Pontiac Cars

Within the GM family, Pontiac primarily serves to fill the performance niche. That might be hard to believe after seeing Pontiac cars like the G3 and G5, both slightly veiled copies of efficient little runners sold by Chevrolet. But dive deeper into the lineup and you'll get a better glimpse of the brand's sporting intentions. Even rides like the Pontiac Torrent and Pontiac Vibe are offered with performance-oriented trims.

Pontiac Trans Am Overview

Pontiac Trans AmPontiac Trans Am

To call the Trans Am an iconic car is only just scratching the surface. It epitomises the excess and indulgence that earmarked the late 1970s and 1980s, and almost every person we passed stopped and stared at it's hard-nosed style. From the outside the white Trans Am has that quintessential '70s American racer style, complete with old-school wheels and flares. Then there's the ultra-long front end that has an engine bay the size of backyard swimming pool, complete with a shaker that houses the air cleaner. The pushed back cabin has a fairly upright windscreen, but the rear window curves smoothly down until it reaches the pontiac trans am accessories, creating a sporty muscle car silhouette.

Getting into the low slung car wasn't too much of a stretch (though it is low) and the right-hand drive conversion was excellently finished, with no seams or marks to be seen. It looked impressively original, just like a classic '77 Trans Am, right down to the dials and switchgear. Buckled into the old-school seat belts, having adjusted the tiny side mirrors, it was time to turn the key in the ignition and with a slight throttle the engine boomed into life, startling unseen wildlife.

The reason is simple - the engine is an Oldsmobile big block and displaces 463 cubic inches - or about 7.6-litres using the metric formula. You can pretty clearly discern each cylinder firing at idle, like eight very sonorous hammers striking anvils. The original engine, a 403 cubic inch (6.6-litre) V8 was a bit of a dog according to Shane, the owner. On the road the 3-speed automatic gearbox handles the carburetted engine's power remarkably well, and cruising along without mashing the loud pedal at normal speeds is quite relaxed. It was also interesting to note how the majority of other cars moved out of the way when the Trans Am thundered past down the freeway. If you do plan on flooring the throttle however, be prepared for fireworks because this Pontiac Trans Am can get very agro very quickly.

Pontiac Trans Am Spoiler