Pontiac's V8 Engines Drove Its Rise and Fall as a Muscle Car Icon
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Pontiac started making V8 engines in 1955 to appeal to youth buyers, leading to iconic muscle cars like the GTO, Firebird, and Tempest.
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The 389 cubic inch V8 introduced in 1959 powered the first Pontiac GTO muscle car in 1964.
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The 400 cubic inch Firebird engine debuted in 1967 and was a versatile, popular V8 during the muscle car era.
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The high-performance 455 V8 arrived in 1970 with 370 horsepower, near the peak of muscle car mania.
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Pontiac's final G8 GXP muscle car from 2008 had over 400 horsepower from its LS3 V8 engine.