There’s a very tight and precise power-assisted rack and pinion steering system and four-wheel ventilated disc brakes equipped with an advanced anti-lock system, which has more sophisticated sensors. Pontiac didn’t skimp on the steering or brake systems. By making the body rigid and nearly flex-free, the suspension system could be fine-tuned to provide a ride that absorbs bumps yet also is firm enough to keep the car poised and easy to control during aggressive driving, such as fast cornering. The secret of the car’s ride, Po ntiac engineers say, is in the Firebird’s stiff body. In the back there’s a solid axle and coil springs. Up front there’s a short/long arm suspension with gas-charged shocks and a stabilizer bar. The Formula handles with just as much ease as many other more expensive sports cars.
The Firebird’s suspension system is nothing exotic, but it does its job well. Unlike other performance cars, the Pontiac doesn’t shatter your spine with a stiff, unforgiving ride. The Firebird Formula is a civilized sports car. Our test car delivered 24 mpg on a long highway cruise and 16 mpg in the city. The Formula convertible weighs about 100 pounds more than the hardtop. Though Pontiac has not released performance figures, the slightly heavier convertible is about as fast from 0-to-60mph as the Formula hardtop. There is nothing subtle, subdued or restrained about it. But, hey, that’s what the Firebird Formula is all about. The fuel-injected V-8 engine is loud and, at idle, it shakes thewhole car.
With a touch of the gas pedal, the car rocketed forward and the chrome-tipped dual exhausts uttered a thundering rumble. The Firebird’s blistering acceleration made the car extremely fun to drive. The clutch pedal also worked smoothly, making the Formula easy to drive. This proved to be an easy-to-shift transmission.
1994 PONTIAC FIREBIRD MANUAL
You can choose between a six-speed manual transmission or a computer-controlled four-speed automatic. But when the factory reopens and begins to build the 1995 models, there should be an adequate supply of Firebird convertibles on hand in the fall.Īs with a hardtop, the red Formula convertible came outfitted with a 275-horsepower version of the 350-cubic-inch Corvette V-8. Fox said 250 of the 1,000 Firebird convertibles scheduled to be built for 1994 will be 25th Anniversary Trans Am convertibles, which will have a special appearance package.Įach June or July, auto factories close for a few weeks to prepare for the next year’s models.
1994 PONTIAC FIREBIRD FULL
Running at full tilt, the factory can build just 1,000 Firebird convertibles before shutting down for the summer, Pontiac spokesman Randy Fox said from Michigan. Now for the bad news: Pontiac won’t be making many Firebird convertibles for the 1994 model year, because it took engineers longer than anticipated to work out a few minor last-minute production problems. No matter what you use as your measure – performance, safety or cost – the Firebird convertible is an incredible value. I can’t think of another convertible sports car on the planet that delivers more for the money than this week’s test car. Judging from this week’s test-drive vehicle, a 1994 Firebird Formula convertible, the world’s largest automaker clearly wants to own the market. General Motors seems no longer content to just compete in the mid-priced sports car market.
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