What he said.

 

I agree, a new name, new game, maybe another iconic Halo vehicle for the new millinium...like GN, Cyclone, Typhoon etc..

 

I voted for choice 2, but I'd like to see AWD ONLY.

 

If the Firebird had to return, I'd rather have it return as a Camaro clone rather than some FWD/AWD/I4 garbage. I can remember the bitching and moaning here when threads would come up here when people suggested the Camaro would return as a FWD/V6.

Remember Scott saying the Camaro has it's DNA? The Firebird has it's own, too. If it's not to return as a RWD/V8 2+2. LEAVE IT DEAD!

 

I voted clone. However, like others have said, it would need it's own body & interior. Now I have a rant, Where is it written that Camaro HAS to be an exclusive vehicle? Even the 'vette, which had been exclusive for decades, isn't anymore! Firebird, for most of it's run, had it's own character, & certainly it's own fan base. I would view a Firebird that wasn't V-8, RWD, & 2 doors as an insult & wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot bank account! And I think if done right Firebird & GTO could co-exist. They did from '67 to '74! Firebird could be the smaller somewhat cheaper alternative to the larger, loaded to the hilt GTO. And as Corvette & XLR, Solstice & Sky are showing, you CAN have 2 performance vehicles share the EXACT same platform & still be successfull! I khow Stars 1010 won't like this argument. He seems to be of the mindset that if the Firebird came back, it would somehow destroy the Camaro. However, since the 'bird wouldn't be coming back unless & until the Camaro is a proven sales success, I find his paranoia to be quite unfounded.

 

Pontiac would be VERY exciting, if:
The line up was:
GTO-LS7(or next variant),450hp+
Firebird(Camaro clone)-LS2(or next variant),400hp+
G6-turbo-6(RWD Coupe),300hp+(maybe rename it the Phoenix, remember that one ?..)
Solstice GXP-turbo-4, 260+

 

I would like to see the firebird as an AWD Turbo'd V6 pushing around 325 hp and a Rwd Trans Am putting down some serious torque. It needs lots of ***** so people don't have to put bumber nutz on it! Have the firebird chew apart the imports at their own game and the Trans Am obliterate everything below the Z06!

 

+ G8 with LS4!

 

You know, the Corvette and XLR are hardly comparable to Camaro/Firebird. For one, the XLR has a COMPLETELY different exterior and interior than Corvette. They also don't share powertrains, and have completely different personalities. Pull off a Camaro-Firebird relationship like that and I'd love it.

I've mentioned before my feeling, that to me, the last good year for Firebird was 1981. You may disagree with me, and that's fine - but that's where I stand.

The '67-'81 Firebirds had a certain tangible something to them. A strong sense of Pontiac-ness, I suppose. You could feel it, it was there. Sure, those Poncho motors get a big chunk of that credit. But beyond just that, those motors were an enabler that allowed Firebird to be truly different than Camaro. And it really was. There wasn't very much cross shopping in those days between would-be Camaro and Firebird buyers.

All that came to a crash in 1982. After that it was the one with pop-up lights and the one without.

To me, it's more important that any new Firebird regain it's own path again, regain it's own persona. To me, that's WAY more important than it merely having RWD and a V8.

 

I agree that it would be nice if Pontiac still made it's own engines. But in todays economy that can't happen. However Pontiac still did what they could to give the T/A it's own personality. For instance, the '84 15th ann. T/A intro'ed the 16x8 wheels, 4 wheel discs, & lower body cladding that got picked up by Camaro in '85. The '89 20th ann. had that screaming turbo v-6 that let it outrun 'vettes that year. And you're right, I did overlook the fact that XLR has a different engine & trans. But I still believe my point is valid. A Firebird could be based on the Camaro platform, & if you give the guys at Pontiac their head, it will look different enough & handle different enough that there won't be any more conflict than you would have with Solstice & Sky buyers!

 

I think you hit it right on the head (although I would be very unhappy with a FWD or AWD Firebird!)!

Back in the stone ages (first and especially second generation cars), there was almost as much of a rivalry between Firebird and Camaro people as between Firebird, Camaro and Mustang people. Despite the similarities, there were tangible and intangible differences between Firebird buyers and Camaro buyers…it was a good think that GM has long since lost.

Personally, I'd love to see a new Firebird that was truly unique while true to the car's heritage but that's probably an impossible dream in today's world.

 

You're right about the rivalry. If you were a Z/28 guy, you'd never be caught dead in a Trans Am...and visa versa. You could almost say that in the '70's, the F-car vs Mustang rivalry was almost a peripheral side show. It was all about Camaro vs Firebird.

Those were the days.........

 

My first car was a '67 Firebird 400, P/G...ALL Pontiac...not even tranny's would swap. I bought it b/c it was different than the then THRIVING Camaro cult following. But I'll tell you, that 400 may have sounded good, and had loads of torque, but the reving and breathing capabilities of the 350's and 396's were tough competition. Not to mention a lower priced more abundant aftermarket(then). It took me hours of porting and cam swaps roller rockers etc to get it to rev like a SBC.
I loved that car, but the last evolution Firebird/TA, was just plain bad @ss!!!

 

Hmm. As slanted as this poll is, the overwhelming majority of voters prefer Firebird to be a Camaro stablemate on the same platform. And that doesn't take into account those who posted in that they voted "leave it dead" rather than take the slap in the face of voting for "Camaro clone" It seems the market for Firebird is alive and well.

 

Well, I don't really know what that means. I'd say the majority of people who voted in this poll, see the 4th gen Firebird as the 'perfect' formula....yet that formula only got one half the votes.

I wonder what the general public would think?

I wonder if Pontiac were cut down to just two platforms, Solstice and all the G6 variants ....what would it, or wouldn't it do with the Firebird name?

If it came down to that, I would try to figure a reasonable way to bring Firebird's brand equity into the line up.