↑ 1989 Pontiac Stinger

The Stinger prototype's body panels are assembled to the chassis. Much work is still to be done, but it's starting to look a little like the finished product.

The Stinger prototype's body panels are assembled to the chassis. Much work is still to be done, but it's starting to look a little like the finished product.

The 1989 Pontiac Stinger concept car was more of a collection of accessories than a simple vehicle.

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989

The egg-shaped body of the Stinger was both aerodynamic and stylish. All glass except the windshield was removable.

Versatility abounded on the Stinger, with removable glass panels everywhere. This lower piece could be removed and replaced with a beverage cooler and travel case.

All in all, five panels were removable on the 1989 Pontiac Stinger concept car, including the rear glass.

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989

Motivation for the sporty SUV concept was a 3.0-liter DOHC version of the highly successful Pontiac Super Duty four-cylinder race engine. In normally aspirated form, it produced an understressed 170 hp at 6,500 rpm and was hooked to a three-speed automatic transaxle and AWD drivetrain sourced from the Pontiac 6000 STE.

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989 - Interior

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989 - Interior

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989 - Interior

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989 - Interior

The interior was functional and spacious with custom six-way-adjustable bucket seats at all four corners and adjustable air bladders in the front seats. A variety of features aimed at active lifestyles were included, such as a camp stove, a vacuum cleaner, and a removable radio.

A pneumatic system raised the Stinger up to four inches for off-roading — part of the active suspension.

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989

Accessories for the Pontiac Stinger included a camp stove, a vacuum, and, remarkably, a picnic table.

A movable back windshield offered rear-seat riders in the 1989 Pontiac Stinger concept car the absolute minimum of protection.

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989 - Interior

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989 - Design sketch

This original rendering of the Stinger concept was done by GM Design Staff and closely resembles the finished vehicle.

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989 - Design Process

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger, 1989

Pontiac Stinger Concept, 1989 - Design Process

The full-sized styling buck has been completed and will be used to make molds for the actual body panels.

A box template with station bulkheads is used to ensure that the roof contour is consistent and accurate to the design specifications.

Body panels for the Stinger are laid up in carbon fiber using molds pulled from the full-size styling buck. This is a faster and more cost-effective way of building a one-off machine than using traditional steel body stampings.

The Stinger prototype's body panels are assembled to the chassis. Much work is still to be done, but it's starting to look a little like the finished product.

The Stinger's driveable chassis is readied for a test at the Milford Proving Grounds. Note the Corvette and Z28 wheels used before final assembly. With a DOHC Super Duty four-cylinder and AWD, this could have been a great performance platform had it made production.

Иллюстрации: Concept Car Central; General Motors Corp.