BUM_Z, my uncle had a GTO while I was growing up, a 1967 I believe. When I was a teenager, a neighbor down the street had a Judge (bright orange, of course). A classmate in my senior year got ahold of a near mint 1974 GTO. I love the car as I do all true performance cars, and at the same time I strongly believe in keeping in mind a cars heritage.

The problem is (and this isn't just with GTO, but alot of other cars with names of the past as well) the tendancy of taking one element of that car, and using it as a the only definition of what that car stands for. As a result, every Impala becomes an SS, every Chevelle becomes an SS396, and of course every GTO has to have a "certain" look.

Is this a GTO look?: http://www.gtoalley.com/64gto.html

Is this a GTO look?: http://www.gtoalley.com/69gto.html

What about this?: http://www.gtoalley.com/65gto.html

Or this?: http://www.gtoalley.com/71gto.html

Or finally this: http://www.gtoalley.com/74gto.html

Don't forget, this is also a GTO: http://www.gtoalley.com/73gto.html

And this is the whole point that GM is making (and it's not often I support GM 100% on anything!!! ). Short of hood scoops (and GTO has had at least 4 versions of them) and the name, GTO has no "look". It's always looked like other cars in Pontiac's lineup, and it's formula started (and ended) with taking a budget car & sticking the most powerful engine Pontiac could get their hands on, sticking on a scoop & blacking out the grill, and selling it to the public (from 1968-1972 at a healthy premium!).

I admit, I tend to like sleepers instead of flashy looks, so I know my tastes are probally lower keyed compared to others even at this site (the only outward changes on my Z are chrome stock exhaust tips & 255 tires), but I think that many are being way too hard on GM (another shock comming from me! ) for bringing back a great quality, great performing, good looking car that carries on the GTO heritage.

With the upcoming hood scoops, and exhaust exits on both sides, it will be every bit a GTO as any other one of the past (though not assembled here, most of it's parts are from here).

I think if alot of the people at that site let "retro" go, realize even the old GTOs changed looks with the times, that the formula of the GTO is still there, and begin giving feedback & ideas as to how GM can make the car better (the way Mustang owners do) instead of going into open warfare because it doesn't look like an old Tempest or LeMans, I think GTO clubs & Owners will have a enthusiastic relationship with Pontiac that will put Mustang owners relationship with Ford (as a former Mustang owner, I can personally attest to that) to shame.

 

Just cause I feel the need to stand up for our local suppliers - the engine and gearbox are imported from the US, but as for the rest of it, we figured out how to make that ourselves

 

We both know one person here who would disagree about figuring out how to make things yourself down under.

What I was also refering to was much of the electronics and many other standardized GM componentry that comes from GM's corperate partsbin.

No offense meant.