All in all, I think we will see some nice changes to the GTO in the next few years. No doubt there are some people at GM that follow web sites similar to this one to get a feel for what the people want. Getting it approved is always the hard thing. Unless GM is totally blind, they should see all the hype, good or bad, and do some of the changes that it needs to keep people talking about it. Most of us understand that exposure is what is needed to keep the public thinking about the GTO and Pontiac in general. It is a good car even if you don't like the styling, and the more talk about it, the more chances they have to get people into the showroom, even if they are just curious. Once they have you there, the odds dramatically increase that you may buy something from them. We all know how intoxicating it can be when you are surrounded by new cars. Many of us have walked away at some time with a new (or used) car from a dealer even if you were only going to look. Once you take the bait and they have you in the showroom, it's all a matter of setting the hook! Brian :Brow: :Brow:
Could it be that , just maybe, a GTO should have a Pontiac engine and not a Chevy..er corporate engine? I know that it has been a long time since Pontiac had its own engine, but!!!!! how many do you think they would sell if it had a real Pontiac engine in it? Maybe sales would be better if they badged it as a Chevelle, Malibu, or Nova SS. Or even sell it under its Australian badge?
They put the GS badge on more than one model in the musclecar hayday. So comparing GS badge to GTO is a little different. And yes it did bother me when they started putting it on regals and other cars in the 80's.
Somebody needs to blow the little corporate weenies right out of GM. The old GTO's had a pontiac motor, the new ones, wellllllll, they got good power but not from pontiac, from the corporate weenies. I can't remember the last time I seen a NEWER buick with a buick engine ou: -Cody
We can all hope, but the chances of GM building a brand specific engine are slim. They love that "corporate" engine crap and I doubt it will change. I suppose they figure the general public has forgotten about brand specific motors. Sad....... :ball: Brian
You know what? It will be rare, because it's not selling. Just like a lot of other cars in the past that didn't sell for whatever reason. I agree with 68 Suburban An opinion on looks cannot be argued with. It's a non-debate. Whether you like the looks or hate them. I happen to not like the looks. :sleep: Performance is a different story I suppose. The first picture in this thread might as well be the nose of a Mustang.
I can't believe some of you are moist over this "GTO" The GM designers copped out on this one. They might have spent a day designing this for the American Market. Maybe 24 hours grafting a Grand Am Bumper on an Australian Holden and throwing a Corvette engine in it. Plunk down your hard earned $$$ on the revival of the American Muscle car The next Grand National Buick is going to be a Volvo with Port Holes on the fender :grin:
I hear ya man. I may be wrong and correct me if I am, but I think the difference here is that the 64 GTO was designed here and was unmistakebly American. I think the issue people are taking here is that it's not an American design and we're putting a legendary American badge (albeit derived from Italia) on it and trying to bring back the feeling of yesteryear. Sales are proving this is a mistake as well as "possibly" the sticker price. o No:
The whole tone of this thread would have been different with out your original "grow up" response to my opinion
Your right. There is something about a Purple three speed 258cid one barrel Gremlin that has the chicks diving in from the curb.:grin: Rick
Nothing beats a Woodgrain Pacer with luggage rack and whitewalls for saying "Ladies, I'm a party animal"
A-Bomb- Nice shots of the old Monaro! To answer your question, I always thought they looked a little like a Nova. I'd say the GTO isn't selling because it's just too stinkin' expensive. GM said they were dropping the Camaro/Firebird because "the market just isn't there". A little hard to believe when the Mustang outsold both of them 5-1. Ford markets the Mustang to everyone, not just the musclecar enthusiast. They still sell it for what it originally was- an economy car. Musclecars took off because they were cheap and fast. The new GTO is pleanty fast but few people in their 20's can afford it. Guess who usually likes to buy fast cars? Yep, us young folk. Can't sell something the target market can't afford. In regards to the engine in the GTO, most buyers don't care what engine is in it or who designed it, they just see numbers. It's only us purists who would look into something like that. And unfortunately there aren't enough of us out there to drive the market. As for the name, I think they expected the car buying public to fall on its back to own a GTO. Really (I think it's been stated already) it should have been brought in as the Pontiac Monaro. It would work, you know?! If they really wanted to sell cars, they should have done a GTO/Chevelle/GS/Cutlass and maybe then they'd have a nice selling car. Give each its brand's styling cues, and having 4 brands selling the same car. I bet sales would be way up compared to how they are now.
Yep, most young guys buy any Mustang as all it need to be is shiny and go vroom vroom and girl will just jump into it. I have seen this first hand. When two friends figured it out and it didn't matter that one drank a quart of oil a week or the other had a fried clutch. It was shiny n went vroom vroom and they got more tail that year then ever.
Remember Vin Deisel drove the pruple GTO in "XXX" and got all the muscle car juices flowing again. Anybody ever watch the trailer on the DVD of "XXX" touting "GTO-We're bringing the muscle back" or something like that. I saw the GTO title on the DVD menu and got all excited about what this "new" car was all about. They even had some "suits" talking about the commitment to muscle and I think they even lined the new GTO with the GTO's of the past. When it looked like my neighbors wife's car I pretty much blew it off. It was pretty dissapointing. Just my 2 cents worth. Rick
I think too many of you are stuck in the past and hoping GM will bring back the cars of the '60's, with the same styling etc. Too bad your missing out on the rebirth of muscle car performance. As far as designers copping out on the project, I don't see it much different than taking a '64 Tempest, an engine from a larger car, add some cleaver emblems, bucket seats, sports shifter, etc. and calling it a GTO. I agree that the price may be out of touch of a 20 year old buyer, but $30k is a great price for what you get, what else compares? By the way you should really give yourself a chance to drive a new GTO, you may think differently about whether it deserves all the bashing.
I don't know guys, I listen to the bashing and the arguements and I can see both sides, but I also see what that thing can run and I think a lot of people are looking for something bad to say cause it will outrun a old GS without even breaking a sweat. Personally, they should have left the GTO dead and just made up a new name, then nobody would have anything to bitch about. And the camaro/firebird were outsold by 2 to 1, not 5 to 1. I think part of the reason for that is, as mentioned, the mustang is targeted at everyone.....you just happen to be able to buy more power in some models (half the buyers of mustangs are women). The f-bod twins were no nonsense performance machines, and some people don't want that 24 hours a day. I loved my 97 ram air six speed formula, that thing was a riot. And if there were 30 mustangs on the road at the same time, all the better. I'd rather walk my own line than do what everyone else does... If the GTO comes to Canada, I am going to test drive one for sure, then I'll have some real opinions about it. I might even buy one, I'm due for a new vehicle. I think everyone bashing each other over this car is silly,lets not get carried away, this is a BUICK board after all!!!:beer later guys Tim
You know, buick used to be it's own car company before GM bought it out To bad it isn't its own car company now, but a few other GM cars used to be car companies of there own. GM has owned buick for a long time. -Cody
Hold that thought, I know a few "old" GS's that would humiliate the new GTO:3gears: Alot of board members own them too:TU:
