I think they could have done a better job without making it retro, if they were trying to stay away from that.

As for being true to the original, at least a 64 had a hood scoop, as with all gto's after, which this car lacks. That's my first problem with it, besides the plain taillights and overall Grand Am type styling. Overall it is unimpressive visually. If it was priced in the 20-25K range, and with less frills, just the engine, it would be a better hot rod for the working man.

As for the new T-bird, dealers by me were selling them for 10K over list, I guess everyone who wanted one got one, and that's it. I drove my boss's 02 the other day, I thought it was really nice. I liked the way the top worked and I really liked the interior style and dash (Ford's been good with that lately, check out the 05 stang dash!) but it wasn't really a car for me. It seemed to me the kind of car your wife would have, or someone like my boss would have, a successful man in his 50-60s. Too much money for a younger crowd anyway.

 

Maybe it's just a placeholder until they design a new RWD platform to replace the Firebird??? As for being over priced, that could be a surcharge on the warranty for those who run the cr@p out of it for three years and want new trans here and a new engine there.


Yeah, makes you wonder if Ford really wanted to sell a lot of them or just wanted a draw for the showroom? It wasn't a drag racer or the best handler for the twisties but for taking that once in a lifetime jaunt down old route 66 it would be great.

 

My only opinion for some guys that hate the GTO is to go out and test drive one and see how you like it and not on someones point of view of the car. As with how it looks i think GM wanted to go with a future look instead of blasting back to the past with a retro look for the GTO so basically they based the GTO on the Pontiacs Grandpix and Grand Dam. A 350 hp engine is no doubt a little low for the GTO to have but i believe thats about to change in 2005 and with the introduction of The Judge which should be pushing 455 Horses. No Doubt that every car manufacture (Ford Chevy and Dodge) thats has the ability to produce a cool powerful muscle car from the past such as the mustang and GTO, some people will say "these cars had a history of producing mass mucsle" but dont produce that ability anymore but that has change with such as aftermarket products and what not, hell you could probably slap a supercharger on a GTO and produce some serious horsepower same as the mustang the point is alot of people remark the GTO as a 'fat bloated Firebird or whatever' and some people remark the mustang 'a steal of design from the past' as with Dodge i dont really racall any make of legandary status from them the only thing that Dodge would have would be the Hemi but my whole idea here is about horsepower and make. Little long but i had to get it off my chest....

 

I think it's one of the best things GM has done lately. It's really a shame that a few editors can have so much influence over the automotive public. The car speaks for itself. There is no gimmicky scoops, flares or "power bulges". Just a bunch of rear-drive muscle in a very unassuming package. The only racing most of us see is at the occasional stoplight. In that situation, understated can be a real advantage. It also isn't as likely to scare of the conservative wife. I don't need a visual ego enhancement, just a better paying job. I think this car will be seen in the years to come the same way the original is seen now.

 

Staying with the heritage doesnt make sense to me. It may look like a sleeper like the originals but thats not why they have become an icon. When you think of the GTO, you dont think of the original ones, You think of the ones that kicked *** and looked the part. So making it not look fast but be fats doesnt make sense because thats not why they have become what they are today and not why people buy a certain car.

 

You are speaking for yourself on this one.

Pontiac could have done a much better job of design and retro thinking that could have caused a phenomenal sales of the first batch of new GTO's at least.

As it is, they're too expensive, looks like just another Pontiac in the stable, it's still a GM, just has no unique visual appeal like its grandfather.
Being able to punch it and go quick is only going to sell to a limited number of potential buyers.

 

They should of came out with a judge model right away.Bright orange with
a big wing on the back and hood scoop. One look and it says i took out a second mortgage.

 

The styling is a matter of taste and the performance is un questioned. I like it and would love to see a red one in my garage. Unfortunatley the #1 turn off of the people who are interested in the GTO is the $5000 "Market Adjustment" and $3500 worth of "Dealer Installed Accessories" Addendum sticker they find on the GTOs window when they visit the dealer. When will the dealers learn? I saw the same "Market Adjustment" at my dealership when the first 2003 6-Speed Accord coupe arrived. Turned a nice $26,000 coupe into an overpriced, over accessorized $32,000 coupe!

fredjeep

 

My personal opinion is the GTO is ugly. The reason it is not selling if because everyone is waiting on the souped up engine in next years model.

 

Isn't this the Australian car they just badged as a gto and it doesn't even say Pontiac on it?