2016 New York Motor Show: Bandit Trans-Am and the Burt Reynolds connection

Almost 40 years after it was made famous in the Burt Reynolds blockbuster Smokey and the Bandit, the legendary black and gold muscle car has been reborn.

However, the modern Bandit mobile is a long way removed from the original Pontiac Trans-Am that was made famous running from the police with Reynolds and co-star (and soon-to-be-partner) Sally Field on board.

Being produced by Florida-based engineering and fabrication company Trans-Am Worldwide, the new cars are based on the previous generation Chevrolet Camaro, a car designed and engineered by Holden in Australia.

The biggest modification is the fitment of a carbon fibre targa roof with two removable panels to give it the distinctive trans-am look and wind-in-the-hair feel.

There’s also a modified aluminium bonnet to allow the carbon fibre shaker from the LSX V8 to poke through. Power is claimed at about 600kW.

While the company does regular Trans-Am modern ‘replicas’ – with revised nose and tail treatments to mimic the original – the Bandit Edition is limited to a run of just 77 cars (a nod to the year the movie was released, 1977).

The Trans-Am Bandit Edition gets the full performance treatment and a hand paint job that includes gold highlights – each meticulously hand-painted.

The company says Burt Reynolds will be signing the dashboard of each car – and he has apparently requested to buy one.