Perpetual Prototype - Car manufacturers often test their boldest ideas through concept cars before deciding whether to bring them into production. These experimental models showcase innovation, pushing the limits of technology, design, and performance. However, not all concept cars make it to the assembly line, and some remain as one-of-a-kind creations, admired but never mass-produced.
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The sketches of Pontiac Banshee concept I and II. (Picture from: Pinterest) |
1. Pontiac Banshee I
The first of the series, the Pontiac Banshee I, debuted in 1964 as the XP-833. Spearheaded by John DeLorean, the head of Pontiac at the time, this concept was heavily influenced by the Corvair Monza GT.
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1964 Pontiac Banshee I XP-833 prototype. (Picture from: MotorAuthority) |
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Rear three quarter of 1964 Pontiac Banshee I XP-833 prototype. (Picture from: Carstyling.ru) |
2. Pontiac Banshee II
Four years later, in 1968, Pontiac introduced the Banshee II, an open-top sports car with a fiberglass body under a bright orange color paintjob.
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1968 Pontiac Banshee II concept. (Picture from: Carstyling.ru) |
This open-top sports car has an aerodynamic body made of fiberglass and sat over Firebird innards, with cut-down glass and low ground clearance. And under the hood pinned a 400ci (6,500cc) V8 engine.
The car also is known as the Firebird Fiero was given a touch of white paint and graphics in 1969, which was borrowed later on for its own model.
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Rear left view of 1968 Pontiac Banshee II concept. (Picture from: Carstyling.ru) |
3. Pontiac Banshee III
By 1974, the third iteration, the Banshee III, emerged with an even more aggressive and futuristic look. By design, it looks like a sort of squished Trans-Ams from the front because it was based on the Pontiac Firebird platform with a long sloping front end and more aerodynamic rear styling.
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1974 Pontiac Banshee III concept. (Picture from: Carstyling.ru) |
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Right side view of 1974 Pontiac Banshee III concept. (Picture from: Carstyling.ru) |
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Rear-left side view of 1974 Pontiac Banshee III concept. (Picture from: Carstyling.ru) |
4. Pontiac Banshee IV
The final model in the series, the Banshee IV, was introduced in 1988, and it looked like something straight out of a science fiction movie. Its radical design included a fiberglass body, a tubular steel frame, flush-mounted glass, and doors that opened via an infrared wristwatch device instead of conventional handles.
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1988 Pontiac Banshee IV concept. (Picture from: Carstyling.ru) |
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Rear-left side view of 1988 Pontiac Banshee IV concept. (Picture from: Coconv on Flickr) |
