For car enthusiasts, there are several car models that we would love to see come back on the market, but how can that happen when the brand by which they were manufactured is no longer around? For example, Trans Am. Some car companies have found a way around this inconvenience and have begun reproducing cars nonetheless. With the resurgence of the classic looking Camaro, Charger, and Mustang, just to name a few, fan of the Pontiac brand have been clamoring to see some of their favorites brought back to the market. However, their enthusiasm and vigor was thought to be backed only by wishful thinking and then 2017 happened.
Back in 1969, a car showed up on the scene from the down defunct Pontiac brand. It was a package available for the, already, immensely popular Firebird and it featured glamorous modifications to the exterior of the vehicle as well as upgraded performance. The handling, suspension, and performance were massively improved and the Firebird Trans Am drove its way into history. It has a widespread film history, having been featured in some of the biggest blockbuster films of the seventies and eighties. These films included Smokey and the Bandit, Rocky II, and 80’s hit TV series Knight Rider.
The Glory Days
Available from 1969 to 2002, the Firebird Trans Am was an immensely popular two door performance vehicle, featuring a powerful V8 engine. Over the four generations that were produced, the Firebird Trans Am’s appearance changed dramatically, but retained its long, low, and menacing vibe. They were built on the F-body platform, which it shared with the Chevrolet Camaro, however the two vehicles were incredibly dissimilar in appearance. The 2002 model maxed out at 325 horsepower and completed the quarter mile test in just over thirteen seconds. Car enthusiasts, worldwide, consider the Firebird Trans Am a highly sought after addition to any collection.
Is there still hope?
2017 proved to be quite an important year for the fans of the Firebird Trans Am, who have kept hope alive for all these years despite the knowledge that Pontiac had disbanded years prior. Many people in the auto industry have considered this false hope, but they may have been wrong. Amongst the many vehicles displayed at the New York Auto Show, there is one that is certainly turning heads of fans of American muscle. It would seem that Florida-based Trans Am Worldwide is creating tributes to the beloved muscle car.
Paying Tribute
In line with tradition, the tribute car is built using the Camaro platform. In fact, it is nothing more than a restyled Camaro SS meant to capture the nostalgia associated with this muscle car from Pontiac. They are even offering T-tops for the hardcore fans that have been waiting out the resurgence of this classic. The standard model, dubbed “The Outlaw” by one of the owners of Trans Am Worldwide, features a modified version of the Camaro’s 6.2L V8 engine and can get up to 602 horsepower, but there is an upgrade to the engine that allows for an impressive seven hundred fifty horses.
Then there’s the big guy. They’ve also released a 455 Trans Am Super Duty, offered in both a six speed manual transmission or an eight speed automatic. In a collaboration between Supercharger giant Magnuson and a NASCAR engine builder the Trans Am Super Duty is going to rival the performance of any other reimagined muscle car on the market. With an engine made to perform at just over 1000 horsepower, the Super Duty model is as modified as it gets.
The Unfortunate Reality
The unfortunate thing about this reproduction is that there will only be fifty of the Super Duty models made. The standard model will likely be offered in greater numbers, but the demand may exceed any production numbers. In 2016, the same company made 77 special edition “Bandit” models designed to celebrate the iconic vehicle’s use in Smokey and the Bandit. Each one of those 77 cars was sold, and each one went for over six figures.
She’s pretty and she’s fast so the concern that she’s going to “fly” are probably valid. Many fans of the classic have been waiting for years for this day to come, and now that it has, the 85,000 to 150,000 dollar price tag probably won’t scare too many people off. Now if we could just get an accurate and admirable reproduction of the GTO, life would be grand.
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