Right now is a unique time. You know why? Because it's the first time in FOURTY YEARS that Pontiac Motor Division is without a V8 in its lineup. Stop and think about it for a minute, and it's a really depressing thought. Seems like a lot of you cynics would like this trend to continue..? Let's get serious for a minute, OK? A few warped TV photos and a microscopic little thumbnail is all we have, and you guys have already disowned it? How childish is it really to compare a 350HP RWD coupe to a FWD V6 250HP family sedan? Have you gotten a feel for the interior which all the Aussies are praising so highly? I didn't think so. All the criticism is baseless. I haven't heard much negative from those who have driven a Monaro, and frankly, those are the only opinions that count , till we get to drive it ourselves as a GTO. I'm just really irked right now. Of course you can never please everyone, but this is truly the beginning of a turnaround at GM we need, and I can't believe all the whining. I'm sure SLP and others will step in with hood scoops and tachs for those who want them, OK? jeez. Many will not buy this car, but many WILL, till they're all sold out and all the new owners are full of pride and joy. I guarantee it. Anyone who wants to quote me a year from now is welcome to. GTO is a success, and more so in 2005.

 

sooooooo,because it has a V-8,we should excuse the lame styling?what if the azteck had a V-8?the '74 GTO had a V-8,a slow *** '80 turbo trans am had a V-8,what's your point?V-8 and RWD don't make a great car.hell,you don't need a V-8 to have an exciting,fast car,porsche and BMW have proven that.so what if it doesn't perform to expectations?what's it got left??the styling?the high price?give me a used SS or trans am,the styling may not be for everyone,but at least it has styling.

 

First off, I love Camaros. Now, that said...just what styling elements does your 4th Gen Camaro have that makes it soo much more aggressive looking than the new GTO in your opinion? Only a few of us here have actually seen a Monaro in the metal, so until we all go to our local Pontiac dealer and check one out, I think we should quit complaining....

 

BMWs have exciting styling? OMG the M3 LOOKS JUST LIKE THE LAME 3 SERIES FAMILY CAR, IT'S BOXY AND NOT AGGRESSIVE AND IT HAS NO HOOD SCOOPS. 90% of the complaints about the GTO looking tame/like a Grand Am/dull could be applied to the M3 and the 325i. At least this car is a different PLATFORM than it's lower end counterparts.

The M3 is exactly the example that something like the GTO can and will succeed. It's a car with a quality interior, and great performance. It's not an over the top scoopstravaganza (How many WS-6's sold again?) and it's not a clear taillights giant spoiler bunch of fake scoops rice fest either.

It's a clean sporty looking car, with 360hp and better gearing than the previous F-Bodies. It was listed trapping at 106 in that leaked press release, so you figure out what it's going to run in the 1/4mi.

PS: In BMWs highest end cars, the M5 and the Z8, guess what you have under the hood? Hint hint, not a straight 6.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's all in the hood scoops. No hood scoops = not agressive enough for the folk on here.

I'm not sure why people have such a problem with subtle styling. You can always make a car look more agressive with aftermarket hoods and body kits, but if the car has the ugly, over the top crap built in from the factory, you're pretty much screwed.

 

Derek Did you just read a word I said? The fact is you have not seen this car, so your opinion is irrelevant. Those who have seen the car are generally very impressed with very few negatives to say and endless positive comments. Besides, your sense of style isn't exactly what I'd call "OK in the head" Mustang? Miata? You'll find the illumination one day, I'm sure. One more thing.. pretty sure this site is called CamaroZ28 / CamaroSS. If you can think of a Z28 or an SS that was ever made *without* a V8, let me know These are the kinds of cars most of us want around here. I don't care about BMW and how great they are.

 

would hood scoops make the car different from what it is ??

here is my lame attempt at hoodscoops....

www.micro-op.com.au/execls1/gtoscoop.jpg

 

That, along with a tach and spoiler, would make it a concentrated little bad-***. you've got the right idea.

Keep in mind, the yellow car has smaller wheels than the red one, so that affects the look a lot too.

 

Exactly DS. You guys will except anything just because of its drivetrain, well, guess what, greatness is not achieved that way. Have people not learned anything from the 4th Gen?? And I will keep posting it, I hope GM sees. And if you think its just a few people on here saying these things, its not. Every person I have showed these pictures to says that same thing. Even the Grand Am/Prix owners are saying it!! It just looks too much like them and doesn't look like a musclecar.

Ude, you seem to have this idea that we have something against this car because of the hiatus. Thats ridiculous because it has nothing to do with it. Maybe you guys think musclecars should look a different way than we do. My complaint isn't even really against your car, its more directed to GM. LOL, let me tell you this. I am really glad about this car, they need a musclecar with no F-Body and I like seeing a musclecar come back. I hope it sells good and I hope when I see 1 I do like it some, I really do. But from what I can see now, it looks just like the other Pontiacs with almost no differences at all visually on the exterior. It also has a plain body design beside the side GFX. The GTO, which is coming back from so many years ago, should not look like a regular car, and not just like a Grand Prix/Am especially. GM right now has no creativity and people have been accepting their bland designs for too long now. If you let them do it, they will with no problem. So don't complain and let them keep it up. Why work hard?? Why make it great?? Why make a classic?? Why innovate?? I want good/greatness for GM, it seems they don't want it for themselves.

 

Of course it looks better/more aggressive. It needs to stand out some, especially from the other cars in the lineup. If you're gonna make a GTO, you need the things that made it a GTO besides an engine. The blacked out headlights are a good feature if I had to say something good.

 

how is my opinion irrelevant??what the hell is that car in the pictures posted?is that not a GTO?what about that little thumbnail picture,is that not a GTO??i have SEEN the car,i DON'T like the car.does someone have to go physically run their hands all over the lame styling to finally have a opinion on it?i never said i had something against a V-8 powered car like the SS,but your post made it seem you wanted to accept anything so long as it had a V-8,fine,we'll leave out the imports,but a '89 turbo trans am,one of the fastest pony cars made,than and now,is it any less a pontiac for its V-6?i hope to god this car is badass,i grew up on pontiacs,but i don't like the styling,if the car rocks,that will have to be it's one negative,it looks like a grand am.

 

if your saying it looks like a modern car.... well yea i will agree with you, but to say that it looks like a GP other than the pontiac family resemblance is not true, the car shares no dimensions, or shape to a GP .... and is the most deceving car in photos to portrait its good looks...

all im saying is dont jump to conclusions of how it looks from the pics, because when you see it live your comment will be " fark !!! this thing is nice, looks heaps nicer than it does in the pics"

 

PS,in the porsche turbo and its evil twin,the GT2,two of the fastest production cars in the world,guess what you have under the hood?hint hint,not a V-8.

 

of-course even when some of you see it live, you will still say it looks too generic, not because it does, but because you wont want to admit you were wrong in judging the car before seeing it in person...

 

I think you should.....we dont get a reference of the size and attitude the car has from a picture. Once you see one for real, especially after some have been modified..like lowered, new hood with ram air etc..then if you dont like it, well you just dont like it and thats cool too.

 

i for one think this car is beautiful and i would love to park it beside my camaro and no it doesn't look like the current GP and neither does the new one.