When Ford rolled out their all-new 1979 Mustang, GM was kind of caught flat-footed. Their second-generation F-bodies had been soldiering on for the better part of a decade at that point and in public anyway, there wasn’t a whole lot of talk about replacing them. As the 1970s became the 1980s, GM worked feverishly on their replacement for the tried and true second generation F-body chassis. What they came up with was a quantum leap forward in the form of the 3rd generation Pontiac Firebird and Camaro. The styling was modern, the handling was fantastic, and while the power was typical for the time, the cars were equipped with engines that had all the potential in the world to be warmed up with aftermarket parts.
This 1982 MotorWeek review is cool because we see the car and hear about the car in its initial state. This is an honest first impression of a car and a chassis that would carry on for another 10 years in various forms. No, they do not mention the plastic interior squeaking and rattling like a tin can as they drive, nor do they make mention of a headliner falling in, etc. Those were things that F-body owners in the coming years would have experience with.
These cars were always touted for their handling and that’s the scene here. You’ll watch it make the slalom and lane change tests with a great level of control and flatness. You’ll also see it run the quarter in 17.1-seconds with a CrossFire injected 305. Hey, you can’t win them all.
