The 455 Trans-Am Super Duty (Photos)

1. A legend reborn

Enthusiasts around the world, as well as movie buffs, have a soft spot in their heart for the Pontiac Trans-Am. The torch Trans-Am fans carry has, even with the demise of Pontiac, continued to burn brightly. It's that kind of love and appreciation for what the car was, with the telltale screaming chicken, that brings us to this 2017 Trans-Am Super Duty. This car also marks the first Pontiac conversion to be completed on the 6th generation iteration of the Camaro's lighter alpha platform. 

>>Join the conversation about the 455 Trans-Am Super Duty right here in the LS1 Forum!

2. Demon who????

This new iteration of the Trans-Am 455 Super Duty was revealed at the New York Auto Show last week to much fanfare, like a Phoenix from the flames packing 1,000 horsepower! As amazing as that information was it came with a heartbreaking twist; there will only be 50 of these 455 Super Duty models made. All of that horsepower comes from a 7.4-liter 5th generation LS1 V8 boosted with a Magnuson TVS2300 supercharger putting out 14 psi! For anyone keeping tabs and comparisons that's only 0.5 psi less than the new Challenger Demon spec is running. There's also a cold air intake and ceramic coated headers that put the Super Duty 160 horsepower and 276 lb-ft of torque over what the Demon is putting out, when it is running on the 91 octane tune. 

>>Join the conversation about the 455 Trans-Am Super Duty right here in the LS1 Forum!

3. New and improved

The exterior of the car is modeled after the look of the Trans-Am of the 1970's, but utilizing carbon fiber for many of the body panels such as the front bumper, hood, fenders and deck lids. Redesigns on the car also show off a more contemporary take on the "screaming chicken", plus updated retro taillights, fenders and rear spoiler. For those who would like to let more sunlight into the cabin, T-tops will be available as an option.  

>>Join the conversation about the 455 Trans-Am Super Duty right here in the LS1 Forum!

4. Performance parts aplenty

For a more capable suspension setup that can handle that power, things were enhanced by a 1.0-inch lowered ride height, and a aftermarket roll-bar package. Those massive wheels the car is sitting on are three piece 10-spoke Crawler Race Wheels measuring at 20" by 10" in the front and 20" by 11" in the back, for a slightly staggered look.  For the duty of bringing the car back to legal speeds the stock brakes are custom coated for better heat control. Although, we'd probably sleep better at night with the optional 15" four wheel cross drilled Brembo rotors, held down by six-piston fronts and four-piston rear calipers.

>>Join the conversation about the 455 Trans-Am Super Duty right here in the LS1 Forum!

5. The Bandit

Inside the coupe, passengers will be treated to  Super Duty style shifter handle, retro styled climate vents, leather seats with "455" emblazoned on the head rests (a nod to the engine size in cubic inches), and a custom gauge cluster. If you can get your hands on one of these please feel free to post up pictures on LS1Tech and give us your best Burt Reynolds's Smokey and the Bandit tribute.   

If you are in New York and would like to see this limited run vehicle for yourself just head over to the Javits Center while the NYAS is running. Otherwise, check out the details and order one for yourself at the Trans-Am Depot.

>>Join the conversation about the 455 Trans-Am Super Duty right here in the LS1 Forum!

For help keeping your LS-powered ride in good shape see the how-to section of LS1Tech.com