For decades, the Pontiac Fiero has served as the automotive world’s favorite foundation for budget supercar replicas. Its mid-engine layout and relatively affordable price have resulted in countless home-brewed Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and other exotics of varying degrees of believability.
This 1988 Fiero currently listed on eBay continues that tradition, dressing Pontiac’s little sports car in bodywork clearly inspired by the Lamborghini Gallardo. The seller is asking $14,000, and at the time of the listing, the car had attracted one bid.
There has clearly been a substantial amount of work invested in the conversion. Unfortunately, there are some proportions that even ambitious fiberglass work can’t completely disguise, and nobody familiar with an actual Gallardo is likely to mistake this for one.
Even someone with poor eyesight will realize it’s not a real Lambo when the driver starts the engine. Instead of Lamborghini’s naturally aspirated V10, this particular Italian-American creation retains the Fiero’s humble 2.5-liter four-cylinder, which produced just 98 horsepower when new.
Gallardo Looks, Fiero Proportions
The custom body borrows heavily from Lamborghini’s early-2000s design language. It’s finished in gold with contrasting black sections across the roof, rear deck, and spoiler.
Look a little longer, however, and its Pontiac origins become increasingly difficult to ignore. The nose is unusually shaped for something pretending to be a Gallardo, while the relatively small wheels and tall body give the car proportions quite different from Lamborghini’s low-slung original.
Still, the seller describes the custom rebody’s fit and finish as “immaculate,” and the photos suggest this wasn’t simply a collection of panels hurriedly attached in someone’s driveway. Whatever you think of the finished appearance, someone clearly spent considerable time putting it together.
There’s No V10 Hiding Underneath
Mechanically, things remain considerably closer to Pontiac than Lamborghini. The original listing identifies the car as a 1988 Fiero base model powered by its 2.5-liter four-cylinder and paired with a manual transmission.
That engine produced around 98 horsepower in stock form, sent to the rear wheels. For perspective, even the earliest production Gallardo had a 5.0-liter V10 producing roughly five times as much power.
The Fiero does at least share the Gallardo’s basic mid-engine concept, although that’s approximately where the mechanical similarities end. The seller says the car has covered 56,000 miles and that it runs and drives, with its components in excellent condition.
The Interior Gets Some Lamborghini Flavor Too
The transformation continues inside, although the basic Fiero architecture remains recognizable. Black seats feature embroidered Lamborghini-style raging bull logos, while Recaro-branded belt pads and an aftermarket steering wheel add some extra theater.
Other upgrades include an Alpine audio system, auxiliary gauges, and front and rear cameras. There are even Lamborghini-themed puddle lights, because subtlety clearly wasn’t part of this project’s mission statement.
The car also comes with a clean title, according to its eBay listing. That could make it an amusing weekend toy for someone who wants something guaranteed to attract questions at a gas station without paying genuine Lamborghini running costs.
At $14,000, however, buyers have plenty of other interesting used cars to consider, including actual performance cars with considerably more than 98 horsepower. Would you spend $14,000 on a Gallardo-styled Pontiac Fiero, or would you rather have an original Fiero and embrace what it really is? Share your thoughts in the comments.