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CONCEPTS & ONE OFF DESIGNS
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OK lets start with some GM concept & one of a kind vehicles!
1985 CHEVY CAMARO GTZ CONCEPT
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Saw this one at the Gathering 7 in Atl!
Some documentation I found on it with the pics from CamaroZ28.com:
This "One of a Kind" protoype winged Third Generation Camaro started its life out as a common 1987 IROC-Z. It served as a test vehicle for durability testing at the Milford Proving Grounds. Before the car was retired it was turned over to Chevrolet Design Studio for use as a "color mule." When the car arrived at Design Studio, it was in bad shape. Among the damage: the transmission was in the back seat and the exhaust was jammed into the hatch area.
A few people in the Design Studio realized that this might be the perfect car to "modify" as a prottype vehicle. Their "magic" caught the attention of Chuck Jordan, Design's Executive VP at the time. Mr. Jordan started putting his influence into the design. The rear wing was his design along with the "hood fences" which looked similar to the Ferrari F-40 he had just purchased. Only the design of of the ground effects actually made it to final production.
The car had once been repainted a charcoal-pearl color and Mr. Jordan liked the car so much, that a new drive-line was installed; the exhaust was modified several times until Mr. Jordan determined that it was "just right." Custom 17" wheels were installed and the car was lowered more than two inches. Mr. Jordan then had the car painted "Candy Apple-Orange" at Design Studio. To go along with the new paint job, an Italian Glove Leather interior was installed to finish it off.
This was one of the cars that Mr. Jordan drove on a daily basis and it is one of the few left that survives today. Most were scrapped after his retirement in 1991 but this one is now owned by GM Design Studio Historic Collection.
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I wish I could get my hands on that GFX kit & nose! To bad it was a one of a kind!
Called the Suntour!
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Some Firebird concepts from the past!
Found these shots & info on the web here... boy have we come a long way!
1956 Firebird II
The Firebird II represented a progress report on the feasibility of gas turbine powered vehicles. Unlike the original, single-seat Firebird I that developed exhaust temperatures of more than 1250 degrees F, the four-passenger Firebird II featured a regenerative gas turbine engine that operated nearly 1000 degrees cooler. Other innovations included the first use of wheel disc brakes, fully independent four-wheel suspension and the sophisticated electronic guidance system for use on the "electronic highway of the future."
1958 Firebird III
The Firebird III was the first space age inspired car by General Motors. The Firebird III has an aerodynamic fibreglass body and is pearlescent silver-gold in colour. It has a wide, tapered nose, twin plastic bubble canopies over the passengers and a high dorsal fin at the tail. The car's most significant single feature, its control system, features combined and improved versions of "no-hands" steering and the single-stick Unicontrol introduced separately by GM Research Laboratories.
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The 1988 Banshee
This was build on a f-body chasis to my knowledge. There is a guy who build a body kit for the fbody that looks like a Banshee. I saw it @ the Tipp City Cruise in OH in 2002. He was hanging out with the KITT guys. Too bad I did not have the camera ready to snap some pics. Here are a few I grabbed of the real Banshee concept off the internet!
Found the following shot and info on the web here...
1988 Pontiac Banshee
The Pontiac Banshee was introduced in 1988 to provide a glimpse at the high-performance sports car of the future. The Banshee name first appeared in the '60s as a code name for the forthcoming '67 Pontiac Firebird, companion to the '67 Chevrolet Camaro.
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4th generation Camaro Concept
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4th gens
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2000 Firebird MMS 421 SD Concept
Some info on the car:
Welcome Back The 421 Super Duty
In the varied world of automotive histories, Pontiac's is steeped in performance and well-storied. As power output ramped up throughout the industry in the early '60s, the shiny crest of PMD on the front was a good sign that a car could be great fun--not just your everyday transportation. One of the powerplants that helped Pontiac metal prove its mettle on the streets was the 421 Super Duty.
Wanting to tap into a bit of that rich past while using a 21st century platform, Morgan Motorsports put together this 2001 Trans Am MMS 421 SD that makes the LS1 engine a blast from the past.
The parameters set down were that the power would have to 1) come from natural aspiration--no turbocharger, supercharger or nitrous oxide in use here; and 2) be in the output range of 600 horsepower. No small feat, indeed.
Starting with a sleeved block resulting in a 4.125-inch bore, the MMS team installed a SCAT billet crankshaft. Ross 2618 alloy pistons sit atop Callies forged I-beam 6.125-inch rods. The MMS224 camshaft spins around Comp Cams' pushrods, R lifters, valve springs with titanium retainers and an MMS valvetrain shim kit. Cylinder heads are heavy-breathing MMS Stage IIIs producing an 11.7:1 compression ratio.
Induction is by way of an MMS/GNdesign composite intake and a ported throttle body. Oxygen first enters an MMS/GNdesign cold air induction system and passes through a Granatelli Motorsports MAF meter. The exhaust system starts with MMS 1 3/4-inch equal-length long-tube headers, continues to a 3-inch Y-pipe and high-flow catalytic converters, and then into a 3.5-inch cat-back MMS system.
The lightweight aluminum flywheel is attached to a Centerforce Dual Friction clutch with MMS shim kit, fed by a modified master cylinder. Fast and light continues with the B&M Ripper shifter and ACPT carbon fiber driveshaft. When it was all done, Z-Industries calibrated the computer.
Underpinning pieces include Global West tubular upper A-arms and an adjustable coil-over kit at the front, while the rear features Global West tubular control arms, panhard rod, adjustable weight jack kit with specific springs, Trak-Link torque arm and subframe connectors. All these work together with the Firebird's 1LE double adjustable shocks placed at each corner.
Immense 14-inch Baer brakes quell forward motion in a major way. Super-wide 18x10-inch Racing Hart wheels are shod with Goodyear Eagle F1 tires in the massive size of 295/35-ZR18.
GNdesign restyled the curvy body with more radical front and rear fascias, rocker additions and rear spoile, while Prototype Network.com took care of the paint application. The leather seat backs call out with embroidery to remind would-be passengers that the MMS 421 SD means business. Noting its rarity, a dash plaque includes the respective serial number.
Estimations are for 625 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque. Natural aspiration never felt this good before.
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This was a GM Concept 4th gen Firebird version
There is also a Camaro version that I saw but can't seem to locate the pictures of!
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2000 TA Bird of Prey Speedster Concept
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Hurst Hauler Concept
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Now this was a concept that came out in 1997...The Pontiac Rageous!
I have always loved this car! I believe it was planned to be the next f-body. However it did not test well, so the idea was scrapped, per Scott Settlemeir (Camaro Brand Manager). But my thing is why did Pontiac make the Aztec...I always thought is was a very poor quality attempt to recreate a look like the Rageous in a SUV platform. I REALLY hate the Aztec!
So since it will never be made...I plan to one day make my own Rageous! HEHEHE!
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The following text came from this link!
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Though I'm sure you are ready to see what it looks like! Here you go!
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The following is an article about the Rageous I copied from this link!
Back in January 1997 Pontiac stunned the US media when it showed the Rageous at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Into a world of boxy SUV's and 4x4's, the Rageous was a breath of fresh air. Tasked to create a bold, aggressive and powerful sports car concept without compromising functionality, the Pontiac designers delivered in style!
The Rageous was built on a 116.8in wheelbase (substantially longer than the current Firebird's 101in) but was only 194.1in long (the Firebird is 191in). At 55.5in high (only 4ft 7in high) it was a stunning sports coupe with a sting in its' tail - a split-fold rear hatch and folding rear seats giving a huge load area and the ability to haul a standard 4ft x 8ft sheet of plywood (this seems to be the standard size of measure for DIY-mad Americans!). Ground clearance was over six inches - pretty good for a "sports-coupe" - even given the 22-inch wheels (11-inch front, 12-inch rear) with P315/30R22 tires developed by Goodyear especially for the Rageous project. The Rageous was a true "Wide Track" design with a track of almost 63 inches front and rear.
The front of the Rageous was traditionally Pontiac with a dihedral ("V") shape. It had a Ram Air hood (this was just after the Ram Air Trans Am was brought to market) and round fog lamps hidden in dihedral recesses in the lower fascia. All external surfaces of the vehicle were ribbed, and this was the precursor to the current styling seen on the Grand Am GT. Ribs were present on the sides, front and rear fascia, spoiler and mirrors. All wheel arches were flared to give the impression of added muscle (and also to fit those foot-wide tires!). The vehicle had a high beltline and virtually the entire greenhouse area was flush-fitted glass.
Pontiac's designers came up with a clever idea, now used in many Pick-ups. Although barely visible, the Rageous actually has four side doors! The front two are unusual in that they are smaller than many existing sports coupes, being only 48 inches wide (many sports coupes have 57 inch or greater doors to allow access to the rear seats) and open to an angle of some 67 degrees (substantially wider than "normal" vehicles). With the front doors open, a handle is visible inside the door jamb below the "B" pillar and this opens the rear doors rearwards (like the old "suicide doors"). These doors open to 87 degrees, making it extremely easy to get in and out. In addition, the seats are only 10 inches above the ground (even with the 6 inch ground clearance) - compare this to many SUV / 4x4's where you need a step-ladder to get in!
The Rageous is a 4 seater, with the driver and each passenger cosseted in a full bucket seat with racing-style 4-point harnesses. The two front seats featured 6-way power adjustment including height. Rear seats could be adjusted for back angle. Each seat headrest was equipped with built-in speakers for the sound system. There were both front and side airbags for occupant protection.
The interior of the car was "shrink-wrapped" inside and featured a cylindrical design motif, evident in the center console the gauges and air outlets moulded into the instrument panel. The driver was surrounded by clusters of controls designed to deliver information quickly and easily. Gauges were round in both analog and digital formats within pod-like enclosures. As was popular at the time, the Rageous featured an advanced Head-Up Display allowing control of electrical and electronic systems such as the sound system, mobile 'phone, heating and air-conditioning, seats and lights, together with driver information such as speed, revs and engine conditions. This display was controlled via a "track-ball" mouse in the steering wheel. Included in the goodies was a Global Positioning Sensor (GPS) and music was provided via a CD pay-to-listen service through a communications link!
The incredible thing about the Rageous is that hidden under the rear spoiler was a rear hatch and drop-down tailgate! With the two rear seats folded, there was 49 cubic feet of space and the front passenger seat could also be folded to make room for longer loads. The rear cargo area featured a washable dirt-resistant rubberised coating to protect the interior. "U"-shaped tie-down hooks pulled out of the floor and sides to help secure loads.
The Rageous featured a large number of storage spaces. In total, there were seven map pockets in the doors and center console. There was a glove box plus two large storage areas in the center console, together with a lockable storage area under the driver's door armrest, together with four molded cupholders. In total, there were also 10 net pockets!
To power the Rageous, Pontiac designers picked the LT-1 V-8 with functional Ram Air, putting out some 315hp, backed up with a 6-speed manual transmission.
The Rageos was finished in a most unsubtle red color known as "Red Rush" developed specially for the vehicle.
Rageous Specifications
Wheelbase:- 116.8 in
Overall length:- 194.1 in
Maximum width:- 76.5 in
Height:- 55.5 in
Track:- 62.8 in (front) 63.1in (rear)
Cargo Space:- 49 cu.ft. (with two rear seats & front passenger seat folded)
Engine:- 5.7 liter (350ci) V-8 Ram Air induction
315 horsepower
335 lb.ft. torque
Suspension:- Coil-over shock (front)
Transverse leaf spring (rear) with air shocks
Brakes:- 10.7 in vented disc (front) 11.4in vented disc (rear)
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LINKS PAGE
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DIRECTORY FOR OUTRAGEOUS F-BODIES SITE
01 My Car & Site Overview
02 Concept Fbodies <<<
03 3rd gen Kit Car Body Kits
04 3rd gen Evolution Kit Car Body Kit
05 3rd gen Wide Body Kits
06 3rd gen Customs
07 3rd gen Interesting GM Options
08 3rd gens: GFX Kits & Such
09 3rd gens: Out there!
10 3rd gen Cop Cars
11 4th gen Body Kits
12 4th gen Customs
13 4th & 2nd gens: Out There!
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