Our 1992 Firebird test car was the ultimate in image enhancement.... the Trans Am Convertible. While the T/A ragtop is not the top performance car from a 0-60 standpoint, nothing can accelerate your image faster than a slow cruise down the boulevard with the top down.
Outside, the 25th edition of the F-Body sorts the Banshee beak on what is essentially a 10-year-old car. Last year, when the slick snoot premiered, the reviews were mixed. But sales of the new car are up over the previous incarnation, which says something for it.
- A new and good-looking taillamp treatment is hung on the ’92 edition ‘Bird. (The only other news for ’92 is non-asbestos brake pads.) The black paint on our tester was nice, but not up to what we think such a pricey piece should be wearing. However, the gold decals on the car were attractive and well applied. The crosslace aluminum wheels also were finished in the optional gold (black is standard) with a polished rim. They are among the best-looking factory wheels out there today, and really set off the sinister black bomber. All in all, the new T/A convert is the hot looker it should be – and always has been.
What is most important to a performance car, though, is its guts. With one notable exception, the on-paper figures make the ‘92 T/A look like a real stormer. With 205 hp, a 5-speed trans, 3.08:1 axle ratio and Positraction, the car seems to have what it takes to make a real performance statement. One number, however, betrays the image and the hardware. With a curb weight of over 3,800 pounds, the T/A convertible has the heart of a sprinter, the looks of a leading man and, unfortunately, the weight of a sumo wrestler. This sad fact stalls the car in the mid-15s — not quite the stuff of legends.
The underpinnings on the ‘92 are carryovers from last year. Deflected-disc shocks, heavy-duty springs, chunky anti-roll bars and massive Goodyear Eagle tires clamp down on the road like a vise. The super-quick steering is not full of feedback, but allows you to point and shoot the Trans Am through any traffic situation with confidence.
One area of the chassis that does not inspire confidence is the brakes. A performance-oriented car without discs all around is virtually a joke — and downright dangerous. Our tester lacked the Performance Enhancement Group, which provides 4-wheel-disc brakes, as well as an engine oil cooler and dual converters. Braking tests from 55 mph found our T/A sideways at the end of four skid marks some 125 feet long. Even the meekest Sunbird has ABS — what’s the deal, Pontiac?
- While our test T/A was lacking somewhat in the performance-option arena, its interior was absolutely luxurious. Real leather was everywhere. Seats, door panels, steering wheel and shift knob all were dressed in supple skins. With power windows, door locks, mirrors, cruise control, tilt wheel, intermittent wipers, AM/FM stereo with CD player, air conditioning and multi-adjustable bucket seats, the interior was a very hospitable place. Only a couple of improvements were needed. Good tunes are terribly important these days, and the T/A’s speakers just weren’t up to the job. Along with the poor speaker quality, the right front speaker cut out in the middle of a rather rambunctious playing of the Black Crowes’ “Jealous Again.” Unforgivable. Also, there is no place for manually adjustable seats in a car that costs as much as the T/A.
Some might say the same of a manual top, although the T/A’s top folds with ease and, despite some wind noise, showed no signs of leakage after a trip through the car wash. The top itself is made of a canvas-like material, not vinyl. The difference in appearance is worth the extra expense of this more luxurious fabric.
Driving the T/A convertible is still something of a treat. Drop the top, slide Aerosmith’s Pump CD into the box, and whatever ails you will drift away. This car builds self-confidence. No matter who you are, you’ll look better in the Trans Am convertible. The gurgle of the exhaust, the mechanical whir of the injected small-block and the sensation that you are at the center of the universe are all included in the base price of the T/A ragtop.
Describing a car like this to a person who drives an appliance takes some thought. Perhaps it is best described as follows: For you gentlemen who drive to work in gray suits and dull-as-dirt Hondas, driving the T/A convertible is like a weekend in Rio with Downtown Julie Brown on somebody else’s gold card. For the ladies in the audience who drive those “cute” little Nissans, perhaps it could be equated with a few nights by the fireplace in an Aspen ski lodge with Patrick Swayze.
Either way you look at it, the latest Trans Am pays homage to those that have gone before it, with slick styling, hot handling and — despite a lack of urgency — the will to thrill. The dark ages of the T/A have passed. And though the next-generation F-body is anxiously awaited by car enthusiasts everywhere, in the meantime, we’ll have to make do with the most exciting Pontiac made today."
TECH DATA
1992 Pontiac Trans Am Convertible
Price as tested ........ $26,135
ENGINE ........ V-8, OHV
Engine displacement ........ 305 c.i. / 5.0 liters
Bore x Stroke ........ 3.74 x 3.48 inch
Compression ........ 9.3:1
Horsepower ........ 205 bhp @ 4200 rpm
Torque ........ 285 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm
Fuel Delivery ........ Tuned-port injection
TRANSMISSION ........ 5-speed manual
Final drive ratio ........ 3.08:1
SUSPENSION
Front ........ Deflected-disc MacPherson struts, 36 mm stabilizer bar
Rear ........ Coil springs, trailing arms, torque arm, track bar, 33 mm stabilizer bar
STEERING ........ Recirculating ball, power assist
Ratio ........ 12.7:1
Turns, lock to lock ........ 2.12
Turning circle ........ 38.5 feet
BRAKES ........ Power assisted
Front ........ 10.5 inch vented discs
Rear ........ 9.5 x 2 inch drums
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase ........ 101 inches
Length ........ 195.2 inches
Width ........ 72.4 inches
Height ........ 49.7 inches
Curb weight ........ 3,750 lbs.
PERFORMANCE
0-60 mph ........ 8.19 seconds
Quarter-mile ........ 15.76 @ 87.50 mph
Braking, 55-0 ........ 123 feet
Estimated mimleage ........ 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway
