Official Release dates = 23rd Oct Au/Eu/Nz/UK – 27th Nth America

by XboxOZ360

©2009 Grant Smythe – OXCGN

Forza 3 Update 18th October #13

OXCGN Forza 3 October Update #13 – 2002 Pontiac Trans Am Ram Air – The Last of the ‘Birds

Forza gamers are basically ’spoilt for choice’ this time around. Sure, some games can tout a higher number of cars, but we must remember, that while Forza 3 ships with 400 cars initially, it already has 2 major DLC  waiting for eager owners, which will take the tally up to around 440, and an additional 20 odd tracks to ad to the already huge number out on day one, 100.

Forza 3 has the largest number of racing tracks in any video game todate, with many more heading to the gamers over the next 12 – 18 months while Turn 10 work diligently on Forza 4, after a wee holiday of course.

What we have here today is one Muscle car that made an impression on many a car enthusiast, and also with many film and TV series fanatics as well.

We all remember “Knight Rider” with the Firebird playing the role of “KIT” who often out-played David Hasselhoff who was the main human character. But the king of the show was the 3rd gen 1992 Firebird that basically ran by its self and shot the Pontiac to TV Fame and fortune . . . well, sort of..

• Click for full 2002 Ram Air Specs

However, here we are discussing the sad tale of the 2002 Ram AIr Pontiac Trams AM Firebird, which was the last of its kind to run off the production line as GM. Not much of a send off either, with some basic cosmetic changes, and a tweak here and there, but it was snappped up by the eager enthusiast, knowing that it would be the last of its kind. There were a few versions made available to make it stand out, which it certainly did.

In Forza 3 you’ll be able to trick your virtual Pony out in any way you see fit, and while it did produce a solid amount of horsepower in its later life, you may be able to squeeze a few more out of it by making some modifications in the engine department in Forza 3.

Basically 2002 would prove to be the last year for the Firebird, and Pontiac decided to issue a special 35th anniversary Firebird (as opposed to Anniversary of the Trans Am). This special model was a Trans Am which featured yellow paint, black wheels, and special graphics. Not really much of a send off for one of only two vehicles (the Chevrolet Corvette is the other) that survived from the muscle car days to the modern era without interruption.

The Oakland Car Company was founded in 1907 which was then gobbled up two years later by General Motors. Vehicle history shows us that the name Pontiac was taken from an 18th century Ottawa Indian chief, it was added as a line of five-passenger coach’s that GM debuted at the 1926 New York Auto Show.

What followed during the period 1930 – 1950’s was a successful time for the Pontiac brand name. With General Motors pumping out various model with hip names like The Torpedo 8, Chieftain and Bonneville. But their real success didn’t really start until the beginning of the “American Muscle Car Era”, and for Pontiac, that was 1964 when it popped the Pontiac GTO out. Many gamers might remember Vin Deisel in XXX when his pride and joy which was in the show was a ‘64 Goat, the nick mname given to the Pontiac GTO at the time.

The car’s optional package which was called The Tempest, included a big-block chevy 389-cubic inch V8 which proved to be one of the greatest stump-puller motors for many a hot rodder and muscle car builder the world over. There was another, the 396 Rat motor, which I can attest to its powers. Riding a ‘55 Chevy Tudor, we could pull the passengers front wheel off the ground without too much trouble, in full street trim and all-steel body. Those tings were not light either.

A mere three years later, the Pontiac Firebird was born having a another chevy powerplant shoehorned into an even smaller body than the Tempest, proving to be a formidable opponent on track and street.

We will all have our hands full in Forza3 simply trying to chose which of the American Muscle cars will get our attention the most. My recommendation would be to include the TA in amongst your rides in Forza 3, and take it around the various tracks. Be warned, to the uninitiated, the American Muscle Car can seem somewhat skittish or loose.

Which to the uneducated racing gamers could seem like bad design on the developers part, which it is not. The thing is, you’re looking at cars with a simply leaf spring suspension hanging off the rear and double wishbone front suspension. Hardly the type to set race tracks on fire, so they can feel somewhat light and frisky. So please don’t go blaming Forza 3 (or the great team at Turn 10) for the cars handling ‘characteristics’ . .

Go and grab one of these beauties in real life, and you’ll find they can often handle in must the same way. Like trying to drive a car on a greased track, and turn while someone is pushing you sideways at a great rate of knots . . not fun, but certainly challenging.

So in the end, it’s up to you to tame them and learn how to drive them, not have them drive you – into a wall.

Pontiac Firebird History

First Generation 1967 – 1969 The Beginning of an Era.

Introduction: Having watched first the Ford Mustang and then the Chevrolet Camaro enter into the pony car market, Pontiac finally got into the act in the middle of 1967. The Firebird was offered with both six and eight cylinder engines, like the Mustang and Camaro, and was based heavily on the Chevrolet Camaro chassis.

Pontiac did try to make it their own and would create a European styled and mannered pony car that could hold its own against its more experienced competition.

The Pontiac Firebird was released five months after the Chevrolet Camaro, and offered buyers choices of six and eight cylinder engines. Pontiac was able to use that additional time to create a unique identity for the Firebird, despite having to use the Camaro chassis and some body panels. Despite using the same front fenders, doors, and rear fenders as the Camaro, the Firebird’s styled split front grille, beaked hood, and GTO-slitted taillights gave it a distinctly Pontiac appearance.

But the key differentiator was under the hood, where the Firebird offered a range of Pontiac engines. Initially, five different Firebirds were available, named after their respective engine choices. At the bottom was the lowly 230 cubic inch OHC six cylinder engine with a single 1bbl carb, rated at a measily 165 bhp. Stepping up to the “Sprint” version got the buyer a 230 I6 with a 4bbl carb rated at 215bhp.

Either six cylinder was linked to either a three or four speed manual or two-speed automatic transmission. Although the six cylinder engines were more powerful than Chevy’s offerings, most buyers wisely opted for one of the available V8 engines. At the bottom was Pontiac’s 326 V8 with a two barrel carb that was rated at 250 bhp. A special “H.O.” (High Output) version of the 326 V8 fitted with a four barrel carb was rated at 285bhp.

At the top was the 400 V8 borrowed from the GTO. This engine was rated at 325 bhp, and was available with or without Ram Air (which suspiciously didn’t affect the engine rating, hmm.) The Ram Air engine included a hotter cam, stronger valve springs, and made use of the otherwise decorative hood scoops.

With no publicized power increase and a hefty $600 price tag, the Ram Air option was rarely ordered. All V8s came with a standard heavy-duty three speed manual transmission; a four speed manual and three speed automatic were optional. Performance axle ratios up to 4.33:1 were available as well as front disk brakes. Firebird prices were roughly $200 more than comparable Camaros and the Camaro outsold it two to one. But Pontiac’s pony car had arrived.

1st Gen sourced and continued from TransAmWorld.

Second Generation 1970 – 1982

Introduction: An all new Pontiac Firebird was introduced for 1970 and represented a new high for Pontiac styling. The front bumper and grille were molded out of Endura rubber and were painted the same color as the car to give it a bumperless appearance.

The sides sported rounded full wheel cut outs without any extra trim (the Camaro had more squared off wheel cut outs). The suspension was revised and a rear stabilizer bar was added. The Firebird lineup was reduced from six to four, and the convertible was eliminated. At the bottom of the line up was the Base Firebird, whose Pontiac 250 I6 was replaced by a Chevy built 250 I6 rated at a meager 155bhp.

Next up was the Espirit, which featured the Pontiac 350 V8 rated at 255 bhp. The Formula 400 featured a unique twin-scooped hood with a 400 V8 rated at 335 bhp.

At the top was the Trans Am, which was fitted with air dams across the bottom of the front and in front of the wheels. A large decklid spoiler and small spoilers in front of the rear wheels completed the package. These aero pieces were claimed to generate 50 pounds of downforce on the front and rear of the car at highway speeds.

Trans Ams also received a rear facing shaker hood scope to feed the standard Ram Air II engine. Optional on the Trans Am was the Ram Air IV engine, whose output had increased to 370 bhp due to bigger ports, better heads, swirl-polished valves, and an aluminum intake manifold.

2nd Gen sourced and continued from TransAmWorld

Third Generation 1983 – 1992

Introduction: The third generation Firebird was all new in many ways from the previous generation. A full unibody hatchback body replaced the subframe construction of the second generation and the Firebird received all new sheetmetal that greatly differentiated it from the Camaro.

However, under the skin, the Firebird was now even more like the Camaro, and would use GM corporate engines (which were really Chevy engines) instead of the previous Pontiac engines. A large part of its uniqueness was gone.

The third generation Firebird was introduced in 1982 featuring all new sheetmetal. The front end sported hidden headlights and sleak styling. The model lineup was simplified to Base, luxury-oriented S/E and Trans Am. Base cars started with the obnoxiously loud, rough, and underpowered “Iron Duke” 2.5 liter OHV inline four cylinder engine rated at a truly pathetic 90 bhp.

Most buyers wisely opted for either the S/E’s standard 2.8 liter OHV V6 rated at a still-pathetic 105 bhp or one of the V8s. Optional in the Base and S/E models and standard in the Trans Am was a 5.0 liter (305 cid) V8 with four barrel carb rated at 145 bhp and which could be matched up to either a four-speed manual transmission or three-speed automatic.

Optional in the Trans Am was the trouble-plagued “Cross-Fire Injection” version of the engine which used Throttle Body Injection to crank out 165 bhp, but it was only available with the automatic transmission. But the big news for Firebird fans was the debut of “Kitt”, a talking Black Trans Am that could out-act David Hasselhoff on the hit TV show “Kight Ridder”, which further increased the Firebird’s popularity.

3rd Gen sourced and continued from TransAmWorld.

Forth & Final Generation 1993 – 2002

Introduction: Pontiac saved the best for last with its Fourth Generation Firebird. Although these Firebirds would be the fastest and most powerful Firebirds since the glory days of old, the overall decline in the sport coupe market and the changing taste of young performance buyers to newer, more refined imports, sealed the fate of the Firebird. At least it went out on top.

The Firebird was substantially revised for 1993, the beginning of its fourth generation. The exterior styling was dramatically aerodynamic, and incorporated plastic front fenders, although much of the floorplan and rear suspension was carried over from the third generation.

The front suspension was new, and incorporated a new short/long-arm design and incorporated rack-and-pinion steering for the first time. The Firebird lineup was reduced to three models, Base, Formula, and Trans Am, the convertible was eliminated and engine choices were now just two. The base engine was a new 3.4 liter V6, based on the previous 3.1, rated at a decent 160 bhp.

But the big news was the new LT1 version of the classic 5.7 liter small-block V8 rated at a stout 275 bhp. Furthermore, the LT1 could be ordered with a six-speed manual transmission and was standard in both the Formula and Trans Am models.

4th & last Gen sourced and continued from TransAmWorld.

Real World Counterparts

More Forza 3 news

Make sure you check out the great Fantec Sports Wheels and the set that OXCGN will have up for grabs later on when Forza 3 arrives in October 23rd (Aust Release date) . . . as well as other OXCGN Forza 3 pages of info on the game.

• Forza 3 October Info #13 2002 Firebird Ram Air – The Last ‘Bird
  
• Forza 3 October Info #12 Remington #8 Cadillac CTS-V Razor Sharp
  
• Forza 3 October Info #11 Curvaceous Chevy Camaro SS
• Forza 3 250 Gig Xbox 360 Bundle Official – OXCGN News & Special Offer
  
• Forza 3 October Info #10 Classic American Muscle 79 Z28 Camaro
• Forza 3 October Info #9 Saleen S331 Supercharged Supercab
  
• Forza 3 October Info #8 Build Your Own Chevy-Dodge-Ford
• Forza 3 October Info #7 Sleek, Sexy & Swift 2009 Scriocco GT
  
• Forza 3 October Info #6 – Complete car listing
  
• Forza 3 October Info #5 Primetimes’s #11 Vioer R3 Class
  
• Forza 3 October Info #4 2006 Slippery Evo & HKS Time-Attack Mitshubishi
  
• Forza 3 October Info #3 Black Beast – #41 Gulf F1 Mc Laren GTR
  
• Forza October Info #2 Mad Mazda Lola #16 Comin’ Through
  
• Forza October Info #1 Here Comes The BMW E34 Z4 Coupe
• Forza 3 September Info #12 Bell Motor’s #11 DB9 Aston Martin R2 Coupe
• Forza 3 September Info #11 Presenting The Koenigsegg CGT
• Forza 3 September Info #10 Skyline Driftin’ Madness
• Forza 3 September Info #9 Fugimi Kaido Returns
• Forza 3 September Info #8 2nd DLC Pack – Ferrari’s & 2010 Italia 458
  
• Forza 3 September Info #7 More Ferrari Mayhem
  
• Forza 3 September Info #6 250 gig Forza 360? & Farrari Madness
  
• Forza 3 September Info #5 Forza Dyno Tunes Ford GT400
  
• Forza 3 September Info #4 Bugatti Veyron & Avatar Cloths
  
• Forza 3 September Info #3 Media Update – V8 Supercars Event Slideshows
• Forza 3 September Info #1 & 2 V8 Supercars Officially Announced
  
• Forza 3’s V8 Supercars In-game screen & info V8 Supercar Image found
  
• Forza 3 August Info #5 Video Walkthroughs
  
• Forza 3 August Info #4 Forza Dreams, Gadget Show & Puma
  
• Forza 3 August Info #3 LE Information
• Forza 3 August Info #1 & 2 Cars, cars & more cars & Le Mans
  
• Forza 3 coming in 2009 OXCGN’s Official Major Forza 3 Page
  
• Forza 3 June info E3 Video Interviewwith Developer
  
• Forza 3 June-July Info screens & vids
• Official Australian Xbox Forza 3 site game info
• Fantec Porsche 911 Turbo Wheel for Forza 3
• Fantec Wheel Stand and Turbo Wheel kit up for grabs – info
• OXCGN’s Forza 3 on its way in 2009
• OXCGN confirms Aussie cars in Forza 3
• Fantec Prosche 911 Wheel for Forza 3
• Forza 3 Official – Gentlemen, Start Your Engines

©2009 Grant Smythe – OXCGN

Please share us around