Pontiac Firebird 1967-2002 - 0-60 mph Trans Am vs WS6 Any difference?

I have a 2002 Trans Am (WS9 whatever the hell that is). Just wondering if there was a major difference in performance between the T/A & WS6? I have ran against a couple of SS's and a Firehawk and haven't lost yet. Weren't they supposed to be faster? All were stock just like mine though.

I forgot to turn the TCS off before I did this so it could have been a little quicker I believe. You can see the lag at the beginning.

http://youtu.be/O4YaxTSog04

i wonder the same thing. i know the z28 to the ss the ss has a lighter hood(fiberglass) and the ram air.

stock vs stock my a4 z28 lost to my buddies ss m6 on a roll. but at the strip i always beat him.

There both the same in power, an ls1 is an ls1, differences are mainly cosmetics, I think suspension difference as well

^ Yup - That.

Awesome. 0-60 in 4.6 seconds is crazy fast, way faster than advertised when they came out.

The main thing will come down to the driver. My bone stock T/A back in '98 beat a WS6 T/A with exhaust and not sure what else. We both spun a little from a dig but I ended up pulling him by a nose. Both m6 cars. Some are just faster than others for some reason.

monday-wenday cars vs tuesday-thursday cars

Just hear all the hype about the WS6 and everybody looks away from the regular T/A. Was just curious. I do want a WS6 hood though. Looks sweet

There both the same in power, an ls1 is an ls1, differences are mainly cosmetics, I think suspension difference as well

Suspensions the same....except for the front sway bar.

I am going to start a firestorm but having owned 19 2002s (6 LS6 blocked cars and 13 LS1 blocked) I can tell you for a FACT that a bone stock LS6 car is faster than a bone a bone stock LS1 car hands down. I dont care what anybody says you have indenticle stock 02s...two with LS1 blocks and one with a LS6 I would bet the title I can tell you which one it is from driving them. Like I said I know there will be doubters but I doubt anybody has had the experience with them I have had.

I am betting that if the OPs car ran a 13.00 stock its a LS6 blocked car. They are the factory freaks people talk about.

I am betting that if the OPs car ran a 13.00 stock its a LS6 blocked car. They are the factory freaks people talk about.

I'll check the block # this afternoon.

i second you on the ls6 block..... i was stock 99 a4 z28 vs stock 02 a4 z28 guy beat me by a bumper. both drivers have a 10-15 pound difference

Couldn't see the block #. I know where it should be but with a mirror and flashlight couldn't see it.

When my ride was stock I never tested the 0-60 times. Would've been interesting to see the progression from stock to where she sits now.

I am betting that if the OPs car ran a 13.00 stock its a LS6 blocked car. They are the factory freaks people talk about.

As were the '98s running high 12s stock (13.2 for a '98 'vert or two). :eyes: I'm not disputing the LS6 block might have an edge on an equivalent LS1 block, but I seriously doubt the difference is enough to overcome the many other variations over the years & between otherwise identical cars. And certainly, the "factory freaks" were not limited to LS6 blocked cars.

Suspensions the same....except for the front sway bar.

I am going to start a firestorm but having owned 19 2002s (6 LS6 blocked cars and 13 LS1 blocked) I can tell you for a FACT that a bone stock LS6 car is faster than a bone a bone stock LS1 car hands down. I dont care what anybody says you have indenticle stock 02s...two with LS1 blocks and one with a LS6 I would bet the title I can tell you which one it is from driving them. Like I said I know there will be doubters but I doubt anybody has had the experience with them I have had.

I am betting that if the OPs car ran a 13.00 stock its a LS6 blocked car. They are the factory freaks people talk about.

Dont say that bro. I got ran out of the building two years ago when i stated the same thing on here. Block stiffness and bay breathing must mean something.

Well I don't know about a factory freak but it is an LS6 blocked car whether that's good or bad I don't know.

My LS1 block '01 flat hood T/A ran 12.97 @ 108 with only OEM Firehawk wheels and Nitto 555RII tires on all 4 corners as modifications from OEM. Otherwise the only other thing changed was the oil. It still had paper air filter and all.

Got my rear end back together now. Going to see if these tires will help.

There both the same in power, an ls1 is an ls1, differences are mainly cosmetics, I think suspension difference as well

GM did have a few TA's that seemed to have more power than others, though it wasn't exclusive to a Trans Am or WS6.

I weigh in at over 300lbs. and my completely stock CETA has been the victor in a few battles I should have lost. It could have been driver ability, but I like to think mine was one of a few TA's that left the factory a little over-juiced.

Suspensions the same....except for the front sway bar.

I am going to start a firestorm but having owned 19 2002s (6 LS6 blocked cars and 13 LS1 blocked) I can tell you for a FACT that a bone stock LS6 car is faster than a bone a bone stock LS1 car hands down. I dont care what anybody says you have indenticle stock 02s...two with LS1 blocks and one with a LS6 I would bet the title I can tell you which one it is from driving them. Like I said I know there will be doubters but I doubt anybody has had the experience with them I have had.

I am betting that if the OPs car ran a 13.00 stock its a LS6 blocked car. They are the factory freaks people talk about.

I should have read the whole thread first.

I second this opinion.

I would think the ls6 intake would be the most important difference between the 98-00 and 01-02 models. A 98 ws6 shouldn't be any faster than a 02 normal trans am.

what abt the injectors,cam,and exhaust?

I would think the ls6 intake would be the most important difference between the 98-00 and 01-02 models. A 98 ws6 shouldn't be any faster than a 02 normal trans am.

The SS I ran was an '02 M6 as well with 32000 miles. It was a car and a half back.

I would think the ls6 intake would be the most important difference between the 98-00 and 01-02 models. A 98 ws6 shouldn't be any faster than a 02 normal trans am.

not true at all, 01-02 cars also have smaller cams

driver error i bet

If the later f bodies have a smaller cam, would an earlier ls1 with the larger cam be faster than the later ones, if the earlier one switched to an ls6 intake?

The '01-'02 exhaust manifold are also improved. The cam used for those years, if I'm not mistaken, are similar to the cams from the 5.3....while not as good for high RPM power it did improve low end torque a bit (seriously, a MINOR difference)....basically it comes out in a wash.

Stock for stock, a car equipped with better flowing exhaust and intake with a similar cam to one that has a poorer flowing intake/exhaust should win. LS6 block or not. That being said, the 5 hp or so difference that might result in that shouldn't be enough to make a difference, you can more likely blame a loss on the fact that you had a traction issue, didn't pop the clutch properly, or had too much to eat for lunch. It's been said before, an LS1 is an LS1 is an LS1....the differences year to year are minor and insignificant when you're racing on the street where there are more things that can make a difference than the 5-10 hp difference between each car.....when you think about 350 bhp, a 10 hp difference is 2.8%, ain't a whole lot considering a poor launch can make a difference in a 0-60 time of 20-30%, or more (pulling that number out of my ass, but I'm sure it's true)

i agree with 99 FORMULAM6r...a ls1 is a ls1...some just are not treated as well through out there years...abuse doesn't help...and i also believe that putting ls6 intake on a '98-'00 with the larger cam would be the best of both worlds...in gm high tech performance mag. they tested a '99 Z28 they got a 12.896@109.18 showroom stock m6...there worst run of the day was a 13.009@108.61...car weight was 3,575 with driver...yet in an issue of road & track they tested a SS vs a Z28 and they said the SS was one 1 second quicker to 100mph then the regular Z28 was...

when i first went looking for a WS6 , i drove a 2001 t/a auto. not sure what gears it had, didn't seem very powerful, then i drove my WS6...there was a difference...not sure if it had anything to do with it being a WS6 though or not...both auto. but at about 40mph, i could break the back tires loose, n the regular t/a i couldn't...oh well go figure...

I just thought the WS6 may have had a little something extra under the hood (which is bad ass no doubt) vs a flat hood T/A. Guess not. Honestly I like the sleek look of my flat hood too. Performance wise, for a street car, it's pretty damn quick.

i agree with 99 FORMULAM6r...a ls1 is a ls1...some just are not treated as well through out there years...abuse doesn't help...and i also believe that putting ls6 intake on a '98-'00 with the larger cam would be the best of both worlds...in gm high tech performance mag. they tested a '99 Z28 they got a 12.896@109.18 showroom stock m6...there worst run of the day was a 13.009@108.61...car weight was 3,575 with driver...yet in an issue of road & track they tested a SS vs a Z28 and they said the SS was one 1 second quicker to 100mph then the regular Z28 was...

when i first went looking for a WS6 , i drove a 2001 t/a auto. not sure what gears it had, didn't seem very powerful, then i drove my WS6...there was a difference...not sure if it had anything to do with it being a WS6 though or not...both auto. but at about 40mph, i could break the back tires loose, n the regular t/a i couldn't...oh well go figure...


a stock 99 z28 m6 did 12.8?

my stock 1999 a4 z28 did 13.7. and im not fat im about 125-130lbs?

YTOWNLS1.. it was in the july '99 issue of gm high tech performance mag. it was a very hard core magazine...it's changed a lot..i own every issue, since it came out in '95, including the free one's in the back of PHR...how much does your Z weigh ???...there's wasn't much including driver...and about that regular t/a not breaking the tires loose and the WS6 that did...that's the one i bought, black on black...lolol..

i do not know exactly. went to weigh stations and scraps yards and they wont let me weigh it:( im guessing 3300-3450

when i first went looking for a WS6 , i drove a 2001 t/a auto. not sure what gears it had, didn't seem very powerful, then i drove my WS6...there was a difference...not sure if it had anything to do with it being a WS6 though or not...both auto. but at about 40mph, i could break the back tires loose, n the regular t/a i couldn't...oh well go figure...

Tire spinning with my T/A isn't a problem. Just hit the gas between 0 and 70 mph even without dumping the clutch and it'll light 'em up on street tires.:burn:

Suspensions the same....except for the front sway bar.

I am going to start a firestorm but having owned 19 2002s (6 LS6 blocked cars and 13 LS1 blocked) I can tell you for a FACT that a bone stock LS6 car is faster than a bone a bone stock LS1 car hands down. I dont care what anybody says you have indenticle stock 02s...two with LS1 blocks and one with a LS6 I would bet the title I can tell you which one it is from driving them. Like I said I know there will be doubters but I doubt anybody has had the experience with them I have had.

I am betting that if the OPs car ran a 13.00 stock its a LS6 blocked car. They are the factory freaks people talk about.

Suspension was different if people chose either the 1LE or Bilstein shock options.

:lol: Just noticed that this is an old thread....

Suspension was different if people chose either the 1LE or Bilstein shock options.

:lol: Just noticed that this is an old thread....

In '98 thru early '00, WS6 also included stiffer springs, shocks and sways, both front and rear than a standard TA/Formula. The WS6 RPO got "de-contented" in ~Nov '00 to just different sways. Story I heard was that customers were complaining that the WS6 rode too harsh.

12.8 huh? Damn that mustbe nice,my best is only 13.9@100 buy then again I have a4 and 2.72s... and I think I have a fuel delivery issue too Idk :/.... oh and having 225 tires on the back doesn't help traction issues either lol