Every once in a while we’re reminded about a killer car that has somehow slipped between the cracks of our sieve like memories around here. In this case it is the 1997 Hurst Firebird which was a titanically awesome black and gold late 1990s killer car that was developed between Pontiac, Hurst, and John Lingenfelter. Sold directly thorough Lingenfelter and with only 50 examples produced, it was a very rare and pretty pricey machine that went far beyond some black and gold paint.
This LT1 powered Firebird was capable of running 12.90s with an automatic and deeper into the 12s with a stick. As you will see in the video below, Lingenfelter added a host of modifications to the engine including a new camshaft, ported LT4 heads, a beefed ignition system, headers, full exhaust, and higher ratio roller rockers. He nearly chokes when trying to tell the camera with a straight face that the car makes “360 horsepower”. Yeah right! This thing was really making some steam and so much steam that it would bury Corvettes and anything else pushed out the back of an American factory in those years. Sure, performance has morphed since then but even today, nearly 20 years later, the thing is still a hauler!
The most impressive part of the car to us is that view few of them are ever seen for sale or trading hands. They have to have some value because of how they were built, their limited quantity, and the fact that it wasn’t just a color package. We found one on an auction site back in 2011 but other than some forum posts, these things seem to be living comfortably in the hands of owners who know that they possess one of the best performance cars of the 1990s and something that won’t be depreciating any time soon.
Do you remember these cars? If not…now ya do!
that is one sweet porn stash!!!
Ah yes, TNN, before MTV bought out CMT and raped the southern culture.