2004 Pontiac GTO
 

The Pontiac GTO is a four-seat Corvette.

Base Price: US$ 35K

Under the hood of the 2004 GTO is a specially tuned LS1 5.7-liter V-8 aluminum-block engine at 350 horsepower @ 5200 rpm, 365 lb-ft. of torque at 4000 rpm with an appropriately tuned Pontiac exhaust note. While sharing the same basic engine configuration with the base-level Chevrolet Corvette, the LS1 engine in the GTO has been modified with a high-lift camshaft and increased airflow induction to create greater horsepower and low-end torque than the Holden Monaro to address the needs of U.S. drivers.

All that power is mated to either an electronically controlled Hydra-Matic 4L60-E four-speed automatic transmission or the six-speed, close ratio manual transmission available on the Corvette ZO6. Both transmissions feature the same low-geared 3.46 final drive axle ratio in a rear-wheel-drive configuration to maximize off-the-line performance, a limited slip differential, and a three-channel traction control system designed to help enhance vehicle control.

Although performance testing on the vehicle has not been completed, the production model GTO is expected have a zero-to-60 acceleration time of less than 5.5 seconds and run the quarter-mile in approximately 14 seconds at a speed of 105 mph.

keyword "aluminum" engine block...

Not a bad looking car. I hear they're adding hood scoops though too. Now if only they can get rid of the cheap light gray plastic interior which all Pontiac's have.

Yeah, I hated the "Fisher Price" interior of my Grand Prix.

---jps

Too heavy.. 350hp and only 14's? Plus like others stated, the Pontiac interiors are horrific.

$35k for a car that has the exterior and interior style of a Grand Am, and weighs over 3700 lbs?

Very cool, thanks for reminding me what an awesome deal the RX-8 is at $27k. :D

Looks like every other American made sedan on the road....

Damn, only 14s in the 1/4? It's not supposed to be too much heavier (~200lbs IIRC) than the old F-bodies were but it runs a whole second slower in the 1/4? I wonder what type of times it actually will run once someone gets their hands on a production model...

The GTO is a re-badged Holden Monaro (I think I spelled that right). I read an Auzie article that compared the Monaro, Z350 and RX-8. They loved the monaro's straight-line acceleration and torque, but said the handling was mushy. The Monaro is aparently a good highway cruiser, but they picked the RX-8 out of the three for its all-around performance, fun factor and usefulness.

Looks like.......
 

Surely you have the wrong picture, that's not a Monaro, it is an '01 Grand Am, and even then it needs its plastic mouldings put back on..........

S

GM imports......
 

GM has had terrible luck with its previous imports, rebadged Suzukis, Opels and Vauxhalls - the last one was, I believe, the Caddy Catera, widely renowned for its world-class shoddiness.

I remember one reviewer (Jean Jennings IIRC) complained that she was on the freeway when the headliner collapsed down on to her! They built the bodies at Ellesmeer Port plant in the U.K., and the motor was an Opel brought over from Germany (even GM wasn't daft enough to build it on Merseyside!) By now most of them have been recycled........

It will be very interesting to see the overall quality of the Monaro.
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doc

they killed the gto

here's a review:
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http://www.drive.com.au/news/article...XB1MMNXHD.html

Forget the number of doors and the "revised cam" (with no change in HP and torque peak moves just 400rpm). The CV8 is basically a better looking GTO.

-pete

Yep, that's the article I was talking about.

Glad to see that GM has brought back the 1995 Ford Thunderbird SC:o

Just what's needed, another oversized, overweight and overpriced coupe with bland styling.

I think the problem with the GTO is the same one discussed in this thread I started.

Basically, the GM divisions try to play a balancing act where they each fill a particular niche and none competes directly with any other. So I bet when they decided to put the 'Vette LS1 into the GTO, some idiot made sure that the engine was detuned so no potential buyer for a $45,000 Corvette would settle for a $35,000 GTO. Never mind that the decision made the GTO a less attractive choice for people looking to spend $35,000.

It's probably the same reason that Ford's revival of the Thunderbird has a detuned version of the Lincoln LS's 3.9 liter V-8. It's a similar situation. If the Thunderbird was an attractive car, fewer Lincoln LS's would be sold. The new Thunderbird could have been a sweet car, but 280 horsepower in a two-seater convertible doesn't cut it for a 3800 pound car - especially one that costs more than $40,000.

well for as ugly as they are (bland is more of a proper word), i can still get that car for dealercost or less. Its nice having a cousin that owns a pontiac/caddilac/GMC dealership. But i doubt i will just like i still havn't bought a firebird from him, would much rather have a rotary :D

I got my Chevy at dealer invoice because my grandfather was a retired GM employee. Most of my Dad's family drives GM vehicles for that reason.

My grandfather passed away a year ago, though... and now that we have to bargain against MSRP like everyone else, the family is moving on to other brands.

Motor Trend test data

_________________ 0-100mph _____ 0 – ¼ mile


2004 Pontiac GTO ____ 13.1 s ____ 13.6s @ 104.8mph


The GTO accelerates like an Audi S4.

The Motor Trend test car had four-season tires. The test numbers would be better with high performance tires.

Report: December issue Motor Trend (p.54)

Too heavy!


That 1/4 mile time seems to be a bit too fast based on the 0-60 time.

it looks like a stretched chevy cavalier. very boring design.

Pontiac needs a good kick in the pants....I doubt this is it, but at least I don't date that bit*h with the firebird any more!

That's not a 0-60mph time, it's a 0-100mph time. Seems to fit in rather well with the 1/4 mile time, actually. Since it came from a mag, I'm willing to bet that that time is what they actually got. Whether or not it's the actual limit of the car remains to be seen...

I wonder why they didn't at least make the body cladding look more like the original GTO.

The GTO has the same problem with trunk space as the RX-8....room for a couple golf bags.....because GM had to move the gas tank INTO the trunk to prevent it from becoming a fireball in rear-end collisions. Also, there's a good review of the GTO in this the current issue of Car and Driver.