I still don't think the blown 3800 is going to turn around the direction Pontiac is heading in. The G6 still doesn't stand out enough, and before everyone yells at me for saying the Tempest didn't either, this is a different market today. A blown G6 is still not going to give the kind of awe inspiring performance for the price point that the original GTO did, simply because there is way too much competition in the market today. Sure, it would move some more units, but not in a way to save Pontiac, or increase its image substantially. I think part of this is due to the fact that the G6 just looks to mundane and pacifistic.

I still stand by saying Pontiac needs some more wild cars, because as Al said, there is nothing that the brand offers that I cannot get elsewhere (except for the GTO of course, unless I want to take a trip to Australia.)

 

They are now the performance division, not the excitement division. If you are going to designate a division to appeal to enthusiasts, make the vehicles that back it up.

 

An SC3800 in a G6, and call it a GTO?
Man.....you need to take a nap.
How can one man hit the nail onthe head of for what a Camaro should be, and then be 180 off what a GTO should be.

 

I think he was referring to the GT engine. The vibe has 2 diffrent 1.8 liter engines. The 180hp version has Yamaha heads.

 

I dont think the G6 is going to bring things back either. It's more a transportation/family car. Nothing wrong with that if they pump it up a little for the sport lovers. The thing is they need a flagship car, really something along the line of an fbody. It just makes sense.

 

Yeah, I knew the hi-po engine was a Yamaha, I thought I heard the entire engine line was as well (Toyota contracting Yamaha to design and build them, like Ford did with the SHO's V6)

 

Why? Listen VERY carefully and I'll tell you.

The current GTO does absolutely nothing in the cause to save Pontiac . Nil.

How much profit does the current GTO add to Pontiac's war chest. Not much. Is there $1,000 dollars profit in each car? $2,000? Whatever....multiply by 14,000 units. Is the current GTO a good halo for the all important bread and butter G6, (which is the car that MUST save Pontiac)? Not at all. Does the current GTO help sell large volumes of other Pontiacs? I don't see it.
The GTO was a bridge...a place keeper...until Zeta got here. That's now gone.

Bold ,courageous and free thinking strategies need to be applied to the G6 if Pontiac is to survive into the next decade, (have I mentioned that it is the G6 that will/will not save Pontiac?). The VZ GTO may be very nice...but it will have ZERO impact on Pontiac's survival.

In ten years I'd like to go to a car show and see GTO's classed as "Pontiacs"....not in the " other/orphaned class"

 

Let's wait and see what EpII does in '09. Current G6 is not going to accomplish what you guys are looking for...

 

Hopefully powerful motors and AWD won't be stricken from the program this time......nor will Pontiac.

 

Firebirds may not have sold well, but a nice black or red WS6 Trans Am in front of the dealership on display sure drew attention. It gave the Pontiac brand an excitement/performance image.

My local Pontiac dealer is also a Cadillac, Mercedes, and Nissan dealer. You are lucky to find 10-12 new Pontiacs on the lot now out of over 250 new vehicles.

 

GTO name on a G6...you must jest!

Using that logic, Chevy should slap the Camaro name on the Cobalt SS or Malibu Coupe.

You think the current GTO caused crap...I would love to see how the public would react to a G6 based GTO.

I really think the current GTO could sell better if the styling was right and the capacity was there. Ford sold nearly 100,000 MN-12 cars for years.

I have read Charlies posts in the past concerning Pontiac though, and I am not sure he and I share the same view of Pontiac.

I personally think that Pontiac's place in GM's ladder is to be the cool, performance brand. To do that, they have to have two things-

#1- Youth oriented performance styling. I am talking cars that look fast just sitting still. I am talking WS6 Trans Am/Grand Am GT agressive styling. Some won't get it....but they were not meant to. People will pay for styling. The old GTO was among the slowest muscle cars of it's time...yet sold like hotcakes because the styling caught on with a generation. Same with the Trans Am in the 70's.

#2- Better performing cars that every GM division but Cadillac. There is no excuse for any Chevy outside the Corvette to have more performance than a sibling Pontiac. Pontiac's should also have more standard features.

 

Only just alittle bit.

Like I said, Pontiac needs one of it's car lines to be an insane smash hit. The VZ GTO...as much as I like it....doesn't help achieve that goal.
And even if it did, the current GTO may be gone after this next year. Time for a plan B.

As far as how the public would react, I expect no worse than they did for the '04.

 

What would be neat would be a RWD/AWD 3 series fighter similar to the Torana concept.....

Too bad Lori Queen is so against the idea.

 

It would be cool, and probably what would save Pontiac from folding.
IMO, it needs to be RWD only. It needs to go after the Mazda to Infinity market. Sporty cars with RWD handling, and powerful engines.
Replace Epsilon G6 with "Beta" G6, but make it wider and give it a 2.4, and 3.6. 5spd auto or 6spd manual.
Sig-Lite Sedan, coupe, and crossover. But make Sig Lite sedan, coupeish. Suicide doors and tear drop greenhouse would make for a very unique car, and offer something against Charger.
Kappa roadster and hardtop coupe.
Thats the only way we can get osmething out of Pontiac. If they continue to stay where they are, then its only a matter of time.

 

Is this along the lines of what you think Pontiac needs? A very quick sketch inspired by someone's visionary ranting (plus I didn't want to get fired.)

http://photobucket.com/albums/a118/t...=G6restyle.jpg