 Versatility abounded on the...  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. |
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 This original rendering of...  This original rendering of the Stinger concept was done by GM Design Staff and closely resembles the finished vehicle. |
 The Stinger's driveable chassis...  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. |
 A box template with station...  A box template with station bulkheads is used to ensure that the roof contour is consistent and accurate to the design specifications. |
The engine also featured multiport fuel injection and a low-restriction exhaust system featuring a four-tube header. In normally aspirated form and in a rather mild state of tune, it delivered 170 hp at 6,500 rpm, though it certainly had the potential for far more. It was fitted to a special three-speed automatic transmission with all-wheel drive. The driveline was based on the AWD system used in the Pontiac 6000 STE and SE sedans.
Unique Design
Though the Stinger possessed a unique exterior design, it was still a vehicle that could be distinguished as a Pontiac. The active-lifestyle concept featured familiar Pontiac styling cues, such as the split grille, foglamps, and slotted taillamps, but wrapped up in a new egg-shaped body that offered a great deal of utility and adaptability not normally found at the time.
Owing to its one-off status, the Stinger's body panels were constructed of carbon fiber, which provided high strength and durability coupled with light weight and ease of manufacture. The panels were painted a bright green with gray accents, a color combination popular at the time and a clear forerunner of the gray urethane treatment used on many SUVs.
The wheel and tire combination had the Stinger's high-performance intentions covered for both on and off-road situations. Custom tri-bladed, cast-aluminum wheels predicted the general design used on Grand Prixs in subsequent years and were shod with experimental 295/55R-16 and 295/55R-18 Goodyear tires, with a tread pattern designed to maximize grip both on the road and off.
An interesting feature of the Stinger was that all glass panels were removable except for the windshield, quickly converting from a closed, all-weather vehicle to an open, fun-in-the-sun machine. The lower glass in the doors could even be replaced with a convenient beverage cooler and storage box. An integral rollbar contained the roof lamps, adjustable spoiler, and map lights.
The Stinger was designed to accommodate four adults in custom-contoured bucket seats finished in green and black and fitted with racing-style harnesses. Each seat could be folded flat to provide a sleeping area, and the rear seats could be elevated 15 inches to give passengers a view above the rollbar.
Without a doubt, the Stinger was designed with ample storage space for sports equipment and other items, as well as many built-in convenience items such as a camp stove, a picnic table, and a toolbox. Front seats had six-way adjustment and inflatable lumbar supports.
The instrument panel featured an electric tilt wheel and steering column, manual tilt gauges, an electric compass, an attitude gyro for vehicle tilt, and a pull-out drawer with a cellular phone and message machine. A second phone was built into the driver-side armrest. Other convenience features abounded, including keyless entry, a pull-out radio, a portable vacuum cleaner, a fire extinguisher, a first-aid kit, and binoculars.
Though the '89 Pontiac Stinger was not a production vehicle, Benson seemed optimistic about its prospects. "If you wonder if there is a market for a vehicle like the Stinger, just look at the Pathfinder, the Dodge Raider, the Samurai, and certain executions of the Jeep," he says. "Look at what those are used for and the desires of those buyers and those who aspire to own them. We think there could be a total Pontiac execution of a Stinger-type concept that could represent a special sport vehicle in that emerging market in the mid-'90s."