Pontiac's Trans Am gets a transplant making it a better performance bargain than ever.
Thirty years of pony cars have been a good thing. Because in an otherwise sometimes bleak US automotive landscape, it was the Mustang, Firebird and Camaro that pumped a little excitement into the domestic field. And 30 years of evolution have transformed them dramatically from musclebound, gas-guzzling straight-line street brutes to efficient, refined and balanced performance machines. Exactly the category in which the new generation of GM F-bodies slotted neatly into after their attention-getting 1993 introduction. However, since the initial enthusiastic response of buyers, sales of the Camaro and Firebird have slipped 31 percent, an unfortunate industry trend in the sports coupe segment that managed to take down both the Ford Thunderbird and Ford Probe. A little over a decade ago, half a million pony cars went from dealers to garages all over the country; today it's less than half that figure. However, there have been signs of a comeback in the niche of late, perhaps why a powerful new engine and facelift on behalf of the 1998 Firebird and Trans Am couldn't have come at a better time.
For 1998 the Ram Air Trans Am (internally known as the Quadraport) features what Pontiac terms an "in your face" redesign, stylists radically altering the hood, fascias, fenders and headlamps. Bold styling themes are part of a Pontiac "brand character" in recent years, the Trans Am perhaps the division's most aggressive example.
As part of the most significant changes made since its 1993 redesign, the 1998 Trans Am nose incorporates wild-looking scoops and ducts which were inspired by the cars that run in the racing series of the same name. Never mind that Pontiac doesn't field entries in SCCA Trans Am racing, letting Ford's Mustangs run off with all the trophies.
The front fascia features two curvaceous scoops on each side divided by a horizontal splitter. The top duct houses a parking light (they also serve as annoying DRLs) while the bottom scoop directs cooling air to the front disc brakes. Twin extractor vents just aft of the front wheelwell are also new. The length of the nose has been shortened three inches, which actually is noticeable from the driver's sightline. All '98 Trans Am models feature Pontiac's signature split grille, the Ram Air option accented by aggressiveappearing snorkel scoops which force fresh air straight to the engine. At a traffic light a quick glance of the T/A might bring up the image of a Pro Stock drag machine waiting for the green. Pontiac's Director of Brand Character John Schinella says, "the beauty of the radical bodywork is that everyone's perception is slightly different, so when one person sees a Pro Stocker at the [traffic] light, someone else sees a Trans Am racing car diving for the apex." Impressions change as you walk around the car. Seen from the side the hood line gives the T/A an aggressive profile, something like an F-16 fighter poised on the runway. From a low angle the nose has the appearance of a roaring bull flaring its nostrils before a charge. But the universal response from onlookers is always the same ... Wow!
What the Trans Am offers in spades is presence. It's an automobile that can't be ignored. And the muscular hoodline and flanks aren't a bunch of Detroit fluff. For underneath that lumpy hood is the biggest and best news for Trans Am enthusiasts in years, the all-aluminum LS-1 V8 first introduced in the 1997 Corvette. Although the aluminum block doesn't boom as loudly as the previous iron version, Corvette owners might recognize the refined valve train symphony from the C5, since the Trans Am's LS-1 is a detuned version of the Corvette's mighty engine. It uses a milder cam and more restrictive exhaust system that cumulatively drop the horsepower rating to 305. Remarkably refined, the V8 features a deep-skirt block design, lightweight pushrods, roller tappets and lower-tension valve springs that allow it to rev freely to 6000 rpm. Not only is it more powerful than its predecessor, but more fuel efficient as well.
The $3100 WS-6 Ram Air option pumps some of the horsepower loss back in, the 5.7-liter with multi-port fuel injection breathing better through cool air intakes and a less restrictive exhaust system featuring 3.5-inch diameter pipes. The combination is good for another 15 hp, upping the total to 320 hp at 5200 RPM (torque is 345 lb/ft. @ 4400 rpm). That's not far off the Corvette's 345 hp rating. No surprise then, when the throttle gets firewalled the Trans Am will give the $40,000 Vette a run for its money. At 3477 lb., the T/A is about 260 lb. heavier than the Corvette: not enough that a little tuning and tweaking won't even the score.
The new engine trims 0-60 mph times by a full half second over the 1997 model. We were able to reel off consistent 5.2-5.3 second runs with our six-speed equipped test car, with the quarter-rnile coming up in 13.45 at 104.65 mph. That, ladies and gentlemen, is bookin.' And of course why the Trans Am appeals so strongly to male purchasers, 75 percent of T/As leaving dealer showrooms driven by men. With a median age of 37, we might also make an argument that the Trans Am might be solving more than a few mid-life crises.
At a traffic light, this modern-day Poncho has just enough idle burble to give the hood a slight shimmy, which builds excitement in a very subliminal manner. The LS-I is always there to remind the driver that it's ready to rock and roll whenever the call goes out. Just rap the throttle and the T/A turns angry, snarling at the road ahead. Gobs of torque are waiting for the touch of a toe.
Tune In, Turn In
A buyer can substitute beefier suspension components by ordering the optional WS-6 handling package enabling the Trans Am to corner more aggressively. Two trailing links with a torque arm, a panhard rod with stiffer bushings and a 19mm sway bar locate the live rear axle. Rear spring stiffness carries a variable rate of 23 to 30 Nm compared to 19.9 Nm on the normal V8 Trans Am. This helps eliminate wheel hop under hard acceleration. The front spring rate is increased from 51 Nm to 63 Nm as well. Combined with specific shock valving and a 32mm front sway bar, the unequal-length control arm front suspension provides excellent control with a flat stance. The Trans Am can transition comfortably between understeer and oversteer easily with the throttle.
Power-assisted rack and pinion steering is sensitive to driver input but has only fair road feel. And the steering wheel is a big, clumsy overgrown thing with lumps at two and ten that only get in the way. The WS-6 package also includes larger 17inch 5-spoke cast aluminum wheels with specially developed P275/40ZRI7 Goodyear tires. This combination provides more lateral traction without greatly affecting the ride except on expansion strips which can be quite pronounced. The lack of independent rear suspension also makes itself known on rough roads.
Larger rotors for '98 have improved the brakes. Front rotor diameter has been increased nearly an inch over last year to 11.9 inches, while aluminum sliding calipers are now twin piston versus the previous single piston design Rear feature 12-inch rotors. It's all incorporated into a Bosch 5.3 ABS arrangement. The possibility of brake fade is now reduced, although the typical "numb" GM pedal feel remains. Additionally, the pedals are too far apart for comfortable heel and toe action.
The cabin is very different in GM-F bodies. Open and spacious is not how one would describe it. For one, the windshield lays so far back that you feel like you're looking through the glass from the rear seat. Either you can get used to it or you can't. And one doesn't get a real sense of where the car begins and ends-short drivers having the greatest difficulty. The deep instrument panel is a peculiar shade of dull gray, about as exciting as a San Quentin cellblock. There are also GM-generic items in place that should have been dumpstered years ago, like the ham-fisted turn-signal stalk, an airbag housing in the wheel that could hold a deflated Goodyear blimp and the mouse fur headliner. And there's gotta be a better way to package the catalytic converter rather than making the passenger uncomfortable with what seems like a lunchbox slipped under the carpet.
Analog gauges are nicely done with the tach and speedo visible at a glance through the center of the steering wheel. Vents and stereo speakers add some design symmetry. Bucket seats allow enough room in the shoulder area for comfortable seating, yet provide enough lateral support for hard cortiering. Lumbar support is also quite good. In a way the seats define the entire interior-comfortable and sporty. Rear seats, as you might expect in a 2+2 coupe, are cramped for normal-sized adults.
At under $30,000 the T/A delivers ground-shaking performance and a rock star image for those on a moderate budget. Just try not to put your hat on backwards. Leave that for the Camaro guys.
What the Trans Am offers in spades is presence. It's an automobile that can't be ignored. And the muscular hoodline and flanks aren't a bunch of Detroit fluff. For underneath that lumpy hood is the biggest and best news for Trans Am enthusiasts in years, the all-aluminum LS-1 V8 first introduced in the 1997 Corvette. Although the aluminum block doesn't boom as loudly as the previous iron version, Corvette owners might recognize the refined valve train symphony from the C5, since the Trans Am's LS-1 is a detuned version of the Corvette's mighty engine. It uses a milder cam and more restrictive exhaust system that cumulatively drop the horsepower rating to 305. Remarkably refined, the V8 features a deep-skirt block design, lightweight pushrods, roller tappets and lower-tension valve springs that allow it to rev freely to 6000 rpm. Not only is it more powerful than its predecessor, but more fuel efficient as well. 
The cabin is very different in GM-F bodies. Open and spacious is not how one would describe it. For one, the windshield lays so far back that you feel like you're looking through the glass from the rear seat. Either you can get used to it or you can't. And one doesn't get a real sense of where the car begins and ends-short drivers having the greatest difficulty. The deep instrument panel is a peculiar shade of dull gray, about as exciting as a San Quentin cellblock. There are also GM-generic items in place that should have been dumpstered years ago, like the ham-fisted turn-signal stalk, an airbag housing in the wheel that could hold a deflated Goodyear blimp and the mouse fur headliner. And there's gotta be a better way to package the catalytic converter rather than making the passenger uncomfortable with what seems like a lunchbox slipped under the carpet. 