Pontiac Banshee

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The Pontiac Banshee is a concept car designed by General Motors and unveiled in 1988. Known within GM as the Banshee IV, it was actually the fourth in a series of concept cars beginning in 1966. Like its predecessors, it was intended to establish exterior and interior design themes that would be modified for production versions of the Pontiac Firebird and Pontiac Trans Am sports cars. The Banshee IV successfully influenced the overall appearance for the fourth generation of those cars.

The two-door, four-seat Banshee IV had a sleek and sensuous futuristic design. Its fiberglass body was painted bright red, while its triangular hood was matte black. A 230 horsepower fuel-injected, single overhead cam V8 engine powered the rear wheels. A heads-up display system (HUD) projected speed, engine RPM, and fuel level on the windshield in the driver's field of vision. The dashboard featured video displays and numerous buttons; the steering wheel alone contained twenty. The dual rear wings were also adjustable. John De Lorean nicknamed this car the "Mustang-Fighter," and many GM employees found it to be a rival to the Chevrolet Corvette. One of the Banshee's largest claim to fame was being able to run 60mph in second gear. Numerous stylists were interested in the car's frenched headlights, lack of chrome, side and fender exhausts, and blending taillights.^[1]

[edit] The Banshee in the media

The March 1989 issue of Motor Trend magazine included a three-page article describing the Banshee.
The Banshee received screen time in The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) as the featured article in the magazine being read by the "kid at vet".
The Banshee was seen briefly in Back to the Future Part II (1989).
A vehicle modeled after the Banshee appeared as the "Knight Industries 4000" in the Knight Rider 2000 (1991) sequel TV movie, although a customized 1991 Dodge Stealth was actually used.
The Banshee was visible in Demolition Man (1993), parallel parked near the entrance to Taco Bell.
A Revell brand 1:25 scale model was also made of the Banshee.