By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Since the Trans Am died when Pontiac did - i.e. not long before the new Camaro hit the streets in 2010 - there have been more than a few fans who have been itching to buy a new one. And while there are a number of companies who have stepped into the gap to fill those urges with modified Camaros, none seem to have the same level of preparedness as the ones from Trans Am Depot.

Based in Tallahassee, FL, the shop started back in the early '90s catering to fans of Pontiac's pony car, and when the GM brand rolled over and died, Trans Am Depot figured it could just start building its own cars to fill any pent-up demand.

The latest offering is the Hurst Edition Trans Am, the first time the legendary shifter company partnered on a T/A since 1997. Besides the obvious Hurst shift kit, the head-turner is available in the company's iconic silver and black paint scheme. The carryover colours include the 'black-and-gold' made famous by none other than Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit, or the white-and-blue of the same era. And yes, the shaker hood, screaming chicken stickers and 'Bandit-esque' wheels remain part of the package.

And of course, T-tops. 

Mechanically, the Trans Am gets lowered and a stiffer anti-roll bar is added, but customers can add anything from better headers and custom exhaust, forced induction (supercharger or twin-turbo), a full coilover kit and more.

Trand Am Depot just released their latest commercial, which you can check out below. Depending on your work's policy, it might be slightly NSFW. Otherwise, enjoy!

So would you shell out for an 'official' Trans Am or stick with whatever current modern muscle car tickles your fancy? Let us know in the comments.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Well, that's a bummer.

We spent plenty of time checking out Chevrolet's new SS performance sedan during its coming out party at Daytona International Raceway last weekend. The full-size four-door SS is essentially a cleaned up version of the old Pontiac G8, which of course was an Australian Holden Commodore. The SS - and yes, that's its name, not Beaumont or Chevelle - is essentially Chevrolet's take on the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300, meaning it's got a big V8, is rear-wheel drive and pretty large.

The 6.2-litre V8 produces 415 horsepower and an equal amount of torque and is backed up by a six-speed automatic transmission. The SS has big Brembo brakes and near-perfect weight distribution, which is impressive for a vehicle this large. Chevrolet figures it'll do the 0-100 km/h run in five-ish seconds.

Sure, the exterior styling looks like you'd lose it in a rental-car pickup lot, but some of its potential buyers probably appreciate a modern-day sleeper. Chevrolet is only building - well, importing them from Australia, really - 5,000 of them, and at a price of around $28,000 (according to Automotive News). 

But - and this is a big 'but' - don't expect any of those 5,000 cars to be sold in Canada. Fellow MSN-er Michael Bettencourt broke the bad news in The Globe and Mail, saying that GM Canada spokesman George Saratlic confirmed the rumours.

Considering how much I enjoyed driving the G8 when it was around, I'm pretty disappointed, but given how few G8s were ever sold in Canada, I understand where GM Canada is coming from.

Would the new SS interest you? Or do you think Dodge and Chrysler already have that portion of the market covered perfectly fine? Let us know.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

It wasn't long after the Chevrolet Avalanche was introduced in 2002 that I had one as a press vehicle - still one of my first. The 'truck' garnered lots of attention for its flecked-grey flying buttresses between the cab and short bed and the weird material used as lower-body cladding, but otherwise seemed like a great proposition. I remember trying out the mid-gate in our underground parking garage, which required folding the rear seats flat first. I also remember my very patient girlfriend (now wife) helping me remove and then reinstall the three-part hard tonneau cover with much frustration and blue language. And later that week served perfectly as transport for our first foosball table home from Costco after the impulse buys of all impulse buys.

Anyway, the early '00s were a time of optimism for strange product packaging at GM. Besides the Avalanche and its Cadillac (?) version, the Escalade EXT, Pontiac was still offering the camping tent option on the Pontiac Aztek, and GMC Envoy XUV with its sliding glass tailgate would debut (and die) in 2004. Even Subaru got into the game with its Baja pickup, which was developed while under GM's ownership.

The Avalanche and EXT were the only ones to not only survive but hit a second generation (2007). However, sales peaked in 2003 at over 93,000 units and last year were probably a fifth of that.

Needless to say, Chevrolet is killing the Avalanche, but not without going out 'in style.' The final production models will be Black Diamond editions with body-coloured trim, lower prices and distinctive badges. 

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

While the main focus of the Canadian International Auto Show is to display the latest and greatest from every manufacturer, some of the best sights are located a little away from the bright glare of the show floor. The perfect example of this is the Icons: The Legend of Camaro & Firebird, a cornucopia of horsepower and smoky burnouts courtesy of General Motors’ pony car twins.

By Mark Atkinson, MSN Autos

Pontiac fans were crushed when General Motors pulled the life-support plug on the brand, mainly because their dreams of seeing a reborn Firebird were never fulfilled. This despite the Chevrolet Camaro still selling strongly despite some obvious flaws. Either way, no hope for the Poncho, right?

Wrong. Trans-Am fans should thank their lucky stars that producers of the upcoming sci-fi movie Jinn wanted to have a reborn futuristic muscle car as the ‘hero’. So, Classic Design Concepts (CDC), the company tasked with creating the movie cars, has decided to take advantage of its position and sell replicas to the general public.

By Justin Couture, MSN Autos

Ah the DeLorean. Who could forget that stainless steel gullwing coupe from the ‘80s - especially after its starring role as a mobile time transportation device in Back to the Future? Nevermind the fact that the car was woefully unreliable, anemic and the company’s went bust after just a few short years with debts of $50 million.

That said, the company was revived and has been making its keep providing parts and service for the original vehicles. On the side, it also makes “new” second-generation models for those kids of the ‘80s who have been earnestly saving their pennies since the movies came out. And while the new DeLorean’s business operations seem solid, the current management realizes that it’s limited business market, hence the start of something new.

By Justin Couture

If you're a fan of 60s and 70s American iron, you're sure to recall the name Hurst Performance, partially for its performance shifters, and partially for its limited-edition high-performance cars, such as the Oldsmobile Cutlass-based Hurst/Olds.

While Hurst Performance has continued in the parts-making industry, it has been laying fairly low as far as vehicle development goes, but as of late, things have picked up. Recently it announced three new creations, based on Pontiacs and Chrysler products.

The first vehicle, the G8 H.O. is based on Pontiac’s full-size rear-wheel drive sedan, and acts as an up-to-date interpretation of company founder George Hurst’s Executive Hot Rod. In addition to featuring a customized interior, the cars receive a sportier suspension setup and a supercharger for additional power. Each of the 52 cars planned for production will feature either white or black paint with gold stripes, and custom Hurst wheels.

By Justin Couture

Axes continue to swing at General Motors as the company scrambles to restructure, but the latest cuts won’t affect factories or the head count. This time around it’s cars.

For GM performance fans, 2010 is looking to be a dark year as numerous spruced up vehicles under the Chevrolet, Pontiac and Cadillac brands have been cancelled.

At Chevrolet, the 303-horsepower Impala SS is no more, marking the demise of GM’s LS4 V8. Also, the turbocharged Cobalt SS sedan and HHR Panel wagon have bitten the dust. The Coupe will stick around, though.