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※履歴継承などを忘れない。要約欄に「[[en:Pontiac Fiero]] (18:26, 6 March 2024 UTC) を翻訳」などと記入する

フィエロ(Fiero)は、ゼネラルモーターズの一部門であるポンティアックがかつて製造、販売していた自動車である。

ポンティアック・フィエロ
概要
販売期間 1984年-1988年
ボディ
乗車定員 2名
ボディタイプ

2ドアファストバッククーペ

2ドアノッチバッククーペ
エンジン位置 横置きミッドシップ
駆動方式 後輪駆動
プラットフォーム P プラットフォーム英語: General Motors P platform
パワートレイン
エンジン

2.5L LR8英語: LR8 直列4気筒

2.8L L44英語: General Motors 60° V6 engine#L44 V型6気筒
変速機

THM-125英語: Turbo-Hydramatic 1253速AT 4速MT ゲトラグ製5速MT

いすゞ製5速MT
車両寸法
ホイールベース 2,373 mm
全長

1984–1986: 4,072 mm 1987–1988: 4,144 mm

1987–1988 GT: 4,193 mm
全幅

1984–1986: 1,750 mm

1987–1988: 1,753 mm
全高 1,191 mm
車両重量 1,116 - 1,265 kg
系譜
後継 ポンティアック・ソルスティス
テンプレートを表示

George MilidragとHulki Aldikactiにより、控えめな性能を持ったシティコミューターとしてデザインされ、1983年8月に生産を開始した。この車は、1938年以降にポンティアックから発売された初の二人乗りのクーペであり、同時にアメリカにおける初の量産ミッドシップ車でもあった [注釈 1]

アメリカにおける企業別平均燃費を達成する目的で、大衆車向けの直列4気筒エンジン"LR8英語: LR8"、また後に追加された比較的高出力なV型6気筒エンジン"L44英語: General Motors 60° V6 engine#L44"が搭載された[注釈 2]。ボディパネルは樹脂製で、強度は担わず、ボディを覆うのみとなっており、軽量化にも寄与している[1]。これらはフィエロのセールスポイントの一部にもなっていた。

モデルライフ中には、性能を向上させ、より立ち位置をスポーティなものとするための改良が施され続けたが、その控えめな性能、信頼性及び安全性に関して批判を受け、販売台数が減少していき[2]、1988年8月に生産を終了。生産台数は370,168台だった[3]


※以下原文(「歴史」及び「in popular culture」(レプリカなどに関して)など、主要な部分のみ 必要になったら他の節も)

History and design[編集]

The Fiero was conceived as a small, two-seat sports car with all new suspension and a V6 engine. While General Motors's management were opposed to investing in a second two-seater sports car that might compete with the Corvette, young Pontiac engineers in 1978 were able to sell the Fiero concept to the corporation as a fuel-efficient four-cylinder "commuter car" that just happened to have two seats, rather than a muscle car. When the engineers brought back a running prototype in less than six months, it was given the green light for production.[4]

They perceived the oil crisis as a market opportunity for a fuel-efficient sporty commuter car. The Fiero was redesigned to use a fuel efficient version of GM's 2.5 L (151 cu in) four-cylinder Iron Duke engine capable of 31 mpg‑US (7.6 L/100km; 37 mpg‑imp) in the city and 50 mpg‑US (4.7 L/100km; 60 mpg‑imp) on the highway with the economy-ratio transmission option.[5] The fuel economy was considered as impressive for a 2.5 L engine of the period, but the three-speed automatic reduced highway mileage to only 32 mpg‑US (7.4 L/100km; 38 mpg‑imp). With respect to fuel economy, the Fiero appealed to a market niche distinct from the Corvette's.

Pontiac assigned oversight of the Fiero project to Hulki Aldikacti, a Turkish born executive with over twenty years of experience.[6] Its design was unusual for GM, and stood out from their other products. The two-seater's development budget from design to plant retooling, of 400 million dollars, a fraction of a typical GM development budget.

Aldikacti's initial challenge was with GM's corporate structure, which split its engineers into two categories: the car engineers who would create blueprints for the car, and manufacturing engineers who would work out the fabrication and assembly issues. Fiero blueprints traveled back and forth between the two engineering branches, resulting in a waste of time and money. Aldikacti was forced to sit the two teams of engineers down next to one another, allowing for no excuses as to why there was "no build" after his design was done. Many modifications in the Fiero's designs were needed to be made for production; for instance, despite his long-standing interest in manufacturing body panels from plastic, Aldikacti consented to metal body pieces, the dies for which were much less costly.[6]

As the prototypes took shape, the tight budget took its toll on the design, particularly on Aldikacti's dream of a high-performance, aluminum-block V6; the cost of developing a new engine would be more than the production of the whole car itself. Instead, Aldikacti was forced to settle for the already manufactured four-cylinder engine GM produced for Pontiac, the "Iron Duke," nicknamed for its heavy iron block.[7]

The word Fiero means "very proud", "fierce", "bold", "haughty" "cruel", "severe" in Italian, and "wild", "fierce", or "ferocious" in Spanish. Alternative names considered for the car were Sprint (which had previously been used on a GMC and would later end up being used for a Chevrolet instead), P3000, Pegasus, Fiamma, Sunfire (a name which would later be applied to another Pontiac), and Firebird XP.[6]

Aldikacti's unorthodox design methods and personal manner made him unpopular to most of GM's bureaucracy. He was told by counterparts at other GM divisions three times that the Fiero project had been cancelled by corporate management. However, the project was kept alive by high-ranked defenders, chiefly William Hoglund, who took over Pontiac in 1980, when the brand's popularity was heavily diluted and its cars could be described as outdated. In 1983 Hoglund told his top three dozen staffers that Pontiac would rebuild itself with cars that were exciting and different — terms that described Aldikacti's "commuter car". In order to meet Hoglund's marketing teams goal of 100,000 cars a year, Hoglund negotiated a deal to reopen a plant once shut down in the heart of Pontiac, Michigan. He and his staff wanted to prove that cooperation between management and labor could be solved without the use of robots on the assembly line, which GM's top executives wanted. Likewise, Hoglund allowed the hourly paid workers to choose the two-seater's name — hence the name "Fiero."[8]

A mid-engine layout was chosen to reduce both aerodynamic drag and vehicle weight; to improve fuel efficiency, and to offer handling, traction, and braking benefits. The performance potential of the mid-engine layout was not realized when the Fiero debuted. As cost-saving measures, the tires, brakes, and suspension components were carried over from other GM platforms such as the X and T platforms. As a result, the handling abilities of the Fiero were merely on par with other contemporary sporty coupes

The Fiero received positive reviews for its handling (Motor Trend 1984), as well as negative reviews for not meeting expectations of higher performance from its mid-engine configuration. Despite the criticism, the Fiero sold well and although Pontiac operated three shifts at the factory during 1984, they could not keep up with initial demand.[9]

The sharing of suspension and other components with other GM cars meant the rear suspension and powertrain was virtually identical to that of the Phoenix; the Fiero even included rear tie rod ends attached to a "steering knuckle", although these were hard-mounted to the engine cradle and only used for maintaining the rear tire alignment.

As the oil crisis eased by 1985, demand developed for more engine power and better performance. Pontiac responded by introducing the GT model which included upgraded suspension tuning, wider tires, and a V6 engine having 43 hp (32 kW) more than the base four-cylinder.[10]

In 1988, changes included a completely redesigned suspension (and parts of the space frame) along with two-piece brake calipers and upgraded brake rotors — the latter which had been conceived with the initial design.[11] The available I4 and V6 engines benefited from evolutionary improvements, but the planned availability of turbochargers and newer DOHC engines did not happen before production stopped.

In spite of the design finally realizing its potential, sales had declined and GM ended production.

In popular culture[編集]

Replica of a Ferrari F40 based on a Fiero

The Fiero is a popular base car for replicas of supercars such as Ferraris and Lamborghinis, as well as for various other kit cars, due to being one of the least expensive mid-engine cars available on the market.[12][13][14][15]

Legacy[編集]

When the Fiero's 1984 model was introduced, it played a major role in building the "excitement" image that the Pontiac Division Motor Company wanted to establish in its car buyers. This car pioneered new concepts such as the participation of autoworkers in production methods as well as new materials provide a showcase as the first production car in the world to use a space/frame chassis with a separate body shell composed of SMC Sheet Molded Composite. According to Design News, Pontiac engineers pointed out that the Fiero experience helped the company to develop the sporty look of the Grand Am and Sunbird, as well as "road car" features in the once-traditional Bonneville and Grand Prix.[16] Such Fiero advances as the composite skin lived on in new GM products like the Saturn.[17]

Scale models[編集]

Several diecast model manufacturers have replicated the Fiero in various scales. Hot Wheels released a 1984 Fiero 2M4 under many paint schemes. Matchbox and Majorette also released Fiero models during the car's heyday. Monogram has released and re-released a 1985 Fiero GT model (the re-release is currently available). In recent years, a large 1:18 die-cast model of a 1985 GT was available in red and silver colors. In 2007 the Motor Max toy company began making small die-cast Fiero GT toys under the "American Graffiti" and "Fresh Cherries" lines. Select Wal-Mart locations sold a special "Since '68" Fiero made by Hot Wheels, which uses the original 1984 mold with a new paint job. The Kenner toy line M.A.S.K. had a black Fiero GT that converted into a glider craft and three wheeled chopper, called "Fireforce." Tonka's toy line Gobots included a character, "Sparky", who converted into a 1984 Fiero 2M4 (called a "P-car" on the packaging). Also worth mention is the Transformers character Punch/Counterpunch, a spy who converts into a vehicle looking similar to a 1985 Fiero GT, but modified to avoid trademark issues. Other plastic-kit display models were released by MPC-ERTL in 1:25 scale. One was a 1984 2M4 kit 10883, the other was 1987 (essentially identical to 1986) GT kit 6401.

脚注[編集]

  1. ^ https://www.webcartop.jp/2023/10/1216205/
  2. ^ Paul Ingrassia, and Joseph B. White, Comeback: the fall and rise of the American automobile industry (1995) pp. 99–110.
  3. ^ Corbin, Mark (1996). Fiero Spotter's Guide (Second ed.). Galion, OH.
  4. ^ Ingrassia, Paul; White, Joseph B. (September 19, 1994). “Victim of success”. AutoWeek 44 (38): 24. 
  5. ^ Witzenburg, Gary (1990). Fiero: Pontiacs Potent Mid-Engine Sports Car. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International Publishers 
  6. ^ a b c Witzenburg, Gary (1986). Fiero (First ed.). Tucson, Arizona: HPBooks, Inc.. ISBN 0895864878 
  7. ^ Vasilash, Gary S. (January 1999). “How the Pontiac Fiero helped save the North American steel industry”. Automotive Manufacturing & Production 111 (1): 62–64. 
  8. ^ Tegler, Eric (December 3, 2007). “Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda”. AutoWeek 57 (49): 23. 
  9. ^ Aldikacti, Hulki (July 2003). "Speech given to the Classic Fiero Owners Group, International (CFOGi)". 20th Anniversary of the Introduction of the Fiero Celebration.
  10. ^ Popular Science”. google.com (1984年2月). Template:Cite webの呼び出しエラー:引数 accessdate は必須です。
  11. ^ Vance, Bill (May 3, 2004), Motoring Memories: Pontiac Fiero, 1984–1988, Canadian Driver, http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/bv/fiero.htm 
  12. ^ Emsile, Rob (2015年1月25日). “This 1984 Lamborghini Countach Asks $25,000, Hides A Fiero”. Jalopnik. 2020年4月21日閲覧。
  13. ^ Ross, Jeffery N. (2019年9月13日). “1988 Pontiac Fiero Transformed Into An Extreme Custom Supercar”. MSN. 2020年4月21日閲覧。
  14. ^ Septerra (2015年1月2日). “Nice Lamborghini Diablo replica for sale at 48,900 USD”. Motor1. 2020年4月21日閲覧。
  15. ^ 1984 Pontiac Fiero Ferrari F355 Replica | G52 | Indy 2014”. Mecum Auctions. 2020年4月21日閲覧。
  16. ^ “Pontiac Bids farewell to the Future”. Design News 44 (19): 19. (October 3, 1988). 
  17. ^ Body Panels”. fierosails.com. Template:Cite webの呼び出しエラー:引数 accessdate は必須です。

注釈[編集]

  1. ^ なお、フィアット・X1/9トヨタ・MR2MG・MGFなどの他の量産ミッドシップ車と同様に、前輪駆動の量産車のパワーユニットを流用している。
  2. ^ なお、この"LR8"を搭載したフィエロは1984年のカー・アンド・ドライバー10ベスト・カー英語: Car and Driver 10Bestに選出されたほか、同年のインディ500ペースカーにも採用された。