Anybody can tell you that a road
car needs a big engine under the
hood. So Formula 400 has a 400-
cubic-inch, 330-hp V-8 with
4-barrel carburetion. It turns
out 430 lb.-ft. of torque at
3000 rpm. A heavy-duty, floor-
mounted, Hurst-shifted 3-speed
transmission is standard. A
Hurst-shifted 4-speed is also
available.
    The fact is, however, that
anybody can drop a power team
like that into any car. What
counts is what we did to make
it efficient.
    Take the simple matter of
breathing. An engine that
breathes better can work harder
with less strain. So the air
cleaner on our 400 V-8 has two
snorkles instead of one.
    Should you decide to order
our 400 Ram Air V-8, you'll get
another lesson on breathing.
The scoops on that fiberglass
hood are in a high-pressure area.
So when the car is moving, cold
air is literally rammed into the
carburetor.
    In keping with the efficiency
philosophy, Formula 400's 5-blade
flex fan flattens out at high fan
rpm to reduce drag on the engine.
And the low-restriction dual
exhaust removes gasses from the

combustion chambers to make way
for incoming combustibles.
    Our basic Firebird and our
Esprit can boast of a big-car
ride. Formula 400 doesn't have it
quite as soft. But what with the
rear-seat configuration, the
raised drive line tunnel and the
resulting room for increased
suspension travel, the ride's a
whole lot smoother than what
you're used to in a sports car.
    And we didn't give up one
iota of handling and cornering to
get that ride.
    Not one iota. In fact,
handling and cornering are im-
proved. Formula 400 has stabilizer
bars front and rear (1-1/8" and
5/8" respectively). Special high-
rate springs and a special wind-
up control for the rear axle.
Roa-hugging F70-14 bias-belted
tires. Front disc brakes. (A pow-
er assist is available.) And, of
course, Pontiac's well-known
Wide-Track.
    We make variable-ratio power
steering available, too. The
steering gets faster the farther
you turn the wheel. Ratio--16.0:1
to 12.1:1.
    It should be obvious by now
that Formula 400's styling is al-
most stark. No elaborate decora-
tion. This automobile is all-
business outside.

    And inside. The instrument
panel is most functional. If you
order the gauge package (not a
bad idea for a car of this sort),
here's what you'll find staring
back at you. A tachometer that
red-lines straight up. A speed-
ometer and oil and water gauges
squarely in front of you. A fuel
gauge and a volt-meter off to one
side.
    Makes sense, doesn't it?
    So does the console you can
order. It blends into the
instrument panel, is covered with
soft vinyl, has storage compart-
ments and provides a place to
hang seat belts when the car's
bedded down for the night.
    There's one piece of equip-
ment you can order that we
really can't explain in terms of
function. The padded vinyl-covered
Formula steering wheel. It act-
ually doesn't perfrom any better
than our standard wheel. But our
hats are off to anyone who can see
it, grip it, and not buy it.
    Think of it this way. If
Pontiac went to all the trouble to
bring out tomorros's road car so
you can buy it a few years early,
what's the harm in spending a few
extra dollars to complete your
image?