Pontiac Trans Am Depot: All Prices, Specs, And Car Features

Although the Pontiac brand has seen better days, it’s ready for a revival – no, General Motors is not bringing it back, but they have licensed a certain group called the Trans Am Depot to take care of it. To be more specific, you won’t be getting any new Pontiacs, however, for the muscle car fanatics out there, the iconic Pontiac Trans Am is going to make a comeback.

One of the iconic muscle cars or pony cars that once graced the pavement, the Trans Am saw a brilliant reception and quickly caught on among enthusiasts. Who doesn’t remember Burt Reynolds in “Smokey and the Bandit” and how his theatrics in the movie further catalyzed the popularity of the Pontiac Trans Am.

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In case you didn’t know, GM used the name “Trans Am” without consulting with folks at SCCA (Sports Car Club of America). The club planned for a suit, however, instead GM decided to pay $5 to the SCCA for each car they sold.

UPDATED FEBRUARY 2023: We take a look at the company behind the modern Trans Am and many other projects to see what the company is up to now and how the Pontiac Trans Am-based Camaro looks today.

The Pontiac Trans Am Is Based On The Chevrolet Camaro

Via: Trans Am Depot

Just like how the Trans Am was, the latest iteration of the icon ends up being a Camaro underneath. In light of what Trans Am Depot came up with in the 2017 New York Auto Show, it was always safe to say that the new Pontiac would get based on the Camaro. There are significant changes made, however, with hood tipping forwards and lightweight materials used in the construction of the car.

As for styling cues, the front is reminiscent of classic Trans Arm with dual-split headlights and the signature taillights, all getting incorporated into the existing Camaro body shell. Also, part of the team’s unveiling was the Bandit edition – each with Burt Reynolds’ signature – which has the “screaming chicken” on the hood which again harks back to the OG Trans Am.

Other important exterior details include quad tailpipes arranged vertically, much like the ones on the Bugatti Centodieci. Exclusively-designed front and rear bumpers along with bespoke body panels makes the new Pontiac Trans Am a stunner.

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The Latest Trans Am’s Mechanicals And Engine With Up To 840 HP

Since the Trans Am gets based on the Camaro, you might expect the existing Gen V 6.2-liter General Motors LS V8 to be inside the hood. However, the powertrain is distinct from that of the Camaro.

The brand’s Facebook page got seen advertising the Bandit Trans Am with a 7.4-liter V8 and an automatic transmission, up to 840 hp also gets confirmed. The Pontiac should max out at a top speed of 200 mph and could be capable of sub-3-second sprints to 60 mph.

Trans Am Depot posted a video of the upcoming Pontiac putting up impressive quarter-mile figures, sub 10-seconds to be exact. The Pontiac Trans Am in its more recent avatar is able to trip the lights in 9.43 seconds. Of course, we should note that there is another crazy 1100 hp, 455-CI Trans Am Super Duty as well. Just like its name, the Super Duty uses a 455-CI (7.5-liter) V8 putting out a ridiculous amount of horsepower. Folks at Trans Am Depot took the re-bored Camaro V8 and collaborated with the NASCAR engineer Joey Arrington to handle the challenges of building and designing such a powerful car.

Trans Am Depot uses Magnuson superchargers too, as gets made evident in the videos on the brand’s own website where they reveal the process behind constructing one of the versions of the car.

Since the Trans Am got pitted as a direct competitor to the Dodge Challenger, it’s safe to say, the Pontiac looks like a formidable opponent. Given its impressive power figures the Trans Am can easily beat the Challenger especially considering it could perhaps employ lightweight body panels; giving the Pontiac a significant advantage.

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The Potential Modern Interior Of The New Trans Am

Via: Trans Am Depot

Being based on a Camaro results in the Trans Am getting similar interior gadgetry as the existing Chevy Camaro. However, there is every possibility of the Trans Am’s interior employing nostalgia along with retro styling that could tie in well with the exteriors, especially as the cars are bespoke custom-builds. The modern Camaro is a well-appointed and comfortable place to be with many more features and accessories than its vintage namesake. As it gets couples with the iconic exterior styling the perfect modern spiritual successor to the beloved classic car gets created.

When You Can Expect Of The 2023 Pontiac Trans Am

The new Pontiac by Trans Am Depot get advertised on its Facebook page on and its own website although specs, prices and more do not get revealed without inquiry. Prices for the limited-edition Bandit editions seems to be around $200,000 and there are cars that got listed for sale for a similar price on other website.

Given that it’s a resurrection by a few Pontiac enthusiasts and a relatively-small business, we can’t expect the project to be cheap to run. Obviously, R&D requires a lot of money and effort, therefore a business would pass on the charge to the customers, which isn’t something new.

At the time of writing, the biggest challengers to any other muscle car or pony car are the Dodge Challenger and Charger, Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang.

There are many reasons that this iconic classic is a cool idea and if cheaper, the project could be a success on a larger scale with the support of General Motors.

Searching online does not yield an abundance of further information on the modern Pontiac Firebird Trans Am by Trans Am Depot, although there are two videos on the brand’s website that go into detail on the deign and construction process for the modern pony car.

Presently, the main rivals to the Trans Am as a pony car are the Ford Mustang which gets updated in the form of the last-gasoline-engined S650 Mustang and the Chevy Camaro which will also not get renewed for the next generation.