1991 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Gta Coupe 2-door 5.0l on 2040-cars

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Remember when Pontiac made a Trans Am Kammback grocery getter?

Despite muscle cars having strong reputations as some of the most impractical cars one can buy, they've occasionally had one of the most useful and practical features a car can sport: a hatchback. In the 1980s, General Motors' Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird had one, and it added respectable utility to the sports cars. But the people at GM thought they could make the F-Body cars even more useful. So, after a few clay-model experiments, Pontiac built three examples of an extended-roof 1985 Pontiac Trans Am Kammback concept. Spotted by GM Authority, one of these Trans Am Kammbacks (although "shooting brake" seems like the more apt descriptor) is going on the block at the Mecum Kissimmee auction in early January 2019. Reportedly only three of these prototypes/experiments/test mules were built to driveable specs, and this example, VIN No. EX4796, has additional history that might make it the ultimate example. According to Mecum, the show car, which has made appearances at numerous auto shows, also spent some time at the race track — just not as a participant. It was used as a pace car for PPG and IMSA racing and temporarily had a light bar and "two-way communications equipment." Following its pace duty, and after GM stopped the project from going any further, it was put into Pontiac Engineering's private collection for 13 years. Famous Michigan car collector and Pontiac dealership owner John McMullen then bought the car. He eventually sent it to Pontiac specialist Scott Tiemann for a full restoration to the gorgeous condition it is in today. As seen in the photos, the Trans Am features white paint over a gray leather interior. It houses a 5.0-liter V8 under the hood and has a five-speed manual transmission. The wild concept is rare enough to be super cool, but we can't help but think of an infinitely more practical, more modern, more powerful, and arguably more interesting car we'd rather have. Manual Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon in Black Diamond anybody? Or, if you don't care about the extra doors, perhaps the Callaway's Corvette AeroWagen is more applicable. Either way, we're in full support of any shooting brakes we can find. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Even Ferrari swept up in latest Takata recall expansion

The scope of Takata's deadly airbag problems continues to widen. Eight manufacturers announced recalls Friday that affect more than 12 million vehicles, according to documents filed with federal regulators. The automakers include Honda, which is recalling 4.5 million units, Fiat Chrysler with 4.3 million, Toyota with 1.65 million, and Subaru, which is recalling almost 400,000. Some of these cars include the Saab 9-2x and Pontiac Vibe that Toyota and Subaru made for General Motors. Mazda will recall 730,000 vehicles and Nissan has 400,000 affected units. The smallest numbers were posted by Mitsubishi, with 38,000 Lancers manufactured from 2006 to 2007, and as a noteworthy high-end manufacturer, Ferrari is calling back 2,800 vehicles. These are all US-market cars. Beyond America, the Japanese Transport Ministry has announced seven million additional vehicles will be recalled, which means 19.6 million vehicles across the globe are affected by recalls announced. The defects have been traced to an insufficiently manufactured airbag inflator, which lacks a drying agent that would prevent the inflators from deteriorating over time. Thirteen deaths have been linked to the faulty airbags, which have become unstable and are prone to exploding and showering vehicle occupants with lethal amounts of metal shrapnel. A private equity firm, KKR & Co., has been named in a possible buyout of the struggling Takata. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Shutterstock Government/Legal Recalls Ferrari Honda Mazda Automakers Mitsubishi Nissan Pontiac Subaru Toyota Saab Safety

Junkyard Gem: 1980 Pontiac Grand Prix LJ

A couple of years before John DeLorean and his team at the Pontiac Division created the GTO by pasting a big engine and some gingerbread on the LeMans, they created a rakish, powerful coupe based on the staid full-size Catalina. This was the 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix, which sold like crazy and escalated the personal luxury coupe war already brewing in Detroit. Starting with the 1969 model year, the Grand Prix switched to a smaller chassis (shared the following year with the new Chevrolet Monte Carlo), and all subsequent rear-wheel-drive Grand Prix (that is, through 1987) remained siblings of the Monte. Today's Junkyard Gem is a rare 1980 Grand Prix LJ, found in a self-service yard near Reno, Nevada. Sure, a fresh round of Middle East conflict had put a kink in America's fuel hose in 1979, leading to gas lines and a general sense of malaise, but at least the new Grand Prix looked extra sharp for 1980. The LJ package came with all sorts of appearance and comfort goodies, including these "luxury seats with loose-pillow design in New Florentine Cloth." A Pontiac Phoenix LJ was available as well. These seats must have been very comfortable when new. Who needed a Cadillac when Pontiac would sell you this car at a base MSRP of just $7,000 (about $26,704 in 2023 dollars)? That price was what you paid if you were willing to get the base 3.8-liter Buick V6, though. To get a V8 engine with four-barrel carburetor, you had to pay extra. If you did pay the extra for a V8, which one you got depended on which state you lived in; in California, you got this 305-cubic-inch (5.0-liter Chevrolet small-block), and in the other 49 states you got a 301-cubic-inch (4.9-liter) Pontiac. The 305 was rated at 150 horsepower with 230 pound-feet; the 301 made 140hp and 240 lb-ft. This car was originally bought in California (the state line is about ten miles away from its final parking spot), so it has the Chevy engine. The V8 added $195 (plus $250 for the California-only emissions system) to the out-the-door price of the car, or about $1,316 in 2023 dollars. Outside of California, a 4.3-liter Chevy V6 was available for just 80 additional bucks ($305 now). All 1980 Grand Prix got a three-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment, with no manual available from the factory. This car has the optional air conditioning, which cost $601 ($2,293 after inflation). This is the "Custom Sport" steering wheel, which was standard on the LJ. The tilt option cost $81 ($309 today).