovative idea carried on by Saturn and other car manufacturers, The sunroof was HUGE even in comparison to most cars today. The mid-engine design was unique and gave it a better balance than most other cars, and the 88’s suspension handled like it was on rails. Port the exhaust, and get yourself some extra horses, keep the car maintained (belts, hoses, fluids on a regular interval, as well as regular cleanings and inspections like ALL manufacturers recommend, but almost nobody performs), and enjoy the heck out of it. Cheers to the Fiero. A great little car that got the bad rap for a few general flaws that were common to many other models, as well as people’s general lack of maintenance.
Thank you Brisk, can’t agree more. Most American cars in the 80’s had quality issues, period. As for reviving the name, I think it is a great idea. Fiero was killed off by GM (Chevy) high ups that feared the almighty Vette was in danger of the new Fiero that was very close to production. At the time of its demise, it was still selling over 100,000 units a year. Major political blunder, but that was then and this is now. The coupe idea along with a couple rear drives such as Firebird and GTO may work if it is done right. The designs better be a knockout, or the whole company will go the way of the pitifully designed current(and not tweaked) GTO. I’m sorry, but how hard would it have been to use decals, skirting, and some front and rear tweaking? My sons “Need for Speed” has a current GTO with easy upgrades that look downright nasty. Was Pontiac asleep the last 3 years, or did they just not care, looking to the next generation?? Who knows, but hopefully the next genration will be more inspiring.
I own a 1984 fiero witht the sporty 4.10 overall rearend with all its recalls and fixes already taken care of. The only people that should be complaining about a fiero are people stuck in the past that don’t even own a fiero in the first place. Anyone that owns one does so for a reason and that because the cars are a blast to drive even with a tired 90 horse power Iron duke lacking serious power it definately menuvers with the best of expensive sports cars. Honestly I believe that the real reason GM got rid of the car is because it was becoming more than the car was ever intended to be by growing from a daily commuter car to something exotic and approaching sportscar status altimatlely competing with the vette and no car is allowed to approach such a feat. One good example is the 87 grand national that was as fast if not faster than the vette that year and was definately its last year as such. Personally I would have rather seen the vette idea trashed and the pontiac Fiero as the flag ship for performance for GM. It look a lot better anyways. In 88 the Fiero was stomping the ferrari 308 in 0-60 time and creating a similar driving experience for a fraction of the Italion manufacturers costs. With the revised suspension and all the bugs worked out int the 88 car if you put a V8 in it that year we would have definately seen a difference in the outcome of the fiero the chassi and the car itself was more than capable of handling the power and when I say handling I mean lotus inspired baby!!!!!! The fiero was under utilized and politically abused in my opinion. Although what would have been altimately the best move possible would have been for the grandnational setup to be installed in the Fiero for 87 and 88 and we would have seent he fiero live on because that much power in a car that size with the mid engine setup would have been an Idea just to good to come true……
GO PONTIAC!!! Whatever it’s called, do it!
Come on Ford, where the Pinto?
Just in time for Smokey and the Bandit Part 16…
Its 2006..Leave the problems these cars had in the past. Bring on the TransAm / Firebird
any one that think the firebird should not come back is cazy. The firebird has more style, and i think if it come out it will be sold quick.
changing the name of the firebird will kill the CAR!!!!!!
to all those who say boo to fiero, ride in one with a suped up v8 at 202mph. then say boo.
if they do build the new firebird they need to make the cars distinctive. go pontiac! bring back the bird!