This Custom 2024 Chevy Trax Probably Isn’t Quite What the Bandit Had in Mind
Who is building these things?
Car creativity knows no bounds. While we often cover the weirdest of the weird when it comes to old cars, like a 1998 Mercedes E430 turned into a death kart or a VW Beetle turned into a pickup truck, New Car Weird is a rarer, more special flavor. For every brand-new 1,500-horsepower Yenko Camaro in the world, there is this: a 2024 Chevy Trax painted like a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.
It’s called the Bandit Outlaw edition, and it's up for auction next month at Mecum Las Vegas. It's seemingly built by the same folks who have done several Bandit Outlaw edition cars. It may or may not surprise you to learn there has been a Chevy Silverado Bandit Outlaw and a Jeep Gladiator Bandit Outlaw. Nobody in particular appears to be claiming these cars, despite them sharing several features like the Bandit letting and pinstriping. And it doesn't seem related to the Camaro-based Trans Am tribute builds by Trans Am Specialties or Trans Am Worldwide.
Of course, it’s called Bandit Outlaw in honor of Smokey and the Bandit, a film where the late Burt Reynolds plays a bootlegger transporting 400 cases of beer in a Pontiac Trans Am. It’s painted in a black and gold livery to match that iconic movie car, complete with the flaming bird on the hood. For a flourish, the hood also has a molded-in power bulge. The movie Trans Am did not feature the word "Bandit" on the side of the car, nor did it have the pinstriping that the Trax has, but let’s call this a modern interpretation of the original livery.
But besides a fancy paint job, this Trax is stock and almost brand new. There are just 146 miles on its 1.2-liter turbo three-cylinder and six-speed automatic transmission, which means it could be a great commuter car for a particularly fun sort of weirdo. Anyways, where else will you get a "one-of-one" Chevy Trax?
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