UPDATE Apr 24, 2017 /Even though the Pontiac brand has been discontinued, they did make some of the greatest cars back in the ‘60s and ‘70s. One of these was the iconic Trans Am which is still highly sought after to this day. Because GM didn’t want to offer a successor to it, a small company did. The Trans Am Company started to modify the Camaro and offer on the market a modern interpretation of the Trans Am. Their small company grew, and they are currently offering an entire range of cars. One of these is the 2017 Pontiac Bandit Trans Am 455 Super Duty which happens to be one of the most powerful production cars to date.
They are only going to make 50 units of it, and it seems that the price will be well north of $100,000. The car is already available for order from the Trans Am company, and the best part about it is that they will customize the car to the customer’s liking. Like with the previous Trans Am cars, this is still based on the Camaro. However, this time around they used the much lighter and stiffer Alpha platform.
Performance
Unlike the regular Trans Am cars, this version boasts a 455 cubic-in supercharged V8. This means that it boasts a 7.4 liter LT1 that with the help of a large supercharger will make 1,000 horsepower and 1,046 lb-ft of torque on pump gas which has to be the most impressive feature. Also, the engine has been built in cooperation with a NASCAR supplier. The car will send the power to the rear wheels either via a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic depending on the donor Camaro. In order to send the power to the ground, the running gear has been reworked. It gets new springs, shocks, larger brakes as well as 20-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin PS4S tires.
Design
The 2017 Pontiac Trans Am boasts a modern-classic design loosely based on the ‘70s Trans Am. In the front, it features two-piece lower and upper grilles, swept-back headlights and a hood bulge. The rear includes the triple horizontal striped tail lights as well as vertical quad-exhausts. For those looking for more, the Trans Am 455 can also be had with a T-top which has been engineered to be very similar to that of the original car. Inside the cabin, they didn’t do all that much though. The 455 SD gets the same seats, steering wheel, instrument cluster and even infotainment system as the Camaro. However, it does boast new graphics, a new badge on the steering wheel as well as the “455SD” badge embroidered on the headrests.
Burt Reynolds, who brought the Trans Am to fame in Smokey and the Bandit, would be proud.
The Pontiac brand has been dead for quite a few years now, but there are still people loving their cars. One of their most iconic models has always been the Trans Am which has been made quite popular after it appeared in a movie with Burt Reynolds. Not that long ago some original models have been auctioned for incredible amounts of money which gave some people an idea. The idea was to create 2017 Pontiac Bandit Trans Am.
They decided to start a company in order to create modern-day interpretations of the original Trans Am. They currently make quite a few versions of the Trans Am and all of them are based on the previous generation Camaro.
2017 PONTIAC BANDIT TRANS AM PRICE
One of the most impressive of them all is the 2017 Pontiac Bandit Trans Am which is set to be built in a limited edition of just 77 units. All of these cars come with a few extras over the base models as well as with some of the most impressive engines on the market. The price is just around $115,000 which is quite cheap if we take a close look at what the cars come equipped it. There are still no official details on the availability of the model, but it seems that all the 77 units have already been sold which means that if you want one, then the price might get quite a bit higher than that.
Being based on the Camaro, the Pontiac Bandit Trans Am 2017 is still using the same running gear as the original car. However, they can install a new coil over system in the car to allow the driver to control all of the extra power with more ease. A new braking system is also available, but this can be installed on the customer’s request. The company can install EBC brakes with floating calipers and larger rotors than regular or in some cases; Brembo racing brakes can also be added to the mix. The rims have been designed specifically for this model which are then wrapped in high-performance tires with white lettering.
DESING: INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR
Unlike the Camaro which is available only as a coupe or a convertible, this limited edition of the car comes with a unique T-Top which has been designed identically to the original one. This is made out of high-quality materials and reinforced with carbon-fiber, so it should do its job just fine. Retro features have been added to the cabin as well but it is a bit clearer here that the car is, in fact, a Camaro with a different skin on it.
The Camaro-based Trans Am also gets an entirely different front end which is a throwback to the original. The hood opens just like that of a Corvette while the massive shaker scoop is meant to feed fresh air to the engine compartment.
ENGINE
This now houses a new 7.4 liter LSX V8 petrol engine, which has been supplied by GM as a crate motor. This is then equipped with a 2.9-liter twin-screw supercharger which allows the larger engine to develop quite reliably up to 840 horsepower and more than 700 lb-ft of torque. The transmission is the same 6 speed automatic as that found in the regular Camaro while the rear end is usually beefed up in order to allow all that power to go to the ground. Unfortunately, the 2017 Pontiac Bandit Trans Am doesn’t really come with any other engine options so this will have to do.
However, for those looking for more, the regular car can be equipped with pretty much whatever crate engine you can think of and it should allow the end user for more customization. The only drawback would be the missing signature of Burt Reynolds, which has been added to all 77 limited edition cars.
More info on Motorauthority.com