Pontiac Firebird Formula 400
The year 1970 marked the second generation of the Firebird. It debuted as a mid-year introduction boosting new body styles, a couple of new versions, and only one body style of the coupe. Since the convertible was gone and it won’t be returning for over a decade. Pontiac realized that traditional muscle cars like GTO were slowly going out of style. And people were turning towards smaller and more nimble pony cars like the Firebird. Hence, they invested heavily in that lineup (via Supercars).
The first actual muscle model was the Formula 400, introduced in 1970. The Formula 400 was kind of a middle version between the base Firebird V8 and fire-breathing Trans Am. The Formula had the 400 V8 engine with 330 HP and a twin-scoop hood. That option was functional if the buyer ticked the box for the optional Ram Air induction.