Pontiac's Firebird comes in three variants. The $19,235 base Firebird gets motivated by the ultra-smooth 3800 Series II V6, mated to either a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission. The $24,135 Formula and the $27,245 Trans Am feed off the robust 5.7-liter LS1 V8 lifted from the Corvette. Both are available with either a 4-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual gearbox; the automatic is geared more aggressively than in the V6 model.A major facelift for 1998 brought a slightly new look to the Firebird, along with the addition of the V8 and four-wheel antilock disc brakes. Pontiac added only a few updates for the 1999 model. All versions get a larger, 16.8-gallon fuel tank, while V8-powered models get a Torsen limited-slip differential, available as an option with the V6. For those with a particular bent for hard driving, the V8 cars offer a power steering cooler and a Hurst shifter. Compared to the sleeker, understated Camaro, the Firebird wears a more aggressive face, fronted with hideaway headlamps and capped by a voluptuously bulging hood. The WS6 performance option on our Formula test car adds a none-too-subtle Ram Air nose with not one, but a pair of signature Pontiac nostrils sandwiched on top of each other. The functional scoops add breathing room to boost the Formula's base 305-horsepower output by 15 horses. The WS6 upgrade also enhances the Formula's menacing lines with larger, polished alloy rims wrapped in P275/40R17 radials and matching alloy exhaust tips. Climbing up to the Trans Am sees mostly cosmetic differences. Fog lamps are pushed in-board and turn signals outward, placed over the brake-cooling vent ports. The base V6 model forfeits much of the performance offered by the Formula and Trans Am but loses little in the way of visual appeal. With a sticker starting at $19,235, it nabs most of the attention of the more powerful V8 versions for an affordable price. And like the Trans Am, the V6 Firebird is available as a convertible. (Firebird Convertible is $25,855; Trans Am Convertible is $31,315.) Compared with a similarly equipped Mitsubishi 3000GT, for example, which can run $10,000 more than the V6, it's clear that the Firebird offers sporty performance for a great price. But the Firebird's options add up fast. The WS6 and autocross packages on our Formula test car jack its base $24,135 sticker by $4,325. A power delete option lowers the car's overall cost by $1,125 -- and removes the power windows, locks, mirrors and antenna in the process.
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