Every so often, a car combined all the best attributes of two distinct models to produce a truly compelling product. In the case of GM, which struggled a bit with product development in the 1980s, it built an absolute home run of a car when it produced the limited-edition 1989 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo Pace Car. This was a vehicle that could actually maintain its duties as the car leading the field at the Indianapolis  500 in stock form thanks to its burly powerplant lifted from the equally-limited Buick GNX. This example listed here on craigslist has just under 18,000 miles and is offered for $43,900.

A few years ago, I happened upon one of these cars in a private collection. I was surprised at how different it felt than a run-of-the-mill Trans Am. It simply felt more solid, or well-constructed. The interior seemed like it was screwed together better. The wheels and stance was bang-on. Overall, it simply felt like GM gave the turbocharged Trans Am everything it had to make it a truly compelling package. But of course, it was the engine that set the car in a league of its own, as the 3.8L V6 lifted from the GNX was truly a special motor, capable of delivering 300 turbocharged horsepower and scorching acceleration.

And that’s not a case of exaggeration: 0-60 times were safely under 5 seconds and the quarter mile ripped by in a little over 13 seconds at speeds north of 100 miles per hour. These still are quick cars by modern standards, and the amazing thing is the GNX mill was likely good for even more speed with just a few subtle modifications. There were plenty of rumours swirling that GNX and Trans Am could easily eat the Corvette’s lunch and that this had some of the engineering folks at Chevy spooked, if not downright annoyed. The Trans Am’s interior is stunning, with Recaro-like bucket seats and near-perfect leather seating surfaces.

Then there’s just the fact that this is a very pretty car. If you find a base model Trans Am these days with an automatic, it will likely generate a ho-hum response. But this car, with its white-on-gold only appearance and blacked-out tail lights, is still stunning. The quad exhaust tips poking out from beneath the bumper give a small hint as to the performance the lies within, and the seller’s car appears to be as close to investment-grade as they come. And truthfully, for everything you get with the turbocharged Trans Am Pace Car, the asking price seems downright reasonable. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Tony Primo for the find.