I just wanted to pose this question to those who have a bit more inside info/better grasp of the auto industry: Wit hthe recent public announcements of the Firebird name, is there a chance GM could bring it back? And have some of these announcements been from GM personnel or just auto beat writers?

I'd rather not get into the whole "If Firebird is the same mechanically as Camaro with only different sheetmetal it's not worth it to come back" debate, lord knows we've had a few already here at %th Gen forum. But with some at least acknowledgement of the Firebird name, is there any hope it could return? I mean I know Pontiac is/was supposed to be moving up scale, but then I hear it's not. Also, does anyone know if the head of Pontiac (Brand Manager?) is an enthusiast, or if anyone is actually fighting for Firebird?

 

Forget the Firebird....Its dead and gone,so will Pontiac soon...

 

maybe we should look into that trademark thing
you woulda thought they'd have given up the firebird name by now atleast if they didn't plan to use it again

 

Well that's a pretty asinine comment. Not abuut Firebird, but about Pontiac. I doubt it's going anywhere soon. All I'm trying to get at is ever since Lutz made that comment that Firebird was done, nobody ever mentioned it. And now all of a sudden there is at least some references being made about it.

And if anyone can look up the trademark thing that could be helpful.

 

I think the sand is still firmly wedged and irritating since the last beat down you took from a V8.

 

Man how this crap spreads! I was at a hobby shop Shooting the **it with the guy there, when I start telling him how, I thought the Camaro was coming back and maybe Firebird. He says, "I heard they were killing off Pontiac, and that's BS they should kill Buick instead!" I say its . Then he tells me how he is a member on some Pontiac forum and they are letting him test drive a new GXP or something. Anyway the guy ( Another GM guy whe likes Pontiac) proceeds to tell me, that he knows about Camaro coming back, and GM has a Concept out that he's seen, and it looks pretty sweet, actually the other people working in the store(Who had obviously seen it before also) perked up when he mentioned it. I say its not Kriss Horton's Concept is it? No this is from GM... I think, what... No Way. I know I hadn't been here in a couple days or so ( Swap Meet), figured maybe I missed something. So I ask him if he a has a web address were I can see it. He says OK come on, I'll show you right here on our computer, they got a whole bunch of different versions on there. SWEET... I'm thinkin' He pulls it up and it was like Arkansas Camaro.com or something.... what do I see? Every version of Horton's car, in every color we've seen here, for... Oh how long now?. I should have known better! I think they could both return though. I just had to share that!

 

It will be a real shame if the Firebird never comes back, considering that it has always been better than the Camaro. Even the name sounds cooler.

 

you're quite an emotional guy aren't you SCNGENNFTHGEN?

 

Are you kidding? The Firebird is too boy-racerish, had too much cladding, and was basically an eyesore.

I seriously hate the word boy-racer.

 

he's probably talking about GM's SS concept looks pretty cool, and could get camaro name, although i dont think it will make it to the dealers...
if Trans Am has been Pontiac's Main car for so long, why dont they make it different then the camaro, different from the Vette, but meet it half way in between... make the Trans Am with the two models of V8's (ls2 and something else) with the carbon fiber body so its compareable w/ the vette but its detuned like the camaro... so it isnt really an overlap, but really a differnt price range and differnt crowd... a crowd interested in more dramatic body styling.

the Trans Am was good for Pontiac, it needs another "Knight Rider" to resurect it tho

Firebird needs to be not just a change in sheep skin... so someone couldnt make a camaro into a firebird. or vise versa

 

I made a long post about this on another forum. At first I thought that Firebird shouldn't come back, but now I really think it would be a very good idea. I think Camaro and Firebird could be differentiated in much the same way that the Solsitce and Sky are. Essentially, Camaro could be a basic baroom brawler - lots of power and great handling at a stripped down price. The Firebird could then lioke Sky come with a lot of options standard at a higher price. This would satisfy some of the types like we see here who want IRS, along with the creature comforts we've come to enjoy in most cars. I was thinking pricing could be 19,995 and 24,995 for the V6 Camaro and Z/28, while the Firebird could start at 24,995 in V6 form, and begin at 29,995 for the Trans Am. For another basis of comparison, think of the difference between the 350Z and G35 coupe. The 350Z provides great value, while the G35 goes all out with more refinement and a smoother persona.

 

the pontiac needs to be a higher margin more luxurius version

 

LOL!!!! Are you not the same dork that posts on ls1gto.com?

Yeah, I thought so.

 

LOL. Speaking of ls1gto.com....I agree with a post you make, then get clobbered for being a "GTO Hater".

 

i guess thats where people differ, i think the 02 WS6 looks better then the vette, and the viper

and perhaps i miss understand the word cladding, but it had no more then any camaro ever did... The only extra peices it had were its eyes, in the LS1 version, and slightly bigger spoiler