Paul Bartnik my grandparents have a black one with the ram air package and the ws6 package, and the formula package. It took 8 months to make, and boyyyyyy is it worth it!!!
i just picked up 99 trans am for 7k..the guy just wanted it out of his garage to make room for his new corvette...i have never made a faster run to my bank to get cash to hand to this guy....it has 140k but you would never know it still screams down the road....i got lucky
ill probably get hated on for this. but the 99 cobra they had was before ford recalled ALL 1999 cobras. they changed manifold, exhaust ect. they were busted, dyno runs having of a 99 cobra closer to the 99 gt power, so they stopped sales and recalled sold units to increase performance
WS.6 Trans Am all the way. God I love Trans Am. Such a beautiful, unique looking car. For me, it's Trans Am or nothing. I had a 1996 TA but sold it in 2010. I'm looking at buying a t-top 30th anniversary TA or a 2002 collector's edition TA, or a bright red 2002. Funny how the Camaro looks a lot like the Chrysler Sebring.
what a load of crap the TA IS BY FAR the best one. The camaro looks hideous and no body wants one now a days and the cobra if it isn't the 03-04 terminators are shit. The TA is going up in value also while the non terminator and camaros can be found now for pennies
Eidrian111 So a 2000 Cobra R is "shit"? Rated at 385 hp and they actually dyno'd over 370 to the wheels, built for the track...? Funny how everyone forgets about those
Jamien Moore ET is mostly about traction. They trapped 110+ mph, and that's with a 4th gear 1:1 ratio and 3.55's out back, not great for acceleration. Car was easily capable of 11's @ 115+ mph with just drag radials and gears, but that's really beside the point. It was a corner carver too.
11's with Dr's and gears? No way! The fastest 1/4 mile time ever recorded in a '00 R was in the mid to high 12's driven by Evan Smith in negative DA. A few mags got high 12's, most owners averaged bottom 13's. Of course these cars were setup for a road course and not a quarter mile track, but my point is, it will take more than a tire and gear to put one into the 11's.
Okay? Well congratulations on your succefful google search, but it's a well-known fact among Mustang guys that a sticky tire will drop over a half second off a Mustang's ET. Stock 2011+ 5.0 runs 12.6-12.7 stock, will cut a 12.0 flat with just DR's. Stock Boss 302 runs 12.3 stock and 11.70's on DR's. So it only makes sense that a Cobra R, which already traps 110+ mph with "somewhat decent" gearing and a bunch of wheelspin for the first two gears would be very much capable of an 11 seoncd pass without any engine mods, just tires and gears....all of these cars have similar power..
Don't understand how the TA could have been last? I guess because its a convertible and not a T-top??? As someone mentioned in the comments, my TA is a 2000 and even to this very day ALOT OF PEOPLE give me very good comments about my car. Also, its very true that I do get a lot of comments from HOT GIRLS!!
Sigh not only is that so FAR from the truth, Firebird got discontinued for poor sales in 2002 not only that they don't even make Pontiac brand anymore and that says a lot
+Keyboardwarrior1990 The trans am firebird was more expensive of the three so it did not sell well and Pontiac was shut down because of the the Gm Government bailout
SALES have NOTHING to do with whether a car is BETTER. The Firebird clearly WON this competition. But FORD and CHEVY are BIGGER COMPANIES with bigger advertising budgets. They clearly PAID for these results.
I played hell finding mine. but the firebirds are gonna be worth more than the camaro's because the Birds aren't made anymore so everybody and their brother wants one. I still think the Trans Am beats the other two though
@@davidgalinat4257 agreed, I had a 4th gen camaro and one thing for sure they look very dated. I own a 4th gen T/A and it still has a great look to it.
It was always known that GM was underrating the Firebird and Camaro. 320hp "advertised" but on a chassis dyno they would lay down 295hp. Do the math and a lot of people think they were really putting out 350hp. The same as the Vette.
What I saw at my old shop was (stock cars) Ford 5.0l & 4.6l (NOT THE RARE DOHC found in the Cobra) was 160-180HP @ wheels, LT1 265-285HP @ the wheel, LS1 300-330HP @ the wheels with ADVERTISE power rating the GM LT1 300HP and LS1 350HP.
As others pointed out, this may have been before Ford recalled all 1999 Cobras and boosted their horsepower to the advertised 320 hp. Went from 285 to 320 hp.
I'm more of a fan of the Trans Am, but I love the looks of both of the F-bodies. The paint job on the Trans Am in this test is commemorative of the 1969 release of the Trans Am. Although back then you could get the Trans Am with the White/Blue stripe or Blue/White stripe paint.
RIGHT. Also, at the same time , it was revealed that FORD LIED about the MUSTANGS true output. That's why all the recalls ...and why FIREBIRDS and CAMAROS wasted it on the STREET.
Dave L it's always been that way for some reason. The fastest stock fbody time recorded is also a Firebird. 12.8 in a Formula. But I have a 2000 Trans Am WS6 6 speed... check my vids... and it is a piece of shit. Ford makes higher quality cars.
Still shake my head at this. Chevy definitely had these guys in their pockets. We all know that the T/A was fudging the horsepower truth by dittoing the Chevy ratings. I've had variations of all three of these and, convertible handicap aside, the '98-'02 Trans Am WS6 crushes its Chevy sister and every Mustang up to that point. MotorWeek got it right over Car & Driver. Oh yeah, another dirty secret was that the electronically controlled automatic was 0.5 sec. faster both 0-60 and 1/4 mile. Pontiac wasn't kidding when they said "We Build Excitement". Even Fieros with a 3800 Series crushes all Corvettes. You can see why GM killed the third highest selling automotive brand in 2010
Agreed. Trans Am and GTA Firebirds always blew Mustangs out of the water and both the Camaro and Firebirds toted the Corvette engine, but excelled in handling like the Fiero did with the GT's.
***** you obviously aren't smart because I wasn't referring to the fastest just simply saying that the trans am got third place like they say in the video lol smh
***** if you don't give a shit why are you wasting your time tough guy. Wow by your post you really are fucking stupid as hell, you're a dummy, deal with it.
I own a 30th anniversary TA and there is no comparison with the camaro or the mustang on this year!!! I'm a mustang lover and I own a 1973 Mach 1. You can park this cars side by side and the TA will always stand out of the crowd!!
I have literally had all these cars... But I still have my TransAm all blacked out too... There is no way the TransAm got number three it was one of the hottest cars back then I remember, they were just really expensive$34,000 in 1999 is almost $50,000 in today's standard... You know Chevy and Ford paid for this commercial no doubt
Depends on Convertible or hardtop. Convertibles are known to be a few hundred pounds heavier. LT1/LS1 are strictly stated in the owners manual to run HIGH TEST GAS for best performance. All muscle cars in the 1990's and early 2000's had a major flaw, the tires were too small for the power they put out and no matter what you would lose traction (mostly LT1's since torq starts at 2,000RPMS!
sgfreak96 No...they were down about 20 rwhp (25ish crank). And the LS1 was underrated in the Camaro. Closer LS1 Corvette numbers in terms of rwhp. I've seen the recalled cars still get spanked on the tracks...at least until the Camaro bowed out in 02 and the supercharged Termi arrived in 03.
BEBNC1 I've heard of 99 cobras only making 280 in some cases. And yeah ls1 typically made around 320hp on occassion even though they were claiming 305hp. Chevy makes the better motor, ford makes the better car IMO.
sgfreak96 I think the Mustang had a better fit/finish (inside and out) back then...and seemed more for cruising. The Camaro had the better drivetrain. T56 and LS1 standard in the Z/28 for 20k...great deal back then that Ford couldn't touch. Both very reliable...but that 4.6 modular could be a pain to work on. Owned both. Great cars with big fun.
BEBNC1 Yeah the 5 speed in the mustangs sucked, especially on the highway. Not to mention the 2v 4.6 is the most lifeless engine ever. It has torque but really all it's good for is being loud if you put an exhaust on it. I've ridden and driven both alot as my one friend has an 01 stang and my other friend has an 02 35th anniversary camaro ss.
this video needs to be done again because the 99 cobra was overrated it was not making 320hp thats why they fixed them later on in 2000 and the 01 cobras were producing 320 from the factory the 0-60 times are 5.4 for my 01.
i agree. although there was an $8k price difference, the base c5 was well worth the extra money. if you ask me, and i think a lot of people will agree, (with the exception of most ford fan boys, but they don't count anyway) vettes have been and will always be held in a higher regard than mustangs. they're not even in the same class. it's more well respected, i personally believe it looks better and is better quality, and i believe they were able to out perform the terminators on the track.
They said the Camaro had better styling/and looked as if it were going 100mph standing still..really are they blind, I'd miss the Camaro going by it's so plain looking, the TA always has looked better in all years ..it just looks badass.
Only because they stopped making the trans am and Camaro, but if GM would’ve dropped the LS6 in both those cars for 2003 and 2004, they would’ve been just as competitive against the terminator.
+Mario Iacolucci yeah but it took ford till 2011 to make an engine that could compete with an ls1 naturally aspirated. I love my mustang but it's not fast. It sounds good though
+Redfire 281 3v are slow and aren't that much better than a 2v GT, with 300hp to the crank compared to 260hp on the 99-04 GTs. 4v is where it's at, I'd rather get a 99,01 cobra or 04 Mach 1 than a 05-10 mustang
Thank you for you comments. Of course, the 4-valve design is inherently superior because of flow efficiency. On the other hand, GM has optimized the 2 valve configuration. Other Facts: 1. Corvette offered the LT5 4 valve engine [Lotus designed] from 1990 to 1995. Production of about 7,000 units. 2. Nurburgring Records have been held by ZR1 [7:19] and Z06 [7:22] at various times. Both are 2 valve designs. 3. Even with 662 hp, the Shelby still can not equal speed of Z06 & ZR1.
Mustangs are almost over populated, you see them everywhere, don't be afraid to jump away from the crowd. Style wise 1. T/A 2. Mustang 3. Camaro. But you have to look at performance too.
The more 'primitive" axle is typically better for acceleration. it's stronger and there's less wheel hop.this is why so many serious drag racers use a solid axle.
"softer suspension settings" in the T/A ... BS. I owned a 99 WS6 and SS, and the WS6 was easily stiffer off the factory floor. However, they were right in indicating it garnished more attention.
That's what I'm saying! The 88 Formula I had also came with the WS6 Suspension and it could handle better than anything I saw at the time. I would be willing to bet that the T-tops version w/ the weight reduced from it would out perform the SS if not stay right with it. Firebirds got a TON of attention back in the late 90's and early 2000's.
The TA is best in my opinion and is also more rare than the other 2. I see camaros and mustangs everyday, but its rare that I see a TA or firebird. Thats why I love my formula, people don't see them often. Only downside is people always calling it a camaro lol.
Not exactly. My 02 GT has the intercooled terminator S/C. The motors themselves are good to about 400 HP, give or take. I've had it for a long time. Well over 10k miles. Last time I checked (I work in a garage too) my motor is absolutely fine. It's just how you run it, and how often.
Ford fans are mad that the Camaro was better? Well that's an opinion. ... camaro fans are mad that the Mustang wiped the floor with the camaro in sales? That's a fact rofl
...And PONTIAC fans (like myself) , like the FIREBIRD T/A better than BOTH !!! As DODGE has proven (with the 707 HP Challenger HELLCAT) "IT AIN'T ALL JUST ABOUT FORD and CHEVY !!!"
williamg2552 I hope you're joking. Pontiac was a GM company. And it's a shame the trans am was less popular. but then again it would be fun to blow the doors off of an unsuspecting mustang.
camarojoe982 I'm well aware that Pontiac was a G.M. company. But, I'm also aware that FORD and CHEVY are the two LARGEST American manufacturers...and both boast a HUGE FAN BODY, who thinks that ANY MUSCLE CAR that is NOT a "Ford" or "Chevy" has little credibility, and SHOULDN'T be in the discussion . Sorry, I'm not buying it. PLYMOUTH, DODGE, PONTIAC, and even OLDSMOBILE and BUICK made MUSCLE CARS that were EVERY BIT AS GOOD (and in some cases BETTER),than ANYTHING that ever came down the pike from Ford and Chevy . Again, as I said before, "BIGGEST SELLER" doesn't always mean "BETTER"
williamg2552 lol the hellcats came at the end of a generation of mustang. Plus ford and GM aren't doing insane hp drag cars.. the z28 and even the new gt350 are track cars.. dodge is still stuck in the past.
They did, and the Camaro still beat the Cobra. They reran this test a couple of more times through 2002. I remember reading the test of the SS and WS6 versus the Cobra from 2001 in which the Camaro was the fastest, Trans Am second, and Cobra was far behind. The '93 and the '03/'04 Cobras are the only impressive ones. A friend of mine thought his '94 was badass until I ran neck and neck with my '98 Firebird V6/A4. And I did manage to beat another '94 with the same Firebird.
The Complete History of the Battle between Chevy And Ford muscle cars 1968-2015 www.caranddriver.com/features/g15383592/lookin-for-a-fight-the-complete-history-of-our-camaro-vs-mustang-comparison-tests/ -------- 1999 Camaro Z28 vs. Ford Mustang GT No. 12 in a Long Series: It doesn't get much more all-American than this. TONY SWAN FEB 1, 1999 Pony-car fans have more to be excited about today than they’ve had in 40 years-not only are both the Mustang GT and Camaro SS above the 400-hp threshold, but there’s even a horsepower war raging between the V-6 editions. Next week, we’ll post comparison tests between both the current eights and the sixes, but for now, enjoy this series of past encounters between two of Detroit’s most storied cars. The challenge in forming a rational opinion of the Z28 lies in seeing past its prodigious power. For the uninitiated, this will probably require a minimum of two hours behind the wheel-or perhaps two years, who knows?-before some of the not-so-endearing elements become tangible through the red haze of small-block V-8 thrust. Small is a relative word here, of course. The Z28’s 5.7-liter LS1 V-8- a slightly detuned version of the Corvette’s engine -is small compared with GM’s old big-blocks, but its displacement is vast compared with that of most passenger-car engines offered today. Only the lame-duck Rolls/Bentley V-8, the Dodge Viper’s V-10, and V-12s from Lambo and Mercedes are bigger. With or without overhead cams, it’s easier to get performance-particularly torque -out of bigger engines than smaller ones, which helps to explain the Z28’s decided edge over the Mustang in this essential pony-car commodity. The torque curve is like the Mississippi River-broad, deep, and flat -and augmenting it with six forward gears, rather than five, doesn’t hurt, either. Once the Z28 begins to assert itself, it’s all over. By the time 100 mph comes up-in just 12.6 seconds-the Mustang is 2.3 seconds in arrears, and continues to fall farther behind as speeds soar. www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a15140859/1999-chevrolet-camaro-z28-vs-ford-mustang-gt-archived-comparison/
The company that made it the camaro and Firebird got discontinued. Sales speak volume about a car, GM didn't know that there were more to cars then just HP and speed. Ford knew this and thats why Mustang outsold Camaro and Firebird combined!
+junitoss83 have your ugly fake ass corvette lol. theres a reason these cars died for almost a decade an pontiac is gone for good. i'll drive a mustang, and a vette if i wanted something from chevy.
Should have been a little more honest. The SS was built by SLP and it's match was the Firehawk. Not a Ws6. Not a fair comparison at all and definitely unequal.
The cobra is overated at 320 so it doesnt even have as much power, that was expected. Just throw some gears in that 4v and the other two are done. Now the Mach 1 is a better comparison as its underated just like the ls1's.
I had both 02 Firebird WS6 and 01 Camaro SS. The Firebird was superior in almost every way. The quality was truly better, especially the interior. It’s like Chevy put in zero effort and Pontiac went as far as to add round AC vents, much better looking HVAC control display, red interior lighting vs the SS’s piss yellow, nicer seats, higher quality materials and leather, much nicer gauges, even the shift display looked nicer. The styling was better IMO too but mine didn’t have those stripes, which is what puts the car on this episode over the top. They look way better without decals all over the place.
You're forgetting the valvetrain geometry. 32 valves 4 cams vs 16 valves and 1 cam. They both get the job done in completely different ways. The dohc is taller and typically the same weight or heavier than the smaller compact pushrod plant. I personally love the brawny torque curve from the extra cubes underneath. I'd be disappointed to see GM abandon the pushrod powerplant because they've done more with it than anyone on the face of the planet.
The stang being 1 liter less really held it's own. Ford don't need cubic inch. The 3.5 V6 TT is blowing doors off GM's V8s. I'd still take the Mustang because of the Pedigree.
...and if anybody read the C and D magazine, the Cobra WAS, in fact, one of the vehicles with the unfinished intake manifold casting. Part of around a few thousand other Cobras that year that had the same issue.
1996-1998 cobra's had B (split port) heads and had no torque so butterflies were put into the intake to help the power curve 99-04 cobra's had C (tumble port) heads and had better low end performance but the b heads still flowed better. The 99 Cobra has casting problems and other issues after the fix a a lot of them made more hp than the 01's. A Z-28 and a cobra stock for stock really is a drivers race.
This test just goes to show these dudes are all either paid off by Chevy or just brainwashed idiots - but then again, Csere always was full of it. The camaro is HANDS DOWN THE UGLIEST car of the group. It was the stupidest looking camaro EVER made The Trans am is definitely the best looking of the three. You poll anyone outside of these tools and most people will say they love the look of the trans am over the ugly, fish-out-of-water look of the stupid camaro.
they may have beat the ls1 vettes at the strip, but even with the supercharger they still couldn't touch the n/a ls6 powered z06. not to mention the amazing track capabilities of the z06. so ford really didn't beat the corvette in those years at all since you were comparing the top of the line mustang with the bottom of the line corvette. i'm sure even the base c5 could take on the 03-04 cobras at the track with ease, just not the strip.
i call bullshit on this comparison! so in the last video the gt made 5.6 seconds from 0-60 & On this video the cobra made 6.0 seconds from 0-60???? te cobra is way faster then the gt tho??? that dont make sense at all! you guys are full of shit!! & just like to hate on ford
I'm a Chevy man but when it comes to the f-body neither the Camaro or the POS Mustang can git wit the WS6. Y'all car and driver fools is smoking crack!
Mustang should have came in 3rd. Little shit interior, shit seats and shit power Camaro and transam is a coin toss. Either car was great but no convertible for me. I owned both model ls cars. A red ws6 straight off the show room floor and a red 97 lt1 camaro ss. Now i own a white 97 ss with a 355 h&c lt1 and all the bolt ons that go along with it.
Anyone who’s driven all of these like my old ass would take the TA , the Trans Am is easily the best alll around if you like the styling! Corporate car reviewers SUCK.
i love how they get the anniversary edition trans am and then penalize it for the price. although even in regular form it would still be slightly more expensive than the ss. also i'm pretty sure the suspension is identical on both f-bodys.
Sorry haters, LS engines are light weight, make good power even with small mods, easy to work on, reliable, plenty of aftermarket parts, get good MPG etc...
This video didn’t age well... 21 years later the Trans Am is much more desirable than the Camaro or Mustang. Also, how did the Trans Am finish 3rd when it’s the same car on the underside as the Camaro?
I will ALWAYS like the FIREBIRD better than the Camaro. Even though they don't make them anymore . How could the FIREBIRD T/A come in last in this test...when it had the HIGHEST TOP SPEED ,FASTEST ACCELERATION, and the FASTEST QUARTER MILE of the three ?? It's even the BEST-LOOKING of the BUNCH !!! Sounds to ME like FORD and CHEVY were paying MOTOR TREND some big advertising bucks to get THAT result !!
True I felt the same when I read the motor trend comparison. They pretty much came up with totally lame excuses for why the firebird lost. In the written article, they even credited the styling agaisnt it, while admitting they got the most attention and thumbs up from pedestrians...WTF?...Also they did not have to go with the 99 anniversary edition they could have went with the reg WS6 package (less flashy colors, i.e. no stripes no painted wheels) which would also have been cheaper thus making this comparison more obvious as to who the real winner should be. The whole point of a muscle car is to have affordable power and grab some positive attention while doing so(thumbs up/"nice car"..etc)..even so if they say attention is not what they want then why bother making cars like the corvette, ferrari..etc look sporty at all. If they want a fast non sporty car one should look into mercedes/caddillac types(back then)..in the 60s muscles cars are waaay over the top in looks and it works..like a supermodle done up right. Total B.S. in this review..it was a slap in the face to pontiac for no good reason (most of their main arguments were utter nonsense) other than they had some incentive to put this last.
Kelly Thomas The reason is simple.As I said in my other post, FORD and CHEVY are the two BIGGEST American Car Manufacturers. They have the biggest dollars...and are probably Motor Trend's BIGGEST advertisers . Although the FIREBIRD was the FASTEST, the QUICKEST, and the BEST LOOKING, The OTHER two companies have the MOST MONEY. They wouldn't want to offend them ...so they put the FIREBIRD on the CHOPPING BLOCK. In fact, I wouldn't even be a bit surprised if the CHEVROLET Division had something to do with the fact that a new FIREBIRD didn't appear when the current-generation CAMARO was introduced. Chevrolet has long coveted Pontiac's position as GM's designated PERFORMANCE division. I wouldn't be surprised if they put pressure on GM management to make SURE that there would be no new FIREBIRD.They probably didn't wan't any in-house competition for their precious new Camaro. The FIREBIRD was PONTIAC'S PERFORMANCE FLAGSHIP. No Firebird....no Pontiac. A new FIREBIRD would have most likely SAVED Pontiac...just like it did in the 1970's...No Pontiac means that CHEVROLET has TAKEN the place of PONTIAC as GM's Performance Division...Pontiac DIES...Chevrolet WINS .
i see where your comming from here but i want to point out. You can (pretty easily) drop the blower from the terminator cobras onto the GT. IT requires a new upper intake manifold but they are made by several aftermarket companies. the internals should be ok as long as the power is kept below 420crank hp. and under 440 crank ftlbstq. With a built lower end... skys the limit. The transmission is not a T5 either. ITs a T3650 which handles more power than the t 5/45. Just clarifying.
An LT engine is completely different from an LS engine. The LT block simply won't handle the kind of stress an LS will. That's an engine that will blow it's bottom end on boost. LT's won't handle more than around 400-450 horse on the stock bottom end. Noone really knows what the actual horsepower limit is on a stock Gen 3 bottom end. Hot Rod tried to test it with a 4.8L with twin turbos and race gas, no changes to the bottom end, and quit when the ignition gave out after dozens of 1200+ hp pulls
Its been shown many times that a firebird or trans am or formula beats the mustangs in its time, if pontiac didnt close out and they kept making firebird models, im confident to say it would still beat the mustang, but now firebirds are rarer than ever, pontiacs gone and plus they stopped making them in 02
@Smokie420ish the anniversary edition is a ws6 kiddo. look at the ram air hood aka ws6. and sorry to burst your bubble but there are only minor suspension upgrades and a hood on a ws6 vs a trans am, and a firehawk is more $. they admitted it was mostly they (as middle aged men) didnt like the styling as much
There are plenty of supercharger kits available for Gen 3 V8's, including the LS1. The LS6 has a little too high of compression for a blowe, but it's been done before. And what part of the LS1 will blow out with boost? Even the LSA can make in excess of 600 bhp, and the only difference between an LSA bottom end and LS1 bottom end is a forged steel crank. same type of rods and pistons as the LS1.
I had a 2000 WS6 and my 1999 SS spanked every ta around town, vettes too. Cobras, had two 1998s, 2nd one was pretty quick but the 99-02 cobras were junk.
I'd still choose the 30th Anniversary T/A.
FordSix LitreLover no doubt, it's beautiful 😍
I think most people would, at least at the time they came out.
WS6s are so underrated. They could wipe the floor with a lot of other cars of the time. I would love to own a WS6. They can handle pretty well too
2020 and that Trans Am is still one sexy looking beast!
I a Ford guy and I had to own a WS6 because I just drool over them every time I see one.
i still drive my 2002 WS6 Trans AM....One of the best cars GM ever made !!!
Trans Am all the way!! Should have tested hard tops, removes lots of weight and the TA came with better suspension.
I was one of those 16 year olds they talk about in the video.. lol And what did I do as soon as I could afford it? I bought one of those Trans Am's...
Nothing beats the Trans Am with T Tops
A firehawk does lol
Paul Bartnik my grandparents have a black one with the ram air package and the ws6 package, and the formula package. It took 8 months to make, and boyyyyyy is it worth it!!!
I have both 1999 30th
and 1997 Firehawk the 30th gets the nod.
i just picked up 99 trans am for 7k..the guy just wanted it out of his garage to make room for his new corvette...i have never made a faster run to my bank to get cash to hand to this guy....it has 140k but you would never know it still screams down the road....i got lucky
ill probably get hated on for this. but the 99 cobra they had was before ford recalled ALL 1999 cobras. they changed manifold, exhaust ect. they were busted, dyno runs having of a 99 cobra closer to the 99 gt power, so they stopped sales and recalled sold units to increase performance
WS.6 Trans Am all the way. God I love Trans Am. Such a beautiful, unique looking car. For me, it's Trans Am or nothing. I had a 1996 TA but sold it in 2010. I'm looking at buying a t-top 30th anniversary TA or a 2002 collector's edition TA, or a bright red 2002.
Funny how the Camaro looks a lot like the Chrysler Sebring.
WS6, Period point blank!
what a load of crap the TA IS BY FAR the best one. The camaro looks hideous and no body wants one now a days and the cobra if it isn't the 03-04 terminators are shit. The TA is going up in value also while the non terminator and camaros can be found now for pennies
Eidrian111 So a 2000 Cobra R is "shit"? Rated at 385 hp and they actually dyno'd over 370 to the wheels, built for the track...? Funny how everyone forgets about those
SqueakyFeet The '00 R's were over 70k with mark up and ran low 13s. Nothing special.
Jamien Moore ET is mostly about traction. They trapped 110+ mph, and that's with a 4th gear 1:1 ratio and 3.55's out back, not great for acceleration. Car was easily capable of 11's @ 115+ mph with just drag radials and gears, but that's really beside the point. It was a corner carver too.
11's with Dr's and gears? No way! The fastest 1/4 mile time ever recorded in a '00 R was in the mid to high 12's driven by Evan Smith in negative DA. A few mags got high 12's, most owners averaged bottom 13's. Of course these cars were setup for a road course and not a quarter mile track, but my point is, it will take more than a tire and gear to put one into the 11's.
Okay? Well congratulations on your succefful google search, but it's a well-known fact among Mustang guys that a sticky tire will drop over a half second off a Mustang's ET. Stock 2011+ 5.0 runs 12.6-12.7 stock, will cut a 12.0 flat with just DR's. Stock Boss 302 runs 12.3 stock and 11.70's on DR's. So it only makes sense that a Cobra R, which already traps 110+ mph with "somewhat decent" gearing and a bunch of wheelspin for the first two gears would be very much capable of an 11 seoncd pass without any engine mods, just tires and gears....all of these cars have similar power..
Don't understand how the TA could have been last? I guess because its a convertible and not a T-top??? As someone mentioned in the comments, my TA is a 2000 and even to this very day ALOT OF PEOPLE give me very good comments about my car. Also, its very true that I do get a lot of comments from HOT GIRLS!!
I do to but mostly hot milfs!
WS6 for the win.... I could care less what these guys un the video have to say.... if you know.... then you know
that SS convertible is sweet
the firebird is the best car here by far
Sigh not only is that so FAR from the truth, Firebird got discontinued for poor sales in 2002 not only that they don't even make Pontiac brand anymore and that says a lot
+Keyboardwarrior1990 The trans am firebird was more expensive of the three so it did not sell well and Pontiac was shut down because of the the Gm Government bailout
Yea that was particularly why and the fact that GM thought could solve a sales problem by simply throwing HP at it
No it doesn't...rumor is that the Firebird is COMING BACK....as a BUICK !!
SALES have NOTHING to do with whether a car is BETTER.
The Firebird clearly WON this competition. But FORD and CHEVY are BIGGER COMPANIES with bigger advertising budgets. They clearly PAID for these results.
It's funny now that everyone wants a fourth gen firebird
I played hell finding mine. but the firebirds are gonna be worth more than the camaro's because the Birds aren't made anymore so everybody and their brother wants one. I still think the Trans Am beats the other two though
+amikepugh89Ford me too. I have a 97 formula hard top
the 4th gen Camaro styling has not aged well.
@@davidgalinat4257 agreed, I had a 4th gen camaro and one thing for sure they look very dated. I own a 4th gen T/A and it still has a great look to it.
It was always known that GM was underrating the Firebird and Camaro. 320hp "advertised" but on a chassis dyno they would lay down 295hp. Do the math and a lot of people think they were really putting out 350hp. The same as the Vette.
What I saw at my old shop was (stock cars) Ford 5.0l & 4.6l (NOT THE RARE DOHC found in the Cobra) was 160-180HP @ wheels, LT1 265-285HP @ the wheel, LS1 300-330HP @ the wheels with ADVERTISE power rating the GM LT1 300HP and LS1 350HP.
As others pointed out, this may have been before Ford recalled all 1999 Cobras and boosted their horsepower to the advertised 320 hp. Went from 285 to 320 hp.
I'm a working dad living in the suburbs, my wife is a soccer mom. I prefer the look of the Trans Am. This video is just 3 guys' opinion.
The class action law suit was for the 99 Cobra. Ford claimed it made 320, but it only produced about 305.
I'd still take the trans am over the mustang even tho I like that year mustang
Best-selling cars are often shit. The Mustang is an example
Lol coming from a Pontiac fanboy comical
Plastic is better than a plastic horse
+Keyboardwarrior1990 rofl yup.
i'd be pissed too if my brand was dead an ta was gone.
yep! I have this on tape
Agreed
I'm more of a fan of the Trans Am, but I love the looks of both of the F-bodies. The paint job on the Trans Am in this test is commemorative of the 1969 release of the Trans Am. Although back then you could get the Trans Am with the White/Blue stripe or Blue/White stripe paint.
Trans Am is the best looking, especially when it's all blacked out.
That’s what my grandparents have, all blacked out
Also for anybody who ask the WS6 2001 cost around 32k the anniversary cost 37k so the TA would have been in the same price range as the others.
And I believe the HP is about the same if not THE SAME :)
TRANS AM the best
I take the Firebird anyday, It looks like the 96 3000GT spider
The HP rating of LS1s was false.
Most made 315RWHP stock
Putting them at the 350HP corvette mark.
RIGHT. Also, at the same time , it was revealed that FORD LIED about the MUSTANGS true output. That's why all the recalls ...and why FIREBIRDS and CAMAROS wasted it on the STREET.
williamg2552
Well ford didn't lie per say, but 1/2 of the v8 made about 25Hp less than others.
Why did the Trans Am have a quicker quarter and a higher top speed than the Camaro? I thought they were identical drive trains?
Dave L that's still a mystery lol. Considering the parts were 100% identical.
Dave L it's always been that way for some reason. The fastest stock fbody time recorded is also a Firebird. 12.8 in a Formula.
But I have a 2000 Trans Am WS6 6 speed... check my vids... and it is a piece of shit. Ford makes higher quality cars.
Still shake my head at this. Chevy definitely had these guys in their pockets. We all know that the T/A was fudging the horsepower truth by dittoing the Chevy ratings. I've had variations of all three of these and, convertible handicap aside, the '98-'02 Trans Am WS6 crushes its Chevy sister and every Mustang up to that point. MotorWeek got it right over Car & Driver. Oh yeah, another dirty secret was that the electronically controlled automatic was 0.5 sec. faster both 0-60 and 1/4 mile.
Pontiac wasn't kidding when they said "We Build Excitement". Even Fieros with a 3800 Series crushes all Corvettes. You can see why GM killed the third highest selling automotive brand in 2010
Agreed. Trans Am and GTA Firebirds always blew Mustangs out of the water and both the Camaro and Firebirds toted the Corvette engine, but excelled in handling like the Fiero did with the GT's.
TRANS AM is #1 !!!!
Obviously #3 dummy camaro is #1 and mustang #2 and it looks like a teenagers fave with the ugly blue wheels
***** you obviously aren't smart because I wasn't referring to the fastest just simply saying that the trans am got third place like they say in the video lol smh
*****
if you don't give a shit why are you wasting your time tough guy. Wow by your post you really are fucking stupid as hell, you're a dummy, deal with it.
***** Answer me you not smart idiot.
You must not know your numbers I clearly saw a A big 3 up there. Or in the words of Nelly 2 is not a winner and 3 nobody remembers
camaro. ss. 💪💪👍👍👌👌😍😍
Ws6 by far
They should have used the TA and camaro with t-tops. Convertibles are hideous on any car.
G11B Thats exactly right! Looks better and handles higher speed better.
I own a 30th anniversary TA and there is no comparison with the camaro or the mustang on this year!!! I'm a mustang lover and I own a 1973 Mach 1. You can park this cars side by side and the TA will always stand out of the crowd!!
I have literally had all these cars... But I still have my TransAm all blacked out too... There is no way the TransAm got number three it was one of the hottest cars back then I remember, they were just really expensive$34,000 in 1999 is almost $50,000 in today's standard... You know Chevy and Ford paid for this commercial no doubt
bullshit the mustang gt was 60 in 5.5 tested by the same people, this video is flawed, they are probly gm biased
Depends on Convertible or hardtop. Convertibles are known to be a few hundred pounds heavier. LT1/LS1 are strictly stated in the owners manual to run HIGH TEST GAS for best performance. All muscle cars in the 1990's and early 2000's had a major flaw, the tires were too small for the power they put out and no matter what you would lose traction (mostly LT1's since torq starts at 2,000RPMS!
i dont think the hp rating of these cars was accurate. I have a 400+ hp muscle car now but still miss my mid-90s camaro.
99 cobras were recalled for not making the factory claimed 320hp! Its very possible the engine was down 40-50hp from that!
sgfreak96 No...they were down about 20 rwhp (25ish crank). And the LS1 was underrated in the Camaro. Closer LS1 Corvette numbers in terms of rwhp. I've seen the recalled cars still get spanked on the tracks...at least until the Camaro bowed out in 02 and the supercharged Termi arrived in 03.
BEBNC1 I've heard of 99 cobras only making 280 in some cases. And yeah ls1 typically made around 320hp on occassion even though they were claiming 305hp. Chevy makes the better motor, ford makes the better car IMO.
sgfreak96
I think the Mustang had a better fit/finish (inside and out) back then...and seemed more for cruising. The Camaro had the better drivetrain. T56 and LS1 standard in the Z/28 for 20k...great deal back then that Ford couldn't touch. Both very reliable...but that 4.6 modular could be a pain to work on. Owned both. Great cars with big fun.
BEBNC1 Yeah the 5 speed in the mustangs sucked, especially on the highway. Not to mention the 2v 4.6 is the most lifeless engine ever. It has torque but really all it's good for is being loud if you put an exhaust on it. I've ridden and driven both alot as my one friend has an 01 stang and my other friend has an 02 35th anniversary camaro ss.
I agree those years sucked for mustang but they did look and sound nice
this video needs to be done again because the 99 cobra was overrated it was not making 320hp thats why they fixed them later on in 2000 and the 01 cobras were producing 320 from the factory the 0-60 times are 5.4 for my 01.
Man, weird to see Don Schroeder. RIP. Awesome driver and journalist.
i agree. although there was an $8k price difference, the base c5 was well worth the extra money. if you ask me, and i think a lot of people will agree, (with the exception of most ford fan boys, but they don't count anyway) vettes have been and will always be held in a higher regard than mustangs. they're not even in the same class. it's more well respected, i personally believe it looks better and is better quality, and i believe they were able to out perform the terminators on the track.
They said the Camaro had better styling/and looked as if it were going 100mph standing still..really are they blind, I'd miss the Camaro going by it's so plain looking, the TA always has looked better in all years ..it just looks badass.
Camaro looks like a catfish. Mustang looks like a Barbie car built to human scale and the Firebird looks like a performance beast.
I wonder how much money did Chevrolet gave to these people to say that the Camaro is the best over all car!!
The Cobra retreated but his comeback in 2003 was the termination of all discussions
I'm a LT1/LS1 owner but the Terminator is my fav Ford muscle car.
Only because they stopped making the trans am and Camaro, but if GM would’ve dropped the LS6 in both those cars for 2003 and 2004, they would’ve been just as competitive against the terminator.
@@STILLNIGHTPEARL the ls6 is in some later model fbodys
Mustangs are slow as balls. I know from experience. I have a 3 valve 4.6 mustang
are the new ones better?
+Mario Iacolucci yeah but it took ford till 2011 to make an engine that could compete with an ls1 naturally aspirated. I love my mustang but it's not fast. It sounds good though
No the mach 1 and the the 3v 4.6 could compete with the LS1
+Redfire 281 3v are slow and aren't that much better than a 2v GT, with 300hp to the crank compared to 260hp on the 99-04 GTs. 4v is where it's at, I'd rather get a 99,01 cobra or 04 Mach 1 than a 05-10 mustang
+Redfire 281 YOUR mustang is slow as balls lmao my 4V 4.6 is just fine shoulda got a 4 valve
Thank you for you comments.
Of course, the 4-valve design is inherently superior because of flow efficiency. On the other hand, GM has optimized the 2 valve configuration.
Other Facts:
1. Corvette offered the LT5 4 valve engine [Lotus designed] from 1990 to 1995. Production of about 7,000 units.
2. Nurburgring Records have been held by ZR1 [7:19] and Z06 [7:22] at various times. Both are 2 valve designs.
3. Even with 662 hp, the Shelby still can not equal speed of Z06 & ZR1.
Mustangs are almost over populated, you see them everywhere, don't be afraid to jump away from the crowd. Style wise 1. T/A 2. Mustang 3. Camaro. But you have to look at performance too.
The more 'primitive" axle is typically better for acceleration. it's stronger and there's less wheel hop.this is why so many serious drag racers use a solid axle.
The mustang is still the best looking..I'll take the cobra..
"softer suspension settings" in the T/A ... BS. I owned a 99 WS6 and SS, and the WS6 was easily stiffer off the factory floor. However, they were right in indicating it garnished more attention.
That's what I'm saying! The 88 Formula I had also came with the WS6 Suspension and it could handle better than anything I saw at the time. I would be willing to bet that the T-tops version w/ the weight reduced from it would out perform the SS if not stay right with it. Firebirds got a TON of attention back in the late 90's and early 2000's.
The TA is best in my opinion and is also more rare than the other 2. I see camaros and mustangs everyday, but its rare that I see a TA or firebird. Thats why I love my formula, people don't see them often. Only downside is people always calling it a camaro lol.
exactly >.> Like bitch did you NOT see Trans Am when you walked by?
$37k in 1999 is almost $70k today
Not exactly. My 02 GT has the intercooled terminator S/C. The motors themselves are good to about 400 HP, give or take. I've had it for a long time. Well over 10k miles. Last time I checked (I work in a garage too) my motor is absolutely fine. It's just how you run it, and how often.
A $50 mod to the RamAir will make it even faster. Sure it’s not as good as the SS on the track but it’s more than competitive on the street
Ford fans are mad that the Camaro was better? Well that's an opinion. ... camaro fans are mad that the Mustang wiped the floor with the camaro in sales? That's a fact rofl
The reason was made clear in this test. The Mustang was CHEAPEST of the three. Cheaper means MORE SALES....NOT BETTER.
...And PONTIAC fans (like myself) , like the FIREBIRD T/A better than BOTH !!! As DODGE has proven (with the 707 HP Challenger HELLCAT) "IT AIN'T ALL JUST ABOUT FORD and CHEVY !!!"
williamg2552 I hope you're joking. Pontiac was a GM company. And it's a shame the trans am was less popular. but then again it would be fun to blow the doors off of an unsuspecting mustang.
camarojoe982 I'm well aware that Pontiac was a G.M. company. But, I'm also aware that FORD and CHEVY are the two LARGEST American manufacturers...and both boast a HUGE FAN BODY, who thinks that ANY MUSCLE CAR that is NOT a "Ford" or "Chevy" has little credibility, and SHOULDN'T be in the discussion . Sorry, I'm not buying it. PLYMOUTH, DODGE, PONTIAC, and even OLDSMOBILE and BUICK made MUSCLE CARS that were EVERY BIT AS GOOD (and in some cases BETTER),than ANYTHING that ever came down the pike from Ford and Chevy . Again, as I said before, "BIGGEST SELLER" doesn't always mean "BETTER"
williamg2552 lol the hellcats came at the end of a generation of mustang. Plus ford and GM aren't doing insane hp drag cars.. the z28 and even the new gt350 are track cars.. dodge is still stuck in the past.
They did, and the Camaro still beat the Cobra. They reran this test a couple of more times through 2002. I remember reading the test of the SS and WS6 versus the Cobra from 2001 in which the Camaro was the fastest, Trans Am second, and Cobra was far behind. The '93 and the '03/'04 Cobras are the only impressive ones. A friend of mine thought his '94 was badass until I ran neck and neck with my '98 Firebird V6/A4. And I did manage to beat another '94 with the same Firebird.
The Trans Am was an awesome car all around. It looked way better than the Camaro.
This must have been before the cobra recall
The Trans Am is far better looking than either of the other two
I believe there was a recall on this mustang in particular because it was making the power advertised. I forgot what was wrong
No your right, that's why it made such crappy times on this video
I read this issue in my freshman year of high school. T/A only lost because it was expensive, tacky and didn't handle as well on the track.
The Complete History of the Battle between Chevy And Ford muscle cars
1968-2015
www.caranddriver.com/features/g15383592/lookin-for-a-fight-the-complete-history-of-our-camaro-vs-mustang-comparison-tests/
--------
1999
Camaro Z28 vs. Ford Mustang GT
No. 12 in a Long Series: It doesn't get much more all-American than this.
TONY SWAN
FEB 1, 1999
Pony-car fans have more to be excited about today than they’ve had in 40 years-not only are both the Mustang GT and Camaro SS above the 400-hp threshold, but there’s even a horsepower war raging between the V-6 editions. Next week, we’ll post comparison tests between both the current eights and the sixes, but for now, enjoy this series of past encounters between two of Detroit’s most storied cars.
The challenge in forming a rational opinion of the Z28 lies in seeing past its prodigious power. For the uninitiated, this will probably require a minimum of two hours behind the wheel-or perhaps two years, who knows?-before some of the not-so-endearing elements become tangible through the red haze of small-block V-8 thrust. Small is a relative word here, of course. The Z28’s 5.7-liter LS1 V-8- a slightly detuned version of the Corvette’s engine -is small compared with GM’s old big-blocks, but its displacement is vast compared with that of most passenger-car engines offered today. Only the lame-duck Rolls/Bentley V-8, the Dodge Viper’s V-10, and V-12s from Lambo and Mercedes are bigger. With or without overhead cams, it’s easier to get performance-particularly torque -out of bigger engines than smaller ones, which helps to explain the Z28’s decided edge over the Mustang in this essential pony-car commodity. The torque curve is like the Mississippi River-broad, deep, and flat -and augmenting it with six forward gears, rather than five, doesn’t hurt, either. Once the Z28 begins to assert itself, it’s all over. By the time 100 mph comes up-in just 12.6 seconds-the Mustang is 2.3 seconds in arrears, and continues to fall farther behind as speeds soar.
www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a15140859/1999-chevrolet-camaro-z28-vs-ford-mustang-gt-archived-comparison/
Mustang fans make them selves feel better with sales lol, who cares about sales?
The company that made it the camaro and Firebird got discontinued. Sales speak volume about a car, GM didn't know that there were more to cars then just HP and speed. Ford knew this and thats why Mustang outsold Camaro and Firebird combined!
+junitoss83 have your ugly fake ass corvette lol.
theres a reason these cars died for almost a decade an pontiac is gone for good.
i'll drive a mustang, and a vette if i wanted something from chevy.
yeah who cares!
+dsavish was Pontiac any good?
yup certain firebirds were nice.
Should have been a little more honest. The SS was built by SLP and it's match was the Firehawk. Not a Ws6. Not a fair comparison at all and definitely unequal.
Ah yeah the good ol days. I had a 98' WS6 sebring silver t56 car. They weren't perfect but for the money the bang for your buck was there.
The cobra is overated at 320 so it doesnt even have as much power, that was expected. Just throw some gears in that 4v and the other two are done. Now the Mach 1 is a better comparison as its underated just like the ls1's.
I had both 02 Firebird WS6 and 01 Camaro SS. The Firebird was superior in almost every way. The quality was truly better, especially the interior. It’s like Chevy put in zero effort and Pontiac went as far as to add round AC vents, much better looking HVAC control display, red interior lighting vs the SS’s piss yellow, nicer seats, higher quality materials and leather, much nicer gauges, even the shift display looked nicer. The styling was better IMO too but mine didn’t have those stripes, which is what puts the car on this episode over the top. They look way better without decals all over the place.
99 was a good year for me! The import and domestic scene were in full effect. I was only a kid but I seen it all
You're forgetting the valvetrain geometry. 32 valves 4 cams vs 16 valves and 1 cam. They both get the job done in completely different ways. The dohc is taller and typically the same weight or heavier than the smaller compact pushrod plant. I personally love the brawny torque curve from the extra cubes underneath. I'd be disappointed to see GM abandon the pushrod powerplant because they've done more with it than anyone on the face of the planet.
The stang being 1 liter less really held it's own. Ford don't need cubic inch. The 3.5 V6 TT is blowing doors off GM's V8s. I'd still take the Mustang because of the Pedigree.
With a face like that, i beg to differ.
...and if anybody read the C and D magazine, the Cobra WAS, in fact, one of the vehicles with the unfinished intake manifold casting. Part of around a few thousand other Cobras that year that had the same issue.
Trans am all day
1996-1998 cobra's had B (split port) heads and had no torque so butterflies were put into the intake to help the power curve 99-04 cobra's had C (tumble port) heads and had better low end performance but the b heads still flowed better. The 99 Cobra has casting problems and other issues after the fix a a lot of them made more hp than the 01's. A Z-28 and a cobra stock for stock really is a drivers race.
This test just goes to show these dudes are all either paid off by Chevy or just brainwashed idiots - but then again, Csere always was full of it. The camaro is HANDS DOWN THE UGLIEST car of the group. It was the stupidest looking camaro EVER made The Trans am is definitely the best looking of the three. You poll anyone outside of these tools and most people will say they love the look of the trans am over the ugly, fish-out-of-water look of the stupid camaro.
they may have beat the ls1 vettes at the strip, but even with the supercharger they still couldn't touch the n/a ls6 powered z06. not to mention the amazing track capabilities of the z06. so ford really didn't beat the corvette in those years at all since you were comparing the top of the line mustang with the bottom of the line corvette. i'm sure even the base c5 could take on the 03-04 cobras at the track with ease, just not the strip.
Where was Dodge when GM and Ford had these bad-ass cars!!!
its opinion. it was ranked 3rd because of the styling and cost. personally, I could never get into the style of the T/A, especially the rear end.
Camaro looks like the Sebring.
i call bullshit on this comparison! so in the last video the gt made 5.6 seconds from 0-60 & On this video the cobra made 6.0 seconds from 0-60???? te cobra is way faster then the gt tho??? that dont make sense at all! you guys are full of shit!! & just like to hate on ford
I'm a Chevy man but when it comes to the f-body neither the Camaro or the POS Mustang can git wit the WS6. Y'all car and driver fools is smoking crack!
Mustang should have came in 3rd. Little shit interior, shit seats and shit power
Camaro and transam is a coin toss. Either car was great but no convertible for me.
I owned both model ls cars. A red ws6 straight off the show room floor and a red 97 lt1 camaro ss. Now i own a white 97 ss with a 355 h&c lt1 and all the bolt ons that go along with it.
Anyone who’s driven all of these like my old ass would take the TA , the Trans Am is easily the best alll around if you like the styling! Corporate car reviewers SUCK.
i love how they get the anniversary edition trans am and then penalize it for the price. although even in regular form it would still be slightly more expensive than the ss. also i'm pretty sure the suspension is identical on both f-bodys.
Sorry haters, LS engines are light weight, make good power even with small mods, easy to work on, reliable, plenty of aftermarket parts, get good MPG etc...
when the mustang is faster than the camaro for more than 40 years, ford owners can start talking. 1967-2010 :)
2020 and now they’re even slower and even thinking about making a 4 door model lmao gotta be embarrassing
This video didn’t age well... 21 years later the Trans Am is much more desirable than the Camaro or Mustang.
Also, how did the Trans Am finish 3rd when it’s the same car on the underside as the Camaro?
Trans Am is #1 I own 4 today.. 2 lt1 and 2 ls1 along with a ls1 Camaro lol... I love my f bodies haha
sell me an ls1 car i have a 96 z28 couldn’t find a ls1 t56 for a good price around here
Sophisticated engine? Unnecessarily complex and a nightmare to work on. LS1 all the way !!!
I will ALWAYS like the FIREBIRD better than the Camaro. Even though they don't make them anymore . How could the FIREBIRD T/A come in last in this test...when it had the HIGHEST TOP SPEED ,FASTEST ACCELERATION, and the FASTEST QUARTER MILE of the three ?? It's even the BEST-LOOKING of the BUNCH !!! Sounds to ME like FORD and CHEVY were paying MOTOR TREND some big advertising bucks to get THAT result !!
True I felt the same when I read the motor trend comparison. They pretty much came up with totally lame excuses for why the firebird lost. In the written article, they even credited the styling agaisnt it, while admitting they got the most attention and thumbs up from pedestrians...WTF?...Also they did not have to go with the 99 anniversary edition they could have went with the reg WS6 package (less flashy colors, i.e. no stripes no painted wheels) which would also have been cheaper thus making this comparison more obvious as to who the real winner should be. The whole point of a muscle car is to have affordable power and grab some positive attention while doing so(thumbs up/"nice car"..etc)..even so if they say attention is not what they want then why bother making cars like the corvette, ferrari..etc look sporty at all. If they want a fast non sporty car one should look into mercedes/caddillac types(back then)..in the 60s muscles cars are waaay over the top in looks and it works..like a supermodle done up right. Total B.S. in this review..it was a slap in the face to pontiac for no good reason (most of their main arguments were utter nonsense) other than they had some incentive to put this last.
Kelly Thomas The reason is simple.As I said in my other post, FORD and CHEVY are the two BIGGEST American Car Manufacturers. They have the biggest dollars...and are probably Motor Trend's BIGGEST advertisers . Although the FIREBIRD was the FASTEST, the QUICKEST, and the BEST LOOKING, The OTHER two companies have the MOST MONEY. They wouldn't want to offend them ...so they put the FIREBIRD on the CHOPPING BLOCK. In fact, I wouldn't even be a bit surprised if the CHEVROLET Division had something to do with the fact that a new FIREBIRD didn't appear when the current-generation CAMARO was introduced. Chevrolet has long coveted Pontiac's position as GM's designated PERFORMANCE division. I wouldn't be surprised if they put pressure on GM management to make SURE that there would be no new FIREBIRD.They probably didn't wan't any in-house competition for their precious new Camaro. The FIREBIRD was PONTIAC'S PERFORMANCE FLAGSHIP. No Firebird....no Pontiac. A new FIREBIRD would have most likely SAVED Pontiac...just like it did in the 1970's...No Pontiac means that CHEVROLET has TAKEN the place of PONTIAC as GM's Performance Division...Pontiac DIES...Chevrolet WINS .
i see where your comming from here but i want to point out. You can (pretty easily) drop the blower from the terminator cobras onto the GT. IT requires a new upper intake manifold but they are made by several aftermarket companies. the internals should be ok as long as the power is kept below 420crank hp. and under 440 crank ftlbstq. With a built lower end... skys the limit. The transmission is not a T5 either. ITs a T3650 which handles more power than the t 5/45. Just clarifying.
So the WS6 looks the best and rides the best (of the f-bodies - and is the fastest), so of course they down-vote it. Ugh. :smh:
An LT engine is completely different from an LS engine. The LT block simply won't handle the kind of stress an LS will. That's an engine that will blow it's bottom end on boost. LT's won't handle more than around 400-450 horse on the stock bottom end. Noone really knows what the actual horsepower limit is on a stock Gen 3 bottom end. Hot Rod tried to test it with a 4.8L with twin turbos and race gas, no changes to the bottom end, and quit when the ignition gave out after dozens of 1200+ hp pulls
The prices for those cars is very expensive for 1999. GM priced themselves out of the market.
kevin122759. All those 30th Anv sold as soon as they put them out for the sticker and more, I couldn't find one anywhere at the time.
Its been shown many times that a firebird or trans am or formula beats the mustangs in its time, if pontiac didnt close out and they kept making firebird models, im confident to say it would still beat the mustang, but now firebirds are rarer than ever, pontiacs gone and plus they stopped making them in 02
@Smokie420ish the anniversary edition is a ws6 kiddo. look at the ram air hood aka ws6. and sorry to burst your bubble but there are only minor suspension upgrades and a hood on a ws6 vs a trans am, and a firehawk is more $. they admitted it was mostly they (as middle aged men) didnt like the styling as much
There are plenty of supercharger kits available for Gen 3 V8's, including the LS1. The LS6 has a little too high of compression for a blowe, but it's been done before. And what part of the LS1 will blow out with boost? Even the LSA can make in excess of 600 bhp, and the only difference between an LSA bottom end and LS1 bottom end is a forged steel crank. same type of rods and pistons as the LS1.
Ls1 highly underrated those hp/tq numbers are way off
I had a 2000 WS6 and my 1999 SS spanked every ta around town, vettes too. Cobras, had two 1998s, 2nd one was pretty quick but the 99-02 cobras were junk.