On safety, dual airbags and antilock brakes come standard and traction control can be ordered on all models. Visibility from behind that large front end can be a bit tough, especially for vertically challenged drivers and entry and exit in the Firebird takes a little getting used to. Wind and noise are also noticeably respectable, as is storage space – a surprising 13 cubic feet in a coupe this sporty. But the audio system, secondary controls, seat comfort and overall headroom are first-class. Materials are still a dulled-down variety of what you’ll find in almost every GM vehicle, from a Cadillac Escalade to a Cavalier. But what that means is a little too much GM plastic and not enough unique Firebird equipment. Inside the Pontiac Firebird, the Trans Am’s cockpit is a mix of standard GM equipment and a futuristic blend of style and function. It’s a throwback to what muscular driving is all about. All V8 models come with a four-speed automatic transmission, but you want the six-speed manual transmission with a $325 Hurst shifter. The Pontiac Firebird will still slide sideways in a serious push, but it is predictable and not without effort.Īvailable in a base, Formula, and Trans Am hatchback coupes, as well as a base and Trans Am convertible, this year the 2002 Firebird also arrives in a “Collector Edition” trim package.īase models have a 200-horse, V-6 engine with five-speed manual transmission or an automatic, which is an option on coupes and standard on convertibles. The 17-inch tires carry a solid traction rating and allow the driver to munch up a tight corner.īut be careful. Not to mention it adds the dual-outlet exhaust, power steering cooler, a specific tuned suspension and 275/40ZR17 high-performance tires that stick the Trans Am to the street. It’s $3,290 more for the ram-air induction system (that gives you 15 extra horses), but it’s worth every fiber of Pontiac Firebird muscle. Your stomach will hardly thank you for it.Īdd “Option Group 1SA” and you can really mix up some internal organs. Pound the accelerator, and hang on for dear life. Pop the clutch, and the beast comes to life. With the raw energy of 340 pounds-feet of maximum torque, this is a car that demands to be driven, and driven hard. Performance is delivered from the aforementioned Corvette-derived LS1 V8, a standard 310 horsepower that pushes the Firebird to 60 mph in a tick over five seconds. From the driver’s seat, it’s a thrill and mainly because it’s after one factor: Pure gusto. On its final lap, where the Camaro lost some of its appeal over time by not rolling with the times, the Firebird still seems to have that lust factor about it.įrom the street, it’s as attractive as ever: a blend of angular lines, louvered side scoops, and bulging sheet metal (as one auto critic said, “a supermodel in a silk nightgown”). “What a rush!” he said, his nails digging into dash. Or ask a friend who insisted he have a ride in the final Firebird, then couldn’t hold on hard enough when the clutch was popped and he was deposited into the back of the seat. who pushed the pedal a little too hard during a test spin a summer back and was snapped back by a state trooper. And so does 5.7 liters of a blowtorch V8 mixed with all the tasty tread of 17-inch alloy wheels, mixed with the symphony of dual exhaust, mixed with danger.ĭon’t believe it? Ask a friend at General Motors Corp. Indeed, come the final quarter of this year, it will be a sad day. Now, just in time for spring, we dropped the top (and the hammer) on the final Firebird Trans Am convertible, all decked out in “Collector Yellow,” and, ultimately, all decked out for a funeral. Six months ago, we spun the Camaro out for a final time. Where the Firebird, and its F-body Camaro cousin, couldn’t hold a candle to the Ford Mustang in recent showroom muscle, both were worthy tire-shredding competitors. Sales charts will show its biggest rival couldn’t stop hitting its stride. When the final bird rolls off the Quebec assembly line later this year, critics will say the Pontiac sports coupe’s time has finally come. May your neighbors finally gain some peace and quiet. The Pontiac Firebird is flying away for good. Squeal a tire, shed a tear, do what you must do to honor a legend worthy of legendary mention.
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