IIRC, that engine was supposed to be in the stillborn 1989 Fiero GT.
Photography courtesy Bring a Trailer
Factory-built race cars didn’t only come from Porsche, Ferrari and Shelby. Oldsmobile played in that space, too.
And it offered one with rather humble roots.
The year was 1992, with the now-shuttered brand conjuring up something special for the day’s professional street stock endurance racers–think IMSA’s Firehawk series, the predecessor to today’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
The starting point for Oldsmobile’s creation? The Achieva SCX, its garden-variety, mid-sized coupe fitted with the W41-spec 2.3-liter Quad 4 engine.
Total output? Are you sitting down? We’re talking 190 horsepower. At the time, that was a lot.
A five-speed manual box came standard, while the included FX3 package added stiffer suspension, a shorter final drive and 14-inch tires that better worked with the day’s offerings.
This model was only available for the 1992-’93 model years, with the listing noting that it’s one of the 1146 copies built.
Find this 1992 Oldsmobile Achieva SCX 5-Speed for auction on Bring a Trailer.
Not rare enough? Fewer than 16 of these special Achievas received the C41 option code: no a/c, no tape deck, factory Torsen diff. These were the cars doled out to race teams. We also had an Achieva SCX C41 back in the day–JG trophied at SCCA Solo Nats in it–making it perhaps one of the rarest cars to ever pass through our hands.
[An Oldsmobile Achieva is one of the most exclusive cars we've owned?]
IIRC, that engine was supposed to be in the stillborn 1989 Fiero GT.
I still miss my 92 SCX, it was a fun car, just was getting a bit worn out. Not easy to find one nowadays. The W41 and HO Quad engines do make good swaps into Fieros.
I know we often say a lot of cars would turn heads at a Radwood show, but I feel like this is one that definitely would.
Most people probably won't know the significance, but for those that do, it'd be like seeing a unicorn in the flesh.
That one is straight out of the "way back machine." Totally forgot about them.
Kind of cool to be reminded of an old brand that had a coupe and some folks on the inside who modified it for better performance for a niche crowd.
Man, I LOVE these.
I've told this story before, but when I was around 11 years old, I went with my dad, uncle, and cousin to the local Olds dealer to buy my cousin's first new car: A 1993 Olds Achieva. While I was sitting in the showroom waiting for them to do the paperwork, I sat on a couch and watched a loop of an Olds promo video that featured all the new Olds products and give a look at their motorsports efforts. In there was footage of the Aerotech concept, the 1994 Aurora, and all sorts of stuff on the Quad 4-powered SCX. My cousin ended up buying a 4-door silver-on-red Achieva S (I think) with a 5-speed manual trans, so there was a possibility it had the Quad 4. But the SCX they showed on that promo loop was what I was really hoping he'd buy! It looked so much better as a 2 door and without the awkward rear fender skirts his sedan had.
I still want one! Someday....
I like this way more than I thought I would.
The better half said, "It's adorable and ugly at the same time."
I really miss that SCX we had as a project. It was amazingly fun to drive and it was super cool working with Olds as basically the little briither oof their factory Firehawk effort. Like, I asked my contact at Olds "Hey, can I get a spare set of wheels?" and a week later a PALLET of wheels showed up. I asked for some extra brake pads and another pallet showed up with an entire motherjumpin' rear axle assembly ("the bushings wear out" my guy at Olds said), four front uprights and hubs, and a bunch of brake pads of various compounds and rotors. I asked if the had any suggestion on shocks and a set of shocks that the Hacker Brothers pulled off of their Firehawk car because they didn't like the rebound curve but they thought it would be perfect for autocross showed up.
We were a rounding error for them, but it was just interesting to see how it was easier for them to send a huge chunk of car than a single part.
They looked like they would be a domestic Prelude, at least on paper. The chassis was a lot more nose heavy and flexible, but it seems Oldsmobile did all they could with it. Rumor has it the factory made some extra stiff beam axles for them stamped with showroom part numbers.
JG Pasterjak said:I really miss that SCX we had as a project. It was amazingly fun to drive and it was super cool working with Olds as basically the little briither oof their factory Firehawk effort. Like, I asked my contact at Olds "Hey, can I get a spare set of wheels?" and a week later a PALLET of wheels showed up. I asked for some extra brake pads and another pallet showed up with an entire motherjumpin' rear axle assembly ("the bushings wear out" my guy at Olds said), four front uprights and hubs, and a bunch of brake pads of various compounds and rotors. I asked if the had any suggestion on shocks and a set of shocks that the Hacker Brothers pulled off of their Firehawk car because they didn't like the rebound curve but they thought it would be perfect for autocross showed up.
We were a rounding error for them, but it was just interesting to see how it was easier for them to send a huge chunk of car than a single part.
That's awesome!
I have too much money in savings. I'm considering throwing a bid on this one.
From the archives, some shots of our Achieva project car.
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