From the sound of things, I'll need to pick up a 06 GTO when I turn in my 04 SmartBuy in Sept. 06 if I want a nice, adult-sized car that has the torque for effortless driving characteristics. And, FWIW, the trunk is about the same size as my old 79 Camaro, but more useful (seems a bit deeper).

Current RX8 is what should be used as a functional model for next-gen Camaro. This car needs to be more than just a hotrod for irresponsible youngsters to have a chance at production. Affordable V-8 performance optional; 6-banger economy (in purchase price and operating costs) for the volume sales; throw in a set of rear suicide doors for the rug-rats and you have a winner.

 

Exactly. Its a very slippery slope. I'm quite certain the fact that the GTO had two doors is alot more engrained into people's memory then the fact that it was positioned as a family sedan.

Hell any car from 30+ years ago came a lot closer to fitting a family of five then any do today? Should we just increase the GTOs wheelbase 10 inches and length 20?

That doesen't make sense. I wouldn't have a problem with fire-escape doors on a new Camaro... But I wouldn't love it either.

 

Sure, but you wouldn't be quite as cozy as you would in an old Goat.

 

Rear-access doors would not bother me, but four full size doors might seem odd for the GTO name.

Take a look at the 2006 Civic on the Autoweek Geneva Show coverage page. That is how to incorporate rear-access doors on a coupe. Looks almost seamless.

 

If the next gen GTO comes with four doors... they're only going to be selling it to 40+ year old people if it's going to weigh in at over $30k. If that's the case, GM will realistically only have the Sky and Cobalt SS to appeal to 20 and lower 30 year olds (assuming no Camaro).

That's not a good situation considering that the sheer number of people in that market is shrinking.

 

EEEEE-RE-LAH-VENT.

The new GTO's formula is not the same as the old GTO. That's factual.

You can argue that, that's a good thing. You can argue that, that's a bad thing.

But you simply cannot deny the reality of it.

 

DING DING DING!!!! With respect, I totally disagree with you Z284ever.

Cars are inherently smaller today as opposed to 35 years ago. If GM were to make an exact copy of yesterday's GTO for today, what you'd have is a live-axled land barge (oh but with room for 6!!!) that would get south of 15 MPG....and remember....it would have to run high 14 second quarter miles from the factory....appealing eh?

No the new GTO isn't a carbon of yesterday's, but that's called advancement. In SPIRIT, it's all there...big, comfy coupe with gobs of stoplight-racing power in a rather subdued package. Can anyone really make an argument that the new "Charger" is more true to the orginal car than the new GTO is???

 

That's fine.

But however you apply your reasoning to GTO, you must apply it equally to a Camaro.

Therefore, you are advocating a small, FWD sport compact Camaro with 4 doors... because Camaro originally was marketed to the youth of the day, as sport compacts are today, and uh.... since it had a bench seat, uh, it should have 4 doors...


Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

 

If you want to get technical, Z284's 3rd Gen Camaro doesn't follow the "formula" that the original Camaro did either....in fact it probably follows the "formula" even less closely than the new GTO does...that 3rd Gen car is a low-slung hatchback. But I would still say it embodies the "spirit" of what a Camaro is, just as the 2nd Gen did before it and the 4th did after it. And I don't recall there ever being any die-hard "I know all there is to know about Camaro" guys ripping it apart in '82. When talking about recipes sometimes you have to specify how many identical ingredients it takes to be the same thing.

 

I don't have to. And you can't make me.

 

Well, as long as you KNOW you are being totally biased!!

 

Well, at any rate.......

If I could get a 6 speed GTO, with the utility of a Monte Carlo....I'd be happy to buy it. And maybe lots more people would too.

 

As long as the don't call it GTO... so be it.

Grand Prix GTP, Grand Prix GXP.... G8 GXP... Bonneville GXP....whatever.

Just don't slap GTO on a 40-door.


EDIT: Wait-a-minute.... you said "with the utility of a Monte Carlo"... MOnte's don't have 4 doors either.

 

Of course, I'd prefer a 2 door. But I'd "accept" the 2 extra doors....if that's what it took to get what I needed.

A GTO that's as useable as a MC would fit my bill perfectly.

EDIT: I have afew more minutes now.....

Although I like the new GTO, it simply does not fit my needs. Although it's a 2+2, it's abit too heavy, large, and not quite nimble enough to be a ponycar.

On the other hand, it doesn't quite have the interior dimensions of an intermediate.

I guess, what it is that I need ....is a larger GTO - to share garage space with a smaller Camaro.

 

If GTO survives to ride on Zeta, you will get the sort of GTO you would want. The trunk thing is just a hurry-up design change side-effect to meet NA safety standards. A Zeta GTO would have a more useable trunk. The extra rear seat location might or might not become a reality-big deal. I see little value in a 5 passenger coupe over a 4 passenger version. As far as a hotted-up version of the G8 goes-I say Hell Yes! Think Pre-Bangle M5 and I'll grin about it for weeks, but call it GTO and I will laugh at your foolishness.