Many thanks go out to contributor Matt Himebaugh for graciously sending in his copy of the above magazine to The Source Page for reproduction here.  This was a review that was new to me after all these years.  This review was scanned from the actual black-and-white magazine.... a shame, since the green subject GTA would have looked wonderful in color.

  "We saw the spy photos months before the cars hit the showrooms.  We were disappointed, even a bit pissed off.  Since the Firebird's cleanup in '85, it had been the most attractive of the modern musclecars.  The simply tough Formula, and the dazzling Trans Ams and GTAs truly beautified the streets of this country and turned our heads no matter how many we've seen.

Then the Banshee show car hit the circuit.  Rumor had it as the next Firebird, which pleased us.  It held up the traditional ponycar size and look, but stepped up the present design in style and aerodynamics.  It looked like the Trans Am of the '90s.

And we still hope it is.  But not yet.  The car you're looking at here holds that title today.  This is the 1991 Firebird Trans Am GTA.

Like we said before, when we saw the advance photos of this 'Bird, we couldn't believe Pontiac was messing with such a good thing.  We thought they should leave it alone, at least until the production derivative of the Banshee was ready.

A couple of months later, we spotted some '91s on the lot of our local Pontiac dealer so we decided to stop in and see if we found the new design as ugly in person as we did in photographs.  We didn't.  Up close and personal, the design had a fresh personality.  From some angles the nose looked too.... well,  "nosey".  But from others, it looked strong.  The aero skirting too didn't look as tacked on as the advance photos suggested.  In fact, we walked away from the car unsure of which design we preferred -- old or new.

 Regardless of our liking or disliking the new design, the '91 Firebird is still one of the quickest cars you can buy, qualifying it for a no-holds-barred, tire-melting, high-speed road test.  We adopted this Dark Green Metallic GTA for close to two weeks, learning every important factor in it within that period.  We learned just the right amount of revs needed to smoke the tires for 100 feet while making maximum smoke.  We learned how to coax the quickest time down Englishtown's quarter-mile.  And we learned how to corner it through hairpins with just the right amount of throttle to exit the turn at opposite lock.

While learning the essentials, we also learned that the '91 GTA equipped as our test vehicle makes for a fun-to-drive daily driver, offering its driver style, comfort, and fantastic all-around performance.  Our Green GTA was complemented well by its optional tan leather interior.  This color combination really turned heads, and added a bit of upscale panache to the GTA.  The seats were fitted with a very comfortable hide, giving the driver maximum comfort and support. 

  Many modern car seats either hold the driver like a long-lost brother or offer no support in his speed cornering.  The GTA's buckets have got you covered.  Around town they're super-comfortable, without any big lumbar bubbles sticking you in the back and no huge side bolsters crushing your lungs.  When you reach the switchbacks at the edge of town the seats are again just right, having just enough side support to keep you planted.  Also found within the doors of the GTA were power windows, door locks, and mirrors, air conditioning, and a compact disc player.  These and the added safety of the air bag really made the cockpit a favorite place to be.  Improvement could be made, however, in two areas:  steering wheel design and placement of the third brake light.  The steering wheel, although it grew on us, really didn't feel good in our hands. 

In fact, we were amazed that such a poor design could make it off the drawing board.  It needs a replacement.

Moving the third brake light from the space between the spoiler and the rear deck to the middle of the hatch is a step backward.  They've actually put the thing in your line of vision.  Out on the Interstate it not only blocks the lane directly behind you, but it manages to take out all three.  This too should have been left on the drawing board.  We learned to use the side mirrors to see where we've been. 

On the cleanly-styled dash, we found the analog gauges easy to read and well placed.  In fact, we feel this is one of the most underrated dash layouts in the world.  The full complement of needles kept tabs on the big 5.7-liter V8 thumping motor out under the vented hood.  The 350-cubic inch small-block is the same motor used in Chevrolet's Camaro and Corvette.  The Tuned Port Injected engine makes a strong 235 horsepower at 4,400 RPM and 340 lbs./ft. of torque at 3,200 RPM with the help of an aluminum tuned runner intake manifold, a roller lifter cam, and dual catalytic converters.

Backing up this monster is the quick-shifting four-speed automatic (the only trans offered with the 5.7) and a 3.23-geared posi differential.  This combination was good for a quarter-mile best of 14.64 seconds at 95.84 MPH.  This was on the first runs we made at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ.  The rest of the passes were scattered through the 14.70s and 14.80s.  Quickly we learned the engine's temp was the determining factor of the run.  The hotter the engine, the slower the ET.  Icing the intake plenum between runs helped out, and improved times.

We were very impressed with the car's acceleration.  14.64 seconds is extremely respectable, placing the 350 GTA right in the heart of today's hot iron.  But what we really found to our liking was how easy it was to run these times.  All we had to do was leave the shifter in Drive, brake-rev it up against the converter, and nail it at Green.  The tires would spin for the first ten feet, getting the motor up in its power band.  Once they hooked, we had to keep our foot to the carpet and hang on.  That's it.... 14.64.

  When the time came to turn, the GTA was just as impressive. The well-known WS6 suspension holds tight with the help of the huge P245/50ZR16 Goodyears.  Real steady and easy to place, the GTA could make your mother look like Danny Sullivan through the twisties.  Once at its limit, the designed-in understeer is quickly countered with lots of throttle and opposite lock.  This car practically does it itself.  Out on the highway, the suspension keeps its composure well into the triple digits.  Never getting floaty, it'll hold its line with ease.  When the Fuzzbuster rings, the four-wheel discs literally slammed us back to reality, with no premature lock-up and no pull.  Just straight deceleration.  This car impressed us.  Its lack of compromise really makes it one of the great all-around performance packages of our time. 

It not only scorched the dragstrip, but it burns up the back roads, stops well, and wouldn't look out of place in a college dorm parking lot or that of the country club.  We did find one very noticeable, very expensive problem with the GTA.  We couldn't seem to keep the tread on the tires.

Not that we tried all that hard."