This is a side view of one of the three pre-pilot Fieros taken in downtown Pontiac, Michigan. Most notable is lack of any badging and the side air intake. The original design rear upper clip is visible with the middle belt molding continuing across the top of the rear wheel. This design was changed after testing the pre-pilot cars for two reasons: 1) The design team felt that the wheel well lines needed to match front to rear. 2) During initial testing, during severe loading and rebounding of the suspension while cornering, the tire actually contacted the rear quarter panel.
This picture clearly shows the original design of the rear upper clip. The louvered rear engine vents were found to be unnecessary and expensive to produce, so they were replaced by the more familiar solid engine grate filler panels. The trunk latch mechanism was also revised. As shown in the picture, the latch mechanism was contained behind the taillights. This was changed due to a fluke discovery that if the taillights were pried apart with a screwdriver, the trunk latch mechanism could be accessed from outside the car. The taillights were mounted with thumbscrews accessible inside the trunk compartment.
by Fred Bartemeyer, Courtesy of NIFE
