JD’s archives: Pontiac Formula Firehawk SLP

[Dobes]

[mhjett]

Wow, amazing how far cars have come in 20 years. Only 350hp. Sounds like it was a brutal hunk of crap.

[mariok2006]

Only 5qts of oil for that 5.7L engine? That's how much a 2L S2000 needs.

[silverspeedbuggy]

[Notices side view photo] And people complain about overhangs on modern FWD cars. Yeesh.

[Dobes]

Did anyone notice that 21 years ago this thing was $52k! There can't be many of these on the road..

[a2a4raddo]

wow...i totally forgot this car existed. Awesome car, but one could buy a vette with that coin. These have to worth some coin now...

[adrew]

Wow, amazing how far cars have come in 20 years. Only 350hp. Sounds like it was a brutal hunk of crap.

Keep in mind the 350 in the baddest Camaro and Firebirds made 245 horsepower and 340 lb-ft at the time.

[thetopdog]

Wow, amazing how far cars have come in 20 years. Only 350hp. Sounds like it was a brutal hunk of crap.

I think there are much better examples of how far cars have come in 20 years than a car that does 0-60 in 4.6 seconds. That time is still impressive today

[PlatinumGLS]

Wow, amazing how far cars have come in 20 years. Only 350hp. Sounds like it was a brutal hunk of crap.

Keep in mind the 350 in the baddest Camaro and Firebirds made 245 horsepower and 340 lb-ft at the time.

Also, look at the performance. The 0-60 in 4.6 seconds and quarter-mile in 13.2 seconds @ 107 mph. Those are very good numbers.

[a2a4raddo]

Only 350hp.

LOL@ only 350HP. Back in 1992, the 300ZX TT made 300HP, Chevys own ZR-1 made 375HP, and Porsche's 911 Turbo made 355HP. 350was a big number.

[a2a4raddo]

Also, look at the performance. The 0-60 in 4.6 seconds and quarter-mile in 13.2 seconds @ 107 mph. Those are very good numbers.

That was done on early 90's rubber at that. This is a 12second car on modern rubber.

[mhjett]

Keep in mind the 350 in the baddest Camaro and Firebirds made 245 horsepower and 340 lb-ft at the time.

I think there are much better examples of how far cars have come in 20 years than a car that does 0-60 in 4.6 seconds. That time is still impressive today

Also, look at the performance. The 0-60 in 4.6 seconds and quarter-mile in 13.2 seconds @ 107 mph. Those are very good numbers.

I knew the responses were coming. What I meant is look at the new Camaros and Mustangs - similar prices, more power, well-rounded, balanced, hell - Car & Driver said that "With the ['12 Camaro] ZL1, General Motors has made the Camaro into a true GT car—daily driver, long-range missile, and track-day special all in one. That the ZL1 is the best Camaro ever is perhaps not a huge surprise. That it’s a damned fine all-around GT car is a little more shocking." The only things that Formula Firehawk did well were go fast and make noise. John Middlebrook, Pontiac GM, is quoted right in the article saying "Its sophistication is not high but brute power is there."

All I'm saying is look at the entire package and see how far pony cars have come - $52k for a '92 Firehawk (in 1992 dollars) or $56.3k (in 2012 dollars) for a Camaro ZLI.

[PlatinumGLS]

I knew the responses were coming. What I meant is look at the new Camaros and Mustangs - similar prices, more power, well-rounded, balanced, hell - Car & Driver said that "With the ['12 Camaro] ZL1, General Motors has made the Camaro into a true GT car—daily driver, long-range missile, and track-day special all in one. That the ZL1 is the best Camaro ever is perhaps not a huge surprise. That it’s a damned fine all-around GT car is a little more shocking." The only things that Formula Firehawk did well were go fast and make noise. John Middlebrook, Pontiac GM, is quoted right in the article saying "Its sophistication is not high but brute power is there."

All I'm saying is look at the entire package and see how far pony cars have come - $52k for a '92 Firehawk (in 1992 dollars) or $56.3k (in 2012 dollars) for a Camaro ZLI.

You can say the same thing about a lot of things from 20 years ago compared to today - for example, computers? Our smart phones are far more powerful, smaller, less expensive, etc then any home computer from 1992.

The Firehawk should be discussed within the context of its time period and compared to its contemporaries not vehicles made 20 years later. With that said, the Firehawk's performance numbers do hold up VERY well.

[MatchStick]

[mhjett]

You can say the same thing about a lot of things from 20 years ago compared to today - for example, computers? Our smart phones are far more powerful, smaller, less expensive, etc then any home computer from 1992.

The Firehawk should be discussed within the context of its time period and compared to its contemporaries not vehicles made 20 years later. With that said, the Firehawk's performance numbers do hold up VERY well.

I'm making an observation and I am well aware that similar observations can be made of other products. I don't see why that can't be done. That said, the article -- written in 1991 -- goes out of its way to describe how brutual and unrefined it was even back then, or as you said, "within the context of its time period."

[aufmitterspeil]

Wow it's hard to imagine paying over $50k for a third-gen F-body! A fourth-gen, maybe... But a third-gen? It is a sweet car though, especially if it had some RS-GT's on.

[Mosbius Designs]

Wow, amazing how far cars have come in 20 years. Only 350hp. Sounds like it was a brutal hunk of crap.

More like a brutal hunk of awesome.

[Accidental L8 apex]

Only 5qts of oil for that 5.7L engine? That's how much a 2L S2000 needs.

Yeah, because that motor's going to be an icon of the industry for 50+ years. More oil must equate to less room for torque?

[mhjett]

More like a brutal hunk of awesome.

Or brutal hunk of awesome crap.

I have no doubt that car would kick my a** if it saw what I wrote here.

[Lithium Lotus]

That car was a monster for it's time. Brembo brakes, optional roll cage, 6-speed transmission, stiff 1LE suspension package, radio and a/c delete, and a uniquely designed intake manifold to provide more power in the mid and upper power bands.

It was a true drivers car for its time, even by today's standards for performance options.

Here's a video about the Firehawk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYrI_...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6mAcBe3waM

[Accidental L8 apex]

and a uniquely designed intake manifold to provide more power in the mid and upper power bands.

No way! This car came with TWO powerbands. Must have missed that on the SLP options list.

[Dave Zero]

You guys are missing the most awesome part. The car's name is the same as the tire's name. It's like watching a movie when they say the name of the movie in the movie!!!

Bonus!!!

[IdontOwnAVW]

I have always been a fan of this car....I've owned a "few" third-gens (88 IROC w/ 350, 91 Camaro RS w/ 305, 86 Firebird w/ V6, and a 91 Formula350) and I want to pick up another green Formula 350 eventually.

The numbers were(and still are) impressive for the time it was made.

Oh, and Ronal R15s

[crannky]

I knew the responses were coming. What I meant is look at the new Camaros and Mustangs - similar prices, more power, well-rounded, balanced, hell - Car & Driver said that "With the ['12 Camaro] ZL1, General Motors has made the Camaro into a true GT car—daily driver, long-range missile, and track-day special all in one. That the ZL1 is the best Camaro ever is perhaps not a huge surprise. That it’s a damned fine all-around GT car is a little more shocking." The only things that Formula Firehawk did well were go fast and make noise. John Middlebrook, Pontiac GM, is quoted right in the article saying "Its sophistication is not high but brute power is there."

All I'm saying is look at the entire package and see how far pony cars have come - $52k for a '92 Firehawk (in 1992 dollars) or $56.3k (in 2012 dollars) for a Camaro ZLI.

*****, please. Badass car is a badass car.

[patrikman]

I knew a guy who owned one a while back. Sunday driver only, it was very rare.

[mhjett]

*****, please. Badass car is a badass car.

Fair enough

[JLJetta]

$51,989 in 1991 money is about $85,444 in todays money. 350bhp and 390 ftlbs

For $54,095 in todays money, you can get a new LZ1 with 580bhp and 556 ftlbs
For $31,930 in todays money, you can get a new SS with 426bhp and 420 ftlbs

Effectively, you can get 2 1/2 SS for the price of this Formula Firehawk.

Is this not the golden age of cheap power??

[JLJetta]

For me, not a single 3rd or 4th gen Camaro/Firebird was 'bad ass'. And the 2nd half of the 2nd gen were meh.

While I do not care for the styling that much of the new one, performance wise, it is 'bad ass'

[VeeDubDriver]

I had their SLP 3" exhaust on my '84 Z/28. It sounded amazing and flowed like nothing else. It easily handled the 383 stroker motor I eventually put in it.

[Rocambolesque]

$51,989 in 1991 money is about $85,444 in todays money. 350bhp and 390 ftlbs

For $54,095 in todays money, you can get a new LZ1 with 580bhp and 556 ftlbs
For $31,930 in todays money, you can get a new SS with 426bhp and 420 ftlbs

Effectively, you can get 2 1/2 SS for the price of this Formula Firehawk.

Is this not the golden age of cheap power??

Like most people, you looked right past the 0-60 and 1/4 mile times and looked at the power figures first....

[IdontOwnAVW]

Like most people, you looked right past the 0-60 and 1/4 mile times and looked at the power figures first....

Well thats the main thing to look at, other wise how would people know if they could dead?

/sarcasm.

[JLJetta]

Like most people, you looked right past the 0-60 and 1/4 mile times and looked at the power figures first....

What can I say. I was blinded by the incredible refinement of the SLPs handling and stroking the dash!

http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...-twin-bill.pdf

2010 Camaro SS

0-60 4.6sec and 1/4 mile at 111mph.

In a car which is far safer and has far more luxury and comfort.

[PlatinumGLS]

In a car which is far safer and has far more luxury and comfort.

Well, I guess cars like the Ferrari F40 must suck too because modern Ferraris have more power and refinement for less money?