Pontiac’s flagship Bonneville was billed as “America’s hot road car,” and NASCAR testing bore out that claim. Following its limited-production offering for 1957, the Bonneville returned as the new top-of-the-line for 1958. In addition to the convertible, a two-door hardtop coupe was offered and both featured an all-new, one-year only body shared with Chevrolet. Sporting a fresh “New Direction” look, Pontiacs were up to 9.7 inches longer and 4.5 inches lower than previous models. These cars were really the final statement of long-time GM design boss Harley Earl and as such, were loaded with chrome and exterior ornamentation, bright exterior colors, and lavish interiors. Bonneville interiors had “lurex” threads in the carpet which gave them even more bling. Both convertibles and the new coupe were fitted with Pontiac’s upsized 370-cid “Tempest” V-8 with the optional NASCAR-certified three-carburetor setup called “Tri-power” which offered a whopping 330-hp. A Tri-power equipped Bonneville driven by Sam Hanks paced the Indianapolis 500 in May 1958.