Trans Am is DEAD ......

[2003Firehawk]

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...802120311/1203


Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealers will get 12 new or special-edition vehicles over the next 20 months — but they won't get a Pontiac Trans Am.

Pontiac had lobbied for a sibling vehicle to the Chevrolet Camaro, which is scheduled to arrive in February 2009.

General Motors' plan to make Pontiac a rear-wheel-drive performance car division is likely to be scaled back because of fuel economy regulations, GM leaders told dealers at the make meeting.

One dealer said the business case for the Trans Am didn't compute.

"It was an economic situation," said Lynn Thompson, owner of Thompson Motor Sales in Springfield, Mo. "It would cost $200 million to bring out the vehicle."

Pontiac will remain a car-only brand for the foreseeable future, dealers were told. But because of new legislation requiring vehicles to reach a fleet average of 35 mpg by 2020, Pontiac might not end up as GM's performance division, dealers said they were told.

"The plan is being tweaked because of the gas situation," Thompson said. "I hope they don't give up on performance because they don't have to. You can use four-cylinder engines to achieve incredible power."

B-P-G will give dealers six new or special-edition vehicles — such as the special-edition GMC Sierra pickup, called Pro Grade — this year. They will get another six next year, dealers who attended the meeting told Automotive News.

Executives also told dealers GM will build nearly 55,000 Buick Enclave crossovers this year. Dealers said Jim Bunnell, head of Buick-Pontiac-GMC, told them GM increased Enclave production by 41 percent from the initial production plan. A dealer said Bunnell told them Buick built 6,400 Enclaves in January, and then added, "But it's still not enough."

[Mr. Luos]

Good.

[basballny2]

good for us trans am owners

[ss~zoso~ss]

screw you guys...

[02cetransam]

im kinda glad!

[Y2KArcticSS]

now i gotta go get me a WS.6....like right now...

[hutch1999]

Well from most of the concepts Ive seen I wasnt impressed. The 4th gen TAs looked a ton better.

[lemons12]

yipee..

[rapter34]

It's kind of cool that I have a last gen but it is still sad. these are great cars and will always have a special place in my heart. Well at least i can start giving the "back in my day talk."

[ultra_badass]

thats good

[lemons12]

It's kind of cool that I have a last gen but it is still sad. these are great cars and will always have a special place in my heart. Well at least i can start giving the "back in my day talk."

im 236 years old.. so everything is back in my day...

i love just randomly putting those faces up.... you know back in my day they didnt have those....


hell back in my day............................................... .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ....................










hehe

[ArcticZ06]

new GTO maybe like their old concept car?

[one_entity]

Well, at least Pontiac tried. They must believe that their is still a market for people who like the Firebird/Trans Am over the Camaro.

[NorthwoodDavid]

...i kinda thought they were gunna come through and revive it once the demand lil got higher, but im glad they didnt.
i love my car, now i really have to take care of it bc is my DD!

[6-Speeder]

One day we will turn on the tv (or hologram ) and see our cars on the auction block being scrupulously examined as older cars are today and see them go off the block for sums of money we never imagined possible. Thats my dream anyway...

I also am glad they decided against it i cant imagine doing much better without screwing it up like the camaro is, at least the dodge challenger looks good like its retro cousin.

[Firebird Phoenix]

I think its a shame that in general Pontiac may not be such the performance division it is, then again its slowly been declining so

Oh well, at least our cars will be more rare lol.

[seppburgh]

Well, at least Pontiac tried. They must believe that their is still a market for people who like the Firebird/Trans Am over the Camaro.

In mid-January at the Harrisburg PA Auto Show, a Pontiac represenative told me that there was going to be some information on the Firebird coming in November 08.

With GM offering buy-outs today for all employees and the largest lose for a auto manufacter hitting the press today (02/13/08) I can see GM cutting back on the excitment.

Maybe the new G-8 will be the next GTO, which might make a better business case as the Camaro is planned as a Chevy only. Too bad as the Camaro prototype was the hot car to see at the show. So much so the Men in Blue were there to keep folks at a distance.

Having owned 4 (1975, 1978, 1979, 1995 - current ride) and been around them since 1978, always wanted to order a new one to call my own.

Just keep hoping, e-mailing GM and talking it up at next year's car show.

[Mecinoid]

I think it's time for a TT'd AWD V6 Firebird. Ah, they could have done it; if they wanted to. However, you really have to look at the numbers that Mustang and Camaro put up over the years. They were the inexpensive sports car. The Pontiac division was supposed to be the step up. Like Mercury was for Ford. With all the consolidation and each division having to produce higher numbers than the other we're losing the optioned out vs cheap car. I mean where did the No A/C, No pwr window, No pwr lock cars go. Everyone wants at least that. In the past, car manufacturers had stripped down sports cars like the original Camaro and Mustang. Those days are gone... everyone wants pwr.
I still like roll windows, can get by without cruise control and A/C in Calif. But, with more and more people commuting over 5 miles a day we want to have this nice stuff and expect it.

Pontiac could have been the AWD TT'd with heads up display car to storm the market. They really could have done it right. However, they are short sighted these days.

I have to say that 100 million dollars to develop a new car also is a lot more than it use to take for development of a car though. So, from that stand point I can see why they decided not to build a new Firebird. But, if the choice is come out with a new design or redesign the Bird. I really think they could have use 90% of parts to use on the Bird like they have done for years. Just give us a V6 TT'd AWD version high performance or, High Performance hybrid. The thing is this Camaro platform probably isn't going to work for that. Pontiac fudged up, again !!

What ever happened to the Pontiac Excitement / Performance division?

I'm just glad I bought one of these beauties before they were'nt available anymore. ;-)

[Redphoenix1998]

bunch of bums! Just twist the knife even deeper now!

[2000LS1Bird]

And my boycott of current GM offerings continues...



LOL, who am I kidding? To boycott something, you have to WANT it first!

What a sad, sad, little company GM has become.

Thanks Mr. Lutz.