The rearrangement of cis-1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylcyclopentenyl cation to the trans isomer in aqueous sulfuric acids has been found to follow Ho with unit slope (d log k,,,,,. = dHo). This rearrangement involves the intermediacy of a neutral compound, 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylcyclopentadiene, which on reprotonation is only partly efficient in leading to the trans ion product. Under both steady-state intermediate and direct protonation conditions, this diene protonates to give about 55 % of the cis ion and only 45 % of the thermodynamically more stable trans isomer.