Sunday, February 21, 2010

'73 Pontiac Trans Am vs. '11 Pontiac Trans Am Concept


The Trans Am carries a name and a history that is famous throughout the United States. To decide which Trans Am to compare with the concept was very hard. There are so many different Trans Ams that help define muscle cars, so I decided to choose the 1973 Trans Am because it closely related the concept version.

We are going to start with the concept this week unlike the previous posts. I stumbled upon the Trans Am concept car in Hot Rod Magazine, February 2010 issue. The picture immediately caught my idea and is what sprouted the ideas of my postings. The '11 Trans Am concept is a '11 Chevrolet Camaro with extreme modifications, to get things straight. Pontiac does not make any Trans Ams anymore and I far as I know it is not on the drawing boards, but may be after they seek their eyes on this one.

The exterior of the '11 Trans Am is very similar to the Camaro. The first thing that catches my eye when I look at it is the gigantic firebird on the hood that was popular in the '70's models. The whole exterior fits with the Trans Am history, down to the spoke rimes and blackout lights. Another unique feature is the functional shaker hood. According to an article in Hot Rod Magazine, that the front upper and lower grilles were made from a truck and a Pontiac G8, talk about innovation. This car is amazing on the exterior and will only get better with time because it is a concept. It deserves nothing less than an A+.

Once again the interior is similar to the Camaro's but it has a lot of Trans Am labeling throughout. The seats are leather that has the Trans Am badge in the headrests. The doorsill plates have been converted to resemble a late '70's Trans Am. There are gauges everywhere, from behind the steering wheel to next to the shift knob. Each car has different accent panels that are usually painted to match the exterior. I think the interior is custom and gets the grade of an A.

Now the engine is the exact same as the Camaro. What the consumer bought from the dealer is what the consumer gets after the facelift. The consumer can get a V6 or V8 engine, with an automatic or manual transmission. The horsepower ranges from 275 to almost 500 depending on modifications. The only real modification done to help the engine is the functional shaker hood that might boost performance. I think that they could have upgraded the engine a little more since your spending so much but it gets an A.

There is only one company that builds the Trans Am concept, and they are named Trans Am Depot in Tallahassee with the help of Otto Body Company and designer Kevin Morgan. The team commented on the Hot Rod Magazine website about the process.

The first car was built to make it 3-D and see what worked and what didn't. You know, so we could step back and look at it and see how it looked," Tod says. As soon as the first car was done, the team began refining the design on a second car.

Now, we can compare the legend and see if the concept lives up to its name. Starting off with the exterior the first thing I notice is that big flashy bird that breathes fire, again. But the '73 have a great stance and present it very well. The grille is a big two-part split fiberglass bumper painted to match. The color schemes of the Trans Am vary depending on the consumer. The color of the bird decal on the hood depends on the color of the car. History lesson, the bird on the hood is a Firebird; the Trans Am is an upgraded version of the Firebird for those people who did not know. I give the exterior a grade of an A+.

The interior is a very simple. At this period the seats evolved into a more supportive and safer seat. The seats and door panels in some cars offset the carpet and dash by being different colors. The gauge cluster is completely chromed out and includes a tachometer and speedometer, and more. The shifter and console area are very simple but elegant. This Trans Am was around the time that electric widows were invented so some were equipped with them. The door panels are also simple and plain but work well. I give the grade of a B, because the lack of special touches likes badges.

The engine in the '73 is powerful and can melt tires with the slightest touch of the gas pedal. The engine on the Trans Am was a 455 cubic inch engine rated out of the factory at 310 hp only to help consumers with the insurance companies. It was really rated around 370 hp. The transmission options include automatic turbo 350 or a manual "Rock Crusher M22" with a Hurst speed shifter. I give the grade of an A.

To conclude the thought of what was presented, I hope Pontiac comes out with Trans Am or Firebird version. I do not see why the Trans Am concept has attracted a lot of attention. I think any enthusiast will agree with me in saying that the builders of the Trans Am concept did an amazing job and hopefully we'll see a lot more in the future. Yes, this was a good remake.

Check out T\the whole article about the Trans Am concept by visiting http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hrdp_1003_2011_pontiac_trans_am/index.html

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