https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_Firebird
The General Motors Firebird comprises a quartet of prototype cars that General ... It was the first gas turbine-powered car tested in the United States. The design is entirely impractical, with a ... Whirlfire Turbo Power gas turbine engine, which has two speeds, and expels jet exhaust at some 1,250 °F (677 °C). The weight of the car is 2,500

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/firebird-1-xp-21-gms-audacious-1950s-jet-powered-fighter-jet-inspired-concept-car-169016.html
Photo: General Motors LLC. One of the wildest concept cars ever created, the Firebird I XP-21 paved the way for three more gas turbine-powered GM prototypes released in the 1950s. Along with the

https://www.gm.com/heritage/collection/gm-concept/1954-firebird-I
The negative angle of attack of the wings and the 6-square-foot area of the tail fin were all optimized through this ground-breaking work. Wheelbase: 100.0 in (254.00 cm) Weight: 2800.00 lbs (1,270.06 kg) Engine: Single Stage, Axial Flow Turbine, 370 horsepoweer @ 26,000 rpm. Learn about the 1954 Firebird I in the GM Heritage Collection.

https://www.gm.com/stories/firebird
At General Motors, we're pushing the boundaries of what's possible, helping to lead the way in electric and autonomous vehicles. Its cutting-edge technology, but our exploration into self-driving automobiles started long ago, with the 1950's series of Firebird concept cars. Although they might be distant cousins to today's advanced

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2016/01/20/remembering-gms-firebird-i
Its compact Whirlfire Turbo-Power turbine engine produced approximately 370 horsepower at a speed of 13,000 RPM. It was located in the rear and propelled the car via a two-speed transmission directly linked to the rear wheels. With its body crafted of lightweight fiberglass-reinforced plastic, the overall weight of Firebird I was around 2,500

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/concept/concepts-time-forgot-general-motors-firebird-i
The Firebird concept was initiated by GM's legendary head of styling, Harley J. Earl, who defined an era with his iconic designs and invented the notion of the concept car as a tech and design

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/news/g5937/1950s-firebird-concept-cars-photo-gallery/
Before it was a Pontiac pony car, the Firebird was GM's daydream of a self-driving, jet-powered automotive future. By Bob Sorokanich Published: Dec 18, 2014 12:26 PM EST Save Article

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2014/10/before-the-hybrid-1953-xp-21-firebird-1/
The idea for the 1953 General Motors XP-21 Firebird 1 (America's first gas turbine vehicle to be built) came from GM Styling VP Harley Ear l, who designed the car's aircraft-inspired plastic

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/classic-cars/news/a24554/video-1954-jet-powered-firebird-concept-car/
The first of three fighter-jet inspired, turbine-powered concept cars from GM, the Firebird XP-21 debuted in 1953 looking like it came from a hundred years in the future. Powered by a 370

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2022/05/gms-1953-xp-21-firebird-1-concept-live-photo-gallery/
The 1953 XP-21 Firebird 1 Concept was the first gas turbine automobile ever to be built and tested in the United States. This radical, fighter-jet-inspired show car was conceived as an engineering

https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/short-glorious-flight-gm-firebird-concepts
1953 Firebird I. Debuting in 1953 at the inaugural Motorama show, the first Firebird was the earliest instance of a gas turbine engine used in a car. Wings, tailfins and a bullet-shaped body/fuselage drew the crowds, although the highlight was the 370HP 'Whirlfire Turbo-Power' engine that spun at up to 13,000rpm.

http://turbinefirebird.com/
As far back as the 1930's, General Motors had started research into turbine vehicles, and around 1950 they started building a series of turbine powered vehicles, including the three Firebird experimental vehicles. Over the span of a decade these vehicles fascinated and captured the imagination of the world. Our story originally started with the

https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/141529/
The dramatic Firebird concept car wowed audiences at the 1954 General Motors Motorama. Harley Earl took inspiration from jet fighter planes in designing the vehicle. Power came from a 370-horsepower gas-turbine engine that drove the rear wheels. (The large exhaust nozzle at back was just for show.) When subsequent Firebirds appeared, the original received the retronym "Firebird I."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1fSAF_Cqg4
Ever heard of the 1956 GM Firebird II? This jet-powered dream car was ahead of its time! Discover the fascinating story of this technological marvel. #Automo

https://www.hotcars.com/1953-gm-firebird-1-xp-21-a-look-at-the-crazy-jet-inspired-concept/
The engine in the Firebird 1 was a Whirlfire Turbo Power gas turbine engine with a two-speed gearbox. This motor was able to crank out a whopping (for the time) 370 horsepower rated at 13,000 RPM. The estimated top speed of all four generations of these concept vehicles is 200 miles per hour. The engine also expels jet fuel at a staggering

https://mechanixillustrated.technicacuriosa.com/2017/03/04/firebirds-turbine-power-research/
The British had already built and tested the world's first turbine-powered car, the Rover J.E.T., shortly before the emergence of the GM Firebird. Harley Earl, the vice president of GM Design posed with the Firebirds for this photograph taken in 1958, at GM's Mesa, AZ proving grounds. Earl retired from GM at the end of the year.

https://www.gm.com/heritage/collection/gm-concept/1956-firebird-II
1956 Firebird II. The General Motors Firebird II, a gas-turbine powered engineering concept car, was introduced at the 1956 GM Motorama. Firebird II was the successor to the famous 1954 Firebird I.. The four-passenger Firebird II was characterized by innovations like a titanium body, a regenerative gas turbine, all-wheel independent suspension with automatic load-leveling, power disc brakes

https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/classic-cars/a1690976/gms-firebird-iii-concept-was-more-influential-it-looks-today/
The second Firebird concept, which debuted in 1956, kept the jet-like shape but dialed down the high speed ambitions, previewing a family car with autonomous driving capabilities; the Firebird II

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6dhPwBClXA
Automakers were enamored with jet age and their cars reflected their infatuation. It was more than just fins. General Motors (GM) got a jump on Chrysler wi

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/the-story-of-the-gm-firebird-iv-the-1960s-autonomous-car-with-a-fridge-and-tv-180881.html
It all began with Firebird I (XP-21), a gas turbine-powered jet plane on wheels, and continued with the II, a sport four-seat car with titanium bodywork. The latter debuted in 1956.

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/firebird-iii-chrysler-turbine-comparison/
While Ford did have its own turbine program, largely focused on powering heavy-duty trucks, it was General Motors and Chrysler that put significant and long-term investments into the engine technology for automotive use, often touting it as an engine that would power the cars of the future.Chrysler arguably came closest to implementing turbines in production cars with the 1964 Ghia-bodied

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2023/02/jet-powered-pontiac-firebird-attempts-jump-over-row-of-school-buses-video/
Donut Media started out with a 1997 Pontiac Firebird powered by the 3.8L V6 L36 engine, which is rated from the factory at 205 horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque. This old engine wasn't

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/enthusiasts/20-cool-1950s-and-60s-gm-concept-cars/ss-AA1hVxIt
Famed GM designer Harley Earl dreamed up the LeSabre as a way to bring then-modern jet aircraft influences to the car. It featured 12-volt electrics, hydraulic jacks all around to lift the car as

https://www.gm.com/heritage/collection/gm-concept/1958-firebird-III
The Firebird III was by far the most intriguing and influential of the Motorama Firebirds. Built in 1958, it was the only member of the Firebird trio to have any direct impact on the design of General Motors production vehicles. The 1959 Cadillac featured some of the Firebird III's surface development and its severe rocker panel tuck-under.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/other/10-greatest-cars-to-ever-feature-the-ls-v8-engine/ar-AA1euxto
2001 - 2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Horsepower: 325 HP. The Pontiac Firebird debuted in 1967, five months after its Camaro cousin, as GM's pony car answer to the runaway Ford Mustang.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkwanten/2024/06/26/accessible-collectibles-1993-to-2002-pontiac-firebird/
The WS6 was a performance package that brought more power and a stiffer suspension. ... The 1988 Pontiac Banshee IV concept car directly inspired the 1993 Firebird's swoopy, ultra-clean