LA Times reporter wants your opinion

[Blackbird3]

I believe that there are two reasons for the three year time limit:

#1: the Holden Monaro upon which the GTO is based is nearing the end of it's production run on it's current chassis.

#2: not knowing if an Australian built GTO will sell well in the U.S., GM has decided what minimum production volume it needs to sell to break even or make a profit, and wants to suggest limited availability to encourage sales.

If the GTO turns out to be a hot seller, then I don't doubt that they will design a new one after three years, based on a new chassis common to other new cars. In that case, they very well might include a base Lemans at that time.

[jfiliss]

Nice car, great performance. My understanding is that the Holden Monaro also has great handling and road characteristics, more in line with European sports sedans than most American sedans.

The styling is not bad in itself, but would benefit strongly from add-ons. The hood scoop is really a must, and others here have offered their own suggestions.

I'm curious to see how successful this car will be over the long-haul.

[red89supra]

This car is amazing......I would love to have this car. The sleek style of it just makes me want to reach out and grab it.

[red89supra]

When does this car come out?

[Michael_S]

Supposedly appearing at Pontiac showrooms near you this December. So keep an eye out.

[)2ubix (ube]

To me, looks like a chop from the automotive art/graphic manipulation forum gone wrong, I like what I have heard about the handling though.

[Spdloader]

It looks like a variant of the Trans Am. In my opinion, the Trans Am has turned into a girls car, compared to the car it was in the '60's. Dad had a '64, and then a '67. This new car is just not unique looking.
Maybe I didn't answer your questions specifically, but that's my opinion.

Spdloader
T. Bryson
Thomasville, NC.

Originally Posted by DanNeil

Hi guys,

I'm the car columnist for the LA Times. I just test drove the GTO and also just got back from SEMA this week. The car is a stout piece and I give GM a lot of credit for building it.

I want to write a story about the GTO and the aftermarket. As you all probably know, GM declined to provide specs on the car to the aftermarket guys, like SLP Engineering, in what seems like an effort to monopolize the GTO customizing business with its own tuner package ("AutoCross," is it?) due out next year.

You all also probably know SLP is ramping up to offer the Bobcat and Judge packages, in defiance of GM's claim on the Judge copyright. GM is not happy, but I've heard rumors that GM was going to capitulate on this. In any event, it's only a matter of time before other companies start offering GTO variants of their own.

Here are my questions:

What is missing in the new GTO -- what essential GTO-ness -- that aftermarket guys could supply? The car is amazingly non-descript now. Do you think that's intentional, so GM has room to zoot it up in subsequent optional packages? Is this the blank canvas?

Why do you think GM is being stingy with the GTO? At SEMA this week it seemed like every OEM was desperate to get a bigger piece of that $27 billion pie. And not just the OEM's. Galpin Motor, the biggest Ford delaership in the country, is opening a custom shop. They'll do all the work and put on all the parts, from seat covers to dubs, and finance it as part of your purchase price. Do you think GM's strategy will backfire, or will it be a good source of profit? I tend to think a lot of cool things come out of the aftermarket.

What do you think about the GTO styling?

Are there other companies that are good candidates to "rice-ify" the GTO. Like E&G, for instance?

I need people who are passionate about GTO -- multiple owners, those with their orders in -- willing to be quoted in the paper. So please send name and city to dan.neil@latimes.com with your responses.

Thanks guys.

[LuckyBastard]

Originally Posted by DanNeil

Hi guys,

I'm the car columnist for the LA Times. I just test drove the GTO and also just got back from SEMA this week. The car is a stout piece and I give GM a lot of credit for building it.

I want to write a story about the GTO and the aftermarket. As you all probably know, GM declined to provide specs on the car to the aftermarket guys, like SLP Engineering, in what seems like an effort to monopolize the GTO customizing business with its own tuner package ("AutoCross," is it?) due out next year.

You all also probably know SLP is ramping up to offer the Bobcat and Judge packages, in defiance of GM's claim on the Judge copyright. GM is not happy, but I've heard rumors that GM was going to capitulate on this. In any event, it's only a matter of time before other companies start offering GTO variants of their own.

Here are my questions:

What is missing in the new GTO -- what essential GTO-ness -- that aftermarket guys could supply? The car is amazingly non-descript now. Do you think that's intentional, so GM has room to zoot it up in subsequent optional packages? Is this the blank canvas?

Why do you think GM is being stingy with the GTO? At SEMA this week it seemed like every OEM was desperate to get a bigger piece of that $27 billion pie. And not just the OEM's. Galpin Motor, the biggest Ford delaership in the country, is opening a custom shop. They'll do all the work and put on all the parts, from seat covers to dubs, and finance it as part of your purchase price. Do you think GM's strategy will backfire, or will it be a good source of profit? I tend to think a lot of cool things come out of the aftermarket.

What do you think about the GTO styling?

Are there other companies that are good candidates to "rice-ify" the GTO. Like E&G, for instance?

I need people who are passionate about GTO -- multiple owners, those with their orders in -- willing to be quoted in the paper. So please send name and city to dan.neil@latimes.com with your responses.

Thanks guys.

Sorry but, I'm old school hardcore and the only new car that would excite a true GTO or any previous 1964 - 1970 muscle car owner would be to transport back in time and buy one.
Front wheel drive 4 and 6 cylinder vehicles are not muscle cars.
Muscle cars have steel bumpers with massive chrome grills with teeth that eat little cars, mega amounts of interior, and gigantic v8 engines with 400 plus horse power.
They sound, smell and radiate high performance and do not have plastic safety bumpers packed with styro-foam.
Real muscle cars have carburetors, some have two or three and not electronic sensors with computers.
They have no cd player with 132 speakers
They have a motor that is facing forward with plenty of room that you can work on them without removing the damned engine. You can even change the spark plugs without busting your hands or head.
You can sit on the fender without having to pull out any dents even if you weigh in a 200 plus lbs.
They are big, loud, strong and beautiful.
Sorry, there are no serious muscle cars that are new. There are none being made today, its over and done with.
You can't un-f**k the automobile industry and the lobbyists who helped to rip it apart.
You can not undo the damage that the engineers have done to assist these greedy companies in their ultimate quest for the million dollar plastic and foam 1/2 horsepower 1 cylinder disposable vehicle.

If I buy another muscle car it will be from the late 60's early 70's. I could never be passionate about driving anything except the real thing.
Those people, especially of the new generations have no idea, they could never miss what they have never loved. They are clueless. They only know the miss-information, the overly commercialized, underpowered, overpriced lies of what they are led to believe is high-performance.
It's just a damned shame, it will never be the same. My heart aches.

Lucky Bastard - Pembroke Pines, Fl

[Xzinkz]

Do you guys remember what the Nissan skyline GTR R35 concept looked like ? well at first i thought it was the most disgusting car but after a while it kinda grew on me and i like how it looks now, what i'm really trying to say is give it time. Usually the concepts differ from the final version

[Michael_S]

Originally Posted by LuckyBastard

* deleted to save space *
Lucky Bastard - Pembroke Pines, Fl

If you're annoyed that the lobbyists have gotten their way as far as crumple zones, collapsable steering columns, and airbags, I respectfully disagree. If you got into a minor accident in a '66 Mustang, the 3000+ pounds of Detroit steel you were in would probably come out with just a few dents. The car was tough. You, on the other hand, would rattle around the inside like a tomato in a blender. I'd rather have my car take the brunt of the impact and not me.

If you're saying that the Chevy Impala SS, Nissan Maxima, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, and a Honda Civic with a big spoiler and loud pipes aren't muscle cars, then I absolutely agree with you. On the other hand, the new GTO and the Mustang GT, Mach1, and SVT Cobra are all RWD cars with nice V8s and impressive handling. None of them top 400 horsepower stock, but they all have beautiful exhaust notes, respectable handling, and 0-60 mph and quarter mile times that very few 60s muscle cars can match. All that and better gas mileage on unleaded fuel too. I would call them the modern day muscle cars.

As a trade off for those safety improvements and more efficient engines, you lose the ability to easily work on the engine or tune your fuel/air mix. I can see how that's a real pain in the keister, but I think it's worth the trade off.

The only thing I really miss about the old fashioned muscle cars is the looks. I think even the retro Mustang doesn't hold a candle to the '66-'68 Mustangs, and while I really like the new GTO the older GTO looks a hundred times better.

[SuPeRcAr_MaN]

Originally Posted by Xzinkz

Do you guys remember what the Nissan skyline GTR R35 concept looked like ? well at first i thought it was the most disgusting car but after a while it kinda grew on me and i like how it looks now, what i'm really trying to say is give it time. Usually the concepts differ from the final version

The new GTO was never a concept car. The 1999 GTO concept car was strictly a concept and is not the car they are building. It doesn't matter who that car grows on or who even knows it existed. The new GTO, as most should know, was previously produced as the Holden Monaro. So I don't know if you are mistaken or just thinking of the wrong Goat...

[Meyaht]

quickly
63 tempest was plain as hell in the 60's.. oit looked like every other car on the road... they made it a GTO

todays grand prix looks like every other car on the road.. frighteningly similar to the GTO

the GTO is the ultimate sleeper. thats the idea. its not out to be cool looking, or outrageous. its there to look like everything else on the road, only 2x as fast. the GTO will look cool in 2 years just like it did in the 1st gen. besides, as soon as they get the caddilac CTS frame under it (2-3 yrs.) and have it completely built in USA, the price will come down.

[jfiliss]

That's a good interpretation. The earlier muscle cars were pretty tame-looking, and it mostly wasn't until the late 60s - early 70s that we got the over-the-top add-ons and color schemes that we normally associate with the muscle car era.

[Jared_80]

I like the GTO but they should build a supercharged "Judge" version. They need to do that to show that they can take on any 4 banger GSX Evo or WRX that the japs can bring over, somthing that the Camaro and Firebird failed to do.

[jfiliss]

Originally Posted by LuckyBastard

Muscle cars have steel bumpers with massive chrome grills with teeth that eat little cars, mega amounts of interior, and gigantic v8 engines with 400 plus horse power.

While I understand what you're trying to say, I have to chime in that most classic muscle cars had less than 400 horsepower...and even fewer of them would if they measured horsepower at the rear wheel as opposed to the flywheel like they did back then.

My family collects Oldsmobiles, and even my father's 70 W-30 makes less than 400 horsepower. Granted, it does have 500 lbs-ft of torque and an incredible power curve with its long stroke 455.

Sorry, didn't want to seem pedantic. Glad to see there are some old-school types posting here.