Doug Harden

....by that I mean, from what we've been told about the build quality (meaning it's better than stateside GM products) and the fact that the development costs were much much less than GM can do here.....do you think the press and general public will say "GM had to import a car to do what GM should have been doing all along"....I wonder if most people simply won't connect with the fact that it is a GM company.....

How do you think GM will "spin" this to keep people from speculating?

Just wondering out loud........

[This message has been edited by Doug Harden, Pres CICC (edited July 17, 2002).]

Chris 96 WS6

99% of the general public won't have any clue the car wasn't made here anyway. Only enthusiasts and magazine readers will know otherwise.

I'm sure the Pontiac salesmen aren't going to go out of their way to tell people on their lots that the new flagship car wasn't made here.

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Owner, Nashville Speed & Performance

1996 Trans Am WS6

99SilverSS

GM does not really have a good excuse why Holden's have more features and better interiors. I don't know if the Ausies have better quality but they certainly are more exciting than the family coupes and sedans we have here. If the GTO sells well and there is a general acceptance of it I think GM will have to raise the bar and do a better job at North American GM models. Remember thy don't see a problem until they are alerted to it by drops in sales or by competitions vehicles. If people start to really like this kind of style and it gets rave reviews you can bet GM will change if they wast to survive.

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Ryan S.

kizz

It'll be clearly stated on the window sticker where it was made, and the VIN will start with a 6, not a 1 (US) 2 (CA) or 3 (MX). Once the word gets out in reviewer magazines and such, it'll just spread even more. I actually hope it DOES happen so that if in fact the GTO is cheaper and better built, it'll be the standard to aspire to for all other GM cars made in north america.

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Ken S

heopfully if the GTO's quality is that high, the rest of the GM's line follow..

Black Sunshine/ 00SS

I'm not happy the car is not being built here, but I would like to see some good quality products in the Gm lineup, esp with the LS1 in it..

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guionM

Hopefully, this car will make GM/NA build cars this well.

If you think comparing it (especially it's interior quality) to other GM products is bad, when compared to a same price Mustang Cobra, you really start wondering if you just got scammed by Ford.

ProudPony

Interesting thought Doug. IMO, the largest percentage of buyers for the GTO are going to be affluent people in their 40's who just want exclusivity - regardless of price. Just the fact that this car has limited availability will appeal to these people and the dealer mark-ups don't bother them. (BTW - guionM, IMO I don't think it will grab a Mustang buyer away - too different a car.)

When these folks come back to trade in 2 to 4 years, that's when I fear they could become disenchanted with what they see in other models' quality and look elsewhere for the refinements, and exclusivity again. If they are so happy they decide to stay GTO-loyal and the car maintains it's quality level of today - no problem. But if it becomes "Americanized" and the quality falls(doubtful), OR if they want something other than another GTO - that's when I see the problem with that buyer going elsewhere.

A small percentage of buyers will be enthusiasts(?) who will drive them to golf on Saturday morning and put them back up for another week. For these types - the cat's already out of the bag - they know the quality issues and already have paradigms.

I think the most interesting category of buyers to watch are going to be the ones that can't quite afford the GTO, but look at it/test drive it anyhow. They will be exposed to it's better level of interior quality (and power) and wonder "Why don't the other cheaper Pontiacs look/feel like this?" I then see them wandering from Pontiac to Chevy to Ford, and then to import lots, looking for that same level of refinement in a cheaper car - only to settle into something like a Benz C240 for $27K, or something similar. (A guy in my office just got a Benz C240 - black w/tan leather, MAX-LOADED, for $29K - and the interior in this car is VERY nice. And NO, it doesn't "fly", but he didn't care.) This scenario would validate your point about American buyers' ignorance to the quality available and the unpredictable reaction it may bring once here, in the US, on a US-carmakers lot, beside cars that don't exhibit the same quality. The buyer didn't know it existed until they were exposed to it - then they find they can afford it, but it comes from the luxo-importers.

We have our work before us... now with good incentive.

Interesting thought in return...
We have all written about the SALES of the GTO, but what about leasing? Do you think GM will lease this beast for 36-48 mos?

CLEAR

i personally dont the fact that gm which only sells cars built in north america is gonna sell this thing built somewhere else.
then again gm pisses me off frequently now.

IZ28

I hope it makes GM better and makes them realize some things they should have a while back. The only thing I don't like besides where its made is the looks which I hope change also. I do want the car to be a success and I want it to be thought of as a GTO. The name deserves it and so do we. Its not an F-Body, but this car has what it takes to be good, and I hope they make the most out if it. If they do the car right IMO it could do alot more good than some might think.

[This message has been edited by IZ28 (edited July 21, 2002).]