1998 Pontiac Firebird 3.8l V6 With T-tops And Flowmasters! Low Miles!!!! on 2040-cars

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Destiny: General Motors should bring back Pontiac

Despite having officially left the market in 2010, the Pontiac badge is still a common sight on roadways throughout the United States. Towards the end of its life, Pontiac models were largely rebadged versions of other General Motors vehicles, like the Pontiac G5 and Chevrolet Cobalt. It's sad, but there's no other way to put it; Pontiac was a mere shadow of its former self at the time of its death. Now it's time to revive the legendary brand. General Motors announced it would be reviving the Redline series, a package that originated with Saturn, another dead brand, earlier this year. Some models, like the Chevrolet Camaro will receive unique cosmetic touches designed to make it look even sportier, something Pontiac excelled at in most cases. Gas prices have fallen dramatically in the past few years and consumers have taken notice. Sales of fuel efficient cars, like hybrids and compact sedans, aren't increasing at the same rate as larger, less efficient vehicles, like trucks and SUVs. Muscle cars, like the Ford Mustang, are seeing increasing sales as well. Perhaps it's time to revive Pontiac and restore the marque to its former glory: a brand that brought performance and style at an affordable price. There are currently few manufacturers that offer a true challenge to high-performance automakers like BMW. The German brand continues to see high sales year after year and performance has a lot to do with it. Brand recognition, namely through the BMW badge, plays a major role as well. Pontiac, arguably one of the most well-known brands to ever grace the industry, can match both factors with ease. Pontiac was once revered as a brand that revolutionized the muscle car segment in the 1970s and 1980s. It still has a lively following throughout enthusiast spheres and amongst drivers of all ages to this day. Reviving the brand with a small line of high-performance vehicles would certainly offer a challenge to dominating German brands. A small lineup of affordable vehicles bearing the Pontiac badge and designed for performance and style would certainly make waves in the current market. Reviving a few older nameplates, such as the GTO and Trans Am, would offer nostalgic appeal. Packing both models with a powerful entry-level engine, say the Camaro's turbocharged four-cylinder or V6 engine, would open up the market considerably.

Another Burt Reynolds Trans Am is up for auction

Fans of Smokey and the Bandit, your car has arrived. This Saturday, January 21, Barrett-Jackson will auction a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am clone that, while not originally in the movie, was owned and signed by the Bandit himself, Burt Reynolds. Not only that, but it packs many modifications that should make this Pontiac drive the way we all imagined it did. This is a Trans Am clone, not an original. The car was built by Nebraska company Restore A Muscle Car, and started life as a lowly Firebird Formula. However, the company brought it up to Trans Am grade and beyond. Under the hood is a fuel-injected 8.2-liter V8 from Butler Performance that Restore A Muscle Car says produces 600 horsepower. Coupled to the big V8 is a Tremec five-speed manual transmission. There's even Hurst line-lock on-board, so this Trans Am should be perfect for on-demand burnouts. The car also comes with QA1 coil-over suspension, so it should corner better than the original, too. The outside looks roughly like a stock Trans Am, but it now has 18-inch wheels styled after those from the movie car, and the shaker scoop says "8.2" on each side. View 5 Photos In 2014, a 1977 Trans Am owned by Reynolds sold for a whopping $450,000. That car wasn't an actual movie car either, and lacked the modifications of this one. However, it was used as a promotional car and was given to Reynolds, so it did have some history with the film. This upgraded car is listed in the Barrett-Jackson catalog as "no reserve," so it's going home with a new owner on Saturday, regardless of price. Related Video:

Online Find: 1970 Pontiac Firebird Concept, cousin of the Weinermobile

So there's this for sale over at Hemmings: the 1970 Pontiac Firebird One concept designed by Harry Bentley Bradley and built by Dave Crook. For sale at the time of writing in Bellevue, Washington for $94,950, most of the seller's description appears to be pulled from a 2001 Barrett-Jackson listing, when the car was sold at auction for $61,600. Before we get to the car, it helps to know the man behind it: Bradley was a designer at General Motors from 1962 to 1966 who, against company policy, continued to submit designs to Hot Rod magazine under an assumed name. Mattel poached him in 1966 to design its brand new toy line called Hot Wheels, and Bradley designed all of them except one. He only stayed at Mattel for a year because he didn't think Hot Wheels would be successful, then left to start his own design company. Among other works, he penned the most recent example of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Now can you see the Firebird One's design language? Since it apparently has a letter of documentation from GM design staff, we'll assume that GM asked the then-freelancing Bradley to work some magic on its muscle car, this being the totally Hot-Wheels influenced result. There are 17,456 miles on its 255-horsepower, 350 cubic-inch V8. The interior has tan leather, custom bucket seats, a wood grain dash, and one of the most awkward spare tire placements ever. The seller assures all prospective buyers that it is, like the Death Star, "fully operational."