1988 Pontiac Fiero GT - A Fiero That's Really Worth Owning...

The Fiero was a bit of a joke when it was introduced in 1984. It looked like a sports car, but it had a pretty anemic 4 cylinder engine and suspension parts from the very-less-than-sporty Chevrolet Chevette and Citation. Pontiac didn't even bother calling it a sports car. They referred to it as a "commuter car". There was so much potential there, though. A mid-engine layout, wedge shaped body...

Eventually the Fiero became the car it should have been all along. In 1985 a 2.8 liter V6 engine became an option. In 1987 the body got a makeover. It looked sleeker, rounder and more modern. 1988 saw the best change; the suspension was completely redesigned. It finally drove like a real sports car.

General Motors, in its infinite wisdom, decided to discontinue the car after the 1988 model year. ("Hey, we finally got it right... let's stop selling it." They did the same thing with the Cadillac Allante. It's no wonder they were in the financial mess they were in...)

Because of the stigma of the early cars (which, besides the anemic engine and so-so handling, at some point always seemed wind up in the hands of 18 year old gum chewing bleach blondes who were attending hairdressing school), the 1988 Fiero is often overlooked. It's really not a bad car. Not a bad car at all.

The 1988 V6 Fiero hit 60 MPH in 7.8 seconds. Its top speed was limited at 120 MPH. On the skidpad it could pull .85g. That was Porsche 911 Carrera (.85g,) Ferrari Testarossa (.84g) and Lotus Esprit Turbo (.86g) territory.

The Fiero's interior looks dated now, but it's comfortable and everything is where you expect it to be.

This Fiero looks like it's in good shape. The seller says it has no dings, dents (of course, the body is plastic) or scratches. The pictures show a lot of little "spots" (for lack of a better word) on the nose, so I'll just assume they're dirt and dead bugs.

The asking price might be on the high side, but recently I've seen a number of 1988 Fieros with asking prices of $6K or more. Sometimes way more. It may be that people are figuring out just how good the 1988 cars are.

There are few true sports cars (and this really is a true sports car) than have less of a "wow factor" than a Fiero. But, the 1988 Fiero is fun to drive and, unlike many sports cars with high wow factors, most parts can be found at your local Auto Zone store. There's a lot to be said for that.

Located in Mcdonough, GA, click here to see the eBay listing.