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Pontiac Firebird Concept: R.I.P.
Pontiac is dead. And with its death goes the aspirations of Firebird enthusiasts who had hoped that once bankrupt General Motors might some day restore the lofty bird to its rightful place in the Pontiac line up. When Pontiac's death sentence was pronounced in 2009, sketches of a Pontiac Firebird Concept were torn up or quietly shelved away by a thoughtful designer should GM ever reverse itself.
That isn't likely to happen, but the Pontiac Firebird Concept is still a reality. Thanks to the Chevy Camaro and at least one aftermarket retrofitter, that is!
Chevy Camaro
The Pontiac Firebird concept sees life if you take the current iteration of the Chevy Camaro and give it a work over. Aftermarket specialists are doing their part to change the Camaro into a Firebird, but as far as I can see only one seems to have gone so far to market its work effectively.
That would be TransAm Depot, a company who has created the Phoenix T/A, a car that cannot be legally called a Firebird, but looks awfully like the 77-78 birds of yore. Working with legendary designer Kevin Morgan, Trans Am Depot can convert your ride into a modern interpretation of the Pontiac Firebird.
T/A Package
With its package, TransAm Depot offers a lowering kit, anti-sway bar, appropriate badging throughout, forged aluminum wheels with Pirelli Pzaro tires, custom TA hood, hood scoop, front and rear fender flares, customized front and rear fascia, graphics package and more.
Inside, you get custom sill plates, embroidered head rests, leather dash and door panel inserts, and a faux aluminum dash and other features. Under the hood a supercharger, polished heads and brackets, and noise reduction gear are optional. You can also opt for a Hurst shift with a shift skip delete feature.
The finished product is well done and does justice to the late 1970s Pontiac Trans Am. Yes, this is the very same Pontiac Firebird concept that should have been built by GM, a nostalgic sport coupe that would have complemented the G8 sedan and proposed next generation GTO nicely. You can keep your Vibe, G3, even your G6: in its heyday Pontiac was all about performance and could have stayed active in the GM fold on a much smaller scale.
Firebird R.I.P.
Alas, in their curious wisdom GM decided to keep Buick, ditch Pontiac and give Firebird owners only two options: buy a Chevy Camaro "as is" or have it transformed into a "new classic" on a three decades old styling theme. Really, what choice do you have?!
That isn't likely to happen, but the Pontiac Firebird Concept is still a reality. Thanks to the Chevy Camaro and at least one aftermarket retrofitter, that is!
Chevy Camaro
The Pontiac Firebird concept sees life if you take the current iteration of the Chevy Camaro and give it a work over. Aftermarket specialists are doing their part to change the Camaro into a Firebird, but as far as I can see only one seems to have gone so far to market its work effectively.
That would be TransAm Depot, a company who has created the Phoenix T/A, a car that cannot be legally called a Firebird, but looks awfully like the 77-78 birds of yore. Working with legendary designer Kevin Morgan, Trans Am Depot can convert your ride into a modern interpretation of the Pontiac Firebird.
T/A Package
With its package, TransAm Depot offers a lowering kit, anti-sway bar, appropriate badging throughout, forged aluminum wheels with Pirelli Pzaro tires, custom TA hood, hood scoop, front and rear fender flares, customized front and rear fascia, graphics package and more.
Inside, you get custom sill plates, embroidered head rests, leather dash and door panel inserts, and a faux aluminum dash and other features. Under the hood a supercharger, polished heads and brackets, and noise reduction gear are optional. You can also opt for a Hurst shift with a shift skip delete feature.
The finished product is well done and does justice to the late 1970s Pontiac Trans Am. Yes, this is the very same Pontiac Firebird concept that should have been built by GM, a nostalgic sport coupe that would have complemented the G8 sedan and proposed next generation GTO nicely. You can keep your Vibe, G3, even your G6: in its heyday Pontiac was all about performance and could have stayed active in the GM fold on a much smaller scale.
Firebird R.I.P.
Alas, in their curious wisdom GM decided to keep Buick, ditch Pontiac and give Firebird owners only two options: buy a Chevy Camaro "as is" or have it transformed into a "new classic" on a three decades old styling theme. Really, what choice do you have?!
