Pontiac Trans Am Firebird may return

Firebird Trans Am? That's not going to save Pontiac . For that matter, Pontiac won't survive this economic slump; it will be gone in 60 weeks' time (or thereabouts).

— 204E60 (View Profile)

Posted on 4/14/2009 11:46:32 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

"Pontiac Trans Am Firebird may return"

...as will mullets.

— StarSearch (View Profile)

Posted on 4/14/2009 12:49:05 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 6   

The only real success at GM is Cadillac and Corvette.

Cadillac is a very well respected car and the Nothstar engine is simply legendary. GM should just build Buick as there cheap, miser car, and Caddy for their high-end car. Chevy ruined their brand name with the cheapening of the Impala. Go figure, a 57 Impala was a beautiful car reduced to junk by the 21st century with engineers and management pursuit of cutting corners to rip people off. Chevy could have sold more Impalas today if they just built them off the old 1957 blue prints instead of finding ways to build using materials of cardboard and plastic.

What ever happened to the Buick Riviera? That car in the late 60s was a movie star car and carried on the tradition of the Packard.

Of Course. With the huge applause of the coming Camaro, it only makes sense to build a higher trim Level Trans Am, but having a ton of models doesn't make sense anymore. Just build good niche cars without chasing Lexus and Mercedes.

Scrap Chevy, Build Buick, Caddy and a few nitch models comprised of Corvette, Firebird and Camero.

— mercuryguy (View Profile)

Posted on 4/14/2009 12:58:11 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -5   

Now that the Camaro is in production why does GM need a Firebird Transam? Assuming Chrysler stays in business with Fiat's help,you've got the Challenger,the Mustang,the Camaro. You know that the Firebird would be built off the Camaro chassis but be more expensive. To me it's GM going back to it's duplication ways again. This is one of those issues that got them into trouble in the first place. Lutz tried with the Pontiac GTO. That fizzeled. Now you've got a lot more competition including Chevy.It doesn't make business sense to me.I think at this point if Ponitac remains as a nich brand then it must offer cars that are significantly different then the rest of GM's car line up.I would therefore go with a 4dr coupe concept for Pontiac on a few models and keep the Solstice. That's what's Ford's problem with Mercury. The Milan is nothing more then a restyled Fusion,which is again a Lincoln MKZ.

— mini22 (View Profile)

Posted on 4/14/2009 1:14:26 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Only old people 60+ drive new Buicks mercuryguy. Middle American (Southern and Midwestern) Minorities love used Buicks though, I dont know why but they do?

Too many young people drive Chevys, especially in Middle America (unlike us Jerseyans) mercuryguy for them to be scraped. I have been living in Middle America for 9 years dawg, trust me. Chevy is their bread and butter.

Also, high strength lightweight metals, and renewable materials make the Corvette, a $25,000 car cost $70,000. So until they find a way to make high strength lightweight metals cheaper, expect the plastic and cardboard. Though, the cardboard that GM puts in thier bumpers makes them look very bad. Nobody else uses cardboard in bumpers except for them. However, Ive owned enough 80s cars in the past to know that the Interiors were just either carpet and cardboard, vinyl and cardboard, or leather and cardboard. Now they use either plastic or rubber liners to save on weight.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 4/14/2009 1:29:37 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

Audi first tried this in the mid 1990s. They tried plastic liners, with painted leather and vinyl spray to get soft touch points. Drive any Audi 1995-2003 and youll see how that material fades with abuse. It feels nice, and adds an additional ora of comfort, but it is not a justification to have high prices.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 4/14/2009 1:34:51 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -5   

On topic, a Trans Am or Firebird, based off the 1980s IROCs, or late 1970s models might have viabilty. Thats if they tune those engines to get 33 MPG or something.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 4/14/2009 1:37:28 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -5   

I would be happy if Pontiac ditched all of their economy cars... good bye G3/5/6... and it it's place, Hello abandoned G8 ST, Firebird, and for good measure, keep the Solstice and regular G8... Pontiac needs to become GM's sports division, while Caddy stays GM's luxury division...

— Joe_Limon (View Profile)

Posted on 4/14/2009 2:02:56 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

I want the G8 wagon. That is all.

— Shredmo (View Profile)

Posted on 4/14/2009 3:18:52 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

HyundaiSmoke can you not spam as much it gets REALLY old! If you are going to post then just post, don't post 3+ posts in a row.

— 91z4me (View Profile)

Posted on 4/14/2009 3:31:02 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Actually, if we are going to be an empire. And being an empire requires class and sophistication, so no redneck muscle cars. Then us Americans need a proper Supercar Company. Why not Pontiac? Why not have a Pontiac with 1100 HP and 1200 lb ft Torque, that runs on E85 like the Bugatti or Koeniggsegg? Yet cost $110,000-$150,000 or something.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 4/14/2009 8:55:19 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -4   

GMs has killed the Ghetto boat Cadillacs and Buicks, for more sophisticated driving machines. Why not Kill the redneck Muscle Cars as well?

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 4/14/2009 8:58:12 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -5   

Here we go again with the Retro comeback. All I know is if they're going to bring back the Firebird the looks gotta be better than that 4 door image right there.

— Type707 (View Profile)

Posted on 4/14/2009 9:28:00 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

Boo, you guys know its true.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 4/14/2009 11:03:21 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

Sad that Pontiac will have a decision by next year still when it desperately needs a decision now. What will Pontiac dealers do in the meantime? GM should really disband these brands. They are too intertwined to make a difference and be exciting.

— woood (View Profile)

Posted on 4/14/2009 11:31:17 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

Hold on a second! Bob Lutz hasn't even left yet and the morons that got GM in this position to begin with are back at their evil ways?!? Lutz said it over and over that there should be NO Pontiac version of this car. It is not the time for it. There is no room for it. It's typical American manufacturer thinking that if somebody doesn't want a Chevy parked in their garage they can sell them that same Chevy with a Pontiac badge. FAILURE looms if they continue on this path again. GMC and Pontiac need to die more than Saturn does.

— tango (View Profile)

Posted on 4/15/2009 4:21:07 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

A new Firebird would very interesting and many drivers will reconize the nameplate the Firebird has been Pontiacs halo car for years and was always sportier than any Chevy. I say build it an make it more refined and upscaled and sportier than the Camero and you have a true more sophistacated Camero alternative.

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 4/15/2009 8:51:02 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-autos/idUSTRE53F0AD20090416

— 1evlaudi (View Profile)

Posted on 4/16/2009 1:19:46 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

I really don't understand the love for Saturn. Saturn seems the least likely to hold resale value. Buick seems like a nicer car and has a long tradition of nice shapes and interiors. Saturn reminds me of a miser car. I'm not sure what GM's goal was in the making of that brand. Why not just apply forward thinking to the Buick brand. Do you really need to create another division to inspire the engineers and designers?

— mercuryguy (View Profile)

Posted on 4/18/2009 2:40:59 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

the GTO failed because it was just a Cobalt on steroids. Yet another jelly-beaned plastic car with a high horsepower engine. The big engine isn't enough to inspire when you are sitting in a cramped seat looking at a black plastic dashboard.

— mercuryguy (View Profile)

Posted on 4/18/2009 2:44:45 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

The recent announcement by GM to shut Pontiac down provides a clear answer: there will be no new Trans Am and no new Firebird. Personally, I will no cry over it as I am not a fan of American muscle cars. But from a historical viewpoint, this is another American icon that has bitten the dust.

One day they will teach in MBA classes, using the example of the American auto industry, how NOT to run a business. Once a legend that the rest of the world looked up to, it has been reduced by incompetent management and labor unions to a struggling loser begging the government for a handout to survive.

— 2003m3 (View Profile)

Posted on 4/29/2009 3:50:26 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1