10 Fastest Pontiacs For Muscle Car Enthusiasts With A Need For Speed (2024)

​​​​New muscle cars might cost less than your average sports car, but prices for high-performance vehicles are never low unless you’re willing to run back the years in search of used classic American muscle machines. If that’s the case, Pontiac is one of the automakers to consider, having produced some of the most memorable muscle cars in automotive history.

Despite being a defunct brand, Pontiac and its cars still cater to enthusiasts with a need for speed, and we’ve made the task easier by sourcing data from J.D. Power and American muscle experts, Hagerty and Hemmings, to narrow down the brand’s 10 quickest models based on their respective 0-60 mph run times.

10 1966 Pontiac Catalina 2+2: 0-60 MPH In 7.0 Seconds

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The Catalina Was A Sleeper Pontiac Muscle Car

Among the rest of the cars that will appear further down this list, the 1966 Pontiac Catalina 2+2 is the least ‘muscley’ – at least in terms of appearance – opting for a wider, classic personal luxury style of design instead.

However, one of the coolest facts about the Pontiac Catalina 2+2 is its glorious 6.9-liter High Output V8 with three dual-barrel Rochester carburetors capable of generating 376 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque. While still boasting the same mill as the 1964 second-generation model, the ‘65 and ‘66 Catalinas implemented a new three-speed torque converting transmission which greatly improved performance.

9 1967 Pontiac Firebird 400: 0-60 MPH In 6.4 Seconds

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The First-Ever Firebird Was An Instant Success

Back in 1967, right after Chevy’s release of the first-generation Camaro – with up to 375 horsepower sourced from a big-block V8, Pontiac decided to put out a purebred muscle car of their own with enough power to match the Fords and Dodges of the era. They called it the Firebird.

While the model name would consistently rise to fame through the years, the first-gen version was already an extremely competent Pontiac muscle car. Its range-topping engine came in the form of a 6.6-liter V8 with 325 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque, allowing the Pontiac Firebird to achieve the standing quarter mile in under 15 seconds.

8 1965 Pontiac GTO: 0-60 MPH In 5.8 Seconds

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The 1965 GTO Boasts An Impressive 431 LB-FT Of Torque

The first-generation GTO (which is short for Gran Turismo Omolgato) used to be a desirable trim level of the 1962 Pontiac Tempest model, and the 1965 version received several changes when compared to the already special 1964 GTO, emerging with a longer and heavier body, several mechanical upgrades, and more power.

Buyers could choose between several options of Pontiac's newly revised 6.4-liter V8, which delivered up to 360 horsepower along with 431 pound-feet of torque. When configured optimally – including a limited-slip differential and a desirable 4-speed manual transmission – the 1965 Pontiac GTO could blast from 0-60 mph in under 6 seconds and clear the standing quarter mile in 14.5 seconds at 100 mph.

7 1970 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am: 0-60 MPH In 5.8 Seconds

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The First Trans Am Firebird

By 1970, the Pontiac Firebird had already made somewhat of a name for itself, entering its second generation with the appearance of the range-topping Trans Am trim which wasn’t available in the 1969 model. Borrowing its engines from the GTO, the 1970 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am came with either a 335-hp Ram Air III or a 345-hp Ram Air IV, both of which were 6.6-liter V8 mills.

The only difference between the Firebird Trans Am and the GTO’s engines was a restricted carburetor in the former’s case, yet thanks to its weight and overall build, performance was still nearly identical. The 1970 Firebird could sprint from 0-60 in as little as 5.8 seconds, and it's still one of the greatest Pontiac Firebirds ever.

6 1969 Pontiac GTO: 0-60 MPH In 5.8 Seconds

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The Ram Air IV V8 Made The GTO A Beast

In 1969, the Pontiac GTO was already a completely separate model and an extremely competent contender in the American muscle car segment. It featured a 6.6-liter V8 which would later appear in the Firebird Trans Am, but tuned for more power in the GTO. Top-spec versions used Pontiac’s Ram Air IV with 370 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque, which was nearly the same 375-hp output as that of the 1970 Ford Mustang, which is still a perfect one-car garage for a gearhead.

The 1969 Pontiac GTO was very fast and proved to be a great option at the dragstrip, capable of running from 0-60 mph in 5.8 seconds while able to achieve the standing quarter mile in 14 seconds. As an example of a cool build, check out The Throttlestop YouTube channel's 1969 GTO Judge restomod.

5 1973 Pontiac Trans Am SD 455: 0-60 MPH In 5.6 Seconds

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The Trans Am SD455 Ran The 1/4 Mile In Under 14 Seconds

The versatile second-generation Firebird Trans Am is just as happy picking up groceries as it is on a race track. The model saw a downgrade in power when compared to first-gen models, but funnily enough, performance still improved.

With max horsepower jumping to 310 from the 1972 model 300-hp output, the 1973 Firebird Trans Am unlocked the potential to blast from 0-60 mph in just 5.6 seconds when equipped with Pontiac’s Super Duty 455 (7.5-liter) V8 engine. The good-looking Pontiac muscle car also produced up to 395 pound-feet of max torque and broke the 14-second standing quarter-mile mark with a time of 13.8 seconds.

4 1962 Pontiac Catalina Super Duty 421: 0-60 MPH In 5.4 Seconds

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The Pontiac Catalina Super Duty Was Quicker Than The Chevy Impala

This might come as a surprise to many given the aforementioned vehicles, but the 1962 Pontiac Catalina Super Duty 421 isn’t just one of the fastest Pontiacs ever, it was also quicker than rivals such as the Chevy Impala 409. Obvious from its name, and the reason we love the 1962 Catalina Super Duty 421, is its gigantic 6.9-liter V8 with 405 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque which is the most powerful true Pontiac engine on this list.

However, many testers believed the numbers downplayed the 421’s actual output, and such a claim makes sense considering the Catalina SD 421’s 0-60 mph runtime of just 5.4 seconds, which was ludicrous acceleration at the time.

3 1971 Pontiac GT-37: 0-60 MPH In 5.4 Seconds

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The 1971 GT-37 Had Tons Of Torque

The GT-37 hit the market in 1970 as a primarily aesthetic option for the now-forgotten Pontiac T-37 model line, but things changed for the better in 1971 when the GT-37 package unlocked Pontiac's most desirable engines, which were previously reserved solely for the GTO.

Topping the range were two versions of the Pontiac 455 (7.5-liter) engine, capable of delivering 325 horsepower in its base form and 335 horsepower in the high-output version. While not absurdly powerful, the mill was also good for up to 480 pound-feet of torque, allowing the 1971 Pontiac GT-37 to sprint from 0-60 mph in as little as 5.4 seconds.

2 2002 Pontiac Trans Am WS6: 0-60 MPH In 5.1 Seconds

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The Most Polarizing Pontiac Ever

Entering the realm of modern Pontiacs, we’ve got one of the automaker’s most distinctive vehicles in terms of design. The 2002 Pontiac Trans Am WS6’s cool exterior look was either loved or hated by enthusiasts, but its performance is objectively undeniable.

Powered by a 5.7-liter V8 LS1 which also motivated the similarly powered Chevy Camaro, the quirky muscle car delivered a maximum output of 325 horsepower along with 340 pound-feet of torque, and while that doesn’t sound like much, it’s still enough to propel the lightweight Trans Am WS6 from 0-60 mph in just 5.1 seconds while on its way to an electronically limited top speed of 160 mph.

1 2008 Pontiac G8 GXP: 0-60 MPH In 4.5 Seconds

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The G8 GXP Was America's Version Of The BMW M5

Released just two years before Pontiac was essentially killed by General Motors, the 2008 Pontiac G8 GXP is actually an extremely competent muscle car able to outrun the 2008 Ford Mustang GT to 60 mph by several tenths of a second. It gets the deed done in just 4.5 seconds when compared to the Mustang’s time of 5.3 seconds, making it more comparable to the likes of the BMW M5.

The 2008 Pontiac G8 GXP draws its power from a 6.2-liter V8 that delivers a perfect 1:1 power-to-torque ratio, with 415 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. We'll never know, but if released sooner, the GXP could have been Pontiac’s saving grace.

Sources: Zero To 60 Times, Hagerty.com, Hemmings.com, Jdpower.com.