memo to GM's head of design, Bill Mitchell, dated September 10, 1965, instructed Mitchell to have his staff update the XP-833 exterior clay and interior bucks “reflecting a Chevrolet design for the two-passenger version coupe." And so it was that the XP-833 project was revised to become the C3 Corvette against which it had been forbidden from competing. Banshee (XP-798) Codenamed XP-798, the 1966 Pontiac Banshee was a concept car inspired by European grand tourers, which evolved as a 4-seater version of a Corvette competitor study for Pontiac codenamed XP-778. It had a Pontiac 421 V8, 4-wheel independent suspension and featured sliding hinged doors and hinged roof panels for easier rear seat access. It began development in 1962 and was originally intended to be named the Pontiac Scorpion, a name previously associated with a 1961 Pontiac study codenamed XP-758, but was renamed as the Banshee by Delorean after the fighter plane. A Chevrolet equivalent was also planned in the early stages. It was intended to be displayed at the 1966 New York Auto Show with a press release written, but was pulled from the show at the last minute by James Roche, to the irritation of DeLorean. The Banshee was still worked on for a few years before the project was cancelled and the prototype eventually crushed, though it would donate it's badging to the XP-833 prototypes. Banshee II Made in 1968, the Banshee II was the second in the Banshee series. The 1968 Pontiac Banshee II had aerodynamic fiberglass skins over stock Firebird inner panels and a near stock black interior. In 1969, the Banshee II was modified with white paint and graphics, including a decal on the nose. It had flush wheel covers, a deep louvered hood, cut down glass, brake cooling vents, minimal ground clearance, and separate headrests for the passengers and the driver. It was powered by a 400 C.I.D. V8 engine. Banshee III Made in 1974, the Banshee III was the third in the Banshee series. The front end bears some similarities to the later Trans-Ams. The 1974 Pontiac Banshee III was developed from the Pontiac Firebird platform with a long sloping front end and more aerodynamic rear styling. The front was a smooth blend of bumper sheet metal and covered headlamps for improved aerodynamics. The soft face bumper system consisted of body color urethane over an energy absorbing foam base, and the quartz halogen