The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is one 1979-model automobile that won’t be winning any “Best Engineered New Car” contests. After all, what Pontiac dealers are selling here is less a brand-new car than a repackaged old car—anine-year-oldcar, to be exact—whose basic unibody has received only minor revisions since its mid-1970 introduction.

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Like a lady you may have known, the 1979 Trans Am does a fine job of concealing its years. But then again, the long-nose, short-tail look of a late-Sixties ponycar never has gone out of style, and Pontiac’s designers did the best possible thing by leaving theirs alone. While federal bumper laws were seen by some manufacturers as another good reason to kill off a musclecar, Pontiac Motor Division spent the time and money required to demonstrate that bumper cars could still be beautiful. This year’s frontal update provides individual pods for all four rectangular headlamps, a sexy new air dam and a blacked-out horizontal grille integrated into the bumper itself. Out back the license plate mount has been lowered and recessed into the rear bumper, allowing the stylists to create a black-tinted taillamp lens that stretches from comer to corner, showing red only upon activation of the brakes and/or running lights. New flares for the wheelwells and a fresh rear spoiler complete the makeup, updating the old girl for another year of head-turning. Available colors have been expanded to nine, and when it comes to contemporary graphics, nothing on wheels rivals Trans Am’s screaming eagle hood decal, which is also new for ’79. Like it says in Pontiac’s full-color dealer brochures, “Trans Am’s new visage doesn’t just hint at its top-of-the-line position. It shouts it!” Yes indeed, and the public apparently approves: Half of all Firebirds built are now Trans Ams, and the vast majority of T/A buyers spend the extra 95 bucks for the world’s most colorful hood. (Pontiac puts the hole in there for free; the only way around a Shaker hood is to buy a Formula Firebird and special-order the T/A Performance Package.)

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We can see that the designers have been busy, but PMD’s engineering department hasn’t exactly been sitting on its hands since 1970, either. During the decade that John Schinella’s design team has been working its visual magic on each season’s Trans Am, the boys in the back have all the while been turning a dated, general transportation vehicle into the best four-seat, all-around performance package ever produced by Detroit. Although saddled with an obsolete suspension, two tons of bulk and awful weight distribution, Pontiac Engineering has nonetheless managed to annually provide a poor man’s Grand Touring machine, a $6300 four-seater that’s been known to embarrass cars costing twice and even thrice as much.

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Beefy anti-sway bars tie the subframes together at each end, combining with a precise assortment of new/old springs, shocks, suspension bushings, 15×8-inch alloy wheels and Goodyear radials to help the Trans Am owner forget that he’s driving a car with a basic suspension setup (coils and A-arms up front, leaves and solid live axle in the rear) more common to trucks and taxicabs than to sporty cars. There’s no getting away from that nasty old understeer in tight comers, but only the hardest-driving T/A owner is ever affected. With a little practice (and lots of open space), we learned to compensate with doses of self-induced oversteer, simply flipping out the tail and counting on the 4-barrel, 400-inch engine to maintain momentum through the turns. The handling is forgiving, but only to a point: We also learned that the wrong combination of tire direction and throttle will spin the car. Bumpy corners require special caution, thanks to the solid rear axle and near-total isolation from steering feedback. The 14:1 constant-ratio power steering is light and quick enough, but for road feel you’ll need the seat of your pants.

Trans Am has often been compared to Corvette (whose two seats and five-digit price tag run contrary to the old musclecar theme) in terms of acceleration and handling, and now the T/A enjoys comparable stoppers as well. While the standard-equipment disc/drum system remains sufficient for everyone else, the would-be road racer would be wise to dig down for the rear-wheel discs. Newly optional for both the T/A and Formula Firebirds, these brakes don’t smell, don’t fade, and don’t mind moisture. Another neat new feature finds the high-beam dimmer switch relocated to the steering column, which frees up the left foot for clutch work exclusively. The stalk-type switch is standard with all ’79 Firebirds.

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Although no longer functional as a fresh-air induction device, the Shaker air cleaner has lost none of its sex appeal. Neither have the chrome-plated rocker covers, engine-turned dash panel and Hurst shifter handle.

Trans Am acceleration leaves little to be desired, especially if your brand-new T/A runs as well as our Pontiac Engineering-prepared “press car” did. A relative lightweight as Trans Ams go, this 3720-pound “stripper” clocked 14.61 seconds (twice) and 96.67 miles per hour on the OCIR quarter-mile, and the only preparation HOT ROD made was to fill up with no-lead. Your average, out-the-door, 49-state T/A can be expected to run closer to 15.30/94.00 at best, and only if you can find one with a 400-inch motor. Already, chances are good that you won’t.

Factory production of Pontiac’s famed 6.6-liter “Trans Am motor,” which is currently rated at a healthy 220 (net) horsepower, was discontinued forever with last year’s line of automobiles. An extra 10,000 of the 400 engines were stockpiled for ’79, but 7500 of these will be fitted to Pontiac’s special tenth-anniversary Trans Ams (see sidebar). The rest were set aside for 4-speed Trans Ams and Formula Firebirds, and we can be fairly certain that all 2500 have been spoken for by now.

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Getting the nose-heavy Trans Am through a 45-mph corner requires one of two driving approaches, as demonstrated here. The slow way is with the steering wheel, which brings on a fatal case of understeer. The fast way is with the throttle, but this takes a little practice. Pontiac’s ponycar’s poor weight distribution takes its toll at the drag strip too: Wheelspin is inevitable with 3.23 gear and street rubber. Our best e.t. resulted from 2500-rpm launch, followed by 4800-rpm powershifts. Wall-to-wall taillamp lens is black in the daytime, shows red in the evening.

Thus has the standard-equipment T/A powerplant for 1979 become “the other 6.6”: the 403-cube, 185-horse version of the “Olds motor” previously offered in California T/As. And already this motor’s days are numbered too: The 403 will eventually give way to Pontiac’s 4-barrel 301 (a ’79 T/A option), and that could happen as early as this fall. Though presently rated at merely 150 ponies, the Pontiac small-block will reportedly get a big boost from turbocharging in time for 1980 Firebird introductions. But the 6.6-liter engine option is only a step away from following the 455 Super Duty down the path to extinction, chased to its premature funeral by a combination of profit-minded GM bean counters and the economy-minded Department of Transportation, whose new CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards apparently sealed the fate of the big-block Firebird.

Fortunately, the rest of the Trans Am package will stick around for at least a couple more seasons. General Motors is understandably reluctant to downsize away its nine-year-old F-body, now that sister ships Camaro and Firebird are busy breaking all-time sales records for the breed. With 100,000 units slated for 1979 production, the Trans Am in particular is selling like there’s no tomorrow. Indeed for anyone harboring any long-neglected fantasies about buying and driving a brand-new factory supercar, there may be no tomorrow: The 4-speed, 4-barrel, 400-cubic-inch Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, vintage 1979, will very likely be remembered as the last American musclecar.

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1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am:HOT ROD MAGAZINE’S ROAD TEST SPECIFICATIONS

Wheelbase: 108.2 inches
Weight:3720 pounds
Length:198.1 inches
Width:73.0 inches
Engine Type:V8
Displacement, Inches/Liters:400/6.6
Carburetion/Injection:Single 4-barrel
Bore & Stroke:4.121×3.750 inches
Net Horsepower/RPM:220/4000
Net Torque/RPM:3820/2800
Compression Ratio:8.11
Transmission Type:4-speed manual
Gear Ratios:2.43, 1.61, 1.23, 1.00:1
Final-Drive Ratio:3.23:1 (Saf-T-Track)
Clutch Type:11-inch BB
Brakes, Front:Disc
Brakes, Rear:Disc
Wheel Size:15×8 inches
Tires, Make & Size:Goodyear 225/70R15
Performance, ¼-mile:14.61 seconds, 96.67 mph
Fuel Economy (average):12.6 mpg
Base Price:$6299.45
Optional Equipment:Color-keyed seat belts, hood decal, lamp group, floor mats, Delco AM radio, Custom Velour Trim Group, Special T/A Performance Package (400-cubic-inch L78 engine, cast aluminum wheels, radial tires, special suspension), tilt steering wheel
Price As Tested:$7375.00

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HI-YO, SILVER BIRD!

That big silver ‘bird on the cover is Pontiac’s official “Tenth Anniversary Trans Am,” a limited-production piece to be made available on the first of February. Special “Silver Bird” equipment includes the 4-barrel, 400-inch Pontiac motor, four-wheel discs, engine-turned shifter plate (both the 4-speed and Turbo 400 are available), high-output high-beam headlamps and special “turbo alloy” wheels, 15×8-inchers built to T/A stylist John Schinella’s personal specifications by Appliance Industries. The glass roof hatches are tinted silver, and silver paint appears in two shades. Twin stripes of red and charcoal trim the entire car, including the special, larger-than-usual “anniversary bird,” which is also seen on the front fenders (just beneath the regular Trans Am identification) and rear deck spoiler. Inside, a very special bird appears on the rear-seat center divider, embroidered in six shades of silver by a computerized sewing machine specially imported from France for the job. And if all that doesn’t ensure the car’s instant enshrinement as a bona fide collector’s item, consider this: Only 7500 copies (roughly two per U.S. Pontiac dealer) will be made. The cost was undisclosed at press time, but “suggested sticker prices” should compare with last year’s $13,000 Indy 500 Pace Car Corvette from Chevrolet. (As you may recall, intense collector bidding inflated that figure substantially, with early production Pace Car Vettes reportedly bringing up to $30,000 each on the open market.) Pressed for price and distribution details, factory headquarters in Pontiac, Michigan, referred all inquiries to “your friendly neighborhood Pontiac dealer.”

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PHOTO: BOB McCLURG

MOTORTREND and HOT ROD’s rich magazine history and legacy dating back to 1948 is something highly valued by its longtime readers, and that’s why we’ve invested deeply to make the content available to you in a modern and accessible format. In the interest of transparency, these magazine articles are presented as originally published, without modification, and may contain content that does not reflect the company’s contemporary values and standards.

The 2025 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am marks the triumphant return of an iconic American muscle car that blends classic design elements with modern performance and cutting-edge technology. Paying homage to its legendary predecessors, the 2025 Trans Am incorporates a distinctive exterior, powerful performance under the hood, and an interior that blends luxury with a muscle car spirit. For fans of the Firebird Trans Am and muscle car enthusiasts alike, the 2025 model promises to live up to its legendary status, offering an unforgettable driving experience.

Exterior Design: Bold and Aggressive

The exterior of the 2025 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is an immediate statement of American muscle. It retains many of the design cues that made its predecessors iconic, while also embracing modern design trends to make it stand out on today’s roads. The front end of the car features a wide black honeycomb grille, accented by the gold Firebird emblem that evokes memories of the legendary Bandit Edition. This nostalgic touch, combined with the aggressive lines of the car, signals that this is no ordinary muscle car.

Flanking the grille are sharp, angular LED headlights with dynamic turn signals, which give the car an aggressive look and ensure visibility on the road. The sculpted hood of the Trans Am features dual heat extractor vents, emphasizing the power lurking beneath, while the sleek body lines and muscular fenders convey a commanding presence. The car sits on 20-inch gold-accented alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance Pirelli tires, ensuring that it grips the road with precision. The addition of red Brembo brake calipers not only adds a pop of color but also ensures exceptional stopping power.

The rear of the Trans Am is equally striking, with a full-length LED taillight strip that glows in a signature Phoenix pattern. This feature further reinforces the car’s iconic heritage while adding a modern touch. The quad-tip dual exhaust system produces a deep, throaty rumble, and the ducktail spoiler enhances both the car’s style and aerodynamic performance. The 2025 Firebird Trans Am is available in iconic color schemes, such as Smoky Black with gold accents, Phoenix Red, and Arctic White with blue stripes, paying tribute to its legacy while offering a modern, bold look.

Power and Performance: Raw Muscle

Under the hood, the 2025 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am delivers a performance that matches its aggressive exterior. The car is powered by a 6.2-liter LT2 V8 engine, producing an impressive 525 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque. This powerhouse engine propels the Trans Am from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds, making it a true contender in the world of muscle cars.

Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, providing seamless shifts and optimal performance for any driving enthusiast. For those who prefer a more classic, hands-on driving experience, a 6-speed manual transmission is also available. This gives drivers the option to choose how they want to experience the raw power of the Firebird Trans Am.

The Trans Am is equipped with an adaptive magnetic ride suspension that offers a perfect balance between comfort and track-ready stiffness. The suspension automatically adjusts to real-time road conditions, ensuring a smooth ride whether you’re cruising on highways or tackling tight corners on the track. The car features multiple drive modes, including Tour, Sport, Track, and Custom, allowing drivers to tailor the car’s performance to their personal driving style.

On winding roads, the Firebird Trans Am handles with precision, thanks to its electronic limited-slip differential and electric power steering, which provides sharp, responsive feedback. The car’s Brembo Performance Brakes, equipped with ventilated rotors, ensure fade-resistant stopping power, making the Trans Am not only fast but also incredibly responsive when it comes to braking. The dual-mode exhaust system produces an iconic muscle car growl, with an even more menacing sound in Track mode, further enhancing the driving experience.

Interior: Classic Muscle Meets Modern Luxury

Step inside the 2025 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, and you’re immediately greeted by an interior that merges classic muscle car spirit with modern luxury and technology. The cabin features premium leather sport seats, with contrast stitching and embroidered Firebird logos on the headrests, giving the car a refined yet performance-focused interior. The seats are both heated and ventilated, providing maximum comfort for any driving conditions, and they are power-adjustable with memory settings, ensuring that the perfect driving position is always within reach.

The flat-bottom steering wheel is wrapped in leather and features paddle shifters for easy gear changes, as well as customizable controls for accessing the driving modes and infotainment system. Behind the wheel, a 12.3-inch fully digital driver display provides real-time performance metrics, including speed, RPM, G-forces, and lap times. The display is customizable, allowing the driver to match the theme to the active drive mode for a fully immersive experience.

The center console of the Trans Am houses a 13.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system, powered by GM’s latest software. It supports wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and built-in Amazon Alexa, ensuring seamless connectivity on the go. To enhance the audio experience, a premium 14-speaker Bose audio system is available, delivering rich, immersive sound throughout the cabin. For added convenience, the Trans Am includes a wireless charging pad, multiple USB-C ports, and a 5G Wi-Fi hotspot, ensuring that drivers and passengers stay connected wherever the road takes them. The customizable ambient lighting inside the cabin allows for a personalized atmosphere, with a spectrum of colors to choose from, further enhancing the modern feel of the car.

Pricing and Packages: Value and Performance

The 2025 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am offers competitive pricing for a modern muscle car with such rich heritage and performance capabilities. The base model starts at $55,000, offering strong value for buyers seeking a powerful engine, premium features, and the unmistakable appeal of the Firebird nameplate. For those looking for even more performance, the performance package, priced at $62,500, adds a track-tuned suspension, performance exhaust, and upgraded Brembo brakes, making the Trans Am even more suited for track enthusiasts.

For collectors, the Trans Am also offers a highly desirable Collector’s Edition, priced at $69,000. This edition includes exclusive paint options, carbon fiber accents, and interior upgrades, making it a must-have for those who want a truly special version of the car. When compared to rivals like the Ford Mustang GT, Dodge Challenger SRT, and Chevy Camaro ZL1, the 2025 Firebird Trans Am offers a unique blend of retro styling, modern performance, and premium features that set it apart in the crowded muscle car market.

Conclusion: A Legendary Return

The 2025 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is a triumphant return for one of America’s most iconic muscle cars. It combines powerful performance, aggressive styling, and modern technology to create a vehicle that stays true to its muscle car heritage while offering the luxury and connectivity expected from today’s vehicles. With a range of trims and packages, the Trans Am caters to both driving enthusiasts and collectors alike, offering something for everyone. Whether you’re burning rubber on the track or cruising down the highway, the Trans Am delivers an unforgettable driving experience that solidifies its place in the legacy of American muscle cars.