I haven't heard one person jump on the band wagon for this car just because it's the only option out there. Have you ever read a review for the Monaro or been reading any posts pertaining to it in the last 6 months? What about this car is short of excellence? You are out of your mind! Go ahead and take your underpowered Marauder, Thunderbird or 49 (btw, where can you buy this concept car?), you're going to be too far behind the guys in the GTOs for them to see you with your little bird hanging out the window. The only thing that's been adolescent about this topic are the remarks by people like yourself. Get over it--your "dream girl" isn't retro and doesn't have a hood scoop! Sorry to disappoint you and your salami.

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-JERRY-
'02 Impreza WRX
'88 Fiero Formula
'90 Sunbird LE For Sale
Formerly owned: '93 Firebird Formula

 

QUOTE FROM IZ28: "We just want a GTO not a 360HP Grand Am/Prix."
Then how come everybody fell all over the G8? That was a high HP GP. And the GTO will be better; better chassis, balance, handling, braking, etc.


QUOTE FROM GOATCRAZY: "Like I've said before: if you look at the car WITHOUT badges and say "That's a GTO" then it's a GTO. If not, then it ain't."
If you removed the badges from old GTOs, then you would think that they were Tempests or Lemanses. So what's the difference today?

 

Why does it have to be like that again. Why do they all have to look the same. Originality?? Creativity??

 

When are you 7 or 8 people gonna get it?!?
It's called "brand recognition". It's been around for decades. Look at any manufacturer. All their cars have similarities. This is so people who don't know anything about cars can easily identify a car as a certain make. And Pontiac has one of the strongest brand identities. What company wouldn't capitalize on that? Why would you make a Pontiac not look like a Pontiac?
You guys are fighting a battle that's just not worth fighting. It certainly is not going to sway anyones' opinions or change anything.

 

Yeah, but I dont think we're going to sway their opinion either. Whether the current GTO looks like an older GTO or not is debateable, some say they look similar to a '70. But, the older GTO's looked exactly like all the other Pontiac's of the time, the LeMans or the Tempest. Why shouldn't the new GTO look like a GP or GA? The old GTOs looked a lot more like a LeMans or a Tempest then the new GTO looks like a GP.

They could've done a lot worse then to improve the looks of an already sharp car (the GP).

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1988 Pontiac Firebird Formula
TBI 305 A4 (boy do I want a manual..)
It ain't too fast, but it makes for a nice first car

[This message has been edited by Big_Z (edited June 26, 2002).]

 

Big Z,
You're right. The "pro" faction is not going to sway the "con" faction. I know this. I'm just getting tired of hashing it and re-hashing it over and over again.
We're all entitled to our opinion. That's what makes this country great.
And I agree with you on the brand identity issue. GTOs back then looked very similar to the other Pontiacs. Just as the new one does now.
I said it before, I don't understand the "con" crowd.

 

There is no denying the platform, that america GM swayed away from in the 80s/90s in favour of the FWD platforms it was trying to push...
It has proven itself time and time again, on the international stage, with record sales figures, it has left Ford Australia with two black eyes and scratching their heads, and theatens to spread like an epidemic throughout the world....

It is my friends none other that the V-Car GM2800 platform, and has been developed by australia into so much more than its humble beginings as the opel omega/catera, they are now developing the 4WD version + Ls1 , now thats gonna be something else...

The GTO is just the begining ,,, be prepared as GM realizes what this car is and becomes at least a big chunk of GM platforms including the 4-door and Ute , maybe even the return of the caprice long wheelbase.



[This message has been edited by Ude-lose (edited June 26, 2002).]

 

Why are you posting the same thing in multiple threads?

 

It was meant to be for this thread... but i first posted it in the other-one..accidently.

 

Ok, my final, FINAL thought on GTO styling. This is Pontiac's flagship right? Style it that way. Look at Corvette. Corvette carries no "Chevy styling cues" (whatever they may be) but still looks great, and is differentiable from everything else from a mile away. And, it's still a clean-looking design. If you need to have Pontiac cues in it, there has to be more than one or two ways to do a split grill. All it takes is a little imagination. The Con crowd is disappointed because this car, at least from the sketch, does not say "I have a GTO and this car is something special, something unique!" Personally if I had one of only 20,000 built I would expect it to not be easily confused with your run-of-the-mill Grand Prix coming down the road. I guess that's just me, another in the minority apparently....

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Mark

94 Z28, Red, A4, 3:23
Lone Mods--LPE CAI, !Lapeer Dragway.
(Hey, I'm a college boy I can't afford gobs of bolt-ons!)

Best time: 14.658 @ 95.1
with SES light on and Driver off! (First and only time at track)

The F-body will NEVER die.

[This message has been edited by Z28Wilson (edited June 27, 2002).]

 

I guess the only way to answer that Q is to see one on the street ...

 

OK so the argument is it doesn't look like a GTO............As F-body lovers, can someone go down the street for me and park a 4th gen next to a 1st Gen and tell me, where do they look the same. I'm interested to know. From memory the 1st gens weren't a hatch back for a start. Walking to mates place to check............................................. ...........Nope. Its called a generation change. This is the new generation of GTO, are you complaining about GM's change in style with the F-body???? Then why the reborn A-body.

The comment about the Vettes not being the same year after year, Look at the shape, compared to the second gen vette and all others from then on, very similar. High front fenders, long sloping bonnet, short rear with twin round tail lights. Where are they not the same, unlike the F-body that changed big time from the 3rd gen on.

To Goatcrazy, I did not mean to imply that the GTO was all you have so take it or leave it because its all you have. Its a bloody good car and you should be proud to have it parked in your garage, and after having nothing you could not have wished for better.

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88 Trans AM GTA

 

Ah, but park it next to a 2nd gen RS, split-bumper and tell me you can't see the similarities....there are dozens.

Why make your new found "halo" car look like a dated, five year old design only to satisfy some dogma about corporate styling? Thank God Chevy doesn't with the Corvette. Sure NO-ONE expected GM to totally re-design the car, but this "safe" approach to car design and marketing is a formula for failure....unless you're all happy to drive forgettable, cookie cutter, plain brown wrappers.


[This message has been edited by Doug Harden, Pres CICC (edited June 27, 2002).]

 

HuJass,
Could you help me out by showing me which Ford product looks just like a Mustang?
And which other Ford product closely resembles the new T-bird?
And the Focus is being confused with...?

Aside from the Blue Oval that appears somewhere on the front, and headlights on the front as opposed to the side of the car, I don't see it. These models set themself uniquely apart from one another, and it brings in a broader range of potential buyer, IMHO. [edit]

[This message has been edited by ProudPony (edited June 27, 2002).]

 

To Aussie, and others. Let me repeat an earlier statement: If the Holden came over as a HOLDEN, or a Pontiac "biscuit" then I would be one of the FIRST to test drive it & probably put one in the driveway. Contrary to popular opinion, I have researched this vehicle, and find it to be an excellent performer. It's actually what I'm looking for, [and GM needs], a 2-door, midsize V-8 vehicle that's still practical as a daily driver, and limited family vehicle. AND it comes with a six speed. One of my biggest gripes is that you can't get an american mid-size car with a stick, especially not four doors [unless you count the Ford SHO (do they still make that thing? I thought the grand prix GTP embarrased that thing off the road!).

So, my [and others] contention is not that the car is not a worthy performer. Our contention is that the way & form that GM is proposing to bring back the GTO name is less than flattering to the legend behind that name. That car simply does not look like a GTO.

And we believe that "integrating" that nameplate into the current lineup [the same way that it was in the '60's] is not the way to go! We are asking for [I promise I won't say this again] the same thing Ford did with the Thunderbird. A complete retro design as a tribute to the legend. Not a means of broadening the Pontiac lineup (which would rationalize the integration of current styling) but a low-volume retro-car to stir up brand excitement w/in the consumer!



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'69 GTO 400 H.O. 350 HP
'96 Bonneville 231 S.D.
'96 Sunfire 2.4L H.O.