Pontiac generating buzz with the 2017 Firebird concept

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Pontiac designers from the company's U.S. studio., said the Firebird hearkens back to the glory days of purebred, affordable sports cars. The design language moves in a new direction, while the 2017 Firebird concept pushes the boundaries of performance with a rear-drive 2 2 sports car,

Emboldened by the brand's on-track success in the Firebird World Challenge racing with a pair of turbocharged, Firebird sport coupes, Pontiac's U.S. design team approached the 2017 Firebird project with an eye toward weight reduction, functionality and pure driving enjoyment. The 2017 Firebird concept shuns the luxury trappings of a traditional sports car and embraces the elemental experience of truly engaging with the vehicle.

 "If anyone were to ask if Pontiac has the credibility to build a car like the 2017 Firebird," "I would simply point out that Pontiac races—and wins—against some of the world's most legendary performance brands."

Firebird Custom 20-inch aluminum center-lock wheels feature carbon fiber inserts for strength and weight reduction. Tucked inside the massive wheels and bringing the 2017 Firebird to a halt are Brembo Gran Tourismo two-piece cross-drilled rotors with four-piston calipers. And underpinning the 2017 Pontiac Firebird's sculpted "Ignition Yellow" body is a custom chassis with an independent double wishbone suspension.

Pontiac hasn't made any kind of commitment but analysts suggested that, depending on where the vehicle is priced, a production version of the 2017 Firebird could appeal to younger buyers and finally give the company a chance to build on its racing success.

Detroit LIVE: 2017 Pontiac Firebird concept | New and Used Car Reviews

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ORIGINAL STORY: 'Leaked' and 'teased' are words that will pepper Firebird for the next few days as manufacturers seek to garner interest in their cars and concepts at Detroit. And here's the first to be seen before it should, the 2017 Pontaic Firebird.

 Can those be turned off?

The early images were encouraging, and those that have been leaked (we did warn you) now only heighten the excitement about a real Pontiac driver's car. The front is dominated by that tiger grille and stacked LEDs and probably isn't the Firebird's best angle. But the side profile is great. The 2017 car looking squat and compact with some brilliant flared arches. It had a stance not dissimilar to the Trans Am, a car Pontiac was surely aiming at.

From behind too, there's a decent set of tailpipes (hopefully genuine), a glass hatchback much like the Firebird Type's and some interesting lights. The 2017 Firebird looks good, put simply. And perhaps more relevantly, it doesn't look like an unfeasible production prospect.

 315hp and a six-speed manual? Yes please

There's further good news inside, with a pair of racy seats, a driver-focused console and, best of all, a real gearstick connected to a six-speed manual transmission.

Some additional spec details have crept out with the pics too. So as well as the 315hp that was already known, the 2017 Pontiac Firebird (we're not calling it a 2017Firebird, even if it is the colour of a wasp) comes with Brembo brakes and Pirelli P-Zero tyres. They sit on centre-locking 20-inch wheels with carbon inserts

2017 Pontiac Firebird - 2017 Firebird's Sports Car Concept

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Pontiac was careful not to reveal to much about their 2017 Firebird concept design, and only offered a few photos and a small amount of information. According to the concept plans, the 2017 Pontiac Firebird will have a turbocharged four cylinder, 315 horsepower, rear-wheel drive and an awesome look.

Are you excited about the possibility of a 2017 Firebird sports car? Just remember, the actual Firebird may be a little different from the concept. Concept cars typically include ideas of what a car could be and when and if the car is actually made, not every idea that was part of the concept will be used on the actual car.

A all new 2017 Firebird sports car would allow Pontiac to appeal to a different market and could create a larger customer base for the company, but how many people are willing to buy a 2017 Firebird sports car?

Pontiac finally reveals New 2017 Firebird concept

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After the slow drip of pictures comes the real thing. Welcome to the Pontiac 2017 Firebird concept - a rear-drive, 311bhp, pared down Firebird concept revealed at this year's Detroit motor show. Yes: a 300+bhp, rear-wheel drive 2017 Firebird.

It's been built on a bespoke chassis with all-round independent double-wishbone suspension, powered by the same 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, and its 1304kg mass is distributed at 52 per cent up front and 48 per cent at the rear.

 There's no fancypants double-clutch ‘box here, either - it's a resolutely analogue six-speed manual, which sends power to 20-inch rims wearing Pirelli P-Zero tyres. Behind them there's a set of 15-inch Brembo brakes. Tres racey.

Inside, it's pretty stark. It has no stereo, lightweight doors, slim bucket seats, and those silly nylon door pulls instead of proper handles. Pontiac's gone one step further too, leaving out the carpet and fitting rubber mats behind the billet alloy pedals instead.

New 2017 Pontiac Firebird Concept Begins to Take Shape [2017 Detroit Auto Show]

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Have your EpiPens at the ready, another image of the 2017 Firebird concept has escaped the hive ahead of the Detroit auto show. Despite the partial-fade lighting treatment, this image provides us with a better look at the 2017 Firebird’s golden hue, which sets off a set of the most undulant fenders ever to wear a 2017 Firebird badge. There’s no mistaking that pair of serious-looking hood vents either. Blacked-out glass wraps unbroken from the windshield to the passenger windows like a pair of Eighties sunglasses, and the backlight appears to be a steeply raked hatch.

 As we learned when Pontiac teased an image of the 2017 Firebird’s face, the show car will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbo four producing 315 horsepower. The American automaker has now revealed a few other technical details, including that the 2017 Firebird will make use of a six-speed manual transmission and four-piston Brembo brakes.

It’s still difficult to get a grasp on the Firebird’s overall size, as this overhead view makes it appear quite compact, Large or small, The 2015 Firebird concept’s true identity will be revealed next week in Detroit.

Pontiac shows a sportier look with 2017 Firebird concept

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To be honest, when somebody says “sports car,” the word “Firebird” what leap to mind. However, the American car maker wants to rectify that and after dropping a trail of hints, Pontiac’s 2017 Firebird concept got its world première on Monday at the 2016 North American International Auto Show. Pontiac sees this stripped down track car as “hearkening back to the glory days of the pure-bred Firebird, affordable sports cars.”

The idea behind the rear-drive 2+2 Pontiac Firebird 2017 concept was to build around the experience that Pontiac gained in races such as the Pirelli World Challenge. This produced a minimalist design strategy that put an emphasis on light weight, functionality and performance at the expense of creature comforts.

The first thing you notice about the 2017 Firebird concept is how its “Ignition Yellow” body is molded onto the bespoke chassis. “We gave the car a shrink-wrapped appearance,”. “It’s as if the body panels were formed around the chassis instead of merely welded to it.”

With a wheelbase of 103.1 in (261.8 cm) and a width of 74.4 in (188.9 cm), the 2017 Firebird concept weighs in at merely 2,874 lb (1303 kg), which helps with the power to weight ratio. It also enjoys a weight distribution of 52 percent in the front and 48 percent in the back.

The 2017 Firebird concept has a surprisingly simple, almost boxy profile broken by the arching wings to accommodate the track tires, while the rear of the passenger cabin with its full, raking fall away has echoes of ‘70s sports cars.

The low-set grille to enhance engine cooling is definitely a Pontiac and the air inlets set into the front bumper seem designed to prove you can keep the brakes cool without fitting something off a jet engine. Pontiac hasn't even made a big deal of the carbon composite splitter to increase downforce, so the dominating features bookending the grille are the vertical LED headlamps.

2017 New Pontiac Firebird concept may be closer to production than you think

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Pontiac says in its press release that "there are currently no plans to bring the concept to production." Of course, that's a qualified statement: the American automaker then follows that up by noting it "has a history of delivering production vehicles that bear a strong resemblance to the Trans Am concept that preceded them." So cross your fingers, kids – this looks like it could be a preview of the company's first real sports car.

Through those three teasers, we've learned and seen more of the 2017 Pontiac Firebird, and we largely like what we see. It's a 2+2, rear-drive coupe with a detuned version of the 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder. The 2017 Firebird concept's engine is said to be good for a healthy 315 horsepower, though the race-tuned Firebird can deliver upwards of 400. A six-speed manual handles the power, while staggered Pirelli PZero tires provide the grip. Those Pirellis wrap around a set of 20-inch wheels, complete with showcar-friendly center locks, while 15-inch Brembo brakes and four-piston calipers mean the 2017 Firebird should be able to stop with as much authority as it will go. What the teasers haven't been able to put into perspective, though, is the 2017 Firebird's size.

Now, it's fair to say that a lot of the stuff up here isn't likely to make production – 2017 Firebird concept car rarely get the green light without making some major compromises. Still, enthusiasts should view the 2017 Pontiac Firebird as a very positive sign. It's small and light, and with any luck, it'll provide substantially more grunt than what would seem to be its main competitors – It'll still be some time before we know for certain whether Pontiac will go ahead with a production of the 2017 Firebird, but if history is any indication, the prospects look good.