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Pontiac Formula and Trans Am spit fire from new Ram Air kick
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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Crank up Pontiac's new Trans Am Ram Air dragon only if you dare: The flame-spitter derived from Firebird with flared hood nostrils and high-performance hardware packs 305 forceful horses ready to romp over anything on the road.
The deep, throaty roar of this street serpent warns all comers to make way for a power monster.
Rack that 6-speed shifter down to low gear, get a grip on the fat little sports steering wheel, then go ahead -- let your right foot tickle that throttle till your cheeks slide back to the headrest.
Holy melt-down: Now we're flying on Z-rated rubber.
With its classic setup -- the front-mounted 5.7-liter V8 supplying outrageous forced-induction power to rear wheels with enormous 17-inch 275 ZR tires, Firebird's Formula or Trans Am coupe mutates to become the meanest machine on the strip.
Consider this the prime muscle car for power fanatics.
Yet the take on Pontiac's new Ram Air variation for Formula and Trans Am looks even sweeter when you peek beyond those racy styling lines or torque charts and instead examine the bottom line.
Start with list prices of $19,969 for Firebird Formula and $21,919 for the upgraded Trans Am, as both draw from the same V8 engine. Then for an additional $2,995 tack on the Ram Air package with a horsepower boost from 285 to 305 as well as stiffer suspension components and unique shock valving. In the end, these new cars tally to $22,964 and $24,914, respectively.
That's not just so much small change, to be sure, but it's at least $12,000 below the least expensive Corvette, which amounts to this car's only realistic rival.
So you get screaming power in a refined fire-breather which functions like a 'Vette with rear seat attached.
And it delivers quite a ride.
My tests, on broad but deserted strips of blacktop in the hills west of San Antonio near Sea World, pumped up my pulse rate to too many digits, but Trans Am Ram Air held a hard line, not just with fast off-the-line action but through apexes of tight corners racing to outpace myself.
Of course, the framework of Pontiac's muscle car has always impressed me, since the latest generational edition emerged as a 1993 model.
It rides on a solid mid-size platform and carries the appropriate mechanical weapons to perform nimble tricks on flat straights or through twisty stuff.
Quick power assisted rack and pinion steering and a lively independent suspension with monotube gas-charged shocks contribute to the control a driver commands.
The suspension, with short and long front arms and rear track bar, is a vast improvement over predecessor models that begged to be steered strictly in a straight line.
Firebird's coupe may be the ultimate bargain, though, despite the fact it does not stock the V8.
Instead, base coupe and the dramatic convertible variation merit a more powerful V6 for 1996 with GM's 3800 series 3.8-liter V6. Adding this plant with a redesigned valvetrain elevates output from 160 to 200 hp.
Yet the coupe's tag trims to only $16,120.
Firebird in convertible format lists for a healthy $22,900 but includes a power-operated top and many items listed as options on the coupe, such as power-operated mirrors and windows, cruise control and air conditioning.
Pop the power top, tack down the ragtop's bonnet and you'll no doubt notice the incredible cantilever of a windshield racked so far back it leans over the cockpit like a fighter jet's acrylic canopy.
A step upward in coupe or convertible to Formula and Trans Am captures the V8.
It generates 10 more horsepower this year, for a total of 285, thanks to the installation of a California dual converter exhaust system which consists of two smaller catalytic converters -- one for each pipe -- in place of a single large converter.
Twin pipes and the new converters create a greater exhaust volume which means less back pressure so the engine can breathe better -- and the better the breath, the better the power output.
Then tack on that forced induction Ram Air package and the twin port hood scoop forces outside air into the engine to muster even more usable power.
For transmissions, base Firebird installs a 5-speed manual as stock equipment, then offers GM's smooth-shifting 4-speed electronic automatic as an option for $790.
With Formula and Trans Am V8 plus the Ram Air package, Pontiac's stick gains a forward gear to become a tight-ratio 6-speed manual, but the auto 4-speed is available.
My preference would be that manual-6.
It's far more friendly than the shifter of Corvette or Trans Am's rivals. The addition of a sixth gear, functioning like advanced overdrive, may only be deployed at high speed, where there's still torque when you need it.
The most fun comes from lower shift ranges at lesser speeds. Snap it to second or third, but brace yourself because the acceleration will peg shoulders to seat.
There's so much power here that a prudent driver must constantly guard against a heavy pedal foot. Without such caution, you'll lose your driver's license from too many speeding tickets.
Trans Am bears special exterior trim which makes it look mean and aggressive -- note the specific rounded front fascia with integrated foglamps and rocker panel extensions. This look provides a sharp contrast for Pontiac's muscle car over Chevrolet's Camaro counterpart.
Two removable T-type hatch roof panels, optional across the coupe line, store in a special locking device located in the trunk compartment.
The convertible, with power-operated flush-folding top and 3-piece tonneau bonnet, contains a fixed-glass rear window with electric defogger. A number of structural reinforcements compensate for the open-top styling.
Firebird's prices top out with Trans Am in convertible format, listing now for $27,870.
1996 PONTIAC FIREBIRD
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1996 PONTIAC FIREBIRD Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size sports coupe, convertible |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size sports coupe, convertible |
| Wheelbase: |
101.1 inches |
| Overall Length: |
195.6 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 3.8-L V6
OHV 5.7-L V8
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| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Rear |
| Braking: |
Firebird: Disc/drum/ABS,
Formula: 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
V6: 19/30 mpg
V8: 17/25 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 16,120 to $ 27,870 |
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