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10-12-2008, 05:51 PM
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#1 | | 12 Second Club
Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Wichita KS
Posts: 2,674
|  Is there hope?
This is from Scott Settlemire, the Camaro brand manager, in the infamous G8 Firehawk thread: Quote:
Originally Posted by Fbodfather  I’ll never say ‘never’ because ‘never’ is a long time….but with the economy and the auto industry where it is today, I would not encourage you to ‘hold out’ for a Firebird-based Firehawk anytime soon……in the future? Perhaps…….but not anytime in the immediate future. | What up until recently was a "never" has now become a "perhaps, but not soon?" I don't mean about a Firehawk specifically, but a Firebird.
Scenario: Camaro sales are slow due to economy ... after a few years, GM rolls out a Firebird to inject freshness into the platform and hasten its life cycle to completion.
I know the deck is stacked against it. But what does the fbodfather say? "Never say never ..."
__________________
00 Formula Bright Silver A4 Bolt-ons exc. pulley; Yank SS3600, Transgo, 3.42s; Koni/Bilsteins f/r, SFC's, LCA's, 255 MT DR's; EFILive. 12.47/109.62/1.71
01 T/A SOM M6 VFN WS6 Hood, !CAGS, SLP Lid, Hooker Aerochamber
69 GTO Judge 400 4 spd.
69 GTO 428 TH400 | 
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10-12-2008, 06:11 PM
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#2 | | TECH Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Minnesota
Posts: 6,712
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Who knows. Anything is possible. As I had just posted last night on a Star Wars situation similar to this as well (I related it to the Firehawk G8 name not changing), that George Lucas said the original theatrical release would NEVER come to DVD, and last year or so it was packaged as a bonus disc with the SE version (that all the true SW fans hated).
So, never say never, is right. Anything can happen in time. Between Lucas saying Never, and it happening was only around 2 years. Fans CAN make an impact on decisions.
__________________ 1993 Firebird Formula A4 3.42 Torsen Posi
BBK 58mm TB | 24# SVO Inejctors | Coolant Bypass | Vortec Alu Elbow
Afro Engineering CAI | SLP Catback Dual-Dual | LS1 Rear Brakes | Self Tuned Chip | !EGR !AIR  Soon: Full polyurethane kit, IAT Relocation, "New" tranny w/ 2500 stall. "If your car doesn't run 12's, shorten the track" - Urban (x3Dfx Forum) | |
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10-12-2008, 06:42 PM
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#3 | | TECH Enthusiast
Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Mountains of Western North Carolina
Posts: 647
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It is possible. As stated, Never say Never. GM NEVER thought their stock would be less than $5 a share. Guess what??
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2001 Trans Am Convertible - Taupe/Red | |
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10-13-2008, 12:25 AM
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#4 | | Staging Lane
Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Miami Lakes FL
Posts: 75
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Those who say that their will "NEVER" be another Firebird are just people who would rather not see one's tail lights =)
GM has been TRYING to get rid of the Firebird's name and memory out of Pontiac's name for a while now, and its not been working too well. Despite only mentioning the GTO as the best thing to come out of Pontiac and those statements that the Firebird wont come back, one day SOMEONES gotta get it in their head..." Wait...people want the Firebird...every time we offer them something else..they dont like it...they keep saying they want a Firebird" well then MAYBE...just Maybe...someone will figure it out...and make a Firebird.  A lot of Camaro fans would get ticked at the idea of its sister car commin' back to steal sales and people would finally really have a reason to go into a Pontiac dealership( heaven knows if their aint no Firebird much longer...their wont be a Pontiac )
__________________ 1999 Trans Am a4 K&N filter and Magnaflow. For sale for $35,000 or a trade for a 1984 15th ann. Trans am. 
Whats the most common thing i see? Cars in my rear view mirror. | |
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10-13-2008, 09:13 PM
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#5 | | TECH Apprentice
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 319
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What often gets lost in the "should there be a new Firebird/could there be a new Firebird" discussion is there will definitely not be a Trans Am (due to the deal with SCCA expiring). I can't imagine a Firebird without a Trans Am, I'd almost not even want one if there were no T/A model. And I'm a Formula owner!
__________________ '00 Firebird Formula
Pewter, M6, Hardtop, polished Z06 rims, TSP Rumbler catback, SLP Lid, tint, Bilsteins, TB bypass, FRA, K&N, UMI short stick, MacEwen overlays, iCAGS Quote:
If anyone is missing NASCAR and it's not on Speed Channel, take a fistful of Skittles, throw them in the toilet and hit the flush handle. Instant NASCAR
posted by Demon_Speeding | | |
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10-14-2008, 11:03 PM
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#6 | | 12 Second Club
Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Wichita KS
Posts: 2,674
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I know it'd be a bummer without a T/A, but the line-up could be Firebird (V6), Formula (V8), and Formula WS6 (loaded, with Ram Air, cosmetics, etc.). Better than only Camaros to choose from!
__________________
00 Formula Bright Silver A4 Bolt-ons exc. pulley; Yank SS3600, Transgo, 3.42s; Koni/Bilsteins f/r, SFC's, LCA's, 255 MT DR's; EFILive. 12.47/109.62/1.71
01 T/A SOM M6 VFN WS6 Hood, !CAGS, SLP Lid, Hooker Aerochamber
69 GTO Judge 400 4 spd.
69 GTO 428 TH400
Last edited by RevGTO; 10-14-2008 at 11:09 PM..
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10-15-2008, 05:40 AM
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#7 | | Staging Lane
Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: pittston, pa
Posts: 80
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PontiacSpeed91 Those who say that their will "NEVER" be another Firebird are just people who would rather not see one's tail lights =)
GM has been TRYING to get rid of the Firebird's name and memory out of Pontiac's name for a while now, and its not been working too well. Despite only mentioning the GTO as the best thing to come out of Pontiac and those statements that the Firebird wont come back, one day SOMEONES gotta get it in their head..." Wait...people want the Firebird...every time we offer them something else..they dont like it...they keep saying they want a Firebird" well then MAYBE...just Maybe...someone will figure it out...and make a Firebird. A lot of Camaro fans would get ticked at the idea of its sister car commin' back to steal sales and people would finally really have a reason to go into a Pontiac dealership( heaven knows if their aint no Firebird much longer...their wont be a Pontiac ) | If they make a firebird it better have some freaking curves and a coupe like profile not like the "boxed shaped" G8. BTW how the hell would they make it look to appeal to us?  | |
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10-15-2008, 05:43 AM
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#8 | | Staging Lane
Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: pittston, pa
Posts: 80
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Calling all photo-shoppers!!  | |
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10-15-2008, 09:40 AM
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#9 | | TECH Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Minnesota
Posts: 6,712
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Quote:
Originally Posted by httrdd Calling all photo-shoppers!! | Seeing as you haven't been around, last 2 years was the big Photoshop boom. I don't feel like going through that again  That's the downside of the mods not having all the old posts still around (deleted, or at least archived and not viewable).
__________________ 1993 Firebird Formula A4 3.42 Torsen Posi
BBK 58mm TB | 24# SVO Inejctors | Coolant Bypass | Vortec Alu Elbow
Afro Engineering CAI | SLP Catback Dual-Dual | LS1 Rear Brakes | Self Tuned Chip | !EGR !AIR Soon: Full polyurethane kit, IAT Relocation, "New" tranny w/ 2500 stall. "If your car doesn't run 12's, shorten the track" - Urban (x3Dfx Forum) | |
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10-16-2008, 01:02 AM
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#10 | | Staging Lane
Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: pittston, pa
Posts: 80
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Ok thanks for the info! | |
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10-18-2008, 07:25 AM
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#11 | | Staging Lane
Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Southampton,England
Posts: 55
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In respect of the SCCA deal to use the TransAm name, since there is no TransAm race series anymore is that deal still valid? | |
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10-18-2008, 01:27 PM
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#12 | | Staging Lane
Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Miami Lakes FL
Posts: 75
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I saw like last year that GM renewed their owner ship of the "Firebird" and "Fiero" name just in case they every wanted to bring out products under those names and of course...to keep making shirts and stuff...No mention of the Trans Am name but i am sure since the SCCA series went belly up, they could just pick it up.
Interesting info, the IROC series (which used 4th gen Firebird body styles) closed up shop!
__________________ 1999 Trans Am a4 K&N filter and Magnaflow. For sale for $35,000 or a trade for a 1984 15th ann. Trans am.
Whats the most common thing i see? Cars in my rear view mirror. | |
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10-19-2008, 07:06 PM
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#13 | | TECH Fanatic
Join Date: May 2006 Location: Indiana wants me, lord i can't go back there
Posts: 1,239
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Quote:
Originally Posted by httrdd Calling all photo-shoppers!! | taken from the thread just above this one 
__________________ 
1995 Black TA A4 LT1
Mods: MSD cap and rotor, MSD wires, NGK plugs, K&N filter, 17" corvette GS replica's, Ram Air and OEM WS6 hood | |
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10-20-2008, 02:59 PM
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#14 | | Staging Lane
Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: pittston, pa
Posts: 80
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Wow! I gotta say I love it and I would buy it! | |
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10-20-2008, 03:42 PM
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#15 | | Staging Lane
Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA.
Posts: 69
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1995blacktattop taken from the thread just above this one | If the Firebird and T/A were to return it would have to be a futuristic modern design possibly with a hint of 3rd gen, but definitely no retro look like the Camaro... that would be out by then. Never say never is correct... Dodge just dug up the Challenger from the grave so I don't see how anyone can say that the GM won't ever have the Firebird reborn- especially when the Firebird is the reason why Pontiac existed for so long. Has anyone visited a Pontiac dealership lately (actually, any dealership), I went to my local Rydell Pontiac last week and it was absolutely a ghost town... except for the service/parts area. They need to bring the Firebird back and add some excitement to the brand again- this is the time to make a great American muscle car that happens to have somewhere around 30mpg hwy.... yes it is possible to engineer a powerful car w/descent mpg.
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2002 Trans Am WS-6 CETA
"I looked to my right and all I saw was a blur of yellow"-OJ
Dynojet: 445rwhp/501rwtq | |
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10-20-2008, 04:24 PM
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#16 | | TECH Fanatic
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Albany, GA
Posts: 1,227
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Drake02 this is the time to make a great American muscle car that happens to have somewhere around 30mpg hwy.... yes it is possible to engineer a powerful car w/descent mpg. | A stock LS1/6spd car can do over 30MPG driven right....and thats 10 year old technology.
__________________  2002 SUNSET ORANGE METALLIC WS6 #8497 1998 BRIGHT SILVER METALLIC TRANS AM | 
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10-20-2008, 05:15 PM
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#17 | | Staging Lane
Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA.
Posts: 69
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 97ramsst A stock LS1/6spd car can do over 30MPG driven right....and thats 10 year old technology. | Exactly... with my A4 and mods, I can still get about 26-28mpg going anywhere from 70-80mph on the freeway, as well as hitting stop and go traffic along the way. So the stance we have heard about gas economy and not coming out with the Firebird is nonsense, and they certainly could have gotten better mpg out of the new Camaro. Ah well... I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
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2002 Trans Am WS-6 CETA
"I looked to my right and all I saw was a blur of yellow"-OJ
Dynojet: 445rwhp/501rwtq | |
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10-27-2008, 08:47 PM
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#18 | | Indiana is so screwed...
Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Tipton, Indiana
Posts: 10,162
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There are no rules to auto manufacturing....ceasing production doesn't mean anything anymore....besides, why would they want to back themselves into a corner if they couldn't get out of it?  "Never" doesn't mean anything.
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10-27-2008, 11:14 PM
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#19 | | Launching!
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 226
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Quote:
Originally Posted by httrdd Calling all photo-shoppers!! |  | |
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10-28-2008, 01:11 AM
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#20 | | On The Tree
Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Altamonte Springs, FL
Posts: 128
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Quote:
Originally Posted by allmotor | All I have to say is... 
__________________ 1996 "Mystic Teal" Pontiac Firebird Trans Am:
PS LT, ORY, !egr, !air, SLP LM2, K&N CAI, 160* t-stat, TB airfoil, Trickflow Elbow. Madtuner tune, etc...  | |
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