Z284ever

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/s...threadid=18558

guionM

Yep, Holden's got the project again.

Z284ever

Just to add fuel to the fire.....

Here's a quote from another site from a GM insider.

91Z28350

Hey Guy, does that mean an Aussie built GTO, or Aussie designed and then built in both Aus and USA? I heard there was an issue with the CWA and importing greater than 18K units?

91Z28350

Good Lord I hope they are smarter than that.

Ken S

seriously.. Its stuff like that makes GM corperation sound like a souless follower.

91Z28350

Here is what I don't get. If the GTO is supposed to be Pontiac's Halo Car, why would they make it a 4 door? Chevy's halo, Corvette, Dodge Viper, Ford GT (or Shelby after this year), Chrysler Crossfire- notice a trend? If they want a 4 door muscle car, give us the Commodore, put Pontiac sheet metal on it and call it the LeMans, or Tempest, or Grand Prix-but don't ***** out the GTO nameplate. The Charger would have received far less flack ( in fact would have recieved little to none based on the reviews I have read of it) had they called it a Magnum sedan (though I still would have thought it was ugly ).

I really think the Grand Prix is a good name plate, you have already had a trend of making it a performance sedan, now you have v-8 power, why not make it RWD or AWD and bring it out in answer to the Charger? If you are already using the Holden designed architecture then you could make the GTO and the 4 door (insert name here) on the same line.

guionM

My money is on it being made in Australia.


When it's said "a 4 door version of the GTO", they don't mean a 4 door GTO.

Pontiac wants a RWD high performance sedan to replace that pathetic (IMHO) Bonneville sedan they just killed. Pontiac lost their replacement when GM killed the entire 2008 NA-Zeta program.

Don't know what the story is with the Grand Prix yet (I will ), but it's likely to fall into 3 possibilities:

1. A single RWD sedan replaces both the Bonne and the Grand Prix.
2. The next Grand Prix is a FWD/AWD car due out around 2010.
3. Grand Prix is killed off because in the new Buick-Pontiac-GMC division, Grand Prix overlaps with LeCrosse, and Pontiac gets a larger newly named RWD sports sedan in return.

91Z28350

That I can live with just damn fine! In fact I might own both a new GTO AND a new performance sedan in that case ( I am equally excited to see both the Camaro AND the GTO concept cars)! Although the Bonne was not a very good performer, I did like the way the car looked. Especially the GXP version.

Z284ever

Lets face some facts.

The current GTO is not really a GTO, it is merely a place keeper for Pontiac's departed F-car.

Will there be a next gen GTO? I give it one big maybe. And if I were Pontiac right now, I would be strongly considering what form the next GTO would take given the new B-P-GMC strategy. It is obvious that a version other than a conventional two door is under some level of consideration.

Also, (and dear Lord I hope I'm wrong here), the next Camaro may be as heavy and large as the current GTO. Could Pontiac create a business case for a limited production, imported, pricey, competitor to Camaro...if in fact they follow the same formula?

Pretend you have the power to approve such a program.....what would you do?

Oh yeah remember, BTW, Pontiac only gets 3 or 4 products...so it doesn't overlap with Buick or GMC.

Darth Xed

Ya, but they did say i:

"If the public will buy a 4 door sports car with an iconic nameplate...then they'll buy a 4 door GTO thus giving us a piece of that market."

I dont see "Bonneville" being "iconic" enough... nor "Grand Prix"... there's not alot else out there to tag it with an "iconic" nameplate.... at least off the top of my head. ... unless they do it from Chevy instead of Pontiac... then Chevelle could be used i suppose...

91_z28_4me

I vote Big Chief for the sedan's name. I also could see Pontiac just having one model replace GP and Bonnie.

Also Guy in response to Holden has the GTO the question is how long have they had the program to run with?

91Z28350

Again we continue to disagree about the GTO. While you have pointed out (correctly) that the original GTO was a low dollar option package to the tempest, by 1970 the GTO was one of the nicer, more expensively appointed muscle cars out there.

Also, remember the Monaro is based of the Commodore, so in that respect it fits the mid sized coupe based on a 4 door. What has changed is that the current GTO is more upscale than the original. That to me is progress. Also, since they are importing the car from Aus, it makes very good sense to have your only options color choice and transmission. That allows you to keep the production line simple and cost effective.

guionM

Few things I may have to disagree on here (still love ya anyway, man! ).

1. GTO is a GTO. It was essentially a trim level, so the curent version of the GTO (as it's own model) is every bit a GTO.

2. GTO is a success. Pontiac wants to continue to have one, Pontiac has serious backing to have one, it's going to happen. No maybes at all. Trust me on this one. I know Holden.

3. This is very very important: THE MUSTANG COMPETITOR WILL NOT BE A BIG CAR!!! This comes from more than one person, and you can't do much better than these people as far as knowing what's going on.

4. Holden's Zeta and GM-NA Zeta chassis are not the same chassis. GTO and a Mustang competitor won't be on the same chassis.

5. I'd think justification when you approve programs:

*If you are going to make a big coupe, you need a big car to base it off of.
Monaro-Commodore and Impala-Monte Carlo come to mind.

*If you were to make a Mustang-like car, it would need to be a car that shares components off of a donor car, but by it's design will inevitably have it's own body (can't turn a long wheebase sedan into a short wheebase coupe or hatch without creating an entirely different chassis).

We're talking an Orange and a Tangerine here. Both are the same color, but they aren't the same fruit.

Z284ever

Actually I'm neither agreeing or disagreeing. I'm just pointing out the facts as I see them.

GM has already determined that a business case for a "Pontiac Camaro" doesn't exist.....if you have a Chevy Camaro.

If they are both to co-exist, one or both need to be different from each other.

Really, I'm not too thrilled with a Camaro the size and weight of a GTO....but it appears that's where it's going . Maybe even bigger and heavier . No point in having a two door GTO at that point.