I almost got a Woody, 2012 Trans Am Proto
02-05-2009, 09:13 AM
#21
Cant say the bird will NEVER be back. A time eventually will come where it would be profitable, you never know, saying "never" is really just ignorant, most people who say this are Camaro fans who do not want to see the sister car come and take sales away( i cant blame them )or 4th gen fans who want to have collectibles.
Well folks, plenty of people want Firebirds and if they ever do decide to bring the name back out, even if its just some push on the names heritage, ill be there to buy it as will the fans of the cars. Will it happen soon? Naa, GM is in deep doo doo and needs work, will it ever happen? My guess is yes, because those who say "never" really are just in denial
Well folks, plenty of people want Firebirds and if they ever do decide to bring the name back out, even if its just some push on the names heritage, ill be there to buy it as will the fans of the cars. Will it happen soon? Naa, GM is in deep doo doo and needs work, will it ever happen? My guess is yes, because those who say "never" really are just in denial
AS far as true fans being there to by the car if its a "push on the name"....NO F'ing WAY! Did true fans line up to buy the GTO when it came out in 04...NO because it wasnt a real GTO! Are Firehawk fans lining up to buy the G8 firehawk....no actually its quite the opposite. I HOPE AGAINST HOPE GM/Pontiac will learn from those blunders and just let the Firebird rest in piece if they can't put the name on a car that will truly do the name justice!
02-05-2009, 09:31 AM
#22
TECH Resident
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: central TX
Posts: 859
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The Firebird as we know it WILL NEVER be back...Obama/Congress has seen to that. Once GM sold out and begged for the bail out money they got they agreed to certain things...one being large increases in minimum MPG ratings on every car that aren't "optional" (as in paying a gas guzzler tax)...they are mandated. [snip]
02-05-2009, 05:47 PM
#23
This sounds like Obama-bashing to me, rather than anything factual. As far as I know, all the proposed legislation has to do with average MPG across the line of offerings, and doesn't stipulate "minimum MPG ratings on every car". I'm going to have to search on this, but if it's true, it's the first I've heard of it - and it won't likely pass.
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/conten...x?RsrcID=42564
The president on Monday ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review a proposed California rule to set tougher limits, while also ordering the Department of Transportation to develop higher fuel efficiency standards for cars.
That means vehicles would have to attain 35 miles per gallon by the 2011 model years, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said. The current standard is 27 miles per gallon.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...n4607215.shtml
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Saturday the House would provide aid to the ailing U.S. auto industry, requiring that the industry meet new fuel-efficiency standards, produce advanced vehicles and restructure "to ensure their long-term economic viability."
02-06-2009, 02:51 AM
#24
Teching In
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: st louis
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
just figured youd want to know, AE reports new Firebird in 2009, camaro 12 months earlier!!!
http://autoextremist.com/page6.shtml#table
GM, Pontiac. The GTO will be no more by next fall. Automotive News reported yesterday that the car will be discontinued at the end of this model year, with the last deliveries arriving at dealers by the end of September. The reasons behind the GTO's demise are many, but ultimately it came down to the fact that the architecture that the car is based on (from GM's Holden division in Australia) is going out of production in preparation for the company's newly revised ZETA RWD program. The GTO was one of the first things that Bob Lutz did to jump-start the Pontiac Division when he came on board at GM. Even though the plan was well-intentioned, the GTO suffered from unfair comparisons to the original GTO (not that any of the hard-core GTO enthusiasts could actually define what a modern GTO should look like), among other things, but the biggest problem for the car from our perspective was that it just cost too much money. If GM could have brought the car in for the mid-$20,000 range at intro, it would have taken off, big time. We made no bones about the fact that we loved the GTO, and the plain looks of the car never bothered us. After all, the original was a Pontiac Tempest with dog-dish hub caps and a couple of fake scoops in the hood, about as bland of a car as you could get back then. But the proof of the original was in the performance, just like the current GTO, which, if you haven't driven one you're missing out, because it is simply a blast to drive. The current car also has one of GM's finest interiors, and we find the overall package to be outstanding, which is why we called the GTO our Autoextremist "High-Performance Value of the Year." The retirement of the GTO presents a real quandary for the Pontiac Division, as the GTO is really the only other car besides the Solstice that is true to the brand's mission within GM's divisional structure. Pontiac had a narrow window of opportunity with the car, but now that's gone, which is a shame. So if you like RWD high-performance, you owe it to yourself to check out the GTO before it disappears. And by the way, Pontiac enthusiasts shouldn't give up on the brand just yet, as there is a RWD performance car coming for the division. After the new Camaro makes its street debut as a 2008 model, watch for an all-new Pontiac Firebird to debut 12 months later as a 2009 model. You read it here first.
sad to say they are thinking about only making slight mods/changes to the camaro, but as far as it goes now, the gto will stop production, and in late 2009 to early 2010 there should be an arrival of the new firebird. if this economy gets any better, lets all hope.
http://autoextremist.com/page6.shtml#table
GM, Pontiac. The GTO will be no more by next fall. Automotive News reported yesterday that the car will be discontinued at the end of this model year, with the last deliveries arriving at dealers by the end of September. The reasons behind the GTO's demise are many, but ultimately it came down to the fact that the architecture that the car is based on (from GM's Holden division in Australia) is going out of production in preparation for the company's newly revised ZETA RWD program. The GTO was one of the first things that Bob Lutz did to jump-start the Pontiac Division when he came on board at GM. Even though the plan was well-intentioned, the GTO suffered from unfair comparisons to the original GTO (not that any of the hard-core GTO enthusiasts could actually define what a modern GTO should look like), among other things, but the biggest problem for the car from our perspective was that it just cost too much money. If GM could have brought the car in for the mid-$20,000 range at intro, it would have taken off, big time. We made no bones about the fact that we loved the GTO, and the plain looks of the car never bothered us. After all, the original was a Pontiac Tempest with dog-dish hub caps and a couple of fake scoops in the hood, about as bland of a car as you could get back then. But the proof of the original was in the performance, just like the current GTO, which, if you haven't driven one you're missing out, because it is simply a blast to drive. The current car also has one of GM's finest interiors, and we find the overall package to be outstanding, which is why we called the GTO our Autoextremist "High-Performance Value of the Year." The retirement of the GTO presents a real quandary for the Pontiac Division, as the GTO is really the only other car besides the Solstice that is true to the brand's mission within GM's divisional structure. Pontiac had a narrow window of opportunity with the car, but now that's gone, which is a shame. So if you like RWD high-performance, you owe it to yourself to check out the GTO before it disappears. And by the way, Pontiac enthusiasts shouldn't give up on the brand just yet, as there is a RWD performance car coming for the division. After the new Camaro makes its street debut as a 2008 model, watch for an all-new Pontiac Firebird to debut 12 months later as a 2009 model. You read it here first.
sad to say they are thinking about only making slight mods/changes to the camaro, but as far as it goes now, the gto will stop production, and in late 2009 to early 2010 there should be an arrival of the new firebird. if this economy gets any better, lets all hope.
02-07-2009, 03:16 PM
#27
TECH Apprentice
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 330
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
these all look dumb and it will never happen...(at least not in the near future), car companies are cutting down on their "double" production cars, for instance as long as there's a camaro, i doubt there will be a trans am newer than an '02
02-09-2009, 12:21 AM
#28
On The Tree
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Missouri
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm not really sure where you all see a g35 or 350 in the prototype pics??? That is a modified saturn sky if I ever seen one! look at the rear end, that is 98% sky!!!!
02-09-2009, 09:25 AM
#29
TECH Resident
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: central TX
Posts: 859
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am not bashing Obama...just telling you what Rush said and what I heard on Fox News!
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/conten...x?RsrcID=42564
The president on Monday ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review a proposed California rule to set tougher limits, while also ordering the Department of Transportation to develop higher fuel efficiency standards for cars.
That means vehicles would have to attain 35 miles per gallon by the 2011 model years, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said. The current standard is 27 miles per gallon.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...n4607215.shtml
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Saturday the House would provide aid to the ailing U.S. auto industry, requiring that the industry meet new fuel-efficiency standards, produce advanced vehicles and restructure "to ensure their long-term economic viability."
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/conten...x?RsrcID=42564
The president on Monday ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review a proposed California rule to set tougher limits, while also ordering the Department of Transportation to develop higher fuel efficiency standards for cars.
That means vehicles would have to attain 35 miles per gallon by the 2011 model years, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said. The current standard is 27 miles per gallon.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...n4607215.shtml
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Saturday the House would provide aid to the ailing U.S. auto industry, requiring that the industry meet new fuel-efficiency standards, produce advanced vehicles and restructure "to ensure their long-term economic viability."
Just as an update, Obama's proposal increases the average fuel economy across the car line, not the fuel economy on every car model.
02-09-2009, 10:52 AM
#30
On The Tree
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Miami Lakes FL
Posts: 103
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I dunno of this really is good news but via Autoblog, Bob Lutz is retiring after this year! I personally think this is the guy thats keeping the Bird' from making a come back, if he goes, who knows what the future may hold!
02-09-2009, 11:38 AM
#31
TECH Fanatic
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: St. Clair Shores Mi.
Posts: 1,265
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
3 Posts
AE reports new Firebird in 2009, camaro 12 months earlier!!!
http://autoextremist.com/page6.shtml#table
GM, Pontiac. The GTO will be no more by next fall. Automotive News reported yesterday that the car will be discontinued at the end of this model year, with the last deliveries arriving at dealers by the end of September. The reasons behind the GTO's demise are many, but ultimately it came down to the fact that the architecture that the car is based on (from GM's Holden division in Australia) is going out of production in preparation for the company's newly revised ZETA RWD program. The GTO was one of the first things that Bob Lutz did to jump-start the Pontiac Division when he came on board at GM. Even though the plan was well-intentioned, the GTO suffered from unfair comparisons to the original GTO (not that any of the hard-core GTO enthusiasts could actually define what a modern GTO should look like), among other things, but the biggest problem for the car from our perspective was that it just cost too much money. If GM could have brought the car in for the mid-$20,000 range at intro, it would have taken off, big time. We made no bones about the fact that we loved the GTO, and the plain looks of the car never bothered us. After all, the original was a Pontiac Tempest with dog-dish hub caps and a couple of fake scoops in the hood, about as bland of a car as you could get back then. But the proof of the original was in the performance, just like the current GTO, which, if you haven't driven one you're missing out, because it is simply a blast to drive. The current car also has one of GM's finest interiors, and we find the overall package to be outstanding, which is why we called the GTO our Autoextremist "High-Performance Value of the Year." The retirement of the GTO presents a real quandary for the Pontiac Division, as the GTO is really the only other car besides the Solstice that is true to the brand's mission within GM's divisional structure. Pontiac had a narrow window of opportunity with the car, but now that's gone, which is a shame. So if you like RWD high-performance, you owe it to yourself to check out the GTO before it disappears. And by the way, Pontiac enthusiasts shouldn't give up on the brand just yet, as there is a RWD performance car coming for the division. After the new Camaro makes its street debut as a 2008 model, watch for an all-new Pontiac Firebird to debut 12 months later as a 2009 model. You read it here first.
sad to say they are thinking about only making slight mods/changes to the camaro, but as far as it goes now, the gto will stop production, and in late 2009 to early 2010 there should be an arrival of the new firebird. if this economy gets any better, lets all hope.
http://autoextremist.com/page6.shtml#table
GM, Pontiac. The GTO will be no more by next fall. Automotive News reported yesterday that the car will be discontinued at the end of this model year, with the last deliveries arriving at dealers by the end of September. The reasons behind the GTO's demise are many, but ultimately it came down to the fact that the architecture that the car is based on (from GM's Holden division in Australia) is going out of production in preparation for the company's newly revised ZETA RWD program. The GTO was one of the first things that Bob Lutz did to jump-start the Pontiac Division when he came on board at GM. Even though the plan was well-intentioned, the GTO suffered from unfair comparisons to the original GTO (not that any of the hard-core GTO enthusiasts could actually define what a modern GTO should look like), among other things, but the biggest problem for the car from our perspective was that it just cost too much money. If GM could have brought the car in for the mid-$20,000 range at intro, it would have taken off, big time. We made no bones about the fact that we loved the GTO, and the plain looks of the car never bothered us. After all, the original was a Pontiac Tempest with dog-dish hub caps and a couple of fake scoops in the hood, about as bland of a car as you could get back then. But the proof of the original was in the performance, just like the current GTO, which, if you haven't driven one you're missing out, because it is simply a blast to drive. The current car also has one of GM's finest interiors, and we find the overall package to be outstanding, which is why we called the GTO our Autoextremist "High-Performance Value of the Year." The retirement of the GTO presents a real quandary for the Pontiac Division, as the GTO is really the only other car besides the Solstice that is true to the brand's mission within GM's divisional structure. Pontiac had a narrow window of opportunity with the car, but now that's gone, which is a shame. So if you like RWD high-performance, you owe it to yourself to check out the GTO before it disappears. And by the way, Pontiac enthusiasts shouldn't give up on the brand just yet, as there is a RWD performance car coming for the division. After the new Camaro makes its street debut as a 2008 model, watch for an all-new Pontiac Firebird to debut 12 months later as a 2009 model. You read it here first.
sad to say they are thinking about only making slight mods/changes to the camaro, but as far as it goes now, the gto will stop production, and in late 2009 to early 2010 there should be an arrival of the new firebird. if this economy gets any better, lets all hope.
Your Kidding right
BTW thanks for posting a 2 year old article.
Anyway with Pontiac's line up slimming down to a possible 4 models and the new CAFE standards a new Firebird looks like an impossibility.
As I said in the past people need to stop crying about being short changed by GM.
Rather put that anger to good use and Celebrate your Firebird as being the best it has ever been. Because it will not be seen again.
Last edited by LS1W66; 02-09-2009 at 11:45 AM.
02-15-2009, 01:14 PM
#36
Teching In
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'd love to see one, but I doubt it. Someone will probably come out with a body kit for the 'maros that will look more like the TA/Firebird, but I'd say thats about it. I love my TA and I'd love to see a new one, but I doubt I ever will.
The 'bird is dead, long live the 'bird.
The 'bird is dead, long live the 'bird.
02-20-2009, 01:02 AM
#37
Teching In
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Joe town, Missouri
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I dont see it happening anytime in the near future. it would be good to see, yes but GM better bring something amazing to the table if they plan to top the ls 1 4th gen... but on the other hand, i read in one of the gm magazines probably 2 months ago that if all the sales are met for the '10 camaro they are throwing around the idea of a '12 trans am... old news to most im sure. from the pics they had it said that if it was to be done GM would more than likely base the looks of the car off of the 77 78 trans am... like most of you i agree we probably wont see this happen... they sent the bird out with a bang in 02... let the master piece rest well and live on through us is what i say. i will try to fnd the article on the '12 t/a and post it up on here.
02-21-2009, 01:51 PM
#39
On The Tree
iTrader: (11)
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Dover, DE
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
THANK YOU! I hope they dont make a new TA, it'd only ruin what we have come to love. The new concepts look horrible, the new camaro even looks horrid. Sorry, but change isnt always for the best.
