Top of all the Firebirds and Camaros, those lusty all-American sports coupes, was
Firebird Trans Am WS6, a 325bhp 160 mph road-burner. It was produced as limited edition model just before these coupes were phased out.
Firebirds and Camaros have always been GM's traditional sporty coupes - front-engine, rear drive, simple suspension, but fun to drive. With lusty V-8s they've always had plenty of performance and true American pocket rockets, the Firebird being available in coupe or convertible form.
V8 tuned to 325 bhp
The Firebird Trans Am WS6 got its power from Chevy's LS1 V8 with power output up from 310 to 325 bhp. It is a higher trim level model, tuned by F-Body tuners SLP, which added a Ram Air cold air intake, hood scoop and 15 more horse power.
The monstrous V-8 engine is at the heart of this speed demon, allowing it to burn rubber really fast, going from 0 to 60mph in 5.2 seconds (manual) and 6.0 seconds (automatic). Its top speed is also something to look at, because the Firebird Trans Am WS6 reaches an incredible 164 mph, making it one of the fastest of our pocket rockets.
Its performance was quite extraordinary for its price of around $28,000 back in 2002. Thanks to the 300+ bhp at your disposal you’ll leave most competition behind. No more arriving late to and from work!
Six-speed manual or four-speed automatic
Transmission choices were a four-speed automatic and a six-speed manual, so you can take it easy, or get the most from the big engine with the six-speeder. The six-speed gearbox feels solid, though not quite buttery and requires some understanding - you can find yourself in third gear instead of first, when pulling out and there is a lockout of second gear at certain rpm and at a certain pace of acceleration.
You can even attack tight turns, but this only at a certain degree, because the Firebird doesn’t generate much lateral grip as other cars (a Corvette for example) owing to its simple and outdated suspension. However, given its 1993 origins, the structure is extremely stiff, this even in convertible form.
Driving relatively easily, the Trans Am is a quite a marvel. Drivers can abuse the car and push it to its limits. But even when it's driven at a reasonable speed (legal speed!), it is still highly rewarding and not the least bit uncomfortable or difficult. A downside is that driving this car can be an annoyingly noisy and hard ride. You will have difficulty hearing yourself think.
Sharp styling
The sharp and aggressive exterior styling takes your breath away, much like its predecessors. No wonder the Firebird became a cult classic, along with its Camaro brother.
However, the interior lacks a certain je ne c’est pas. Along with the Hurst shifter which left us griping about its clunky and imprecise feel, one other thing we did not appreciate were the tight back seats. Issues inconsistent interior materials and questionable build quality continue to permeate the Pontiac. Some functional cup holders, tilting headrests and a better under hood service point identification wouldn’t hurt. Despite these few drawbacks, rear-wheel-drive muscle-car enthusiasts should worship this car, because of its performances.
The Firebird did become a cult car. Shame that the Trans Am WS6 was made only in a limited edition. The problem was that by 2001 there was so much competition, and GM wasn't doing that well, so it decided to axe the two coupes. A lot of people out there (including us) would like to see the Firebird arise from its ashes like the fabled Phoenix, but GM seems to have so much debt and so many problems this is unlikely.
