Bad Bird,
The debate is not about the later Cheviacs and T/A wannabes. It's about the difference between a Pontiac and a Chevy. In the muscle car era, they were two completely different packages, sharing only fundemental parameters, glass and some sheet metal.
Pontiac guys get defensive because we've always been in the "shadow" of the Chevy, being treated like red-headed stepchildren of GM. Chevy guys get defensive because they're always looking over their shoulder, wondering "Who ARE those guys?" Chevy guys are also nerveous because of the resurgance of Pontiac power. In the muscle car era, Pontiac led the way. In fact, the last NHRA fuel class champ that wasn't a hemi, was indeed a Pontiac (Arnie Beswick, Funny Car Champ, 1971). And that was a true Pontiac V8, not the BBC bottom half/Pontiac top half that dominates NHRA Pro Stock today.
Only a fool would say you can't make a Chevy outrun a Pontiac at the highest level, but the same fool would say you can't make a Pontiac a VERY capable street performer, making more power at usable speeds, than a small block.
Your '99 doesn't count, as it has the corporate engine, and the only true identity the car has is the body. Same is true of the new GTO, though it's quite a capable performer right out of the box. It's a bit lighter than your F-body.