"At Pontiac, they sell excitement. It's all part of a plan to rejuvenate the until recently ailing GM division, which had fallen on hard times during the Seventies and early Eighties. It stood in sharp contrast to the Sixties, when the "Wide-Track" Pontiac took over third place in the industry, largely on the strength of a carefully cultivated performance image masterminded by general manager Semon E. "Bunkie" Knudsen. Pontiac, it seemed, could do no wrong in those high-flying days when it appeared that the Sixties would live on forever.
They didn't, of course, and Pontiac went into a decline during the Seventies. Oldsmobile—bolstered by its immensely popular Cutlass —took over third spot, and while Pontiac foundered, even Buick snuck ahead. The reasons for Pontiac's fall from public favor are clear enough in retrospect. First of all, Pontiac had attempted to do too much —to match Chevrolet volume in certain fields while undercutting Chevy's price, and at the same time reaching up into Olds and Buick territory. Pontiac offered a vast array of models, sub-models, and variations, and this eventually caused quality control to slip. It also resulted in a confusing succession of models that left many buyers wondering just what a Pontiac was.
Fortunately, Pontiac found focus again during the Eighties under general manager Bill Hoglund as GM's "performance" division. It may seem ironic, since that's what had catapulted Pontiac into third in the first place, so in a sense Pontiac is only returning to is loots. In the context of the auto market of the Eighties, where performance has genuinely returned and has immense sales appeal, Pontiac apparently reasoned that reviving the "good old days" would bring buyers back.
The opening shot in Pontiac's turnaround was probably the exclusive-to-Pontiac '84 two-seater Fiero. It slid past top GM brass as an economical commuter car, but clearly Pontiac had grander plans for it all along. They are coming to fruition now with GT styling, V-6 power, and the five-speed Muncie-Getrag manual transmission, the kinds of stuff on which reputations are made. The '85 Grand Am, clearly the sportiest of GM's N-body cars, is also the best-selling by a wide margin. For mid-86 Pontiac conjured up the 2 + 2, a bubble-back version of the Grand Prix with an emphasis on aerodynamics. Not coincidentally, this is the model that Richard Petty wheels around NASCAR ovals at 200-plus miles per hour. The new Bonneville, based on GM's full-size, front-drive, H-body platform, highlights the '87 model year. Again, it looks far sleeker and more European than its Buick and Oldsmobile siblings. It is, according to Pontiac, "a statement aimed at the contemporary touring sedan market; its aggressive aerodynamic looks place it at the forefront of the full-size performance class."
But lest we forget, even though Pontiac seemed confused during the Seventies, it kept the faith with one model all through the decade —the Firebird Trans Am. Born in 1970, it almost died at one point due to corporate doubts about the future of performance cars, aggravated by a factory strike in 1972 that severely cut volume. Pontiac nonetheless stubbornly clung not only to the Firebird itself, but also to the all-out high-performance Trans Am, and reaped just rewards. While the hottest Camaro, the Z28, was temporarily dropped for 1975/76, the T/A lived on —a factory hot rod that refused to die. As the most serious entry in the Pontiac line, it kept interest alive in performance cars, an interest that would begin to blossom again in the late '70s and on into the '80s. It was a feat that only added to the Trans Am's growing mystique. It also added to sales, as this model moved from being a peripheral seller (only 2116 units for '71) to the most popular Firebird of all (over 93,000 for 78).
The third generation Firebirds made their debut in 1982. They were lighter by several hundred pounds, 9.2 inches shorter at 189.9 inches, and rode a 101.1-inch wheelbase, down 7.1. While the hatchback configuration rendered them more practical, the new—but evolutionary —styling proved an instant hit. The trend through the Eighties has been to tone down the Trans Am; the giant flaming fowl decals are but a remnant of the past now. Horsepower has been edging upward again, however, although Chevy of late has had a bit of an advantage with its much-publicized IROC-Z option for the Z-28, which now includes the 5.7-liter Corvette V-8.
For '87, Pontiac has seized on current trends and created the GTA option for
the Trans Am, melding American and European features to come up with a car
uniquely Pontiac and perfectly in tune with its Euro-performance image. The GTA
is almost surely a Future Collectible, for many of the same reasons the original
Trans Ams are so popular with car buffs now.
Proving the old saw that there's no substitute for cubic inches, the GTA takes advantage of the same 350-cid Corvette-based engine as the IROC-Z. This is the American part of the GTA package, which reportedly lead Pontiac general manager Michael Losh to jestfully dub it the "Grand Turismo Americano." Whether he said it or not, the point is that traditional V-8 muscle rests under the hood: 210 net horsepower at 4000 rpm and 315 lbs/ft torque at 3200 rpm. Also featured are tuned-port fuel injection, a 9.3:1 compression ratio, a low-profile air induction system consisting of an elongated cast aluminum plenum, individual aluminum tuned runners to each cylinder, and an extruded dual fuel rail assembly with computer controlled fuel injectors. Power is transmitted to the ground via a four-speed overdrive automatic transmission (sorry, no manual) and limited slip axle carrying 3.27:1 gears. A low-restriction exhaust system, while helping in the performance department, really exists just to provide the wonderful V-8 rumble Trans Am buyers expect.
Backing up the horsepower is a heavy-duty WS6 suspension package, which includes 36mm front and 24mm rear stabilizer bars, specifically tuned springs, and gas-filled shocks, allied to P245/50VR16 monster tires. The power steering, with a 12.7:1 ratio, requires only 2.26 turns lock-to-lock.
Design-wise, the GTA trades in most of its old muscle car image in favor of a
more subdued Euro-look; the brash teenager has matured into a sophisticated
adult. All of the decal-type stuff is gone, replaced by a monotone theme,
unrelieved even by a dash of chrome. GTA identifiers include power paddle-type
sport mirrors, cloisonne emblems, and gold cross-lace aluminum wheels. A
wrap-around rear spoiler (with a high-mounted brake light neatly integrated
under it) and extra-wide lower-body skirts create an aero look. All in all, this
is the sleekest—and in a sense, the most restrained —sporty Pontiac ever built.
"Driver and passengers are treated to the height of sophisticated luxury," according to Pontiac. About mid-model year, new fully articulated bucket seats will become standard on the GTA. Exclusive to Pontiac, they feature pneumatic lumbar and back wing bolsters as well as mechanical thigh support, and a pivoting four-way manual seat adjuster. The headrest can be repositioned up, down, fore, and aft. Backlit instrumentation aids readability, and the electrically driven speedometer reads up to 140 mph. The steering wheel, shift knob, and parking brake handle all come leather wrapped.
Pontiac claims the GTA leaps from 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds, about 1.5 seconds faster than 5.0-liter-equipped Firebirds, and tops out at about 142 mph. The quarter-mile run takes about 14.5 seconds with a terminal speed in the mid-nineties. Admittedly, this isn't as fast as the 455 SD Trans Am that Hot Rod magazine tested in 1973, which ran the quarter in 13.54 seconds at 104.29 mph, but it's pretty exceptional for 1987. Look for skidpad figures of about .9-g, which puts the GTA roughly in Corvette territory. This Pontiac is ready to play with the big boys. As one might expect, the stiff suspension and big tires take their toll on ride quality. Tar strips, frost heaves, and the like will keep both driver and passenger awake on anything other than smooth roads.
Unfortunately, GTA's combination of performance and luxury doesn't come cheap. To the Trans Am's base price of $13,673 (including destination charge) add $2700 for the GTA package. Then add another $3659 for option groups one and two (which cover all of the power assists, air, deluxe sound system, etc.) and the sticker has crossed the $20,000 mark. On the positive side, the GTA is still a lot cheaper than a Corvette or a Porsche 944 Turbo, and it'll be just as exclusive —Pontiac plans to build only about 7600 examples for the model year.
Pontiac is targeting the GTA at 35 year olds who earn around $50,000 per annum. If you qualify, and if you remember the thundering Grand Ams of the past, now is the time to place your order for the GTA, Pontiac's latest Future Collectible. It's going to quicken an enthusiast's pulse in the next century just as surely as the early Trans Ams do now."
