Every Pontiac Firebird Generation Ranked By Top Speed

Key Points:

• Pontiac Firebird production ended in 2002, with the brand itself ceasing operations in 2010, the same year the Chevy Camaro was revived for its fifth generation.
• The Firebird never returned alongside the Camaro's revival, and its top speeds across four generations have been ranked based on verified instrumented testing of factory-stock vehicles.
• First-generation Firebirds have the lowest recorded top speeds, with a 1967 Firebird 400 reaching 115 mph, while the second-generation models, such as the 1979 Trans Am, hit around 132 mph in tests.
• Third-generation Firebirds, including the Turbo Trans Am, recorded top speeds up to 162 mph, with special variants like the SLP Firehawk reaching 158-160 mph, though some aftermarket-modified models reached much higher speeds unofficially.
• Fourth-generation Firebirds posted the highest verified top speed of 163 mph in a 30th Anniversary edition, electronically limited, and comparisons show the Firebird's performance closely rivals that of contemporary Camaro models.