The Ferrari engine mounted on the Pontiac model is one of the most blasphemous things ever seen. Yet, he had a lustrous blessing.
Purists would label it as blasphemy, but there are those who adore it, thinking that prestigious collaborations of this kind can lead to sensational results. Certainly, this Pontiac with a Ferrari engine does not leave anyone indifferent and revealing its characteristics can only help us to know it more deeply.
Furthermore, this one-of-a-kind model has received an illustrious blessing to say the least and which could perhaps lead even the most passionate Prancing Horse enthusiasts to change their minds. Indeed, Enzo Ferrari supplied the engine to this Pontiac directly, but this happened above all to be able to carry out a design exercise capable of leading to results that were nothing short of impressive.
Chevrolet designer Jerry Palmer was the one who thought about its aesthetics, and he wanted to combine the lines of the Camaro with those of the 250 Testa Rossa. In the end, however, it was the designers of the Detroit brand who defined it with the Pontiac style. The idea, however, came to the vice president of design of the American company, namely GM William “Bill” Mitchell, who took part in the project as manager and started from the Firebird (produced in 1970) as the basis for it.
Pontiac and Ferrari, a thrilling combination
Although the founder of the Prancing Horse knew how risky it could be to mount a V12 on a model designed by another brand, he did it anyway. Some might have seen this move as risky or blasphemous, but Enzo Ferrari thus made it possible to produce a model without equal in the world. Today, it can only be highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts of the genre, but the only existing example now lies inside the GM museum.
Initially, it was Mitchell who used this luxury car, called Firebird Pegasus, after his retirement, who made it his personal car. A story about which a film could be written, but which cannot help but have as a protagonist: this elegant and super powerful car.
In fact, Pontiac’s Firebird Pegasus rides a Ferrari V12 engine from the 365 GTB/4 (known as the Daytona), capable of delivering up to 352 hp at 7500 rpm. Luigi Chinetti, of the North American Racing Team, performed a configuration and tuning intervention on it; in addition, it was replaced by one with a maximum capacity of 4.4 liters, while previously it could contain 3.3.
