- Joined
- Dec 15, 2018
- Messages
- 74
- Reaction score
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- Location
- Butler, PA
- Website
- www.pontiactransam.com
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The Pontiac Pursuit predicted many of the technologies that became commonplace in the years following this concept's debut, and some pieces of tech we're only just starting to see in production cars now.
Most revolutionary was the Pursuit's steering system: it didn't use a steering column at all. Instead, steering inputs were transmitted to an electric control module that sent that information to battery-powered steering gears that moved front and rear wheels. Crazy, but surely this system only existed in the imagination of Pontiac engineers, right?
Nope! Amazingly it actually worked, however, it was utterly bizarre to operate. The Pursuit offered no steering feel whatsoever, and the wheel itself only moved half a turn lock-to-lock, meaning it only turned 90 degrees in either direction. We also have to talk about the Pursuit's amazing steering wheel. The Pursuit concept had a rudimentary infotainment system with navigation, and it seems that most, if not all of it was controlled through the wheel.
Those are the technical highlights, but lots of other things featured on the Pursuit became regular shortly after it debuted. Rear-seat passengers could watch two small TVs mounted to the back of the front-seat headrests, and there was also an integrated child seat like the one Volvo uses today. There was some Citroën DS influence as well: the wheels were covered up by drag-reducing spats, and pressurized air suspension was used at all four corners.
The Pursuit's drivetrain was a curious mix of new and old, though: it had a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged to produce 200 horsepower–which sounds similar to every inline-four used today–but its power was routed through a five-speed gearbox.
While certainly futuristic from an exterior design standpoint, it is the ergonomic and technological features of this concept car that really did foretell the future. Drive-by-wire steering is now fairly common. Self-adjusting suspensions are here. ABS brakes and traction control are old news. Full-time all-wheel drive is everywhere. There’s more future inside, with onboard GPS with night mode, a sophisticated comlink with conferencing, and more telling – what appears to be a smart phone looking device with earbuds that docks into the headrest while not in use.
The Pontiac Pursuit was to be powered by a 200hp turbocharged 16-valve 2-liter four-cylinder engine that shifted through a Getrag five-speed manual transmission. While Pontiac isn’t around anymore to build the Pursuit or get into it with Apple and Samsung over the seat docking phone-like device, we think that particular technological innovation is probably one of the two color televisions built into the passenger seatbacks.
(Courtesy of Road & Track and Hemmings)
