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The third generation Pontiac Firebird was introduced in late 1981 by Pontiac alongside its twin, the Chevrolet Camaro for the 1982 model year. 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.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=1982 Camaro )〕 ==1982== The 3rd Generation of Firebirds consisted of three models: Firebird, Firebird S/E, and Firebird Trans Am. 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. For 1982, the new Firebird and Camaro had been completely restyled, with the windshield slope set at a dramatic, more aerodynamic 62 degrees,〔Gunnel, John ''Illustrated Firebird Buyer's Guide'' Second Edition (Motorbooks International, 1992) p.149〕 (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. 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. The Firebird would retain hidden headlamps until the end of all production in 2002. 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. 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. 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. It won "Best Sports GT" category in the $11,000 to $14,000 range (also along with the Camaro). Road & Track called the fuel-injected Trans Am "a dramatic improvement on its predecessors," accelerating from 0–60 in 9.2 seconds.〔Gunnel, John ''Illustrated Firebird Buyer's Guide'' Second Edition (Motorbooks International, 1992) p.152〕 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 less than its 1981 predecessor. It also was the most aerodynamic production Firebird to date with a drag coefficient of 0.33. The new Trans Am took things a bit further, with a coefficient of .32.〔Gunnel, John ''Illustrated Firebird Buyer's Guide'' Second Edition(Motorbooks International, 1992) p. 150〕 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. Wind tunnels were used to form the 3rd Gen F-Body's shape, and these aerodynamic developments were fully taken advantage of by Pontiac's design team. The sleek new car had a low slung front end which featured split grilles. They fed some air to the radiator but most of the air came from an air dam underneath the front bumper. Every piece of the car was designed to reduce drag. The newly designed side view mirror housings, made of light alloy metal, were almost cone shaped, with the point facing the wind. The windshield wipers were hidden under the hood with the air intake for the climate control system. It made for a smooth flow of air over the windshield. The retractable headlamps popped up from the leading edge of the hood. 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. Smooth wheelcovers were available on the Trans Am, attached to turbine finned alloy wheels. A frameless, flush mounted, compound curved rear glass hatchback decklid provided . of cargo space with the rear seats folded, and an optional wiper.〔Gunnel, John ''Standard Catalog of Firebird 1967–2002'' (Krause Publications, 2002) p. 97〕 It provided no disturbance to the airflow over the back of the car. All of these features combined together to provide a low coefficient of drag. The front end of the vehicle featured power disc brakes and were now made standard on all Firebird models. Taking styling cues from the 1981 design, the new car had full width tail lights, complete with a Firebird emblem in the center. 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). The front suspension utilized MacPherson struts, with inboard mounted coil springs and lower front control arms. 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 Gens. A huge torque arm was mounted from the transmissions tailshaft to the rear axle center to further stabilize the axle's tendency to twist. 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. Optional Recaro seats were offered. The 1981, non-Formula 3 spoke steering wheel was re-used and featured a Firebird logo mounted in the center of the horn pad, with optional leather grip. Many power options could be had. Special Viscount "PMD" bucket seats were optional, featuring a small opening in the headrest and a PMD logo in the center of the backrest. Leather seats were also available on both the standard seats and Viscount "PMD" seats. A standard locking rear glovebox was mounted on the rear driver"s side of the cargo area and a mini spare tire was hidden behind the opposite panel on the passenger side. A lockable cargo door on the rear floor area and a retractable cargo area privacy shade were also available as options on all Firebirds. The Firebird lineup was available with several engines: # The standard fuel-injected 90 hp 2.5L 4-cylinder Pontiac "Iron Duke" This marked the first time a 4-cylinder engine was offered in the Firebird and was the last true Pontiac engine to be offered in the Firebird. This engine was only offered for the first few years of the generation. It provided almost the same power as the V6, but when coupled with the 5-speed manual transmission, provided between 31 and 34 miles per gallon on the highway, depending on the year.〔fueleconomy.gov "Find a Car; 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985 Firebird 2.5L 5-speed fuel economy Official EPA Window Sticker MPG" Web. July 4, 2010〕 # There was a carbureted 102 hp 2.8L V6. # The LG4 5.0L: Utilizing GM's improved "Computer Command Control" system, the computer assisted E4ME carburetor, and computer controlled distributor, this Chevy 305ci produced 145 hp and 240Lbs.Ft. of torque. # The LU5 5.0L: The new high-performance "Crossfire Fuel Injection" 5.0L V8, which employed a twin throttle body fuel injection system similar to that used in the 1982 Corvette's "Crossfire" 5.7L, and produced 165 hp. The Firebird came standard with 14-inch steel wheels, with several wheel options available unique to the base model. 14-inch turbo cast aluminum wheels were standard on the S/E and Trans Am models and featured smooth plastic hubcaps with a Pontiac "Arrowhead" in the center. The WS6 performance package option, available on the S/E and Trans Am, included 4-wheel disc brakes, P215/65R15 Goodyear Eagle GT radials with 15-inch cast aluminum wheels, stiffer springs, thicker 32 mm front & 21 mm rear sway bars, a 12.7:1 quick-ratio steering box, and limited slip rear differential. Also available was the WS7 option, which was the same as RPO WS6, but utilized rear drum brake. This option was created due to a shortage of rear disc brake components.〔Gunnel, John ''Standard Catalog of Firebird 1967–2002'' (Krause Publications, 2002) pp. 99–101〕 The Firebird S/E was Pontiac's attempt to lure buyers interested in more luxury features; it could be had with the basic fuel saving "Iron Duke" I-4 drivetrain, but offered more options. Even the Trans Am's WS6 suspension was available on the S/E. It was delineated from the base Firebird model by "S/E" script on the sail panels, in place of the standard Firebird decals, and the Trans Am's dark tinted tail lights. The interior featured color-coded plastics to match the exterior/interior paint scheme. On S/E models equipped with the 14-inch or 15-inch "Turbocast" rims, with "Bowling Ball" hubcaps were color-coded to match the car's exterior paint. The Trans Am came standard with a new incarnation of its traditional "Air Extractors" on the fenders. A dark-tinted version of the base Firebird's tail lights were fitted to the rear of the car and also featured a Silver or Gold "Screaming Chicken" between them. Rubber "Mini-Spats" (stone deflectors) were mounted just before the front and rear wheels, and were toned down from the 70's design used on the earlier 2nd Gen Trans Am. Styled loosely after the earlier '80/'81 Turbo Trans Am, an optional "Turbo Bulge" hood was available on the Trans Am. Plans had originally been made to use a refined version of Pontiac's Turbo 4.9L engine. It was scrapped at the last minute, leaving many to speculate as to what could have been, had the engine been allowed to survive like its turbocharged companion, the Buick Turbo 3.8L V6. Despite this, the Turbo Bulge hood remained on the option list; on the Crossfire V-8, it was made functional, and even a lightweight aluminum version of this hood, "RPO T45", was available on the option list. It was a curved piece of pressed steel, and would be used in later years as the centerpiece of the Formula option. A new, smaller "Screaming Chicken" was placed upon the Turbo Bulge hood or on the nose of flat hood equipped T/A's. The Trans Am came standard with one of the two 305 Chevy V8s. The well worn Borg-Warner four-speed manual transmission came mated only to the weak 145 bhp LG4 305ci, while the Crossfire-injected LU5 305ci rated at 165 hp came with the TH-200c automatic 3-speed transmission. The new version of the Trans Am Pontiac's "RPO Y84" Black and Gold Trans Am S/E, made famous by Burt Reynolds and Jackie Gleason in 1977's "Smokey and the Bandit", carried on into 1982 as the limited edition "Recaro T/A". The package added about 25% to the price of a Trans Am. Standard with a host of options, some features included charcoal Parella cloth Recaro seats, t-tops, a black exterior with gold trim, and black "Bowling Ball" hubcaps with special Gold Pontiac Arrowhead emblems on its center, mounted on gold-painted 15-inch aluminum wheels. Another Special Trans Am also returned: the Daytona 500 Pace Car Edition. These models are quite rare, and much is still unknown about how many were built or how they were optioned. All were bright red, with special NASCAR decals, similar to both the 1981 Daytona Pace Car and the 1983 Daytona Pace Car. 15" Aero Rims adorned with Black Bowling Ball hubcaps and a WS6 suspension. All had a black interior; it is not known if they included black Recaro seats. As it was Pontiac's debut of the still-fresh 3rd Generation 1982 Trans Am, it is possible that they would have been optioned with many of Pontiac's best amenities; however few are known to still exist at this time. Therefore it is hard to ascertain what options they actually came with. These cars are featured in 1982 Daytona 500 race footage and in various advertisements. A modified black 1982 Firebird Trans Am appeared in the new for 1982 television series ''Knight Rider'' as KITT, voiced by William Daniels. For the reunion movie ''Knight Rider 2000'', KITT underwent a makeover and became the "Knight Industries 4000," a vehicle resembling the Pontiac Banshee concept car. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Pontiac Firebird (third generation)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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