Throughout the 1970s, the Pontiac Firebird evolved into one of the most beloved muscle cars of all time, and it’s one of the few examples that weathered the storm of the 70s gas crisis. It never threw away its sleek sporty looks, big displacement engines, and downright in your face enthusiasm. The Trans-AM would cement the Firebird’s legacy when the hit film Smokey and the Bandit premiered in 1977. The Trans-AM may have overshadowed the second gen Firebird as a whole, but the artists at HotCars still remember that the Trans-AM would have been nothing without the Firebird. So they created this work of art rendering: a 1970 Pontiac Firebird 400 RestoMod.
The eye-popping enormous fender flares give this Firebird an insane widebody that could probably fit 325s in the rear, and the wheel wells have obviously been cut to fit large enough wheels but also retain a low profile. The Firebird of this era had a huge front grille, but thanks to the widebody, it’s proportions even out somewhat. The car is super low to the ground, and looks like it could hit phenomenal speeds on the straightaway of any racetrack.
We can only imagine what would be under the hood of a car like this. Possibly a 6.2L LS3 crate, maybe even a blown 7.0L LS7. A sequential box transmission would be perfect for a Firebird of this caliber. LED headlights are no surprise for a RestoMod of this level, it’s pure necessity. The front of this Firebird looks like it was likely a vampire bat in a previous life.
From the side angle you can tell that the duckbill spoiler has been stretched considerably, and the huge cooling ducts at the front fenders add a beefy touch to this muscle car. A race suspension probably keeps this car stuck like glue to the road surface, and the large disc brakes provide plenty of stopping power for a race inspired Firebird. Black custom wheels are icing on the cake.
The aggressive stance and widebody on this Firebird should give warning to all those who challenge its driver to a race: you’ll likely lose. The rear window louvers add even more downforce, but it’s also a nice retro touch that reminds you it’s still a classic. The exaggerated body lines are incredible, thanks to the widebody. Even more air ducting is present on the rear quarters.
The rear shot shows off just how far the fender flares extend out past the body. The rectangular shaped exhaust has been molded into the rear bumper and it looks great. If you haven’t noticed by now, there’s also not an ounce of chrome on this thing. LED taillights complete the modernized package from this rear angle.
An interesting fact about the Firebird 400 is that it’s actually one of the more attainable classic muscle cars that money can buy. Examples go for about $27,000, which is way less than other classic Pontiacs and GM cars. With that said, your pockets don’t even have to be insanely deep to build a Firebird 400 to the max like this render. We’ve seen crazy home builds where just one guy put in all the work and dedication and made a legit masterpiece of a car.
The second gen Firebird and Camaro turned out to be an excellent platform to build racecars from. the design and engineering allowed for extensive bolt on modifications and they dominate autocross events everywhere. With even more high end parts, big tires and a widebody, this Firebird 400 would probably tear up the competition.
If I had one question for the artists over at HotCars it would be this: is this a Kevin Hart build-bait car? Because it looks exactly like something that he would debut at SEMA Show. Who knows, we just may see it happen!
