Of course, as you approach the final turn, you remember the eighth commandment: Thou can never have too much brakes. Tapping the whoa pedal, the gigantic Brembo disc brakes — the same as those that stop the Ferrari F-40 — haul you down to a speed judicious enough to keep you from missing Turn 11. You downshift the 6-speed gearbox and you’re through the curve and headed toward the main straight.
Six-speed? Brembo brakes? 350 horsepower? Sounds pretty exotic, right? Yep, except it’s built in the good ol’ U.S. of A. — and sold at your local Pontiac dealer.
The Firehawk has landed.
After all the preproduction hype and anticipation, you want to know if it lives up to its billing, right?
It does. And then some. It’s fast, it stops and it handles. It gets good gas mileage and meets all the government’s 1992 emissions standards. Glory be.
In case you haven’t heard, the Firehawk is the brainchild of Street Legal Performance Engineering, more commonly known as SLP. This Toms River, N.J., company has been involved in the development and marketing of emissions-legal high-performance parts for late-model Firebirds, Camaros and Corvettes, including headers, camshafts and intake runners. SLP sells its goods over the counter, through GM’s high-performance parts catalog, and markets a complete five-piece package that can be dealer-installed on new F-bodies. SLP is the only company to develop, produce and market a high-performance system that meets emissions regs in all 50 states.
The Firehawk is a true limited-edition model. Only 250 will be built, in the hope of making them instant collectibles. All will be red with gray interiors, and you can get yours at a local Pontiac dealer by checking off option B4U. The only catch is the $39,995 price.
Each Firehawk starts life as a 350-cubic-inch Formula with an automatic trans, built to 1LE specifications (though it does get A/C). It is then shipped from the Van Nuys. Calif., assembly plant to SLP in Toms River, where the complete drivetrain is removed and replaced with a specially prepared engine, ZF 6-speed trans-mission (the same unit that is standard in the Corvette) and a Dana 44 rear axle with 3.54:1 gears. SLP will build five Firehawks per week (starting back in July), and will only build to order.
The heart of the Firehawk is its powerplant. A heavy-duty block is employed, and features a forged steel crank, vertical 4-bolt main caps,“pink’ rods, cast pistons from the Gen II small-block and an SLP-designed hydraulic roller cam. The gang at SLP then massages a set of aluminum cylinder heads and fits them with stainless steel valves (2-inch on the intake side, 1.56 on the exhaust).
Topping it off is a super-trick down-draught port injection manifold developed by Ryan Falconer that features 11½-inch runners, a 52mm throttle body and a high-flow dual air filter system. (This last item relegates the battery to the trunk.) Carrying away the fumes is a set of SLP stain-less steel headers, plugged into a stainless exhaust system equipped with dual catalytic converters.
All this adds up to 350 hp at 5500 rpm and 390 lb-ft. of torque at 4400. It’s a beautiful thing. This motor revs freely right up to its 6000-rpm redline, and has a 6100-rpm rev limiter. It feels especially nice if you’ve spent a lot of time behind the wheel of today’s factory V-8s, which are usually spent by 4400.
One of the things that separates this 350-powered ‘Bird from all the others is that it is hooked up to a manual transmission. Not just any shift-for-yourself gearbox, though. No, this car is first-class all the way. It has the German-built ZF 6-speed. First gear is a low 2.68:l; second, 1.80:1; third, 1.31:1;andfourth, 1:1. Fifth gear is overdriven at 0.75:1, good for a top speed of 158 mph. and sixth is an economy-minded 0.50:1.
On the Firehawk, a shorter input shaft is used, as is a lighter. 16-pound flywheel (as opposed to the 22-pounder in the Corvette). A heavy-duty clutch disc and pressure plate is employed, along with a special bellhousing. The transmission retains the Vette’s computer-aided gear selection (CAGS), which forces you to shift from first to fourth under certain part-throttle conditions. Welcome to the age of corporate average fuel economy.
Suspension changes include revised spring rates and a lower ride height, different front struts and rear shocks, larger front and rear anti-roll bars with special bushings and 11.85-inch 1LE/Corvette disc brakes. Rolling stock consists of 17 x 9.5-inch Ronal wheels and 275/4OZR-17 Firestone Firehawk tires. The only interior change on the base Firehawk is a revised console to accommodate the shifter. With the stock console, you would run the risk of smashing your hand with every gear change. For an extra $995, you can opt for a Recaro driver’s seat with a five-point Simpson safety harness. If you feel especially generous, you can order one for your passenger, as well.
THE COMPETITION PACKAGE
Serious Firebird fans with a yearning to go racing can spend the extra $9,995 and get the Competition package. It features the Recaro driver’s seat, the 13-inch Brembo vented disc brakes with 4-piston calipers, a 6-point rollcage, an aluminum hood that saves 50 pounds over the stock issue and a rear-seat delete.
With the Brembo package (as it is informally known), the price of the Firehawk hits $49,990. That is one serious hunk of change, but this IS one heckuva serious F-body..... the most potent model EVER offered.
Performance is nothing short of remarkable. In street trim, the quarter-mile will pass you by in 13.2 seconds at 107 mph. A 0-to-60 jaunt will take a scant 4.6 seconds. But performance can’t be measured in numbers alone. You have to drive the Firehawk to appreciate it.
This car has torque up the ying-yang. And it is smooth, too. It starts easily, never misses a beat and is prudent with a gallon of gas. Kudos here to SLP. The folks there did a five-star job.
Better yet, they promise even better performance in the production cars. We drove preproduction versions of both the base model and the Brembo, and neither was equipped with the Falconer intake, which will add horsepower.
Handling is a quantum leap better than that of the standard Formula and Trans Am. Not only did we get the chance to drive both Firehawk models, but we had the opportunity to ride in both with race driver Stu Hayner behind the wheel. Hayner, who will campaign a Brembo in the seven-race Bridgestone Supercar Series, was amazed at how the upgraded car works.
“I can’t imagine a better-handling street car,” the former Escort Challenge Series champion said. “We’ll have to change the camber a little bit for the race track, but this is one helluva car. People have called the F-bodies primitive, and maybe they are, but this is fun to drive. I’m really looking forward to racing it. It should be very competitive.”
PRICE CONSIDERATIONS
Now, about that price. Yes, 40 or 50 grand for a Firebird may seem a bit ridiculous at first. But if you consider the package piece by piece, it may not be as high as it seems.
First of all, the transmission — if you could buy it from a dealer, and you can’t — is a $6,000 item. The wheels, suspension changes and engine would run you a fortune even if you tried to do the work yourself. Forget about the Brembo brakes, which stop the car like an arresting hook on a carrier deck.
Keep in mind, also, that this is a limited-edition, factory-authorized vehicle. Its status as a future collectible is almost certain. As of this writing, there were already 22 orders placed — so the market is there.
What’s left to say? Just this: If you want the ultimate Firebird, here it is."
SPECIFICATIONS - 1992 Firebird Firehawk
ENGINE
Type:.......... Fuel Injected Pushrod V-8, iron block and aluminum heads
Bore x Stroke:.......... 4.00 x 3.48 in.
Displacement:.......... 5.7 Liters (350 cu in.)
Compression ratio:.......... 9.8:1
Cylinder Heads:.......... 2.0-in. intake valves, 1.56-in. exhaust
Exhaust system:.......... 1-5/8-in. tubular headers, twin catalysts
Power (SAE net):.......... 350 bhp @ 5500 rpm
Torque (SAE net):.......... 390 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm
DRIVETRAIN
Transmission:.......... ZF 6-speed manual
Rear Axle:.......... Dana 44
Final Drive Ratio:.......... 3.54:1
MEASUREMENTS
Wheelbase:.......... 101 in.
Curb Weight:.......... 3,300 lb.
Fuel Tank Capacity:.......... 14.5 gal
SUSPENSION
Front:.......... Independent, modified gas-charged MacPherson struts with specific rate coil springs and stabilizer bar
Rear:.......... Live axle, specific rate coil springs with lower control arms, track bar, torque arm, and stabilizer bar
STEERING
Recirculating ball, power assist, quick ratio, 12.7:1
BRAKES
Front:.......... 12-in. vented discs
Rear:.......... 12-in. vented discs
(Optional Competition Package:.......... Brembo 13-in. vented discs, front & rear)
WHEELS AND TIRES
Wheel Size/Type:.......... 17 x 9.5 in. aluminum alloy
Tires:.......... P275/40ZR17 Firestone Firehawk
PERFORMANCE (Manufacturer's Data)
0-60 mph:.......... 4.60 sec.
Standing Quarter Mile:.......... 13.20 sec. @ 107 mph
Top Speed:.......... 160 mph
PRICE
Base Price:.......... $19, 242
Firehawk Conversion:.......... $20,753
TOTAL:.......... $39,995
Competition Package:.......... $9,995
Competition Firehawk Total Price:.......... $49,990
