Did anyone notice the "concept" GTO shown back in the winter/spring auto shows has 18" rims and sloted rotors with "GTO" on the calipers like the Vette and Cobra have. Then GM anonced that the GTO would have 17" rims and 225/50/17" tires.

Now if you check out the pics over at newagegto.com, the GTO has 245/45/17" tires and plain rotors. It has also lost the GTO calipers.

While I'm not as upset with the loss of the 18" as I once was (17" seem to fit the car just as well) I am disapointed at the loss of the slotted rotors and "GTO" labled calipers.

I guess they got to do what they got to do to bring the car in at the target $33,000 price.

 

Well, at least they have wider tires.........225's on a car like that is rediculus!

 

It's pretty popular here to put show cars up with funky brakes and calipers, and then release the production model with boring regular brakes ...

I guess it leaves HSV something to do to the cars ...

 

The car needs better rims. Like the 1's on the Show Car.

 

why whats wrong with the stock rims, you big complainer - click here

 

Woah, check that out. Now that looks like a GTO. Nah, I don't like those rims at all. They were fine when they were just regular 5 spokes on the Show Car, then they added some kind of rounded trim on the edges and that messed it up. They were better the other way.

 

I like the rims... nothing wrong with them at all... In fact, I'd rate them an 8.5 or so out of 10!

 

Pic of 18" "concept" rims/brakes/tires from january

Pic or 17" "pre-production?" rims/brakes/tire from a week ago

I think I might like the 17" rims better, I'm not sure, they are both good.

 

That looks A LOT better than the one coming out. That's a GTO and not that japanese import looking thing by pontiac.

 

GO buy a '68 then, and leave the new GTO to the folks that want a fresh new looking one !!!

 

Wow. I really like the production rims! (the pix posted by Z28x). I wasn't a big fan of the concept car's wheels... too generic. The production wheels have some distinctiveness to them, they don't have the hard-to-clean edge for clamp-on weights, and they still have a little muscle heritage in the five-spoke layout. Yet they look more contemporary than the five-spokes that came with my TA. And hooray for the 245's... I was wondering how a 350 hp car was going to get anywhere with 225's.

 

did they go smaller to make it more of a family car? i'm not trying to start an argument, its just it seems like its more and more looking like a family car witha big engine. so i guess there will be less soccer moms next year

 

I think it was more to save money and make it a smother ride.

I wonder if the production will come with BF-goodrich G-force KDWS tires? those are good performance/all season tires, should help sell the car in the areas where it snows.

 

There are two performance advantages of 17" vs 18" wheels:

1. Rotational inertia is greater for an 18" wheel, so more power and torque is wasted when you accelerate in storing kinetic energy in the rotating wheel mass.

2. Pothole survivability it better for a 17" wheel... might not matter in some climates but carmakers don't have the luxury of supplying wheels by climate zone.

 

Some people may not like the looks of that photoshopped version but I'd bet GTOers would like it better than the alternative hence why the PS version was done by that person.Oh well no use of keep beating that deadhorse argument more.




ps...would you buy me a '68?