Pontiac is Back!!!!

VMAX  Forum

Help Support VMAX Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Fire-medic

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
Messages
15,404
Reaction score
4,309
Location
Miami Florida
Detroit: in a wholly-unanticipated move the New General Motors Corporation has confirmed that Pontiac Motor Division will begin building a limited-production run of Trans-Ams for the 2012 model year.

"We have been waiting for the right time to make this announcement, and we are pleased to initiate operations for Pontiac with one of the most iconic muscle cars of all time, the Pontiac Trans-Am," said the spokesman during the press-release introduction at the Renaissance Center Tuesday. "Many corporations have tuner versions of their cars for sale at a premium. This will be a prestigeous magnet to draw interested people into the GM showrooms. It is targeted at the performance enthusiast who may have missed-out on a GM muscle car when they were new, but who now has the income and desire to establish his individuality apart from the others on the road. We expect a strong 'halo-effect' for our other GM offerings, and people who come to see the Trans-Am may decide to buy another GM product if they aren't quick-enough to buy one of these limited-production Trans-Ams."

Since the initial production run of 3000 Trans-Ams is expected to sell quickly, the demand is going to exceed supply, so figures the GM corporate accounting division.

Details about the car remain sketchy, but insiders have been told there will be few options. Power is by an all-aluminum block/heads twin-turbo with direct fuel injection displacing close to 5.4 liters and coupled to a seven speed dual-clutch paddle-shifter transmission. Suspension is four-wheel independent with Brembo four piston brakes in a 15" rotor size at the front and slightly smaller 13" at the rear. The rear is four-link I.R.S. Rack & pinion steering is used with struts at all four corners using the GM-developed magnetohydraulic damping which can be controlled from the cockpit.

In a striking departure from other GM products, the car is being built with an extremely stiff honeycomb-bonded aluminum and composite tub onto which the suspension and engine sub assemblies will attach at precisely-machined plates. The goal is to keep the weight of the car to 3200 lbs. dry, and preproduction mules met that through the use of finite-element analysis and rapid-prototyping. "This is not a cheap car to build, but we are committed to seeing it on the floor of GM dealers in 2012," said the spokesman.

Evidently, the car will be a Pontiac in name only, as the car will be sold as such through existing GM dealers. "We do not have plans at this time to expand the offerings under the Pontiac banner," said the spokesman. "We want people to associate the car with the heyday of performance and the bold style of Pontiac coupled with its reputation for performance."

Pricing has not been announced, but those who know said it would be difficult to build the car for less than $75,000.
lingenfeltera.jpg
 
Source? Sounds bogus, GM doesn't have a twin turbo direct injected engine and no way they build something that can beat a 'vette (they historically almost always shot down any other division's cars that were faster than the 'vette).

Also, I hope that's not what it looks like, too cartoonish...
 
no way they build something that can beat a 'vette (they historically almost always shot down any other division's cars that were faster than the 'vette).


The Grand National Turbo and the Trans Am Turbo GTA beat the Corvette of the same year, So it's happened before.

To me it looks like a Camero with a body kit, but there's something about that neo-retro look I like (I think Dodge got it right with the Challenger, and the Camero a close second ). However, I'm not to keen on the new version of the honeycomb wheels. I think they had it right back in the 70's
If they are going to build it, I don't doubt the power plant mentioned. I think it will be GM's answer to Ford's Shelby GT 500 super snake, that puppy is just wrong on so many levels :punk:.
I think they should enlarge the firebird emblem on the shaker scooped cars and leave the racing stripes for the dual scooped cars like the '69
 

Attachments

  • 1974_Trans_Am.jpg
    1974_Trans_Am.jpg
    16.5 KB
  • 1969_Trans_Am.jpg
    1969_Trans_Am.jpg
    65.7 KB
The Grand National Turbo and the Trans Am Turbo GTA beat the Corvette of the same year, So it's happened before.

To me it looks like a Camero with a body kit, but there's something about that neo-retro look I like (I think Dodge got it right with the Challenger, and the Camero a close second ).
If they are going to build it, I don't doubt the power plant mentioned. I think it will be GM's answer to Ford's Shelby GT 500 super snake, that puppy is just wrong on so many levels :punk:.
I think they should enlarge the firebird emblem on the shaker scooped cars and leave the racing stripes for the dual scooped cars like the '69

Exactly. One of the later American Choppers episodes visited a company that took GM cars and use custom body kit and hop-up goodies.
 
I like it a lot! If they build this, I hope they load it up with power...

While out on a ride Sunday I seen a '75 for sale for $2,500 that I almost stopped to look at until I seen how rusted out it was.
 
The Grand National Turbo and the Trans Am Turbo GTA beat the Corvette of the same year, So it's happened before.

To me it looks like a Camero with a body kit, but there's something about that neo-retro look I like (I think Dodge got it right with the Challenger, and the Camero a close second ). However, I'm not to keen on the new version of the honeycomb wheels. I think they had it right back in the 70's
If they are going to build it, I don't doubt the power plant mentioned. I think it will be GM's answer to Ford's Shelby GT 500 super snake, that puppy is just wrong on so many levels :punk:.
I think they should enlarge the firebird emblem on the shaker scooped cars and leave the racing stripes for the dual scooped cars like the '69

Exactly and look at how quickly gm killed them.

Performanceyears makes a nearly perfect honeycomb in 17", those look wrong.

I'd love to see it happen from gm as I have a '67 bird and a '78 t/a, but I'm sceptical until I see something official. I'm pretty sure the car pictured is an aftermarket conversion, maybe by trans am specialties.
 
The Grand National Turbo and the Trans Am Turbo GTA beat the Corvette of the same year, So it's happened before.

To me it looks like a Camero with a body kit, but there's something about that neo-retro look I like (I think Dodge got it right with the Challenger, and the Camero a close second ). However, I'm not to keen on the new version of the honeycomb wheels. I think they had it right back in the 70's
If they are going to build it, I don't doubt the power plant mentioned. I think it will be GM's answer to Ford's Shelby GT 500 super snake, that puppy is just wrong on so many levels :punk:.
I think they should enlarge the firebird emblem on the shaker scooped cars and leave the racing stripes for the dual scooped cars like the '69

I am in love with the GT 500's :drool: ... This trans am just looks like a refriderator painted white and blue with lights installed. I guess to each his own. :punk:
 
GM is totally capable of this. anyone read up on the camaros at all?

if youre a performance/car nut these are the best cars theyve ever made. and theyre getting 30mpg out of them!!! phuckin crazy. the vettes will go 200+ mph for a fraction of the cost of the competition and the camaros flat out rip.
 
Exactly and look at how quickly gm killed them.

Performanceyears makes a nearly perfect honeycomb in 17", those look wrong.

I'd love to see it happen from gm as I have a '67 bird and a '78 t/a, but I'm sceptical until I see something official. I'm pretty sure the car pictured is an aftermarket conversion, maybe by trans am specialties.

454 powered pick up trucks were the fastest thing GM built from about 74 or 75 to about 78 or 79 as far as I know. .....Trucks didn't have to play by the same rules.........If you ever took a spin in a half ton short bed step side 454 with a 400 auto you'll know what I mean,

That Pontiac car has the best looking nose ever put on a Trans Am, identical to the 70-73's,

Seen it before on the Web and as far as I know it's definitely a one off and has nothing to do with GM, but boy would I love to be proven wrong.
As far as the power plant I think GM doing twin turbo's is total bullshit, if GM really did pull this off it would probably have the proven blower system already cranking out as high as 646 hp in the vette, not that they would put that high of a tuned motor in the F-body of course....

White w/ blue stripe or Blue w/ white stripe were the only two color options on the 70 model, not sure about 71-73

And the same paint scheme too....................That paint scheme is the exact duplicate of the 1970-72 model TA's.
Too me the small bird looked way better than that Ghetto looking bird they put on the 73 models and later. It looks like a tribute to the 1970-1973 Trans Ams to me.

I owned a 1970 Ram Air IV back in High School, the one car more than any other I wish I could have back, if only I had of known...When they come up on Mecum once or twice a year I have to turn the TV off, I can't stand to watch..
A bona fide 70-73 TA in "running" condition is usually well over $20k, a nice one like in the pics below goes for $40k-$100k, numbers were on their side since they only made between 1286 and 4802 units a year of these years...I can't remember the last time I saw one on the street,,I see 'em on the internet but could never hope to own another one, maybe a clone some day......
 

Attachments

  • 1970_Pontiac_Trans_Am_by_Beowulf_BX.jpg
    1970_Pontiac_Trans_Am_by_Beowulf_BX.jpg
    55.3 KB
  • gu20050403_011.jpg
    gu20050403_011.jpg
    59.6 KB
454 powered pick up trucks were the fastest thing GM built from about 74 or 75 to about 78 or 79 as far as I know. .....Trucks didn't have to play by the same rules.........If you ever took a spin in a half ton short bed step side 454 with a 400 auto you'll know what I mean,

That Pontiac car has the best looking nose ever put on a Trans Am, identical to the 70-73's,

Seen it before on the Web and as far as I know it's definitely a one off and has nothing to do with GM, but boy would I love to be proven wrong.
As far as the power plant I think GM doing twin turbo's is total bullshit, if GM really did pull this off it would probably have the proven blower system already cranking out as high as 646 hp in the vette, not that they would put that high of a tuned motor in the F-body of course....

White w/ blue stripe or Blue w/ white stripe were the only two color options on the 70 model, not sure about 71-73

And the same paint scheme too....................That paint scheme is the exact duplicate of the 1970-72 model TA's.
Too me the small bird looked way better than that Ghetto looking bird they put on the 73 models and later. It looks like a tribute to the 1970-1973 Trans Ams to me.

I owned a 1970 Ram Air IV back in High School, the one car more than any other I wish I could have back, if only I had of known...When they come up on Mecum once or twice a year I have to turn the TV off, I can't stand to watch..
A bona fide 70-73 TA in "running" condition is usually well over $20k, a nice one like in the pics below goes for $40k-$100k, numbers were on their side since they only made between 1286 and 4802 units a year of these years...I can't remember the last time I saw one on the street,,I see 'em on the internet but could never hope to own another one, maybe a clone some day......

'70-'72 were white or blue only with the stripe, '73 was the first year for the big bird on the hood. It was optional and a small bird similar to the '70-'72 was available for a few years (extremely rare). You could order any '73-up trans am without the bird, but it was very rare to see one without as everyone liked it back then.

The '70-'72's are very expensive as the 'lowest' engine you could get was a raIII 400 in '70. The '71 and '72 had the 455HO only and '72 especially was really low production due to the GM workers strike. Starting in '73, you could get a base low compression 400 so the only really (really) valuable ones are the super duty 455's.
 
the only really (really) valuable ones are the super duty 455's.

Up here, a while back, the State Troopers were running 3 - 455sd Trans Ams as an unmarked interceptor project. They didn't screw with you if you were 10-20 over, but anything over 25 you had thier attention.

They racked up many tickets, then a couple of legislators got yanked and shock, shock the cars were all in storage within a coupld of months. Then later auctioned off.

I would have loved to have been old enough at the time to attend that auction. They did it again around 81' with three more T/A's but it wasn't the same (they kept on getting stuck in the snow and mud, The other cars weren't used in the winter. I guess they tried to put the 81's on the road all year around to justify the car) and the project was scrapped and the cars went to another police department in the lower 48.
 
'70-'72 were white or blue only with the stripe, '73 was the first year for the big bird on the hood. It was optional and a small bird similar to the '70-'72 was available for a few years (extremely rare). You could order any '73-up trans am without the bird, but it was very rare to see one without as everyone liked it back then.

The '70-'72's are very expensive as the 'lowest' engine you could get was a raIII 400 in '70. The '71 and '72 had the 455HO only and '72 especially was really low production due to the GM workers strike. Starting in '73, you could get a base low compression 400 so the only really (really) valuable ones are the super duty 455's.

So my '70 with the ram Air IV that the only made 88 of wouldn't be worth much:ummm:

I did a search last night and doesn't look like you can touch a 70-73 for less than $35K, that being for a 73 of course, the 70-72's are more like $45k-$100k, and you're right, the 71-72 455's look like they are the highest......I was sort of amazed how many of these are available considering the production numbers

1970 3,196
1971 2,116
1972 1,286
1973 4,802

Seeing they only built 11,400 over 4 years it's pretty amazing that many have survided after 40 years

Here's something wierd, I saw a 70-73 TA back in the mid 70's that had a COLUMN shifter.......Wonder how that happened???
 
I mean the super dutys were the only valuable ones from '73. All '70-'72 are valuable, the '70 raIV 4 speeds were/are worth the most followed by the '73 super duty and then the '72 455HO.

A lot did survive, I think because back in the day they were high dollar cars and people knew they were special. The late '70's have a much lower survival rate but they made so many of them (over 100k in '79 alone), that they're abundant.
 
Source? Sounds bogus, GM doesn't have a twin turbo direct injected engine and no way they build something that can beat a 'vette (they historically almost always shot down any other division's cars that were faster than the 'vette).

Also, I hope that's not what it looks like, too cartoonish...

This isn't bogus..it's going to happen and its about the Trans Am only as Fire-Medic indicated. The T/A will also be offered with the large "bird" on the hood....remember that...the smoky and the Bandit days :punk:
 
Back
Top