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In this model, the WS6 package added suspension upgrades, and it also gave the car a slightly increased power output.

Muscle cars have always been the center of attention with their beautiful, yet aggressive styling, and remarkable sprints on both the highway and the racetrack. Largely associated with Hollywood movies as well, it’s hard to deny that muscle cars are an American icon. When you think of America nowadays, you think of muscle cars. The most famous things about muscle cars, though, are the engines, which are not only powerful but also produce incredible sounds that turn heads wherever you go. The popularity of this genre is why many brands have revitalized some of their old models of American muscle cars. Dodge brought back the Challenger and the Charger, Chevrolet revived the prevailing Camaro and Ford refreshed the Mustang. Regardless, one name is unlikely to return: the Pontiac Firebird.

Pontiac introduced the Firebird to the segment in 1967. As a twin to the Chevrolet Camaro, both vehicles shared GM's F-Body platform. The Camaro and Firebird had gone through four generations by the turn of the century and were about to be phased out. While the Camaro made a comeback in 2010, the Firebird was discontinued eight years prior. The 2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6 was the last time we'd ever get a muscle car from Pontiac before the brand went out of business a few years later. As a final year mode, the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6 had a lot of amazing features, like the fuel-injected V8, the rare 6-speed gearbox, and the T-tops – all at just a fraction of the price of its competitors.

The Firebird Trans Am WS6 was undoubtedly the best muscle car ever to bear the Pontiac name, and like most contemporary counterparts, this nostalgic piece of automotive equipment deserved a modern-day comeback. We’re discussing why the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6 was a germ of the early 2000s, eyeballing its styling, performance, and more.

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Since its introduction in 1969, the Trans Am has served as Firebird's top-performance variant. The Pontiac Trans Am had a fantastic-looking, aerodynamic body that showcased its capabilities, featuring well-fitting panels and down-to-earth details, such as hidden headlights and a rear spoiler that was well-integrated.

For the Firebird's final year, a collector's edition Trans Am could be had in either a yellow WS6 convertible or WS6 T-top coupe body style. Both featured special twin black stripes from hood to tail and additional black-trimmed body details that separated them from the bunch. The black-painted five-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels and the sleek sides significantly boosted its sporty and dominant profile.

While the styling was thoroughly modern, particularly during those days, the 2002 Pontiac Trans Am's styling cues were heavily influenced by nostalgia. The WS6, for instance, was not a model of its own, but rather an appearance and performance package, which, like the rest of the vehicle, was also a callback, having first appeared in the 1979 model year.

However, Pontiac gradually removed some of the Trans Am's features, such as the iconic "Screaming Chicken" hood decal, which was replaced with bulging ram air hood scoops.

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Under the 2002 Trans-Am WS6's hood nose was a 5.7-liter LS1 V8 engine, which churned out a decent 325 horsepower at 5,200 RPM and 350 lb.-ft of torque at 4,000 RPM. Power went to the rear wheels through the standard 6-speed manual transmission and limited-slip Torsen differential. Thanks to the WS6 package, users enjoyed the suspension upgrades, four-wheel power disc brakes, and modern ZR-rated performance tires.

With all this in store, the Trans Am WS6 received slightly more horsepower and torque than the base Trans Am models. Thanks to the strong engine, the Pontiac Trans Am WS6 could accelerate from a standstill to 60 mph in just under five seconds and completed a quarter-mile run in about 13.16 seconds at 106.05 mph.

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The cool interior contrasted and complemented the outside in a more stylish way, coming with a ton of opulent features and a driver-focused design. It started from the dashboard, housing controls that were not only easy to use but at an arm’s length away from the driver, as was the stick shifter. The sporty steering wheel came with built-in controls, as well as a full gauge package with a big speedometer at the cockpit. All seats came upholstered in leather, with gave the interior a unique touch of luxury.

In addition, the cabin came with a plethora of features, such as the power windows and locks, the tilt steering column, cruise control, dual airbags, as well as a keyless entry/alarm system. The best part is that it also offered T-tops. There was also a pleasant air conditioning system that kept you comfy all year round. To satisfy the audiophiles, Pontiac threw in a premium Monsoon AM/FM/CD stereo with a seven-band equalizer.

Wilfred Nkhwazi is a screenwriter, actor, and sports car enthusiast from Blantyre, Malawi. He has written 2 feature films and a thriller trilogy. Wilfred is pursuing an Electric Car Technology program and spends a lot of his time writing for hotcars.com, penning down fast whips, celebrity collections, and everything else in-between. When he isn't writing, he loves to take long drives around the city, make music, and drink hot chocolate.