This 80s pony car hybrid includes two different classic cars and the results are certainly divisive.
In the late 20th century, the longtime Detroit rivalry between GM and Ford was alive and well.
While Chevrolet and Ford are most frequently the target of the ‘either/or debate’, Pontiac earned a reputation as a respectable option in the muscle and sports car world, perhaps notably for the Trans Am.
The choice of a Mustang or a Trans Am is no doubt one that made sports car enthusiasts pondered in the 80s and 90s but rarely would anyone think of combining them. Despite the unconventional idea, that’s exactly what Instagram graphic designer JLord8 has done in one of the latest renders from his Instagram account combining a second generation Pontiac Trans Am and Ford Mustang Cobra into a single red sports car.
The Ford Mustang/Pontiac Trans Am GTA-R
Everything in front of the a-pillar is Pontiac Trans Am influenced, using the body style of a third generation Trans Am, specifically the GTA trim introduced for 1988 the GTA got built with a 350 cu in 5.7L V8 engine or the 305 cu in 5.0L.
In addition to the front of the car influenced by the Pontiac, the wheels also look to be from a 1980s Pontiac design, with the gold wheels and red exterior paint recognizable from Pontiacs of that era.
From the a-pillar back, the body largely relies upon the Ford Mustang Cobra R, introduced for 2000. That car offered a 5.4L V8 engine and like the Pontiac, could get purchased with a bright red exterior paint, though only 300 of the Cobra R got built in that color.
The rear wing at the back of the car also screams Cobra R in design as does the rear sloping of the car.
Essentially, the Trans Am Cobra GTA-R (as @jlord8 names it) is a 2000 Ford Mustang Cobra R with a Trans Am GTA front.
A 2000 Model Year Cobra-R And GTA Version
Despite @jlord8’s promise that he might “stop choosing violence” with these renders, the reactions among commenters are almost exclusively positive for this one.
Given that the third generation Trans Am got built into the early 90s and the Mustang this render uses came along in 2000, both cars that inspire this design are from a similar era of American sports cars of the 1990s.
Given that Pontiac still built a Trans Am in 2000, it could be interesting to see a rendered version with a 2000 Trans Am against the 2000 Cobra R, perhaps that act of violence is still to come.
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