I think a lot of F-body and new muscle car people will be buying them,

 

I'd say a collection of many different people.

But mostly comping from the groups you list, expect maybe the BMW/Benz buyers... cant see them going for it.

 

Allow me to stereotype these people:

"GTO? Faaaar to inexpensive for my taste." {Followed by snobish laugh, then drives to Country Club in the fine German engineered transportation that he was happy to pay the sticker for.}

I think you're right on Darth. Some buyers may convert, but in this case, 'some' means a couple.

Jeff

 

I think alot of the Baby Boomers will go for this car. Its got the name they recognise, the engine they understand and the 2 doors the need. Seems to me this is the target. With a higher price and the rumors of a new F-body on the (possibly distant) horizion most current F-body owners will be content to wait. As far as BMW and Infinity owners, they are on a totaly different plane from the GTO.

 

Agreed. I think the majority of buyers are going to be well-to-do "yuppies" of the baby-boomer age that have the money, remember the originals (by the name if not the car itself ), and want exclusivity. The dealers will have a hey-day with the exclusivity thing. All they have to do is tell the potential buyer things like,"You will be riding in one of ony a few thousand coming over from Australia. Yours may very well be the only black one in this town because we are only getting 6 units at this dealership and they are all different colors." This is why things like the H2 are selling so hot - EXCLUSIVITY.

I have to express my opinion that I think you WILL see some (not many, but some) BMW and Mercedes buyers go into the GTO - after all, that's the target market sector in terms of income, age, and purpose.

Lastly will be a small group of people who are car collectors. Because it is the return of the beloved GTO, some guys are gonna buy one, take it home, put it under a blanket in the garage, and forget about it... unfortunately. In my opinion, cars were meant to be driven - but I promise, those rare cases of sheer investment will occur.

 

H2? Exclusivity? There are 4 of them (no kidding) in our 60-home tract!

Back on topic: the only chance for the GTO is for C&D to do a comparison test with it, the M3, and the G35 coupe, and have it come out on top . . . and the way they test, I sincerely hope the temperature is dropping in Hell.

 

I think the majority of the buyers will be in one of two groups:

40-50 something baby-boomers, or late 20's-early/mid 30's guys in the early part of their careers.

 

I know Michigan is a bad cross-section of the country as far as automotive sales go but there are a butt load of H2s here. I know 3 people personally that have them and see at least 4 at the mall every time I pass.

 

I didn't realize Valencia, CA was now indicative of main-stream USA...

So the average household income in your 60-home tract is what... $30K-$50k and the homes where these 4 units are parked are about 1800sq-ft with an old car on blocks out back I guess?

Sorry, didn't mean to sound like a jerk, but think about where you live dude! I go days without seeing an H2 where I live, and I commute 100 miles a day so I am on the road a lot!

I guess it's a relative thing. My bad.

Y'all gotta admit though, not everyone has that kind of dough to throw down on an SUV like that.

 

I think it'll gain from a whole new group. The GTO collectors & idolizers for the most part won't be in line till the actual performance numbers, magazine reports, and word of mouth come in. I think they'll eventially come around, but it won't be till everyone else gets there first.

As for who GTO will attract, I'll just tell you why I'm likely to buy one, and you can come to your own conclusion as to who GTO will attract & why.

I got married just over a year ago, and when I have a kid, a Camaro most certainly won't be the family driver. It will be more of a car that will sit in the garage & be brought out on weekends, nice days, or likely when there's a babysitter at home.

My Camaro would have been great when I was single, and it's still fantastic now without a child seat to tote around. But adding a growing family, or driving the occasional in-laws or parents (who are getting up in age) Camaro. Most people going into this stage in life choose to get a family sedan, an SUV, or a crossover.

However, I want something that performs like my Camaro. I'm going to need a functional back seat. I refuse to give up a stickshift, and at the same time, I'll buy foreign before I buy a FWD car for my own use. As you see, the choices become very, very limited.

Mustang has a useful & traditional backseat, and despite the lack of yards of legroom, is far more acceptable than the rear buckets of Camaro (I'm talking about occasional usage by folks less lumbar than ourselves, and distances longer than most will tolerate back there). Mustang also has a decent sized trunk. BMW 3 series in my view is overpriced. If I bought one, it'd be used. As a result, Mustang appeals to more people than f-bodies. When you design a no-holds barred, no compromise car (NOT that it's a bad thing), don't be surprised when less people come around than do your more compromising competitor.

If I was to say what current cars GTO would pull me from, I'd list Monte Carlo SS, Grand Prix GTP coupe (both FWD, but the closest to what I'd actually buy instead), or the Infinity G35 sedan.

Camaro in a way is like a Corvette, Thunderbird, 350Z, and to a lesser extent, Mustang. It's something you get for yourself, with no considerations needed for anyone else. A great sole car if you are single, but becomes more of a second car as your life becomes more...... responsible.

That's where GTO comes in! GTO is a extremely quick, stupidly fast, classy styled inside & out car that bridges the gap between being more of the car that you need, but still having the car that you want.

On second thought, to be perfectly honest, I really can't think of one single car on the road today here in the US that fits the bill this well, or would be a true alternative.

 

I agree with Sixer-Bird on the late 20s and early 30s guys. I think it might even move down twards guys right out of college in their early/mid 20s.

 

I personally think it'll rob Corvette sales most of all. I know quite a few people (I'm 43) that drove a new Corvette and liked the performance, but were turned off by the Chevy interior and limited functionality. These folks are tailor-made for the new GTO... more upscale interior, real back seat, much better ingress/egress and it's still a domestic (kinda-sorta). Plus, it should be $5,000 to $10,000 cheaper than a Corvette while providing 80-90% of the performance. People that are bummed over the demise of the 2-door GTP Grand Prix should also be interested. And then come the F-body folks (that's me!). Maybe even a few Cobra shoppers... if they are a little more interested in the whole car and not just straight-line performance. BMW/Merc people will NOT be shopping a Pontiac... no way, no how.

 

I agree. The GTO will probably take some Corvette sales.

 

MY QUESTION to you guys though, is who that is in the know as we are about stuff would even buy an 04 GTO now KNOWING WHAT we know?!?! It would almost be stupid to buy 1. I mean, we know that 05 will get the scoops, dual side outlets, possible LS6, and that 06 will be built here on a different new RWD chassis, (not just another car with a different bumper and Grand Prix/Am looks) and with who knows what else. Why buy the plain, slower, and non U.S. built 04?? If B.L. was really listening and knew what he was doing he would give the 04 the scoops and LS6 and whatever so both of the years are the same, if its possible that is.

 

I don't know if you know this or not, but you are allowed to sell/trade your car for a new one 2 years later.

lets see... buy/lease 04 then trade it for a 06/07
or
go with out any muscle car for 3-4 years

I guess I'll have to go tell my friend that just bought a 03 Cobra that he is stupid for not waiting 2 more years for the all new 05
Then I'll go bitch out that guy in my town with the '03 Z06, What a jerk right, he will be sorry when that 500HP '06 Z06 comes out. <sarcasim mode off>