Every once in a while, market research can actually do what it is supposed to. Instead of taking the unqualified advice of people who merely showed up for the free lunch, a well-orchestrated study of buyer attitudes can reveal what they want in their next purchase and efficiently organize a plan to cater to those wants and needs.
A case in point would be Pontiac's research into future product trends in the late '80s. With the recent demise of the Fiero still stinging their collective consciousness, PMD product planners were interested in researching the types of vehicles that could be in demand in the future. They wanted to make sure that not only were their instincts correct on what buyers wanted, but also that they were competently meeting those demands with attractive and affordable products.
One of the conclusions of that research was the discovery that buyers under age 35 were interested in purchasing new vehicles that would more closely accommodate their sporting activities. They wanted cars and trucks that could help maximize their experiences in such recreational pursuits as hiking, camping, surfing, kayaking, and similar interests. This was the genesis of the sport utility vehicle movement that emerged in the early '90s to give us such truck and truck-like entries as the Ford Explorer, the Nissan X-Terra, the Subaru Outback, and Pontiac's own Aztek and Vibe. The Stinger concept was based on this late '80s research and in many ways predicted features that would become commonplace in this market segment.
In a 1989 interview with Ed Benson, then the director of market and product planning, he said, "This year, we looked at the marketplace and the increased interaction between sporty vehicles and fun-to-drive outdoor vehicles, and utility kinds of cars. There is an emerging interest in the young group (primarily 35 and under) for sport vehicles that fully express their active lifestyles."
To that end, Pontiac designed the Stinger as a multipurpose SUV with an eye toward possible production. With a design equally at home on the beach or on the open highway, the Stinger was highly functional and easily adapted to active lifestyles. It was 164.8 inches long and featured a 98-inch wheelbase, a 73.7-inch width, and a height of 58.8 inches, making for a compact, functional vehicle that was easy and fun to drive.
Because the Stinger was conceived as a one-off, Pontiac passed on the normal unitized construction that most production vehicles are based on, and went with a steel tube frame that featured tall bulkheads and beefy side rails. The front frame section also featured curved tubing members to help support the body panels.
Since the Stinger was designed as a crossover SUV before the term was even invented, it was intended to be competent as both a canyon carver and an off-roader. The one-off machine boasted a "Pneumatic Active Suspension System," and a four-wheel independent suspension with ABS-assisted disc brakes at all corners. Air springs would raise the Stinger 4 inches above its normal ride height when off-road driving was desired. Additionally, the driver could control the ride characteristics, switching between soft and hard suspension settings.
DOHC Power
The Stinger used a special 3.0-liter double overhead-cam version of Pontiac's famed Super Duty four-cylinder race engine, which was based on the ubiquitous Iron Duke/Tech 4 engine family. In that era, Pontiac had developed the Super Duty four-cylinder program into one of the winningest and most versatile competition powerplants ever, providing power for sprint cars, oval track and road racers, drag machines, and even powerboats.
While the short-block was based on readily available factory SD parts such as the heavy-duty block and forged steel crankshaft, the engine used a non-production four-valve cylinder head casting that was initially considered for production but never made it past the prototype stage.