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SLP to create an appearence & performance package for the 2004 GTO
Also, confirmation GTO will be around for some time, why GM didn't go retro with GTO (and the reason likely will carry over to Camaro as well :D).
(08:30 April 08, 2003) Little GTO draws big flak from car buffs; GM's rear-drive muscle car evoking emotion By RICHARD TRUETT | Automotive News While the 2004 GTO has plenty of power - a 5.7-liter V-8 delivers 340 horsepower - some enthusiasts have slammed the styling. The 2004 Pontiac GTO, a pet project of General Motors' high-flying product chief Robert Lutz, is getting pummeled. The Australian import is taking such a bruising that it is starting to look a little like that side of beef hanging in the meat locker in the first Rocky movie. The problem, say critics, is styling. Or more accurately, lack of styling. GTO fans have been waiting three decades for a successor to the original GTO. Although some are happy to see the nameplate return, many enthusiasts speaking out about Pontiac's new muscle car are bitterly disappointed with its looks, according to messages posted on Internet message boards in GTO clubs nationwide, letters to editors of enthusiast magazines and comments received by Pontiac. The new GTO is a rear-wheel drive high-performance coupe with a 5.7-liter engine derived from the Chevrolet Corvette. Pontiac officials say the car's acceleration, handling and braking will be the best ever in a GTO. But fans of the car say that's not good enough. They are angry that Pontiac ignored the GTO's heritage by leaving off such things as the signature twin hood scoops and a dual exhaust system - a part of every GTO of the 1960s and 1970s. But this was no oversight by Pontiac, says GTO brand manager Robert Kraut. He says Pontiac is designing a new image for the car, not building a flash-in-the-pan retro car that fades after a few years of hot sales. The GTO, he promises, will have several life cycles. Kraut acknowledges that the strategy means alienating some of the people most passionate about the GTO. "There are going to be people who don't like or appreciate what we did with the car," he says. "We are aware of those issues, but we think that's the minority opinion." The clean, uncluttered - some say bland - look of the 2004 GTO is in keeping with Pontiac's move from the body cladding and other add-ons that defined the division's styling for the past 20 years. But critics say the new GTO looks too much like other Pontiacs, such as the Grand Prix and Sunfire. The car is based on the Australian Holden Monaro. Pontiac plans to sell 18,000 GTOs a year starting this fall. Prices are expected to start around $35,000. The controversy over the GTO's styling has larger implications, says Jim Wangers, the marketing executive who helped fuel the GTO's amazing popularity in the 1960s and early 1970s with catchy ads and other high-octane promotions. Says Wangers: "This is a car that Pontiac must get right." Wangers notes that the GTO coupe likely will be impractical for some customers, but the upcoming V-8 powered Bonneville sedan might not be. The GTO, he says, may be the hook that brings them back into a Pontiac showroom. Kraut agrees that the GTO has the potential to attract new buyers as well as win back those who long ago deserted the brand. "We may not get a ton of younger buyers because of the price. But we are getting on their radar screens. Long term, we think we are putting money in the brand bank. We think that it is meaningful that when someone is buying a Pontiac they are getting a piece of the GTO," Kraut says. The Monaro was designed in Australia. To morph the coupe into the 2004 Pontiac GTO, Holden's chief designer, Mike Simcoe, worked with GM's design staff in Warren, Mich. They grafted a version of the traditional split Pontiac nose onto the Monaro and made a few other minor changes, such as moving the fuel tank and fuel filler neck. The interior also has been given some unique GTO styling touches. If the new GTO is a hit, Wangers says, it could help Pontiac morph into a true U.S. competitor to BMW and other brands of high-performance cars. If the GTO misses, Pontiac will have wasted one of the most cherished nameplates in U.S. automobile history. The original Pontiac GTO sold about 500,000 copies between 1964 and 1974. That is more than any other competitive muscle car from any GM division, Ford Motor Co. or the old Chrysler Corp. Though the GTO's styling changed through its run, all models had some type of hood scoop, snarling dual exhausts and chrome badges with the engine displacement in the European style of liters, not cubic inches, the American custom of the day. The GTO's styling peaked in the 1968-72 era when such things as a rear wing, hood-mounted tachometer, hidden headlights and a driver-activated Ram Air system were available. Ram Air fed air directly into the Rochester Quadrajet carburetor through two scoops in the hood. Enthusiasts loved the sound the air made as the engine revved up. It was one of the things that gave the original GTO much of its character. The unique looks differentiated it from the Tempest and LeMans models, on which the GTO was based. It was a winning formula that eventually was done in by escalating gasoline prices. The 2004 GTO contains none of the original car's design DNA, no homage to the past. And that's what has GTO fans upset. "I think there could have been a nice middle ground," says Wangers, 75, who now lives in Vista, Calif. The frustration of GTO fans hasn't been felt at the dealer level. At McNamara Pontiac in Orlando, Fla., the city's oldest Pontiac store, three customers have paid deposits on the GTO sight unseen, says general manager Hal McNamara. Salespeople there have fielded many questions about the car, and McNamara believes he'll quickly sell all the GTOs he can. "From what you see on the Internet, it looks a little like a Grand Prix or a Grand Am. But it'll sell because of performance. What else is there out there that's a rear-wheel drive V-8 coupe?" McNamara asks. Kraut also says the car's performance will silence the critics. "Most people who have gotten behind the wheel have loved it. Any concerns just melted away." Retro is a no go Kraut says declining sales of the Chrysler PT Cruiser, Volkswagen New Beetle and Ford Thunderbird caused GM brass to opt for a clean, conservative appearance for the GTO. There also were time constraints. The new look, he says, is an effort to avoid having the car labeled retro. But that leaves "a space big enough to drive a truck through" for SLP Engineering, the Tom's River, N.J., company that created and built the Firebird Firehawk and Camaro SS. SLP Marketing Director Reg Harris confirms that SLP will offer an appearance and performance package for the 2004 GTO that addresses the concerns voiced by fans of the car. Harris says SLP's version of the GTO will have hood scoops, special performance-tuned exhaust and other upgrades. The company expects to market the package this summer. "We are not at a point where we can provide much detail, but I can tell you that the SLP GTO package will be consistent with the car's heritage," Harris says. The hood scoop, he says, will be a new design. There is one aspect of the GTO where Kraut says Pontiac has been faithful to the car's heritage: Stuffing a big engine in a mid-sized car is exactly what renegade GM engineers did 40 years ago. |
Re: SLP to create an appearence & performance package for the 2004 GTO
Originally posted by guionM Also, confirmation GTO will be around for some time, why GM didn't go retro with GTO (and the reason likely will carry over to Camaro as well :D). The "anti-retro" quote I think indicates that the next Camaro won't likely to be retro, based on the observations made. I also wonder if the SLP modifications will be a 'orderable' option through GM like SS was for Camaro... or if it will be 'aftermarket' work. |
Good news! I wonder if this will be looked at as a factory-type option as the SLP SS/Firehawk and RS/GT packages were offered in the past. Finally, the nay-sayers will be satisfied!
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Sounds good to me.
Lutz also said that all kinds of Moraro performance/aftermarket parts would be following the GTO over here this fall. |
BTW, here's the hood they've done for the GTP if you've not seen the GTX. Maybe a glimpse into what to expect with the GTO.
http://www.slpeng.com/vehicles/grandprix/index.shtml |
It'll be interesting to see how Pontiac handles this GTO/SLP car. Pontiac has always shown a greater sense of finesse with it's SLP connection than Chevy has.
One thing for sure....Pontiac will make sure that the GTO image will be enhanced by it's partnership with SLP......not cannabalised. A lesson Chevy should make note of...... |
Re: SLP to create an appearence & performance package for the 2004 GTO
"From what you see on the Internet, it looks a little like a Grand Prix or a Grand Am. But it'll sell because of performance. What else is there out there that's a rear-wheel drive V-8 coupe?" McNamara asks. So according to this guy, the GTO will be a success because it will go fast, but the other domestic cars with huge brand recognition and cult-like followings that just got killed didn't. I've said enough. It's great to hear that SLP is going to address the deficiencies in the design aspect! I am VERY eager to see how performance boys thing a sporty musclecar should look!:) I'll take wagers on how many GTOs stay stock after these new hoods and facias are available... On another downside, why are PERFORMANCE people doing bodydesign instead of go-fast parts and peices?:confused: Seems to me like body designers would be better equiped (and prepared) to do panel design. Does this mean we will se RamAir too!!! Ahhh yes, the bureaucratic ways of huge companies... I work for one too. OUR M.O. - Never operate in a normal manner, you may inadvertantly do something right. |
I hope what SLP does will be similar to the HRT 427. I love that car, and the twin intakes with hoodscoops is awesome. Time willl tell though
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Originally posted by bigsteve7 I hope what SLP does will be similar to the HRT 427. I love that car, and the twin intakes with hoodscoops is awesome. Time willl tell though I hope the supension and brake stuff from the HRT 427 come here too, either from SLP or Holden themselves.. |
HST performance and appearence equptment, SLP performance and appearence equptment! Goodwrench and other aftermarket upgrades to the LS1! Sound's like GTO is going to be the ultimate aftermarket car!
...And boring people like me can still travel the freeways at high speeds incognito. Sounds like everyone wins here. :D |
Pontiac a BMW competitor? I don't think so. That's almost laughable (i'm serious). Even Cadillac has its hands full competing with the likes of BMW. But caddies upcoming lineup will do something about that BMW dominance (or i'm hoping)
I really like the GTO, hood scoop or not. The exterior while bland is good looking, and the interior looks like it came off an Import (it is an imported Holden i guess) rather then a domestic. It's by far one of the most exciting cars in all of GM's lineup. I even like it better then the f-bods. |
Originally posted by RiceEating5.0 Pontiac a BMW competitor? I don't think so. That's almost laughable (i'm serious). Even Cadillac has its hands full competing with the likes of BMW. But caddies upcoming lineup will do something about that BMW dominance (or i'm hoping) I really I've been saying the same thing. Let Caddy go after BMW. They are headed in the right direction. Another good quote I read on Autoweek, I believe, is that GM is trying to move Buick to intercept Lexus. :think: As bizarre as that sounds to me, I view Lexus as a 'second tier' luxury brand, which is really where Buick should be aimed as well... But does the name "Buick" have enough to compete in this field? I don't know about that. |
How many people would have laughed if you would have said in 1999 Caddy was going to be a BMW fighter in a few years... Sigma is still the key (imo).
I really hope the SLP package can be ordered factory, that'd shut up all the people who hate the GTO simply based off the fact there are no factory hoodscoops. |
I wonder if SLP are going to get Monaro's the same way HSV do before they upgrade them.
Holden will send a monaro to HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) with the bare basics and they redo the front, rear and interior, plus they add in all the performance parts. It seems to make more sense to do it that way then sending a complete GTO with all the Pontiac styling to SLP for them to then cut into it. Another thing...It will be intresting to see if they can make the hood scoops functional..I agree with a few of you that the styling of the HRT 427 is probably perfect...still has the clean lines and the hood scoops look like they belong to the car...not some pig snout tacky looking ricer look add on.. |
I'm glad to hear GM say no to retro stuff. :)
Now for the GTO, Whoo Hooo!! Another overpriced appearance option containing things that should have already been done by GM that will send the already high $35,000 price tag even higher just to get a more "real" or "true" GTO, because if you don't buy that 1 you have to settle for a lower priced, less "true," or less "real" GTO. :rolleyes: Please. What are they gonna call it, GTO GXP or SLP GTO?! They couldn't do it themselves again?! They are just messing up the GTO and its history. And while I know this is all we and they have to work with right now, IMO they have went about it wrong and after reading that I find their thoughts completely ridiculous about this car and their ideas on how it will sell just because of what its got and its name, (:rolleyes: yup that works) while leaving out the real GTO guys or people that are all about what the GTO was. As if this car was gonna have like 400HP and run low 13's all stock. Its an LS1 that will be slower than the previous F-Bodies and who knows about the other performance areas. What other RWD V8 Coupes is there?? Duh, the M*stang and the Corvette. (No F-Body though :think: ) The fact of the matter is all that stuff should come on the car this year, right out of the factory, as they always did. But no, they once again make a plain car just to let SLP get their hand$$ on it to make it what it should have been in the 1st place by GM. I mean, they know every1 is complaining and saying stuff, they just don't care. Oh wait though they do, SLP will make it better right. :think: |
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