My pick is the '70. You've got the twin grilles mounted above the bumper, split by the Pontiac emblem, inside the composite headlamps is a mask that is supposed to invoke the feeling of two round headlights on either side (the outboard circles are the directionals), there's the large rectangular slot under the bumper, and finally the lights that flank the lower slot.
The big differences of course, are the use of the composite headlamps, not much of a pointy beak between the grilles, the lower lights on the '70 were square with a chrome "+" in them, and the grilles on the '04 aren't recessed.
But I feel like the '04 GTO is a modern interpretation of the '70 GTO.

A lot of people have been saying that the new one looks too much like a GP. I think the problem here is that Pontiac raped the GTO design themes and stuck them on the GPs. For too many years now. So now, we associate those themes with a GP, not the GTO, where they actually came from.

Here's a link to pics of the '70 GTO for comparison.

http://www.web-cars.com/gto/70gto.shtml



[This message has been edited by HuJass (edited June 22, 2002).]

 

The thing is the car doesn't look like a GTO at all. I'd like to see it look like the 68 and around there GTO's, like !!TED!!'s concept. The car needs overall better design, hood scoops, spoiler, and hood tach. No Grand Am/Prix design. Imagine when a new owner shows up to a cruise night or a car show with 1. Watch all the BS he's gonna get for the looks of the Grand/GTO among other things.

[This message has been edited by IZ28 (edited June 22, 2002).]

 

It does not look much like any GTO. Kudos, Mr. Lutz!

 

It looks like the '04 Grand AM OOPS, I mean GTO!



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

 

LOOK AT THOSE 1/4 MILE TIMES AND MPG RATINGS!!! WOW cars have come a long ways!

We sure complain a lot about our factory 12 second cars that get 25+ MPG! (Albiet Mustang Cobras or GTO's)

*Shakes head in awe*

Peace yall,
Dreamaster

 

It still looks like a Monaro, and not any GTO I have ever seen.

 

The best part is where the designers say they didn't want the new GTO to look like a GTO. Thats a good 1, its like O.......K... moron.

------------------
Camaro/Chevrolet crazy F-Body lunatic.

"The new GTO, the Grand Prix/Am of musclecars." http://oz.uc.edu/~padgetjr/compare.jpg

 

Here is a comparison pic.

And this points out similarities for idiots... there are more as well, like the GTO badge on the driver's side of the grille.

As far as cruise nights and car shows... you think if it just has some scoops and stuff people will respect it more? Thats BS.

Its a nice clean looking car, its going to be rare, the first car imported here from Austrailia, has an LS1, IRS, etc. People will be checking out all sorts of stuff on it, see whats different about it, etc.

I guess some idiots may give some guy crap about it looking like a Grand Prix... I doubt it. If anything, it will get compliments for being a sneaky sleeper. Do 98+ Camaro guys have that kind of problem? "Nice Camaro, looks like a Chrysler Sebring" What about the classic GTO guys, make fun of their cars because they look like a Le Mans or Tempest? LOL!

And I'm sure it would attract more attention than a Grand Prix with hood scoops and a spoiler, true? Think about that.

------------------
FormulaV8.com · 1994 Formula · A4 · 3.23
13.45 @ 102.5 MPH w/ 1.9 60' | 267 rwhp | 307 tq/lbs | 3535 lbs
"I know for a fact he is NOT an Easter bunny"

 

Dude, ROTFL, those 2 cars look nothing alike. If you think so then I just don't know. AND the Camaro guys do get that ALL the time around here, and probably everywhere else too, LOL. The car is plain without much appeal on the ext. looks department. And oh yeah, its a Grand Prix/Am.

------------------
Camaro/Chevrolet crazy F-Body lunatic.

"The new GTO, the Grand Prix/Am of musclecars." http://oz.uc.edu/~padgetjr/compare.jpg




[This message has been edited by IZ28 (edited June 26, 2002).]

 

True, they don't look EXACTLY the same, its been 30 years, wtf do ya expect? Compare a 1967 Camaro to a 2002 Camaro, you'd probably say the same thing!

Oh and check this stuff out...

65 GTO and Tempest
65 Bonneville
65 Catalina
65 Grand Prix

OMG!?! They all look the same?!?

 

Altho I dont think the new GTO looks anything like any previous models, I do agree with this part of your post. The cool "Australia does an American muscle car that we cant do" factor alone would have sold 20,000 copies. (There have been other made in Ozzy cars here before, like the old Capri and the current Diamonte)

Not to mention that GM suddenly wont have 45,000 per year F bodys available for sale.

This car is a no brainer sellout easily, and it would not have mattered on bit what it was called.

Pimping the GTO name needlessly to sell the cars was just a bad idea. Call it GTA, GTB, GTC, GTD, GTE, GTS, GTZ, whatever. The GTO name should have been saved for a true retro niche car that looked the part.




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

 

Definetly. And they can still do that and make it look right, thats all we're saying!! GTA wouldn't be good either. The car is back for the 1st time in how many years?? It should have some cues from them.

[This message has been edited by IZ28 (edited June 26, 2002).]

 

HAVE MERCY! This guy is so accurate he could hit Jupiter with a spitball from a straw!

Reno - awesome post So simple a concept, so few words. Who can't understand this?

 

While I am no fan of retro... if GM is ever to do a true retro car, I agree.

GTO has been gone so long, that's it's kind of hard to accept something that has NO retro to it as a GTO...

I am strongly against a retro Camaro, but if GM were to do a retro design, the GTO name would have been a good one to use.

(NOTE: I am not saying they should have dumoed mega-bucks into the Monaro to make it look retro)

 

ROTFLMAO!!!!! Please tell me your being sarcastic here. Please! Every car has fog lights, head lights, some have 1/4 windows, and anyone can glue a GTO badge on a car. Why not put a Yugo in your pic and compare these things you pointed out. I think you'll find the similarities between those cars also.