![]() The interior now featured aircraft inspired details and gauges, using both fake and real Torx head screws that fastened the dash and console trim panels. A huge torque arm was mounted from the transmissions tailshaft to the rear axle center to further stabilize the axle's tendency to twist. In the rear, coil springs and shocks were positioned between the body and solid rear axle, with twin rear lower control arms/trailing links and a torsion bar, replacing the old-fashioned leaf springs design used previously in the 2nd generation Firebird. The front suspension utilized MacPherson struts, with inboard mounted coil springs and lower front control arms. The all-new suspension design was more advanced and aggressive than anything Detroit had offered previously, easily rivaling the Corvette's handling abilities, (but not its sophistication). Taking styling cues from the 1981 design, the new car had full width tail lights, complete with a Firebird emblem in the center. The front end of the vehicle featured 10.5-inch (270 mm) power disc brakes and were now standard on all Firebird models. All of these features combined to provide a low coefficient of drag. It provided no disturbance to the airflow over the back of the car. of cargo space with the rear seats folded, and an optional wiper. A frameless, flush mounted, compound curved rear glass hatchback decklid provided 30.9 cu ft (0.87 m 3). Smooth wheelcovers were available on the Trans Am, attached to turbine finned alloy wheels. The cars tended to outlive the plastic gears for the headlight doors, and since the dealers charged several hundred dollars for the repair, it was common to see Firebirds driving around with one or both headlights stuck open during the day. The retractable headlamps popped up from the leading edge of the hood. It made for a smooth flow of air over the windshield. The windshield wipers were hidden under the hood with the air intake for the climate control system. The newly designed side view mirror housings, made of light alloy metal, were almost cone shaped, with the point facing the wind. Every piece of the car was designed to reduce drag. They fed some air to the radiator but most of the air came from an air dam underneath the front bumper. The sleek new car had a low slung front end which featured split grilles. Wind tunnels were used to form the third generation F-Body's shape, and these aerodynamic developments were fully taken advantage of by Pontiac's design team. The Trans Am body would continue to improve aerodynamically over the years, and by 1985 would be the most aerodynamic vehicle to ever be released from General Motors with a 0.29 coefficient of drag. The new Trans Am took things a bit further, with a coefficient of. It also was the most aerodynamic production Firebird to date with a drag coefficient of 0.33. The new Firebird shrank to a 101-inch wheelbase, losing more than 8 inches in overall length, measured about an inch narrower, and weighed nearly 500 lb (227 kg) less than its 1981 predecessor. Road & Track called the fuel-injected Trans Am "a dramatic improvement on its predecessors," accelerating from 0–60 in 9.2 seconds. It won "Best Sports GT" category in the $11,000 to $14,000 range (also along with the Camaro). ![]() Still, with its dimensions reduced, wheelbase shortened, and weight reduced, the third generation Firebird was also the closest yet in size to the original 1967 model. Early promotional cars were marked "T/A" as an alternative, however it was decided that doing so might cause more problems than it was worth and the "Trans Am" nameplate remained. Pontiac had also hoped to drop the "Trans Am" moniker from the redesigned cars to save royalties paid to the SCCA for use of the name. The Firebird would retain hidden headlamps until the end of all production in 2002. Electronically controlled retractable headlamps, and a rounded hoodline and front fenders were the primary characteristics that distinguished the Firebird from its Camaro sibling and its previous Firebird incarnations. For 1982, the new Firebird had been completely restyled, with the windshield slope set at a dramatic, more aerodynamic 62 degrees, (about 3 degrees steeper than anything GM had ever tried before), flush-mounted side glass, and for the first time, a large, glass-dominated rear hatchback. The Firebird was the base model, equivalent to the Camaro Sport Coupe the Firebird S/E was the luxury version and the Trans Am, the high-performance version. The third generation of Firebirds consisted of three models: Firebird, Firebird S/E, and Firebird Trans Am. These were also the first Firebirds with factory fuel injection, four-speed automatic transmissions, five-speed manual transmissions, four-cylinder engines, 16-inch wheels, and hatchback bodies. The third generation Pontiac Firebird was introduced in late 1981 by Pontiac alongside its corporate cousin, the Chevrolet Camaro for the 1982 model year. ![]()
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