23. Pontiac Fiero
By the standards of the day, the Pontiac Fiero was the most advanced American production model. Most Pontiac customers were hyped by the appearance of the Fiero. With its cool, modern design and advanced technology, the initial response was more than good. Everybody expected another GTO from Pontiac. But in fact, they got a small sports car that was something Italian carmakers would build.
It was a bold move for Pontiac to introduce a compact, rear-wheel-drive car with the engine positioned behind the driver. And better still, they paired it up with a five-speed manual transaxle gearbox. But one of the Fiero’s main problem was that it was underpowered. Putting a V8 in it is certainly a tight squeeze, but it would be well worth the effort.