The Pontiac Fiero is getting it’s just due after years of being derided as a throwaway sports car, and that is honestly a good thing. Hulki Aldikacti’s design was ambitious, but was severely undermined due to the corporate red tape that General Motors was famous for, and just when everything seemed ironed out and better…they killed the Fiero off. It’s a sad tale, but it’s one told time and time again about GM products. We’ve often looked at the Fiero as the giant-killer it should have been. It was designed to use the positive traits of a mid-engine layout to go after cars much bigger than itself in the corners, and it could do just that with the right setup. It was let down by two design flaws, in our opinions: the Citation-derived suspension system and the weak-sauce engines. Even by 1980s power levels, the Fiero was not that impressive. But there is a cure for that…

Someone decided that the mill out of a 1996 Corvette would make for a great replacement for the 2.8L V6 that should have been sitting here. The 300 horsepower rating alone would be almost three times the power level that the six was pushing out. Given that the weight is centralized, we can’t imagine that there is a handling penalty. We do wonder if the brakes have been upgraded. Either way, this little rocket now has the guts to back up the looks and, provided you fit inside, will finally live up to Pontiac’s old tagline about driving excitement.

eBay Link: 1986 Pontiac Fiero GT