The 1991 Firehawk was the absolute apex of F-Body production in every sense of the word and forever will be with the demise of the F-Body in 2002. A company called SLP Engineering (Street Legal Performance) joined up with PMD in 1991 to produce the fastest, most extreme, hard edged, Firebird ever. They succeeded. These cars were totally outrageous.
 

This is 1991 Firehawk #001. It's the Firehawk that was given to Car & Driver and all other automotive publications for testing and still has only 11K miles. This Firehawk had the standard Firehawk package and some of the competition package goodies. Before this car there was only 1 other Firehawk, SLP's original pre production and development car for the Firehawk program. That car had no sequence number and to this day it is still owned by the founder of SLP, Ed Hamburger.
 
 
 
 

            This is the famous high flow down draft "T-RAM" intake manifold built and used by SLP on all of the 3rd Gen Firehawks. This intake guaranteed a minimum of 45 HP over the stock TPI plenum right out of the box and onto a stock L98. The Formula's drivetrain was completely removed and replaced to make a Firehawk. Firehawks used a 4 bolt main block, forged steel crankshafts, 1053 alloy forged steel "Pink" connecting rods, lightweight high silicon cast LT1 aluminum pistons, steel billet hydraulic roller camshaft, high output aluminum cylinder heads with SS valves, Tri-Y headers, and a dual catalytic converter exhaust system, just to name part of it. The last 3 Firehawks made all shared and all aluminum 366ci Rodeck block engine rated at 375HP. What even made these engine's even more special is that all of them (except the last 3) were actually built by GM to SLP specs and they also came with a warranty from SLP.
 

This is the interior of Firehawk #003. You can see how SLP had to make a custom center console to handle the placement of the ZF-6 speed transmission. The prototype 'Hawk and #001 used a factory 5-spd console but this was found to be inadequate, hence the custom console. The Firehawk production number is also stitched into the map pocket, although there is in fact 1 of the 25 Firehawks that made it out without the Firehawk logo or production number stitched onto the map pocket. The rest of the interior was that of a totally stock Firebird Formula assuming it's a non competition 'Hawk. Talk about the ultimate sleeper!
 
 
 
 

            You had 2 suspension choices when it came to the 91-92 Firehawk. The basic suspension was the 1LE, developed for the GM Canada Motorsports (F-body) racing series AKA: Players Club. This included Koni shocks, higher rate springs and larger Corvette based disk brakes. The other suspension choice was the $8,995 "Competition "R" Option Package". The main feature of this upgraded suspension was the 13" Brembo cross drilled disc brakes,  the same brakes as on the Ferrari F-40.  SLP also included a high durometer suspension bushings, 6-pt roll bar, a Recaro racing seat w/five point racing harness, aluminum hood, and even lost the back seat among other things. Out of the 25 only 9 have the Competition "R" Package. 1 Firehawk, #003, even got a 12 pt cage, a Fuel Safe fuel cell, and a driveshaft loop. It was the only Firehawk to get a 12 pt cage over the standard 6 pt, and a driveshaft loop. Only 2 Firehawks, #003 & #008, ever got a fuel cell. This just goes to show how hard-core you could get when ordering your Firehawk from SLP.

            GM only made the RPO code B4U available on Red hardtop Formula's with L98 1LE's and yes they came with factory A/C too! Because of these facts, only 19 of the 25 Firehawks made by SLP in 1991 and 1992 are factory optioned Firehawks w/RPO code B4U because the others are either; not red, have other options the buyers wanted but could not get on a regular Firehawk, the prototype, ordered after 92 production stopped, or as in the last case, a convertible Trans Am. Ed Hamburger himself used to test drive each Firehawk personally until he was convinced it was perfect. He was known to have put anywhere between 80 to 300 miles on one of these cars getting it to where he was satisfied. Due to this fact, there are no super low mileage Firehawks, the lowest mileage Firehawk known is #012 with only 100 miles.

            You may also notice that some Firehawks have the trademark "FIREHAWK" decal on the doors while others do not. This is due to a copyright issue between Firestone (the owners of the FIREHAWK trademark) and SLP which was occurring at the time. Only a handful of the 25 cars ever got the decal applied by SLP because there were several times during 91 and 92 when SLP was ordered to quit using the decal and other times when it was permitted to use the decal. Finally by 1993 and agreement had been worked out which allowed SLP to use the FIREHAWK logo on all of their cars.

            The 1991 & 1992 Firehawk program just about bankrupted SLP Engineering but thanks to the introduction of the 4th Gen Firebird in 1993 with the GM optional LT1 350 and T-56 6-spd, SLP was able to bring the base Firehawk down to less than $6K which vastly increased sales and saved the company but the new 93+ Firehawks did not have near the modifications of the 91's and 92's.

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To see pictures of 91 & 92 Firehawks, click HERE.

To see articles and a brochure on 91 & 92 Firehawks, click HERE.

For complete specifications on the 91 & 92 Firehawk, click HERE.It's big!).

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                                                        QTY.

Cars Ordered:                                  27
Cars Built:                                        25
Cars Canceled:                                18 & 23
(#018 was built by GM w/RPO codes B4U and 1LE but was never sent to SLP for conversion. #023 was ordered as a black Firehawk, too bad it was never built)

"Mandatory Red" 81U:                      21
Medium Quasar Blue Metallic 80U:   1 (#022)
Medium Green Metallic  45U:            1 (#024)
Arctic White 10U:                               1 (#025)
Dark Jade Gray Metallic 18U:           1 (#026)

Competition "R" Package:                   9* (#'s 002, 003, 004, 005, 008, 009, 016, 025, 027)
Aluminum Rodeck 366ci Engine          3 (#'s 025, 026, and 027)
T-Tops:                                              1 (#025)
Convertible:                                        1 (#027)

            *Some sources say that there were in fact 11 Competition models made but I believe this to be incorrect. The reason for this is that some people consider #026 to be a competition model when in fact all it shares with it's competition cousins is an aluminum hood and Brembo brakes. Also #001's bolt-in 6-pt Roll Bar and single Recaro Seat was removed by SLP before it was sold in 2001 so therefor it is no longer a "Competition" Model.