From Motor Trend Our Tallahassee, Florida-based pals at Trans Am Worldwide finally ventured out to our hometown auto show to show off two ...
Our Tallahassee, Florida-based pals at Trans Am Worldwide finally ventured out to our hometown auto show to show off two cars: the nearly sold out (just one left!) Super Duty model we reported on at the 2017 New York show, and their latest edition: the 50th Anniversary Trans Am.
Back in 1969 Pontiac built just eight Trans Am convertibles at its Norwood, Ohio, assembly plant, all of which were painted Cameo Ivory with Tyrol Blue stripes with a special Ram Air hood and signature decklid spoiler. Similarly, TAW plans to build eight convertible versions of the 50th Anniversary package (eight coupes will also be built). The white and blue color scheme has been substantially upgraded with a complex pearl-metallic white, and buyers can also choose the option of black with gold stripes. All graphics are painted—no stickers.
The originals were all powered by a 400 HO engine with Ram Air III cylinder heads and topped by a four-barrel Quadrajet carburetor. Modern buyers may choose from four engines: the cooking-grade original Camaro LT1 engine, or three featuring Magnuson 2300 Heartbeat superchargers, offering various upgrades in fuel delivery (sorry, no carburetors) and engine-control tuning to produce 600 hp/540 lb-ft, 700 hp/680 lb-ft, or 800 hp/790 lb-ft. Each can be had with a manual or automatic transmission.
The hood features functional ram-air inlets like those on a 1969 Trans Am, and they do indeed ram air directly through a giant K&N filter into a plenum that's as wide as those inlets. TAW's new fenders include a single air extractor, but to pay homage to the separate upper and lower extractors featured on the 1969 model, the air exhauster features a center divider. Out back there's a thin wing in the 1969 style. Custom wheels pay homage to Pontiac's iconic Rally 2 design sized 10.0 x 20 inch in front, 11.0 x 20 in back wrapped in 285/30 front and 305/30 rear tires. The car on display also features the Brembo six-piston brake upgrade in front.
Lots of customization is possible inside, but the show car featured a white and blue custom interior to coordinate with the exterior. It features carbon-fiber dash trim and 50th Anniversary logos on the door panels and headrests. Pricing for the 50th Anniversary package starts at $123,000. We are champing at the bit to get one of these modern-day Trans Ams out to the test track, and with two of them in our backyard right now, we're starting to feel lucky. Watch this space.
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