1. LS2 engine 2. 400 horsepower and 395 lb.-ft. of torque 3. 6500 rpm redline 4. Real dual exhaust 5. Nicely appointed interior and dash layout 6. Eight-way power adjustable driver and front passenger seats 7. Real back seats 8. Blaupunkt 200-watt audio system 9. GM once again will have competition for the Cobra
…but the BIGGEST reason I would buy a 2005 GTO…
10. None of those myopic individuals who insist that a high performance car has to look like something from the Fast and the Furious (and nothing else is worthy of being one) will own one… Posted by TimeLord (Member # 1389) on :
Enjoy it then,,,,let us know your impressions of it!!!!!! Posted by Bill Mason (Member # 1807) on :
The one reason why I would not buy a 2004 GTO.
1. Because it is not available in Canada.
Posted by Jim Mac (Member # 113) on :
You forgot reasons 11 and 12!!!!
11. 5700 lb curb weight. 12. $92,000 Sticker Price.
Posted by MMMM_ERT (Member # 1599) on :
I'd go Ford Cobra if I was looking to buy in the performance musclecar market. GTO has no style even though they say they will add a scoop...I don't hold out much hope.
Wonder what the 05 Cobra will offer in the power dept. Posted by Steven2000SS (Member # 780) on :
I would look at a 05 GTO for a daily driver.. it has a FAR nicer and more refined(comfortable) interior than the Stang and can be had in an automatic.
Its still not in the same hp league as the Cobra though.. its very easy to get them in the 500hp range (blowers rock) and they weigh less..
But for the daily cruiser an 05 GTO would be nice..
Posted by Doug 97SS #1499 (Member # 100) on :
quote:Originally posted by jimb0: 1. LS2 engine 2. 400 horsepower and 395 lb.-ft. of torque 3. 6500 rpm redline 4. Real dual exhaust 5. Nicely appointed interior and dash layout 6. Eight-way power adjustable driver and front passenger seats 7. Real back seats 8. Blaupunkt 200-watt audio system 9. GM once again will have competition for the Cobra
…but the BIGGEST reason I would buy a 2005 GTO…
10. None of those myopic individuals who insist that a high performance car has to look like something from the Fast and the Furious (and nothing else is worthy of being one) will own one…
Ok I 100% agree with you. And your point is??? Posted by SSHEETS (Member # 1989) on :
I cought a glimpse of a black one the other night in traffic. It was a lot better looking in person than in the pictures. I really only saw the rear quarter, but what I did see looked
Still wouldn't give up my SS for one though, but as Steven pointed out, for a daily driver...it might be one hellava nice car. Look at the LT1 Impalas, they certainly are no prom queens, but their performance earned them a loyal following. Posted by el ess1 (Member # 1544) on :
quote:Originally posted by MMMM_ERT: Wonder what the 05 Cobra will offer in the power dept.
Last I heard it will be ZERO HP and ZERO TQ...Ford said earlier that there would be no Cobra model for '05. That could change with a badge and some decals, of course.
Posted by MMMM_ERT (Member # 1599) on :
quote:Originally posted by el ess1:
quote:Originally posted by MMMM_ERT: Wonder what the 05 Cobra will offer in the power dept.
Last I heard it will be ZERO HP and ZERO TQ...Ford said earlier that there would be no Cobra model for '05. That could change with a badge and some decals, of course.
Hmmmmm...guess they are going to skip the Cobra for the first production year with the new Mustang....
Posted by SSHEETS (Member # 1989) on :
quote:Originally posted by MMMM_ERT:
quote:Originally posted by el ess1:
quote:Originally posted by MMMM_ERT: Wonder what the 05 Cobra will offer in the power dept.
Last I heard it will be ZERO HP and ZERO TQ...Ford said earlier that there would be no Cobra model for '05. That could change with a badge and some decals, of course.
Hmmmmm...guess they are going to skip the Cobra for the first production year with the new Mustang....
They must a blinked eh? Posted by xero (Member # 2001) on :
quote:Originally posted by MMMM_ERT:
quote:Originally posted by el ess1:
quote:Originally posted by MMMM_ERT: Wonder what the 05 Cobra will offer in the power dept.
Last I heard it will be ZERO HP and ZERO TQ...Ford said earlier that there would be no Cobra model for '05. That could change with a badge and some decals, of course.
Hmmmmm...guess they are going to skip the Cobra for the first production year with the new Mustang....
they are probably just gonna take an extra year and make sure to get it right Posted by ss_rs_z (Member # 1888) on :
quote:Originally posted by jimb0: 1. LS2 engine 2. 400 horsepower and 395 lb.-ft. of torque 3. 6500 rpm redline 4. Real dual exhaust 5. Nicely appointed interior and dash layout 6. Eight-way power adjustable driver and front passenger seats 7. Real back seats 8. Blaupunkt 200-watt audio system 9. GM once again will have competition for the Cobra
…but the BIGGEST reason I would buy a 2005 GTO…
10. None of those myopic individuals who insist that a high performance car has to look like something from the Fast and the Furious (and nothing else is worthy of being one) will own one…
I'll third this one. Posted by MMMM_ERT (Member # 1599) on :
quote:Originally posted by SSHEETS:
quote:Originally posted by MMMM_ERT:
quote:Originally posted by el ess1:
quote:Originally posted by MMMM_ERT: Wonder what the 05 Cobra will offer in the power dept.
Last I heard it will be ZERO HP and ZERO TQ...Ford said earlier that there would be no Cobra model for '05. That could change with a badge and some decals, of course.
Hmmmmm...guess they are going to skip the Cobra for the first production year with the new Mustang....
They must a blinked eh?
Well, if Ford is blinking...then GM is asleep at the wheel...
Posted by biSScuit (Member # 2030) on :
quote:Originally posted by MMMM_ERT:
quote:Originally posted by el ess1:
quote:Originally posted by MMMM_ERT: Wonder what the 05 Cobra will offer in the power dept.
Last I heard it will be ZERO HP and ZERO TQ...Ford said earlier that there would be no Cobra model for '05. That could change with a badge and some decals, of course.
Hmmmmm...guess they are going to skip the Cobra for the first production year with the new Mustang....
Same as GM with the new Vette. I guess take a year to get the bugs worked out, then release the kick-arse model. Posted by laraandre (Member # 1577) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jim Mac: You forgot reasons 11 and 12!!!!
Byrdman
Posted by 1-35 anniverasy LE (Member # 2040) on :
GTO still looks to much like a ricer for me to get excited, dosent even look sporty to me
Posted by jimb0 (Member # 176) on :
quote:Originally posted by 1-35 anniverasy LE: GTO still looks to much like a ricer for me to get excited, dosent even look sporty to me
...just how does it look like a ricer? Big wing? Dubs? Bling? Fart Can? Decals? Neon?
...and how sporty was the original GTO? It was a Pontac LeMans...basically a boxy looking economy car. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, every car can't be everything to everyone. Hell, the majority of the car buying public think the Camaros and Firebirds were trailer trash or redneck cars. Didn't stop any of us from buying one now did it?
Posted by poSSum (Member # 119) on :
quote:Originally posted by Bill Mason: The one reason why I would not buy a 2004 GTO.
1. Because it is not available in Canada.
That's my reason too.
I like the sleeper look of the GTO.
Posted by chrisL (Member # 97) on :
quote:Originally posted by jimb0: ...and how sporty was the original GTO? It was a Pontac LeMans...basically a boxy looking economy car.
Finally! If anything, the 04 GTO was very true to the 64 GTO for this exact reason. Both were sleepers. Further enhancements/refinements came to the original GTO just as GM will continually improve the current GTO.
The future will only bring better things, and not just from GM.
Posted by KevinA (Member # 139) on :
It has no stlying, just like most of the rest of GM's cars. I'll pass. The looks did not impress me at the NY Auto Show.
Posted by jimb0 (Member # 176) on :
quote:Originally posted by KevinA: It has no stlying, just like most of the rest of GM's cars. I'll pass. The looks did not impress me at the NY Auto Show.
...that's one of the reasons I like it...it's not an "in your face" high performance car...it's very civil looking and subdued.
...it walks softly, but carries a big d@mn stick... Posted by KenC (Member # 189) on :
im kinda thinkin 2006 will be the yr to get it. let 2005 weed out some of the normal little "probs" that crop up........... Posted by jimb0 (Member # 176) on :
quote:Originally posted by KenC: im kinda thinkin 2006 will be the yr to get it. let 2005 weed out some of the normal little "probs" that crop up...........
...yeah, you may have a point there broh...
...besides, I have to do the garage mod before thinking about adding any vehicles...
...and then there's that 2005 Charger R/T looming out there on the horizon with the 425hp Hemi... Posted by el ess1 (Member # 1544) on :
Maybe if you took those ten reasons and tried to convince more people to buy one. Apparently, the new GTO is NOT a hit.
But to look at the past and compare it to today's GTO is a bit of a reach. There were "street/track respect" issues to deal with back then. The run on Sunday, in the showroom on Monday aspect was big back then. Today, it's completely a money making issue. It's really all about giving the people what they want. Back then the people wanted raw performance. Now...I'm not sure if the GTO has a wide enough appeal, like the Camaro/Firebird.
Original (pre-73) musclecars were built so that Joe Blow could afford no-frills performance. The new GTO is anything but that. Can't knock the performance, but again, if it's ugly, or expensive (the new GTO is both, IMO) it's not going to win the Miss America pageant anytime soon. Not many of the younger generation will be buying one, I'm afraid. Sorry, I can't get into the new GTO body style. If I can't deal with looking at it, I'd rather not own it. It's roughly about 10K more to buy a GTO than it was a 2002 Z28. Not worth that, if you ask me. Luxury performance is ok, but don't try and pass it off as anything but.
And as far as style, if GM could shape the new GTO more like the '64, they probably couldn't keep people out of the showrooms. It's ok if you don't believe me, but if the current sales numbers are any indication, there's SOMETHING about the new GTO that isn't clicking with the public. I know it can't be the drivetrain.
Posted by vyto2 (Member # 2265) on :
First of all, the GTO is only 350 hp and that is at the crank, not rear wheels, second, my monsoon kicks out more power, and third, my WS6 is only costing me 16 K (+ another 10 K over the years in mods... ) I'll stick with the f-body. (not to mention it looks better)
(Meh bad! I just noticed 2005 GTO)
Posted by KevinA (Member # 139) on :
quote:Originally posted by jimb0:
quote:Originally posted by KevinA: It has no stlying, just like most of the rest of GM's cars. I'll pass. The looks did not impress me at the NY Auto Show.
...that's one of the reasons I like it...it's not an "in your face" high performance car...it's very civil looking and subdued.
...it walks softly, but carries a big d@mn stick...
I like the 04 Cobra. I has much better styling. I never said it had to be in your face, just needs to be better.
GM dropped the ball once again.
Posted by SteelHorse (Member # 1725) on :
quote:Originally posted by jimb0:
quote:Originally posted by KevinA: It has no stlying, just like most of the rest of GM's cars. I'll pass. The looks did not impress me at the NY Auto Show.
...that's one of the reasons I like it...it's not an "in your face" high performance car...it's very civil looking and subdued.
...it walks softly, but carries a big d@mn stick...
I'm seriously considering one. Make mine Basic Black. Not all cars speak loudly.
Posted by 01ss87iroc (Member # 1763) on :
quote:Originally posted by jimb0:
quote:Originally posted by KevinA: It has no stlying, just like most of the rest of GM's cars. I'll pass. The looks did not impress me at the NY Auto Show.
...that's one of the reasons I like it...it's not an "in your face" high performance car...it's very civil looking and subdued.
...it walks softly, but carries a big d@mn stick...
Although the original GTO is before my time, didn't it just blend in with the crowd and have a kick a$$ engine tucked in its bay? I think a lot of the classics from that time were regular cars with awesome performance...something the LS2 GTO is sure to have. As stated in an earlier post, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The subtle look of the GTO seems to go along with the original muscle car theme IMO. We'll see what happens when someone mistake the new goat for a cavy... Posted by el ess1 (Member # 1544) on :
quote:Originally posted by 01ss87iroc: We'll see what happens when someone mistake the new goat for a cavy...
I don't recall anyone ever trying to get down with a Cavy. But actually, that isn't something I'd call a good quality, to be mistaken for a Cavalier.
Plus, a GTO doesn't BLEND. Unless you're talking about regular Cavys. The GTO body style doesn't have a "regular" car body style in the U.S., so I can't see how it could blend into the woodwork. It's style is unique, but very bland. Maybe once they gussy it up a little and make it LOOK more fierce, it may command a little more respect. But right now, it doesn't do anything for me, and apparently for a lot of folks. Again, sales figures are the proof in the pudding. We all know the drivetrain is excellent. It is a fast car. The '03 Cobra is a fast car too, but I don't like the way it looks, thus, I won't buy one of those either.
I look at a car as an extension of my personality, and I'd surely hate to think my personality was as bland as the new GTO.
But it's your own personal tastes that will dictate. After all, the ricer crowd loves their tuner cars, and I still can't figure out why. Maybe because they are pretty cheap but can be made pretty quick. Isn't that how the musclecar era started?
[ 09. June 2004, 11:27 PM: Message edited by: el ess1 ]
Posted by jimb0 (Member # 176) on :
Well, to be honest, as far as looks go, I don't really care much for the looks of the 4th gen Firebird, and I care even less for the looks of the 4th gen Camaro (which is why I chose the Hawk over an SS). I much prefer the looks of the 3rd gens in both models. I feel both of those really looked like American musclecars. A lot of you probably don’t remember when the 4th gen Firebirds and Camaros where first introduced, the words “European styling” were tossed around quite a bit. I bought the Hawk because my choices for performance cars were fairly limited...Chrysler had nothing but the Viper, which was quite a bit out of my price range. As impressive as the Cobra performance (and the other tuner Mustang variants) is, I just cannot get into Mustangs…for me the driving position is uncomfortable, the interiors seem cheap, and the dash layout is humdrum, (and you just can’t shake that boy racer image wearing his ball cap backwards they portray...yeah, I’d much rather be seen as trailer trash or a redneck ). The Corvette was an option, but the C5’s performance in my opinion was similar to the Hawks (for more initial $ and more insurance$$), the Z06 was better but not really crazy about the FRC styling either, I’m not into any of the foreign performance cars, so it all came back around to the Hawk. For my next performance car the choices for me will probably be between the Vette, the GTO and the Charger R/T (or Daytona or whatever they call their RWD 425hp Hemi performance car ). The Viper is still out there on the horizon, but at this point still a pipe dream (even though you can now by some late model low mileage coupes for around $50K). Guess what I’m trying to say here, is that even though looks are important to me, there are many other things I consider when buying a new performance car, and when I tally up all the columns the GTO comes out way up on the scale.
Different strokes for different folks…
[ 10. June 2004, 06:11 AM: Message edited by: jimb0 ]
Posted by Harry P (Member # 533) on :
quote:Originally posted by jimb0: Hell, the majority of the car buying public think the Camaros and Firebirds were trailer trash or redneck cars. Didn't stop any of us from buying one now did it?
Hey... Speke fer yerself, there, jimbO...
Posted by el ess1 (Member # 1544) on :
That's some pretty good logic concerning car selection. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Whatever floats your boat. Maybe in time I could get used to looking at it. And again, they're going to have to do a bit of changing of the body style for me to say, "Oh, I gotta have one!" Maybe all it's going to take is some scoops and subtle changes. We'll see. In either case, the wheels have definitely got to go.
Actually, I remember when the 4th gen made its debut with its European styling, which I never saw it that way, anyway. And also the 3rd gen. In both cases I saw preview pictures my dad had gotten hold of right before they went public with them and both times I thought, "What did they do that for?" I didn't instantly like the changes, but they didn't stop me from looking and it wasn't long until I liked what I saw. And if that's not enough, in both instances ended up with one. In fact, I went and ordered an 82 Z28 as soon as they were available.
Posted by SunsetHawkSelena (Member # 2197) on :
i agree with jimbo. can't wait til i can afford one... which will be closer to 2007 when the hawk is paid off everytime i see a new GTO i'm drooling all over myself. can't wait! can't wait! can't wait to have my own
Posted by Jim Mac (Member # 113) on :
quote:Originally posted by el ess1: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I thought beauty was in the eye of the beer holder?
Posted by jimb0 (Member # 176) on :
quote:Originally posted by SunsetHawkSelena: i agree with jimbo. can't wait til i can afford one... which will be closer to 2007 when the hawk is paid off everytime i see a new GTO i'm drooling all over myself. can't wait! can't wait! can't wait to have my own
I was just down to the dealer at lunchtime...they have a special edition model in blue that appears to be lowered with 18" aftermarket wheels on it that is actually pretty damn hot looking. I'm thinking that this may be some dealer installed package or aftermarket company that mods them because they have three...all have "Pontiac Racing" emblems on the sides, but the three have different wheels. I'm thinking that this body style is going to slowly start growing on people, because pictures of the car really don't do it justice. Can't wait to see all that the 2005 model year brings... Posted by jimb0 (Member # 176) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jim Mac:
quote:Originally posted by el ess1: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I thought beauty was in the eye of the beer holder?
...yeah, a beer holder is a beautiful thing... Posted by TimeLord (Member # 1389) on :
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) I'll stick with the f-body. ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
