GTO
The 2004 GTO a day or so after we picked it up.
This car represented a three year experiment by GM to import a high performance coupe from their Holden subsidiary in Australia (the Pontiac GTO is a rebadged Holden Monaro). This was because GM have basically converted all their North American rear-wheel drive passenger car assembly lines, except the Cadillac Northstar line, to SUVs. That's right: GM no longer makes rear wheel drive passenger cars (except Cadillacs) in the US. That's why they had to import the GTO from Australia. And that's also why you don't see many GM police cars these days (GM surrendered that market to Ford).
GM really screwed the pooch in their marketing of this car. The experiment was a failure, and no more GTOs will be imported after the 2006 model year. Brainless Pontiac dealers, who didn't know how to react to having a decent car on their lots for once, didn't help matters. I heard many dealers wouldn't allow GTO test drives. WTF?
Anyway, I knew the GTOs were coming for some time before they arrived, and I bought mine only a few months after they were first imported. It's a fantastic car, a lot like a Corvette coupe. It has a 350 HP 5.7 liter LS1 V8, six speed (with two overdrive gears) gearbox, rear independent suspension, the works (2005 and 2006 models have a 400 HP 6.0 liter LS6 motor). Judging from conversations I've had, I gather most people still think it's a tarted up Grand Am. Good work there, GM marketing people.
It's fully loaded inside, too, with leather seats, ten speaker Blaupunkt 6-CD changer, etc (there were only two options: the color and the transmission). It's the first time I've ever treated myself to a swanky new car.
In the almost three years I've owned the car, I've had almost no problems with it, which is more than a lot of owners of German cars can say. And some time ago I backed into the rear bumper of a Lexus in a parking lot. I caused $700 of damage to the Lexus, while the damage to the GTO was mostly polished out by my detailer. Who says GM can't make good cars? Who says the Aussie worker is a drunken lout?
I'll probably have to sell it once the El Camino is running again. A shame. And a shame the Holden experiment didn't work. Holden never stopped making the El Camino (they call them Utes), and a model called the SS Ute shares the same performance specs with the Monaro/GTO. I would love to have one of those. I doubt GM will ever import them.
GTO
The 2004 GTO a day or so after we picked it up.
This car represented a three year experiment by GM to import a high performance coupe from their Holden subsidiary in Australia (the Pontiac GTO is a rebadged Holden Monaro). This was because GM have basically converted all their North American rear-wheel drive passenger car assembly lines, except the Cadillac Northstar line, to SUVs. That's right: GM no longer makes rear wheel drive passenger cars (except Cadillacs) in the US. That's why they had to import the GTO from Australia. And that's also why you don't see many GM police cars these days (GM surrendered that market to Ford).
GM really screwed the pooch in their marketing of this car. The experiment was a failure, and no more GTOs will be imported after the 2006 model year. Brainless Pontiac dealers, who didn't know how to react to having a decent car on their lots for once, didn't help matters. I heard many dealers wouldn't allow GTO test drives. WTF?
Anyway, I knew the GTOs were coming for some time before they arrived, and I bought mine only a few months after they were first imported. It's a fantastic car, a lot like a Corvette coupe. It has a 350 HP 5.7 liter LS1 V8, six speed (with two overdrive gears) gearbox, rear independent suspension, the works (2005 and 2006 models have a 400 HP 6.0 liter LS6 motor). Judging from conversations I've had, I gather most people still think it's a tarted up Grand Am. Good work there, GM marketing people.
It's fully loaded inside, too, with leather seats, ten speaker Blaupunkt 6-CD changer, etc (there were only two options: the color and the transmission). It's the first time I've ever treated myself to a swanky new car.
In the almost three years I've owned the car, I've had almost no problems with it, which is more than a lot of owners of German cars can say. And some time ago I backed into the rear bumper of a Lexus in a parking lot. I caused $700 of damage to the Lexus, while the damage to the GTO was mostly polished out by my detailer. Who says GM can't make good cars? Who says the Aussie worker is a drunken lout?
I'll probably have to sell it once the El Camino is running again. A shame. And a shame the Holden experiment didn't work. Holden never stopped making the El Camino (they call them Utes), and a model called the SS Ute shares the same performance specs with the Monaro/GTO. I would love to have one of those. I doubt GM will ever import them.