Pontiacpedia.org » pontiac firebird

VW Poaches KITT Tech For Self Driving Car

admin — Fri, 13 May 2011 14:28:15 +0000

Yes, it’s true. Pretty soon you’ll be able to dial a phone (not talk into a wrist watch) and have your Volkswagen drive to your location. It’s part of a multi-million dollar project German auto maker VW is currently working on in California. Volkswagen will attempt to prefect their driver awareness system, which can not only locate the owner of a car, but also detect traffic lights, speed limits, and adjusts the movement of your car accordingly.

I guess it’s better than using trick photography and having a stunt driver hide out in your backseat:

The Best of Knight Rider

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:39:12 +0000

A 9-episode “Best of Knight Rider” DVD pack will be available this summer, featuring the adventures of our favorite talking Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, KITT. From Knight Rider Online: Universal Studios Home Entertainment this week announced the availability of a new collection on DVD called “The Best of the 80s”. These two disc packs will feature the best episodes from Magnum P.I., The A-Team, Miami Vice and Knight Rider.

They have not publicly announced which episodes have been included, only letting us know that the first disc will have a running time of 3 Hours 5 Minutes, and the second of 4 Hours and 52 Minutes. It will be available on June 14, 2011. Which episodes do you think they’ll include?

Pre-orders are now available on Amazon for $13.49.

Behold The Firebreather

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:58:31 +0000

It may look like a next generation Firebird, or a concept KITT for a Knight Rider movie that will never be made. In fact, it is none of those things. Pontiac is gone, my lovelies, and we must all welcome that fact, or live in sad denial forever. But the boys and girls at Classic Design Concepts are selling a modern-day Trans Am, build over an all new Chevrolet Camaro.

Dubbed the Firebreather, the car is based on the Chevrolet Camaro and features a unique front fascia, new headlights (with LED halos), a revised hood, side sill extensions, and a modified rear bumper with an integrated diffuser. Other styling tweaks include new taillights, a rear spoiler, and 20-inch wheels outfitted with Pirelli P-Zero tires.

Inside, the cabin boasts leather upholstery, piano black trim, red ambient lighting, special floor mats, and an individually numbered plaque.

Power is provided by a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine, which produces 599 horsepower instead of the standard 426 hp in your run-of-the-mill Camaro.

Firebreather production will be limited to 50 units and pricing starts at $60,000.

Source: WCF

A Look Back At Pontiac’s Firebird Logo

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:44:34 +0000

Logos come and go, and tend to evolve with a company. Now that Pontiac is dead we will see an end to one classic automotive badge – The Pontiac Firebird. Originated with the first 1967 Trans Am from GM’s Pontiac, the Phoenix aflame quickly became infamous as a logo of American Horse Power. With a black body and hot orange flames Firebird rises from the hood like a supercharged beast.

Trans Am changed it up a bit in the 70′s, when Smokey and the Bandit needed a more outlandish hillbilly rocket. Their golden bird was blazed across the front of late 70′s and early-to-mid 80′s

Unfortunately, the 82 Trans Am Firedbird known only as KITT was excluded from having a large hood logo – make being stealth kinda hard.

Since those Firedbirds of past there’s been many updates and variants, including personalized versions: tattoos, patches for hats and shirts, American flag Firebirds and…well just about anything you can imagine. But the underline theme and design have remained the same no matter what. Unfortunately, this Firedbird will no longer be able to rise up from the flames.

Smokey & The 2010 Camaro Pontiac Trans Am Conversion

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:31:57 +0000

Man, I miss Smokey & the Bandit – more so because of Pontiac’s Trans Am featured in the series, and less for Bury Reynolds’ acting. Well, now that Pontiac is dead you won’t see a new “Bandit Edition” Tranny – or will you? All one needs is a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS and an $85,000 Phoenix T/A Conversion kit. Well, actually the price tag includes one new Camaro SS, along with enhancements in both decal and engine form.

For the trouble to your wallet a Phoenix Conversion will get you a supercharged LS engine with a newly designed hood, and of course that iconic Firebird in gold & black. The vehicle will be lowered 1″-4″ w/sway bar and some Pirelli Pzero’s, Gold /Silver machined face snowflake wheels too! There’s also fender extractors, exhaust conversion (to handle the more powerful engine) a rear fascia clip with tail lamp lenses and rear spoiler.

As for your interior, embroidered head rests and console lid, turned aluminum door panels matching instrument cluster bring it back old school to the days of chrome-overkill and terrible gas mileage. The Chevy-stock shifters and steering wheel are replaced with a Hurst shift & Pontiac logo-wheel. 10-10 Bandit, Smokey’s on your tail.

Thanks for the great pics Jalopnik!

Pontiac Firebird Tribute

admin — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:09:28 +0000

This is one of the most moving (yes, moving) video tributes I have ever seen, well on Youtube at least. Thanks to YouStoleIt for making this video (or stealing it, apparently). It’s a breathtaking tribute to the Pontiac Firebird, making us shed a tear as today GM announced it will cut Pontiac after 83 years.

What Was The Best Pontiac?

admin — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:44:11 +0000

Pontiac has a proud history dating back to the days when having a roof on your car was a luxury. The company has been home to some of the greatest muscle cars and design concepts ever in GM history – from the Firebird to the GTO, we’ve loved them all. With the sad news that Pontiac may be phased out by 2011 (damn you recession!) Pontiacpedia decided to have a look at some classic Pontiac commercials. And we ask you to tell us, what was your favorite Pontiac?

1967 Pontiac Firebird

1968 GTO

1971 Pontiac LeMans GTO

1982 Trans Am – Knight Rider Edition

Circa 1980′s Bonneville

1987 Bonneville, Trans Am, Etc

2004 GTO – Epic Rebirth or Fail?

2008 Pontiac G6

Hollywood Pontiac – Firebird Trans Am on Film

admin — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:52:05 +0000

During the late 1970′s and early 1980′s you couldn’t click past any of (the 10) channels on your television without seeing a Pontiac Trans Am fly by. From Burt Reynolds to Michael Knight, the revved-up Firebird became a star of screens both large and small. Pontiacpedia takes a look at two of the most famous Trans Ams – their 1977 and 1982 models, and a lesser known Pontiac vehicle which made an attempt to resurrect a fallen Knight.

Knight Rider

You know the show, the theme song, and the car! From 1982 to 1986 NBC viewers tuned in to see star David Hasselhoff fight drug runners and mob bosses in his Artificial Intelligence controlled Trans Am. KITT – Knight Industries Two Thousand – was a computer / armored tactical fighting machine on wheels. Aside from Hollywood magic, the ’82 Firebird Trans Am had upgraded handling, suspension and horsepower. Specifically, KITT was a Third Generation Trans Am with almost 300 horsepower! The Third Gen Firebirds were so popular their model run lasted from 1982 to 1992.

Knight Rider 2000

In 1991 Knight Rider producers attempted the first of many come backs for KITT. This time, the Knight Industries Four Thousand was a concept model – a 1989 Banshee. Ok, so it’s not a Firebird or Trans Am – but it’s still a kick ass looking vehicle. The car was actually a “Banshee IV” A 230 hp fuel-injected V8 engine powered rear wheel drive. A heads-up display projection monitor showed off the dash gauges along with video display. The rear spoiler was even adjustable for different speeds; these designs were meant to be worked into both future Pontiac Firebird and Pontiac Trans Am cars.

Smokey and the Bandit

In 1977 Smokey and the Bandit the big screen with Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason and a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am (one that enjoys jumping over creeks in the backwoods of Georgia or Alabama). This particular Firebird contained a 6.6 Liter 400 engine with about 200-plus hp under the hood. The film itself became an instant classic thanks to both its comedic interaction and amazing car chases. The Bandit’s Trans Am made a second appearance in Smokey and the Bandit II.

East bound Snowman…