Fahad's 1999 Pontiac Trans Am Ram Air

Bio

Name Fahad Khalaf
Job Branch manager at RAK Bank
From Dubai
Wheels 1999 Pontiac Trans Am Ram Air
In the UAE Born here

You're a muscle car fan, I presume?  

Yes indeed. My 1999 Trans Am is the top-of-the-range Ram Air WS6 model which was a performance package that came with an upgraded suspension, bigger air filter, ABS and traction control to help keep it stable at high speeds.

Also, these Ram Air cars had functional audio controls on the steering wheel. I saw the car advertised in the classifieds section of a website and bought it. It's been mine for two years now. 

Was it an impulse buy or have you always wanted one of these?

I had been searching for something like this for quite a while. I love cars with a strong personality, excellent power and a rumbling exhaust system. My Trans Am ticks all the right boxes.

I bought it used and it wasn't in the best of conditions. It had exterior and interior issues and some electrical problems too.

But, with time and patience, I managed to repair everything and it has come out pretty well. 

The interior is really impressive. It doesn't look stock...

No, I had the whole cabin refurbished from a well-known company in Sharjah that specialises in interiors. I told the guys what I wanted and they did a great job. The red, black and grey combination was my idea and the headrests have a special Firebird logo embroidered in them. I wanted the interior to be special and unique and I think I have achieved this.

Plus, I've added a new stereo system which has a reversing camera and Bluetooth connectivity. 

It looks great. How about the engine — have you modified the 5.7-litre V8?

No, I don't like to do any modifications on the engines of any of my cars. I prefer to customise the exterior and interior more than tinker with the performance.

To be honest, my Trans Am has plenty of power already. It has an all-aluminium LS1 engine with 320bhp — that is plenty.

It sounds amazing too, especially when I start it up. On the road, it is very stable and despite what people say about American cars, it corners really well too. But, I make sure to drive safely and respectfully. 

Must be great driving without the T-tops...

It's a real pleasure, especially at night with the cooler temperatures these days.

It gets a lot of attention when I take the top off and also because it's a bright red muscle car with a deep growl, not to mention the pop-up headlights. It's an eye-catcher.

Sometimes, people stop to ask me questions about it.

I have got several offers to sell it but I've turned down all of them because this car is very, very special to me. 

Do you have a dream car?

I have two dream cars actually. I'd love to own a Lamborghini Murciélago, but more realistically it's a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.