1989 Chevrolet XT-2

For 1989, GM had two futuristic concept trucks that we assume they hoped would stir enough interest to guide them in their product-making decisions. One was the youth-oriented Pontiac Stinger compact SUV. Though it wasn't particularly powerful — its engine was only good for 170 HP — it had a high level of utility, including features such as a removable picnic table and portable radio. These features weren't put to use, as Pontiac wasn't going to build an SUV in the near future. Ironically, many of these ideas found the ill-fated and poorly designed Pontiac Aztec home.

The other concept truck was the Chevy XT-2 concept, which stood for the Chevy Experimental Truck #2. This futuristic-looking, the performance-oriented vehicle featured a Corvette suspension, a front-engine/RWD layout built on a platform similar to the F-body Camaro, and a 4.5-liter V6 good for 360 horsepower 315 lb-ft of torque. For quarter-mile acceleration in about 13 seconds flat and a 0-to-60 mph time of 6 seconds.

The XT-2 was designed as a pace car to be used in what was then the CART PPG Indy Car World Series, which is now a weird mix of words to see together. The truck went through two designs before engineers landed on the final one. The first version was fairly wild and had the engine mounted under the bed. The second version was a based on a passenger-car platform with a FWD/AWD layout and a smaller V6 engine, a concept not unlike the crossovers that would follow in the mid-2000s. So how did they end up with the final version? According to a press release provided by GM, "Given the consumer preference to small, sporty trucks, the evolution of the Chevrolet PPG XT-2 Pace Truck was natural."

So, in 1989, you had the Pontiac Stinger and the Chevy XT-2 from GM as the radically futuristic vehicles. But that wasn't what happened. The designers and planners clearly understood that crossovers and sportier car-based trucks were the way forward after the previous gas crisis.

Source: Cliff Gromer "Trucks Dream Haulers" - Popular Mechanics, Sep 1990; Matt Hardigree - jalopnik.com

Images: Concept Car Central; Custom_Cab's photostream; www.pickuptrucks.com