Is it really a Trans Am? That remains to be seen. This is a car built by a Detroit car company for a Detroit car company. While a Trans Am will always be a Trans Am, we wanted to put a different spin on the Pontiac brand. This car is styled after the Bandit’s Trans Am from the original Fast and the Furious, which was a major part of the legendary three movie saga. However, instead of the Trans Am being a car with a Ferrari engine under the hood, we wanted to make this one a car with a Bugatti engine under the hood.
The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is one of the most iconic muscle cars of all time, and it was first introduced in 1967. Over the years, the iconic model has been updated with new models, but the original Trans Am is still largely the same as it was in the 60’s. The classic rear-hinged front doors and the side-hinged rear doors and front decklid have been removed, but other than that, it has remained true to its roots. Today, the Trans Am is one of the most desirable muscle cars around, and even though it’s based on a mid-70’s model, it looks absolutely stunning.
Is there a performance car on the road today that can hold its own against the long-ago-retired Pontiac Firebird Trans Am? We think not. This amazing car (see above) has been engineered to sound like a modern-day muscle car through the use of a hidden bumblebee engine. But don’t think this is just a play on words—there’s a bumblebee engine under the hood.
This car may look like the one from the hero Smokey and the Bandit, but Snowman and the Bandit would be much faster in Atlanta in this secret Pontiac Firebird Trans Am hypercar. Unlike Burt Reynolds’ Pontiac Firebird, this car has a 1,000-hp twin-turbo V8. 
Burt Reynolds and Sally Field: FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images
Smokey and the Bandit Part 2
The top-of-the-line Firebird Trans Am of this period was equipped with an atmospheric 6.6-liter V8 engine. For once, it’s not so bad. But when you hear something like a 6.6-liter V8, you’re more likely to think of a Challenger Hellcat, not a house cat with 220 horsepower. This 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am looks like a real-life example from that era. But there’s more to it than Smokey can see, until one day Bandit jumps him. According to Motor1, the restorer-princess made sure the radiant paint job was done perfectly, with gold stripes and an enigmatic pattern on the hood in the shape of a screeching chicken. It has a shaker hood, a T-shaped roof, and even snowflake wheels. However, the Trans Am enthusiast will notice that the iconic gold wheels appear slightly larger than normal, and if you look closely, the entire car is larger than it would have left the factory in 1979.
This Pontiac Firebird is on fire
If the large wheels and wider body are any indication, opening the hood reveals the entire plot in broad daylight. The somewhat sluggish 6.6-liter V8 has been replaced by a twin-turbocharged 7.0-liter V8 that can take the Smokey from Texarkana to Atlanta with ease. Two low-pressure turbochargers of 76 mm provide a monstrous 1,000 hp. With the supercharger, however, this Pontiac Firebird Trans Am reaches a maximum of 1,400 horsepower. If all that performance wasn’t already in the Firebird, the fact that the automaker retained rear-wheel drive makes us think in a puff of smoke.
This is the coolest car for everyday use
Incredibly, the owner/builder says his mythical bird is a good daily driver, as long as you stay off the turbo. One reason for this claim is that he built the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am with tons of sound deadening materials to make the interior more comfortable. Look at this interior. If power and performance aren’t enough to impress, take a look at the finish. The paint is nice, but pales in comparison to the beauty of the interior. It is a tasteful combination of original and modern materials and design. Even the exhaust is damped as much as possible to make the ride as comfortable as possible. Even the guy in the video says how quiet the car is. Well, until the Firebird starts to warm up. Building a car that looks like it was put together in a garage is one thing. But to make something powerful and fast while maintaining an original aesthetic requires a restraint and taste that few carmakers possess. APPROPRIATE: The horde of dusty old Pontiac Firebirds found in the barn will be auctioned off.
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