VIDEO: Pontiac GTO Barks up the Wrong Tree at Houston Coffee and Cars Event

You can find one at every car event – you know, the show off type that ends up getting more attention than he bargained for. At the Houston Coffee and Cars event that took place on April 2, that special someone was the owner of a red Pontiac GTO (the Holden Monaro based model). The GTO driver tried to make a cool exit out of the corner but lost control of the Goat hopping over a curb and into a tree. No word if the killer shoe heel is a suspect for this latest mishap…. Watch the crash and the aftermath in the videos after the jump. Read more »

It Came from eBay Hell: The Porsche “Carriero GT”

I swear the Fiero Owner’s Club of America is not paying my salary, it just appears that way. Here we have yet another stunning replica based on that most prestigious of U.S. motoring icons: the Pontiac Fiero. GM’s indefatigable plastic-bodied, mid-engined two seater has gone on to become the underpinning of many a dodgy European thoroughbred imitator. Today’s target is the Porsche Carrera GT, perhaps one of the greatest cars to come out of Germany in recent years.

Our seller’s “Carriero GT” features a rebuilt engine and transmission (never a good sign in this sort of car) with the car said to have covered 6,900 miles since then.

The seller will have more than enough once he sells this beautiful and quality replica for the low, low price of US$21,500. Don’t believe me? The seller himself says, “THE PICTURES SHOW THE BEAUTY AND THE QUALITY BUILT INTO THIS REPLICA.” And you can really see it too, from the awkward body mouldings, botched-together interior and Costco brand fog lights.

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Study Shows What Brands Captured the Interest of Pontiac Owners in 2010

A new survey from RL Polk & Co. suggests that most Pontiac owners who bought a new car in 2010 chose a product from General Motors. More specifically, of the 57,641 Pontiac customers looking to replace their car, GM was able to recapture 53.3% of them, with 33.5% being a Chevrolet vehicle, 11.7% a GMC, 6.7% a Buick, and 1.5% a Cadillac model.

A significant percentage of buyers defected to the Ford brand, which ranked 3rd overall with 10.5%, while the Chrysler Corporation saw the Dodge brand ranked 9th, capturing 3.2%. Jeep and Chrysler together were able to capture the interest of 1.7% of Pontiac owners looking for a new vehicle in 2010.

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GM Decides to Kill Pontiac Vibe After All, Production Ends August 2009

Only a week after General Motors stated that the Vibe would be the only Pontiac model to be offered for retail sale in the brand's 2010MY portfolio, the automaker announced today its decision to discontinue production of the compact crossover by the end of August 2009. The Vibe is produced alongside its sister model, the Toyota Matrix, at the New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI) facility jointly operated by GM and Toyota in Fremont, California.

"While no replacement for Vibe production has been determined, GM and Toyota remain in active discussions regarding potential future production at NUMMI," General Motors said in a statement.

As we speak, the automaker's original plan is to gradually phase out the Pontiac brand by the end of 2010, though we wouldn't be at all surprised if General Motors decides to pull the plug on the historic marque at an earlier point.

Pontiac Fiero Goes All Ferrari F40

Is there some sort of underground movement in Germany we don’t know about devoted to converting Pontiac Fiero’s into shoddy Ferrari knockoffs? Is this a new national pastime over there or a devious ploy by Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Audi to discredit their Italian competitors?

Whatever you may think, the Fiero-based Ferrari replica is here to stay. And, much like David Hasslehoff, there’s nowhere these things are more popular than in Germany. At least, that’s the impression that I get. Presumably built in Belgium (as it is registered there), this replica has 71,000 km (44,154 miles) on the clock, a manual transmission and a whopping 123 hp. That’s only 349 hp short of a real F40!

What’s really funny though are some of the seller’s comments (albeit when translated from German to English). For example, the seller is keen to remind us that this is not a genuine Ferrari -it’s not?!-, merely a replica / conversion.

I also like how he or she compares the price to the cost of an actual, genuine F40 (state as between €300,000 and €400,000 / US$395,380 and US$527,040), as if that counts for anything when dealing with a Fiero-based replica...

Though it’s worthwhile mentioning, with and a current bid of €3,910 (US$5,152), the reserve price has still not be met. I’d call this the worse Fiero-based replica I’ve ever seen, but know too well that there are much, much worse examples out there. Please leave your scorn and derision in the comments section below.

Man Turns Pontiac Fiero into an Amazing Replica of Lamborghini Miura!

All too often, Pontiac Fiero-based replicas are simply horrible, to say the least. But, once in a while, a truly unique build hits the internet forums like this LS3 V8-powered Lamborghini Miura wannabe. Dreamed up by the owner of Chop Top Fiero in Machesney Park, Illinios, the so-called Fiura (no need to explain that) has been carefully developed over a period of three years and it’s the mother of all replicas using Fiero underpinnings.

Part of its awesomeness is due to the fact that Archie, the man behind the project, went to enormous lengths to make it as accurate to the original as possible, but without spending a fortune.

If you have the patience to read all 19 pages of the thread on Pennock’s Fiero Forum, you’ll learn that Miura parts aren’t exactly cheap nor abundant, so Archie did a lot of fabricating and scavenged all over the internet for suitable donor parts.

He also thoroughly modified the Fiero chassis and built a custom body out of fiberglass. This kind of dedication is a testimony to the fact that true passion has no limits.

Check out the extensive gallery and videos below to see the Fiura come to life.

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