Yeah, cuz those are flying off the lots at an alarming rate

Also, it has been stated that the GTO will be on a MODIFIED camaro platform.
Therefore it would HAVE to be priced higher to make up those costs.
The Firebird wouldn't require platform changes.

 

Let's have that in black please.

 

That alarming rate you are so condescending of is still more than equivalent firebirds sold.

No. The Zeta architecture was designed with all of GMs RWD program in mind. It is not a Camaro platform. Likewise, the STS does not HAVE to cost more than the CTS because it is a MODIFIED CTS platform. Its a Sigma, and a more expensive one. Period.

 

your contradicting yourself you also stated:
The firebird would require changes no matter what. For the audience the GTO is going for those changes woud be justified..It would not directly compete with Camaro sales as much as a firebird would.
GTO was always meant to be a low volume premium car..and from what I remember the 2006 calculated total order was filled. Meaning they sold out. So yea they are flying off the shelf. The added cost of Firebird would mean direct competition to Camaro and not another diffrent car like GTO..

What everyone falis to realize was GTO was not a mass production car like a Camaro or Mustang and the mag rags said it was and deemed it a flop. when you look at the #'s GM put forth for the car, besides 04 being slow..the 05 and 06 did better than expected THAT is why GTO is going to be with Camaro. With that GTO will be placed on the same order as it has been since 04..a lower produced car on a mass production platform..Monaro GTO and so on..GM wants to sell 100K camaros..cant do that with Mustang AND Firebird out there. GTO is placed on top of what Camaro is..Think of GTO as for now the Shelby GT500 stangs..GTO is going to be a low volume high performance flagship car. Its like saying the 300C, magnum and charger market are al the same..they are not..the same case will be for the GTO and Camaro..they will look and act in two totally diffrent maners and be built for two diffrent types of people..

 

I understood every point you tried to make in your post before you posted them. It just seems to me that using the 2002 sales numbers, when by then the car had gotten dated, as the only reference to sales is flawed. This is something you haven't actually responded to me about, you just went off about how the 02 sales numbers don't justify the car. All you actually have shown me was how the total Firebird sales number weren't that much lower than the Camaro's, considering how many fewer Pontiac dealers there are than Chevy. The GTO is only in it's third year, and you are comparing it's sales to sales of a 9 year old vehicle, that got almost no advertising whatsoever. Perhaps the market isn't here anymore for a Firebird, but using data that isn't completely without flaw is hopefully not the only angle the case has been looked at.

Your comment about a niche Firebird got me thinking. Perhaps the Firebird could be a niche car, sold at a level above GTO (which as you have mentioned more times than I can remember that more high dollar Firebirds sold than low cost ones), and be a performance flagship for the brand that could use as much performance as possible? Just a thought.

 

Even if we assume that the amount of dealers has the effect that you are insinuating it does, that doesent help your case.

GM is scaling down the amount of of dealers so even if Firebird could compete with equal dealers it didn't have them then, and isnt going to get them now.

Moot point.

 

I am not trying to make a point. More like collect some observations on the current situation regarding the Firebird.

 

there is no situation with Firebird..

 

No, there is a situation. Just not a very positive one.

 

Nice Job!...tho I think the decal colors would look better in either black & dark gray, or red and fire orange.
And '69 had a wing spoiler, maybe try something modern with a classic hint.( kinda 3rd gen T/A mixed with '91 Z28 blended to 5th gen angles maybe? )

 

Not realy, a situation would be if GM was on the edge of producing or not producing it..Right now this is fantasy..
Id love to see a new Firebird.. Just reality of it is there is none..

 

Yeah, yeah, I know... thread necromancy.

I like the shaker hood chop, and I want to comment on the GTO/Firebird "conversation".

Did anybody see the body kits that turned a 2004 GTO into a 1970 Chevelle?

I've been looking at photoshops on this site for an hour now, and I think there's hope for both sides. Although GM won't produce it, I think some enterprising individual will put at least one child through college by fabbing up a Firebird body kit. Replace the hood, front end, and rear bumper cover/tailight combo with carefully styled plastics, add some rocker panel extensions, and garnish with a complete re-paint and "VOILA!!!!".... 1969 (or '78, or '02) Firebird. Done right, it would look totally different while remaining relatively inexpensive.

We all win.

 

looks like 79

 

Well that chitvelle was crap. the biggest pos out there for a conversion. I dont think it even was sold. If it was I dont think anyone bought it. The kit would have to be for interior too. Mostly alot of what can be taken off is what could be replaced and it would not be cheap. for a good kit like a saleen body kit your talking thousands.
It could be done. Just gotta produce it so exsisiting pontiac firebird decals could go on it since Pointiac would never let you make a "firebird" kit.

 

i think the new pontiac g8 has taken place of the firebird. since 2 door car sales have gone down, and firebird sales were very very poor, the g8 might be pontiacs solution to get sales. look at the charger...started out as a two door in the 60's and now is a 4 door thats selling like crazy. the GTO is still going to be a 2 door so...my bet is no new Firebird nameplate.