Dude, seek help. Please.

 

I apologize.

 

**** that! Why do you want to royally **** up a legend??

 

Right now, the best reason I can think of, is to personally **** YOU off.

 

 

Yeah, keep it dead, nothing good EVER came from evolution.....

 

The idea of FWD Firebirds and Pontiacs makes me think of secretaries and chicks. That would be much more of a disgrace to the name than a turbo Ecotec Kappa sized Firebird.

There is no room in GM's lineup, at this point, for so much RWD coupes with V8s. There will be Camaro, probably CTS coupe down the line, and GTO/G8 hybrid. There's really not much room for Firebird in that lineup. That's why a smaller Firebird with less engine makes sense. It also makes sense because it would help create buzz for Pontiac, who desperately need it right now and into the future.

 

A FWD/AWD epsilon car with a turbo v6 option would be great, and help Pontiac out probably quite a bit in the performance arena. Leave the Firebird name off of it though. When I think of Firebird, I don't think of cars that remind me of the Ford Probe.

 

Well, you know that I'm in the boat of anything that gives Pontiac a future, so I would consider any product that's exciting and profitable.

That said, it's unfair to say Firebird doesn't have a heritage. It has the same heritage that Camaro does. It's a shared heritage, not simply a Camaro heritage that Firebird piggybacked.

As far as the engines go, I would say that even in 4th gen form, when the cars were identical, the Firebird had the reputation of being the wilder, edgier car. Unfortunately, GM confused "wilder" with "ugliest ever" in the last few years, but that doesn't undo thirty years of history.

Part of this legend has been the car's reputation for trying radical scemes. The SD 455 was as much about Pontiac's willingness to trick The Man in order to build a fast car as it was the car's actual prowess. Firebird came turbo'ed in the late eighties (can't remember the exact year, I'm sure someone here does). I also beleive Firebird was the first to get the SLP treatment.

I think that for cost considerations at the very least, we'd want the Firebird to share a lot with Camaro. I don't understand the whole thing that the budget for this would have to come for Camaro. That's how it worked last time, but hey, both cars bit the dust last time. That would mean same size, RWD.

They could offer different engines. If you wanted to give the Firebird a turboed V6 or 4-cyl and then perhaps the V8, it would differentiate the cars (but make the Firebird cost more).

My basic view of how Pontiac could/should shape up is a RWD performance brand based upon three cars:

Solstice - Small, convertible, maybe coupe (I think you said removable hardtop puts this in doubt)

Firebird -Slotted slightly above Camaro in the same fashion Sky is to Solstice. Higher content, better interior, and just perhaps a bit more handling prowess or a few more hp.

GTO - Larger car, quad coupe. Spread the cost out with a low cost version. Call the lowend something else so that the purists shout themselves red in the face. Ideally, call it LeMans or Grand Prix, but G8 would work if Pontiac really wants a crappy, anonymous alphanumeric.

 

I could really care less what Pontiac does with the Firebird name as long as it doesn't go on a Camaro clone. It isn't the 60's anymore, pontiac doesn't need a Camaro clone to keep them from whining about not getting a Corvette clone.

*runs and hides*

 

It was my fault for making an unclear post.

Wasn't the Tempest a midsize, and not a large sedan?

I don't think this car is a bad idea, but I still fail to see why it should be called Firebird. Even the stretched Kappa would be a "stretch" for the name

I like this lineup. The only problem is that I don't know how many car models Pontiac can support since they are giving its job to other divisions (SS line at Chevy, and Saturn stole the Sky).

BTW, the turbo TA was MY1989 for the 20th Anniversary.

 

[whispers] Just tell him that the Z28 option should NEVER come back on a Camaro, That'll get him going.[/whispers]


Just joking Z!!!

Just think, A minor screen name change. Z28Never ROTF!

 

ouch!

 

I sure hope that was sarcastic. You have no idea how passionate Charlie is about the Camaro and Firebird.

 

Oh, I know how passionate he is. And I am more then certain he knows how to take what I posted. Its all in fun.

We all can still have a little friendly fun around here can't we?