The Cien seems to have pretty much everything you'd want in an ultra-high-performance luxury car. Unfortunately, anyone who wants to own it will need several hundred thousand dollars. Fortunately, the Banshee was never scrapped as many concept cars are and it has been listed for sale as recently as 2020 by a Connecticut Kia dealer. However, the project was nipping at the Corvette's heels and Chevrolet couldn't have that, so the concept was killed. It featured the Pontiac OHC straight-six engine producing 165 horsepower with a four-speed transmission and a fiberglass body (via theDrive). It was never intended to be a big block power monster quarter-mile killer, but a more affordable country road cruiser. He had his team of designers and engineers dreamt up the 1965 Pontiac Banshee XP-883 concept and it turned heads wherever it was shown.ĭelorean wanted the XP-883 concept to be the basis for a lightweight, fun, and sporty American sports car to compete with similar cars coming from Europe at the time. John Delorean had brought the GTO into existence and was busy leaving an indelible mark on the auto industry at Pontiac and had plenty of tricks left up his sleeve. The Modulo has been restored and is put to use from time to time, making occasional appearances on the car show circuit. Its current owner is none other than James Glickenhaus, the famed movie producer and aficionado of fine automobiles. Ownership of the car has since fallen into private hands, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. The aforementioned 512 chassis carries a 550 horsepower, 5.0L V12 engine, although it did not run when originally presented at the 1970 Turin Motor Show (via Auto Evolution). The form is mesmerizing with the semi-obscure wheels, centrally mounted pop-up headlights, the 24 holes allowing glimpses into the engine bay, and massively wide tires visible only from behind. As in most concept cars, function follows form as ergonomics do not appear to have been a consideration for Pininfarina on this project. The space-age vibe extends into the glass wrap-around canopy that slides up and forwards to allow passenger and pilot to get in. However, a Ferrari 512 chassis under the galactic styling keeps it firmly planted to terra firma. Its radical design looks far more like a space-bound galactic commuter from a futuristic sci-fi movie than a road-going automobile.
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