Remember back when I was complaining about modern cars having names that were way too long? Like the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak, for example. That’s seven words and... it’s a lot. But it’s nothing compared to this third-gen Firebird, whose moniker is comprised of no fewer than 11 words, if we count all the spaces.
Go ahead, say it out loud: Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 25th Anniversary Daytona 500 Pace Car Edition. Annoying, right? Well, you’ll probably warm up to it once I tell you about the powertrain residing underneath the hood of this particular car – but more on that a little later. First, a brief history lesson.
The Daytona 500 Pace Car Edition is a Pontiac staple. The originals, as far as the third-gen Firebird is concerned, are pretty rare, the ones built in 1982, that is. These 1983 replica variants, however, are a little more common, with the carmaker building a total of 2,500 units.
Each came with special decals (pretty much everywhere), two-tone white/charcoal pain schemes, special emblems and graphics, a special RPO W62 full-body ground-effects package, and custom interiors. The car we found getting auctioned off is just that – a 1983 example with all the right bits and pieces present upon inspection.
It also comes with removable T-top panels, a front air dam, body color mirrors caps, the traditional pop-up headlights, quad exhaust outlets, plus a set of 17-inch basketweave wheels with gold centers and polished lips; wearing Toyo Extensa HP II tires. You’ll also find power-assisted discs at all corners, to go with the power steering and the Eibach Sportline lowering springs.
Meanwhile, inside is where you’ll find the Recaro front bucket seats and split-folding individual rear seats, featuring gray leather bolsters and slightly darker suede inserts, plus the Delco cassette stereo, power windows, cruise control, air conditioning, special mats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel mounted to a tilting column.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
Now, normally, these cars would have been powered by a small-block V8, putting down a truly insignificant amount of horsepower, roughly 175. I don’t know how people weren’t embarrassed by this back then, but I do understand that those were very different times – dark times, as far as the car industry was concerned.
This particular Firebird is a whole different beast though. It’s powered by a 5.7-liter LS6 V8 engine, sourced from a first-generation Cadillac CTS-V. On paper, it should be putting down 400 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque, with everything going to the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission.
If anything, this special edition Pontiac should be a really interesting car to drive. I say ‘interesting’ because the combination of an LS6 with that old 4-speed automatic isn’t exactly a well-documented affair. Still, there’s no way this car is in any way worse to drive now, as opposed to back when it had its original power unit.
Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration. Full profile
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