Jay Leno Clearly Loves His 2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6
The man that owns 198 cars chooses to drive his Trans Am WS6 more than most, and for some very good reasons.
Around these parts, the fourth-generation Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird are obviously appreciated for the amazing platform that they are. But the rest of the world has largely forgotten about these cars, having moved on to shinier new things or older muscle car classics. That group doesn’t include Jay Leno, however, who recently released a video love letter to his own 2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6.
“These are fascinating cars to me and this is the best version,” Leno says. “This is the last year of the Firebird, this is their swan song. And I think it’s the best one they ever built.” That’s a bold statement, indeed, but Leno points out that the beloved early cars just can’t measure up to the WS6’s performance, even when equipped with big motors like the old 455.
Leno has kept his Trans Am WS6 in amazing original condition, save for the battery, which has been replaced. His particular car doesn’t have the giant screaming chicken, but it is equipped with pretty much everything else that was available for what proved to be the ultimate Firebird. Leno says he’s been driving the car pretty regularly over the last couple of decades and has never had a single problem with it, to boot.
Once Leno gets the car out on the road, it’s easy to see why he drives it so much. “You know, this thing still makes me smile,” he says. “It’s a great car. It’s quite comfortable, it just handles nicely. It’s a nice driving car and it’s faster than, I don’t know, nine-tenths of the cars on the road.” What’s particularly amazing about all of this high praise is the fact that Leno owns 198 cars, and has driven far more than that. And yet, he obviously spends a disproportionate amount of time behind the wheel of his Trans Am.
Not that this surprises us, mind you, but we imagine it will come as a mild shock to some. After all, the fourth-gen F-body still hasn’t quite received the universal praise that it deserves, but we imagine that won’t always be the case with people like Jay Leno bragging about how great it is.
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