Faults:

Drivers side turn signal shorted out.

General Comments:

I bought this as a "fun" car. From test drives and magazine reviews, I expected this car to have very good performance, and it does. The Trans-Am with the LS1 engine and 6 speed manual transmission is the most bang for the buck of any car in the world. W/stock LS1 engine, 0-60 in 5.1 seconds & 13.6 sec @ 108mph in 1/4 mile - at 5,200' above sea level. I have cruised it at 145mph (not its top speed) and it stuck to the highway like it was on rails.

The doors are clunky, and the leather interior is quite plain, but to get the most bang for the buck, I would rather have one of the best engines and drive trains in the world, and less expensive "luxury" items.

I put in SLP lower control arms, shock tower brace and sub frame connectors, which for around $350 and an -easy- installation, really stiffened the frame up and made it handle and cruise down the highway as good or better than a Corvette, and certainly -far- better than any other American, Japanese or European sports car in the same price range.

My Pontiac Trans-Am is a great, -totally- underrated sports car.

Faults:

Aside from regular wear parts such as clutch, brakes, changing fluids, etc. I've had to replace nothing.

Driver's seat bolster is wearing, and this is VERY common in all F-bodies (Camaro/Firebird) from people rubbing them when getting in and out of the car.

Some interior rattles which are also common with F-bodies. Most are livable and many of them are due to my exhaust setup (loud, but with a purpose).

General Comments:

Bottom line with this car is if you find one that's been taken care of, you can't beat the performance and reliability for the price. Yes, clutches are expensive (about $500 for a C6 Z06 clutch/flywheel combo, perfect for this car) and so is the install if you're not doing it yourself. Keep up with the regular oil changes, transmission services, and rear differential services (very important!) and it will be good to you and run STRONG.

This car is fast for what you pay for. It is underrated from the factory, putting the flywheel-rated power to the wheels on a dynomometer regularly in bone stock form. The suspension is great, except for the DeCarbon shocks (they wear out quickly, but you wouldn't notice unless you tear through corners recklessly or auto-cross).

The aftermarket for this car is EXTREMELY good - many great shops around the country, and tons of parts/manufacturers to choose from, so have fun!

A word to the wise: don't run slicks on the back - the stock rear end WILL break if you launch it on very sticky tires. Keep up rear differential service and it will be fine for normal street and some fun use.

Road noise is high in this car and the ride isn't the most forgiving, although the seats are noticeably more comfortable than the Camaro. The stock Monsoon sound system is adequate and quite good compared to most, although not the best I will say.

One cool part: the car got around 18mpg city and 28mpg highway bone stock. The car now has full intake, exhaust, and tune and puts down over 350hp to the rear wheels and over 355ftlbs of torque and still gets 18mpg city and 27mpg highway.

Overall, an amazing car for the money if you want something sporty and fun. Not for those whom are looking for a luxurious cruiser, though. If you want something more refined, check out the C5 Corvette - it is not as expensive as you may think.