Burt Reynolds Gives Big 10-4 To ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ Inspired, Camaro-based Firebird Trans Am
We occasionally highlight interesting muscle cars and other exotic vehicles that catch our attention, like Lamborghini's 750HP Aventador LP-700-4 Superveloce Roadster and the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. If I had to pick just one, however, it would be the brand new Firebird Trans Am Bandit Edition.
Pontiac produced the Trans Am line over the course of three and a half decades from 1967 to 2002. Then in 2009, Pontiac stopped producing cars altogether for General Motors. So how is it possible that a new Trans Am is being made? Four years ago a company called Trans Am Depot licensed the name and logo from GM to build custom Trans Ams from rebuilt Chevy Camaros. It's sold about 80 of them to date.
The company's newest model, the Trans Am SE, is based on the recent 5th generation Camaro. From that line, Trans Am Depot building 77 Bandit Edition models styled after the iconic black Trans Am that Burt Reynolds helped make famous in the 1977 flick Smokey and the Bandit. All 77 models are even signed by Burt Reynolds himself.
"That car is what we used as a starting point. "It’s gotta be modern where people look at it and know what it is. If you don’t have T-Tops you don’t have a Trans Am," Trans Am Depot explains.
If you grew up lusting over the Trans Am and in particularly the one Burt Reynolds outran the law with, you'll find plenty of familiarity in the modern remake, from the screaming chicken on the hood (which as been extended into the cabin) to even the tires with white lettering, a real rarity these days.
Performance won't disappoint, either—each Trans Am goes through nine different stations in the shop where it picks up over 230 new parts, including supercharged engine options that can deliver up to 840 horsepower.
Like all high end toys, you have to pay to play. In this instance, you're looking at $70,000 for a basic model and $115,000 for the limited edition Bandit.
Pontiac produced the Trans Am line over the course of three and a half decades from 1967 to 2002. Then in 2009, Pontiac stopped producing cars altogether for General Motors. So how is it possible that a new Trans Am is being made? Four years ago a company called Trans Am Depot licensed the name and logo from GM to build custom Trans Ams from rebuilt Chevy Camaros. It's sold about 80 of them to date.
The company's newest model, the Trans Am SE, is based on the recent 5th generation Camaro. From that line, Trans Am Depot building 77 Bandit Edition models styled after the iconic black Trans Am that Burt Reynolds helped make famous in the 1977 flick Smokey and the Bandit. All 77 models are even signed by Burt Reynolds himself.
"That car is what we used as a starting point. "It’s gotta be modern where people look at it and know what it is. If you don’t have T-Tops you don’t have a Trans Am," Trans Am Depot explains.
If you grew up lusting over the Trans Am and in particularly the one Burt Reynolds outran the law with, you'll find plenty of familiarity in the modern remake, from the screaming chicken on the hood (which as been extended into the cabin) to even the tires with white lettering, a real rarity these days.
Performance won't disappoint, either—each Trans Am goes through nine different stations in the shop where it picks up over 230 new parts, including supercharged engine options that can deliver up to 840 horsepower.
Like all high end toys, you have to pay to play. In this instance, you're looking at $70,000 for a basic model and $115,000 for the limited edition Bandit.
