According to Car & Driver mag, the new GTO is $33,695 incl the only option being a $695 six speed.
Due to it's 3821 lbs the LS1 can only get thru the 1/4 in 14.0 at 102. 0-60 in 5.3.
They praise the seats, and red (?) gauges, but the rest is pretty ho-hum.
And due to US laws the gas tank is in the trunk, reducing the usable trunk space to 2 golf bags or one small body.
Currant GM plans are 18,000 per year (Holden can't make more than that) per year for three years.

 

The Anaheim int'l auto show had a GTO on display (among other interesting cars like the new Chrysler California Cruiser and the cadillac CIEN).

Here's my pics!

No fifth gens in sight though. Hope the hiatus doesn't last too long.

 

How can that car weigh 3821 lbs? That's heavier than our third gens. The darn thing should be aluminum and plastic. Maybe it's that one small body stashed in the trunk.

 

Doesn't look like it would be much better than an L98 or fouth gen, other than it being brand new. I would hate to spend 30,000 to later get spanked by a Neon SRT for 10,000 less.
Therefore, it really isn't a GTO. It has all the luxury crap. It is totally deviating from its heritage. Low optioned Tempest/ Lemans with the Gran Turismo Ommiligato (Grand Tour Option) consisting of Higher performance engine and drivetrain with nothing else. WHAT A POS! All you would be buying is its name.

Bob Lutz is a Klutz



I can't believe Jim ******* is buying into it and promoting it.

 

My understanding is that it is a stop gap model. Lutz took over at G.M. and the only performance car they make is the Vette and the new Caddy on the Vette platform. All of their other cars are front wheel drive. You can put on blowers, etc but you can't make a fwd handle. The Holden Manaro was the only thing available with such a short lead time. They had already killed the f-body, so there was no development in progress there. If the GTO doesn't sell, that tells G.M.s bean counters that they are right and Lutz is wrong, Americans don't want performance cars.
Personally, I don't care. I too old to buy new cars. When I get my 85 built, I'll have my performance car. If too many people slam the GTO, you may not have a choice but to buy that Neon.
Remembering when the GTO was first built, the original didn't do any better than a 14 sec. 1/4 off the showroom floor. I think one reason it weighs so much is it is spec'ed as a luxury performance car. You can't buy a stripped down version. All of the power accessories that are standard add weight.

 

I thought that was one of the things one got to look forward to as they got older!

 

Nah, I'd rather relive my youth. Besided, how can they improve on the Third Gen, isn't everything since downhill.

 

Don't count the GTO out yet. Lon and I just got back from SEMA and GM had an interesting version of the GTO on display. Tagged the GTO "Autocross" it is a GTO with an improved appearance package and LS6 upgrades to th engine. Engine hp is boosted to 400.

Nice looking car. Whether or not you'll be able to score the add-ons remains to be seen. I'll post pics from SEMA in separate post over the weekend. In the meantime, I gotta get back to getting caught up on e-mail.

 

Bret or Lon
Did you guys see the Bonspeed F150 at SEMA?
Dark purple with indep rear suspension and GT motor

 

I probably saw it but didn't take the time to check out all the details or snap a pic. There was a ton of stuff to see. Ford had a pretty elaborate display with several F-150 trucks that had been modified by various aftermarket companies. I did snap a pic of the "GT F-150" truck. Basically it was a "Shelby-ized" F-150 with lots of styling cues taken from the classic 60's Shelby Mustangs.

 

The other thing about the GTO to consider before you discount it because of only 14 second et's is that often the cars that are road tested by the mags are pretty well thrashed by journalists before they get to to test one. Also the GTO has independent rear suspension which eats horsepower compared to a live axle and doesn't plant as well at the strip as a live axle. On the street, and particularly on a winding road with bumps I'd rather have the irs and loose a little acceleration.

 

Something else everyone has to keep in mind is that when ANY manufacturer introduces a new model, they usually don't go overboard right away. They want the car to have some longevity and evolve. Look at the 300Z when Nissan brought it back. It didn't get twin turbos until the second or third year of production.

If GM were to build the GTO as too much of a high-performance car then it wouldn't have a large sales appeal. That's one reason the F-body went away. They were essentially factory hot rods and mostly only serious gearheads like ourselves bought them. Your average daily driver didn't want such a flashy car with lots of horsepower (not to mention the insurance premiums that go with that) and the V6 versions were just plain bland and boring. They were stripped down versions. Sort of like vanilla ice cream with zero toppings to jazz it up.

On the other hand, a good example is the Mustang. Ford has always promoted it as a "secretary's" car first and primarily markets the basic version. These are by far the bulk of Mustang sales over the GT, Mach1 and Cobra versions. THEN, they also promote the hi-performance models as a means of enhancing sales.