Pontiac Aztek Gets a New Life as a Firebird Trans Am
No, this is not a belated April Fool’s prank.
Sold from 2001 to 2005, the Pontiac Aztek was a terror on the road, but for the wrong reasons. It went down in history as one of the ugliest-looking production vehicles ever made. Styling was so bad it’s unfathomable to think the executives at General Motors gave it the green light.
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Probably inspired by all these car brands that play the retro card when developing new versions of their models, a Mexican designer by the name of Abimelec Arellano (Abimelec Design) used his spare time while in quarantine to resurrect the Aztek in the guise of the famous Firebird Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit.
Surprisingly, the front end of the midsize SUV is no longer that offensive when the body is entirely painted in black, the signature gold Firebird emblem adorns the hood and the fenders get muscular extensions. The two-tone wheels with gold accents are quite unique and the original headlights seem to have been tweaked a little, too.
In the rear, Arellano flattened the bumper and added a more prominent spoiler on the hatch. We can even see a pair of chrome exhaust tips at the bottom.
Given the overall result, the Aztek would need a stronger and better-sounding engine than the weak and timid 185-horsepower V6, but that’s a debate for another time—maybe.
What do you think of this transformation?