Although GM often makes cars that are surprisingly good to drive, there is just as often something about them that shrieks “Florida man”. But as time passes, the reputations of the late Firebirds and Camaros continue to improve.
This 2002 WS6 would turn out to be one of the last Firebirds and, according to Jay Leno, one of the best. That’s hardly a surprise, though, GM is uniquely talented at killing cars right as they become good (see: Fiero). Endowed with a 325 hp 5.7-liter V8, it was often called a four-seat Corvette. And with good reason.
Although it was slightly less powerful than the ‘Vette, that was only because of GM hierarchy. Between its power and its 350 lb-ft of torque, it could run the quarter-mile in just 13.1 seconds. That’s around about the same time as a 2001 Corvette could manage (per Motor Trend testing) and is still pretty quick today.
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And this wasn’t just a straight-line hero. Pontiac had long been interested in making cars that could handle, which is why it introduced the WS6 package in the first place. According to the old wives Leno talks to, the term refers to “wide suspension, 6 pieces,” and that seems reasonable enough.
Whatever it stood for, the package has been around for years. In 1979, Car and Driver determined that the Firebird WS6 the best-handling car of the year. And, indeed, Leno reports that the 2002 version of the car is a great car to go canyon carving in.
So, maybe it’s a good time to start looking at one of these. With a throaty V8 making enough power for any reasonable purposes, a 6-speed manual, a suspension that doesn’t trip all over itself, four-wheel discs, and prices that are still reasonable (even for wildly low mileage examples), these look like a solid performance option for the budget-minded buyer.