Running on nothing but straight gasoline, this Banks twin-turbocharged Firebird scorches the Salt at 287 mph to become the new World’s Fastest Passenger Car. Despite dozens of challenges, Banks ‘Bird held the title for 10 years.
1987 Pontiac Trans Am GTA World Record 267.618 mph
Clocking a 277 mph, mile and a 268 mph two-way record, Banks’ 1987 Twin-Turbo, 1800 hp, gasoline-burning big block Pontiac GTA, set a passenger car standard that would stand for ten years. As a result, the Banks’ team, beginning with the Hanky-Panky Studebaker in 1978, followed by the Sundowner Corvette in 1981, and finally the Twin-Turbo GTA in 1987 through 1997, held the record for the “World’s Fastest Passenger Car” for two decades.
A Banks Power twin-turbo, 1800-hp Pontiac GTA set a new “World’s Fastest Passenger Car” speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats at 277 mph as certified by the Southern California Timing Association. This record stood for the next ten years.
“The three-year buildup paid off during the 38th annual Bonneville Speed Trials when the Banks ‘Bird nabbed the class win, making it the World’s Fastest Passenger Car. And that was on gas with ‘only’ 22 pounds of boost; the twin hairdryers will generate a maximum of 38 pounds of boost!” —Hot Rod Yearbook
Working with Pontiac, the Banks Trans Am GTA was developed to break the previous record for a gasoline-powered stock-bodied passenger car that was held by Banks. Powered by a Gale Banks marine-based 454 ci GM engine producing about 1,700 hp, the Trans Am reached a terminal speed of 283 mph under rainy conditions at Bonneville. Tire testing revealed front tire failure at ~282 mph, preventing the Trans Am from reaching its goal of 300 mph. Its average speed of 267.618 mph made the Trans Am the world’s fastest stock-bodied passenger car on gasoline. The Banks Trans Am GTA would hold the record for the next 10 years.
Gale Banks welcomes Rick Young, Banks’ 12th employee. Gale erupts in infectious laughter as Rick recalls hilarious antics during the company’s early years.
Gale Banks welcomes Csaba Csere, former technical director and editor-in-chief of Car and Driver. The two laugh about making history in a 700-hp, 200-mph street-legal Pontiac Trans Am. And, a hair-raising tale of a 170 mph test drive down a Southern California highway that almost cost their lives. Gale answers your questions.
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Banks Trans Am Crushes Speed Record at 267 MPH!
The Banks Power team joined forces with Pontiac and Popular Mechanics to create a record-breaking Trans Am. This powerhouse featured a monster 1,500 horsepower twin-turbocharged engine built by Gale Banks.
After just three years of development, the Banks Trans Am obliterated the 1968 record of 201 mph. ...
Gale Banks has a long history of building and racing high-performance vehicles. Over the years, the company has experimented with various fuels, including methanol, nitromethane, hydrogen, and diesel. Banks Power has also developed innovative turbocharging technologies and engine modifications to achieve record-breaking performance.
Discover why the Pontiac Trans Am remains the undisputed king of speed. Learn how its aerodynamic design and immense power potential, as showcased by the record-breaking Banks/Pontiac Twin Turbo GTA, make it the ultimate choice for performance enthusiasts seeking to push the boundaries of automotive speed.
The History and Evolution of the Gale Banks Engineering Twin-Turbo Chevrolet V-8s
Shown is one of Banks’ original blow-through-design twin-turbo small-block Chevrolet engines. These first-design “production” twin-turbos went into Banks’ GT Firebirds and Camaros. The engines made 500, 600 or 700 hp, depending on the depth of the customer’s pockets.
Unless you’ve been living in a cave ...
Back to the Future: Fast-Forward Firebird
Now for the kicker. Gale Banks recently pulled one of his original twin-turbo Firebirds out of mothballs, and it’s about to receive a Banks Revival twin-turbo small-block Chevrolet engine, and all the modern goodies to go along with it. Now, this isn’t just any ol’ ’84 Firebird—this one shows 15,000 ...
