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Pontiac Trans Am Ram-Air Convertible bulges with hard muscle
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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POMONA, Calif. -- With power top popped, a driver pinned this ragtop's bonnet down in order to cruise Mission Boulevard through the heart of Pomona, home of the Pomona Raceway that kindled California's subculture of hot rods.
Sunshine warms a fat little sport steering wheel and leather top knot on the shifter stick. On a clear afternoon in La-La-Land with Mt. Baldy towering in the distance, it's a good day to see and be seen.
So we're showing out on the streets of Pomona, because this convertible draws the eye and demands attention. The incredible cantilever of a windshield rakes so far back that it tips over the cockpit like a fighter jet's acrylic canopy.
And check those twin flared scoops bulging on top of that long front hood. Consider these the seething nostrils of a dragon car which screams on big Z-rated rubber and spits fire when provoked.
It's the meanest monster on the boulevard, Pontiac Firebird's legendary Trans Am cast as slinky convertible and beefed up with new forced-air induction to make this drop-top the Grade-A muscle meat for power maniacs.
Go ahead: Punch the pedal and provoke it.
And I do, revving up the strength of more than 300 horses before releasing a tight clutch. The deep, throaty roar of this street serpent, channeled through dual back pipes, warns all challengers to get out of our way.
Now we're off with the green light of a signal, smoking up an on-ramp of the 210 freeway and flying north toward Baldy to play with some dicy curve sets cast over slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains.
What makes this flame-spitter so unusual -- after its convertible configuration and those sexy low lines -- concerns the way it handles not only on a straight stretch but around tight-turn corners too: It hunkers and hugs.
Pontiac's most powerful convertible rides on a stable mid-size platform and carries the appropriate mechanical weapons to perform nimble tricks through twisty stuff. Quick-action rack and pinion steering with power assistance, plus 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, represents a significant improvement over previous generational predecessors of Trans Am, which begged to be steered strictly in a straight line.
Then the convertible's new Ram-Air package applies stiffer suspension components and special shock valving, which spur a firmer ride quality more akin to the feel of high-performance sports cars.
With classic sports-car setup, the front-mounted 5.7-liter V8 from Corvette's previous issue supplies outrageous forced-induction power to rear wheels.
Before attaching the ram-air fix, this plant generates a total of 285 horsepower, enhanced in part due to a dual converter exhaust system with small catalytic converter installed in each pipe in place of a single large converter.
Twin pipes and the twin small 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.
Tack on forced induction from the Ram-Air package, along with twin port hood scoops to drive outside air into the engine, and it musters even more usable power.
Final output climbs to 305 hp, with enormous torque (350 lbs/ft) exerted.
With the Ram-Air package, Trans Am's stick gains another forward gear to become a tight-ratio 6-speed manual, but an automatic 4-speed is offered optionally.
The manual-6 slides like a sled and feels far more user-friendly than shifters on other muscle cars. The sixth gear, functioning as an advanced overdrive, can be deployed only at excessive speed where there's still torque available when you need it.
The most fun comes from lower shift ranges at lesser speeds. Snap it to second or third, then pound the gas pedal but brace yourself because the acceleration will peel your cheeks back to the headrest.
There's so much power here that a prudent driver must constantly guard against a lead foot on the accelerator. Without such caution, you're destined to meet the local law enforcement officials because, with that raked windshield, sporty convertible stance and bulging hoodline, Trans Am Ram-Air looks like it's speeding even when parked.
Fear of arrest became an overriding factor affecting my tests on Pomona's boulevards, fast California freeways and winding mountain routes. The experience pumped up my pulse 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 too-tight corners.
If you like the basic look of Pontiac's monster but don't need the overdose of adrenalin inflicted from such a power rush, other choices appear.
Trans Am represents the performance end of Pontiac's Firebird mid-size machine coined in both coupe and convertible styles. The convertible variations, each with the same racy lines and soft-top styling, begin with the value model, Firebird, and extend to Firebird Formula before leaping to Trans Am with its ultimate Ram-Air edition.
Major differences concern power because at entry level Firebird stocks GM's 3800 series 3.8-liter V6, rated at 200 hp, while Formula uses the 285 hp V8 of Trans Am but without an extra air-induced kick.
These variations look best not with visual inspection but an examination of their respective bottom lines.
Firebird Convertible tallies to $23,560, which includes the power-operated top with rear glass window, plus many items lifted from the option list of Firebird's coupe, like air conditioning, cruise control and power movement for mirrors and windows. A 5-speed manual transmission is also included, with automatic 4-speed available for $815.
Firebird Formula Convertible at $26,979 adds the V8 tied to 4-speed auto shifter, 4-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock controls and performance suspension components.
Trans Am Convertible begins at $28,899, as adorned with specific rounded front fascia, integrated foglamps and rocker panel extensions, plus bonus items like a leather-wrapped sport steering wheel with radio controls and remote keyless entry, while the Ram-Air package brings another $2,995 to the line with chromed alloy wheels applied.
1997 PONTIAC TRANS AM RAM-AIR CONVERTIBLE
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1997 PONTIAC TRANS AM RAM AIR CONVERTIBLE Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size convertible |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size 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/6/5, Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Rear |
| Braking: |
Firebird: Disc/drum/ABS,
Formula: 4-disc/ABS
Trans Am: 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
V6: 19/30 mpg
V8: 17/25 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 23,560 to $ 32,000 |
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