Fauxrrari Friday

"this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata" (fantastic-mr-foxbody) 04/03/2015 at 15:23 • Filed to: Ferrari Friday, Fiero Friday

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In 1985 a guy named Bob Bracey decided to turn a Fiero into a Ferrari 308. He called it the Mera. This wasn't an original idea, you'll find Fieros hiding under all sorts of exotic look-a-like kit cars. Only this one isn't a kit. It's a full re-body of a brand new car, and you could buy one through your Pontiac dealer.

Bob's company, Creative Concepts, dissected a 308, and spent two years developing the conversion. The chassis and drivetrain were limited to top o' the line GT and Formula models of the Fiero, which featured the wider rubber and better suspension, along with the 140 hp 2.8L L44 V6.

They went all out with this thing. They even cast an optional replica of the classic Fezza 5 spoke, and messed around with the interior for that classic Michanello feel.

They actually marketed the Mera, too. There's even a promotional video!

The fiberglass panels were inspected not once, but three times. THREE TIMES, PEOPLE.

Of course, by 1987, Pontiac was visited upon by a rain of hellfire and cease and desist letters from across the Atlantic. Ferrari is not known for taking kindly to this kind of thing. The option had disappeared from the dealers everywhere by 1988. A total of 247 were made, making the Mera one of the rarest American cars around.

I actually think they look pretty sweet, especially this wide body one:

There ya' go, your moment of wacky GM tomfoolery for the week. Personally, for the right price, I would totally rock one. Just for the Jalop value. I'd leave it badged as a Pontiac, too, just to confuse passersby. Happy Ferriday!

RallyWrench > this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata 04/03/2015 at 15:32

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Loving that Koenig 308 lookalike.

Anon > this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata 04/03/2015 at 15:36

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Am I the only one who sees the irony of a fake car probably being rarer than the car it was based on?

this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata > Anon 04/03/2015 at 15:38

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It is pretty funny haha. I bet it's more reliable, too, and with panel gap tolerances just as good.

this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata > RallyWrench 04/03/2015 at 15:39

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Oh, that's what that is? Awesome.

RallyWrench > this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata 04/03/2015 at 15:42

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Yep. 80's-tastic. Love me some Koenig Specials. Google some of their other cars if you want to blow your mind.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata 04/03/2015 at 17:58

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I would love a MERA. even better if it could be paired with the RARE factory Fiero T-top roof option, and the 1988 improved suspension.

That, and a DOHC 3.4L V6 6-speed manual gearbox swap would be a great alternative to an appreciating, and Ferrari-insane-parts&labor-cost ownership experience of an actual 308.

The only down-side is that the engine is set up for front-engine access, the cam cover toward the front of the car has the oil filler, and the intake manifold is folded over the rear cam cover... where in a mid-engined car, the opposite would be preferable, for ease of access.

Caddy/Olds Northstar/Aurora V8 swaps are also possible for an even closer DOHC transverse V8 fitment, like the Ferrari's 308 layout, but they are bigger, heavier, and have a reputation for finicky reliability... and the 3.4L V6 is already larger displacement than the Ferrari 2.9L V8 anyway, and plenty of performance (more than a pushrod 2.8 Fiero V6) with less weight than a V8 conversion.

(308 is named like all Ferrari/Dino V8 and V6 cars... engine displacement rounded up to nearest deciliter, 2,927 cubic centimeters, converted to 2.927 Liters, up to deciliter moves the decimal right one place, 29.27 deciliters, rounded up to 3o, then append the number 8 for the cylinder count. V12s were named differently, for either per-cylinder CC displacement, or total engine displacement on modern cars. Flat 12s were named for liter displacement, and appending 12 cylinder count, like 512BB an 512TR and F512-M)

BTW, I think the wide-body car above is s customized actual Ferrari 308. Not many replicas actually had the wing divided side windows, and finger-pull door handles at the back edge of the door and window glass seal, no matter how accurate or inaccurate the rest of the body mold was.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > RallyWrench 04/03/2015 at 18:02

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Koenigs were not look-alikes. They were actual Ferraris that were modified in the aftermarket.

Novitec is the modern equivalent of aftermarket Ferrari tuners.

Similar to Brabus or Lorinser Mercedes, Alpina BMWs, or Gemballa or early RUF Porsches. (Ruf is now a manufacturer in it's own right, and serializes it's own Porsche-sourced bodies-in-white, not an aftermarket tuner anymore)

RallyWrench > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 04/03/2015 at 18:04

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Right you are, I knew that. I was under the impression that the lower pic in the original post was a widebody Mera, made to look like a Koenig Ferrari.