All-New Pontiac GTO Due in Mid-2008

[BMWDave]

All-New Pontiac GTO Due in Mid-2008
Date Posted 07-28-2005

DETROIT ? An all-new Pontiac GTO, one with a more eye-catching exterior and possibly a four-door "quad coupe" design, is due to go into production in mid-2008, Inside Line has learned.

Still to be decided is whether the 2009 GTO will be assembled in Australia, like the current model, or shift to a new production base in North America.

The current Australian-built GTO, which is based on the rear-wheel-drive Holden Monaro coupe, will remain in production at least through the 2006 model year, although the Holden model will be phased out of production later this year. The next-generation GTO will be based on a new global family of rear-wheel-drive cars, known internally at General Motors as "Zeta Lite."

GM's Australian unit will drop the Monaro this fall to focus on getting a redesigned version of its big, rear-drive Commodore sedan into production in mid-2006. The new Commodore will be one of the first models to use the revised Zeta platform.

Next month, Holden will release a special-edition Monaro CV8-Z. The Monaro and the GTO are built in the same plant in Elizabeth, Australia.

What this means to you: Enthusiasts have clamored for a better-looking GTO ? GM is listening.

[Tom]

My opinion may not represent the majority, but I like it now.  Infact, it was even better before it got the hood scoop.

[Raza]

The 2004 GTO was absolutely beautiful.

[footoflead]

where's the link for the pics...If there are any...yet

[Colonel Cadillac]

What scares me is the way they suggested there could be a 4-door coupe, they said it like it would be a four-door coupe -OR- a 2-door coupe. They need to stick with a 2-door coupe and make the 4-door an option.

[Run Away]

What scares me is the way they suggested there could be a 4-door coupe, they said it like it would be a four-door coupe -OR- a 2-door coupe. They need to stick with a 2-door coupe and make the 4-door an option.

Exactly.

What will compete with the Mustang?
Dodge has a 4 door Charger, and that was a mistake. Bring back the 2 doors!

[Raza]

What scares me is the way they suggested there could be a 4-door coupe, they said it like it would be a four-door coupe -OR- a 2-door coupe. They need to stick with a 2-door coupe and make the 4-door an option.

Exactly.

What will compete with the Mustang?
Dodge has a 4 door Charger, and that was a mistake. Bring back the 2 doors!

The Charger is what it is because of budgets.  Good looker, though...



The GTO in its current form is between an entry lux coupe and a muscle car.  It's not a Mustang competitor.  There are no Mustang competitors, really.  The closest is the WRX.

[giant_mtb]

So...they're putting 4 doors on an originally 2-door car, and at the same time another company is doing the exact same thing...WTH is wrong with this place.

[giant_mtb]

What scares me is the way they suggested there could be a 4-door coupe, they said it like it would be a four-door coupe -OR- a 2-door coupe. They need to stick with a 2-door coupe and make the 4-door an option.

Exactly.

What will compete with the Mustang?
Dodge has a 4 door Charger, and that was a mistake. Bring back the 2 doors!

The Charger is what it is because of budgets.  Good looker, though...



The GTO in its current form is between an entry lux coupe and a muscle car.  It's not a Mustang competitor.  There are no Mustang competitors, really.  The closest is the WRX.

Yeah...but it can't really compete with the WRX (especially STi) in anything other than a straight line.

[Raza]

What do you mean?  

[giant_mtb]

The GTO can only really compete with the WRX (STi) in a straight line...out on the track the WRX will take it to town, no? (just assuming...don't have any proof, feel free to correct me on this... :P )

[Raza]

The GTO can only really compete with the WRX (STi) in a straight line...out on the track the WRX will take it to town, no? (just assuming...don't have any proof, feel free to correct me on this... :P )

I meant Mustang, but the GTO will probably get raped on a course against an STi.  It's too heavy.

[giant_mtb]

The GTO can only really compete with the WRX (STi) in a straight line...out on the track the WRX will take it to town, no? (just assuming...don't have any proof, feel free to correct me on this... :P )

I meant Mustang, but the GTO will probably get raped on a course against an STi.  It's too heavy.

Oh I thought you meant the GTO's closest competitor was the WRX.  :ph34r:  :P   Yeah, RWD and weight can't match that DCCD AWD street-legal rally car.  B)  B)  

[Raza]

The GTO can only really compete with the WRX (STi) in a straight line...out on the track the WRX will take it to town, no? (just assuming...don't have any proof, feel free to correct me on this... :P )

I meant Mustang, but the GTO will probably get raped on a course against an STi.  It's too heavy.

Oh I thought you meant the GTO's closest competitor was the WRX.  :ph34r:  :P   Yeah, RWD and weight can't match that DCCD AWD street-legal rally car.  B)  B)

If the Mustang had a little more power, it would probably smoke an STi.  AWD means understeer, and the STi is a little soft.  

[giant_mtb]

The GTO can only really compete with the WRX (STi) in a straight line...out on the track the WRX will take it to town, no? (just assuming...don't have any proof, feel free to correct me on this... :P )

I meant Mustang, but the GTO will probably get raped on a course against an STi.  It's too heavy.

Oh I thought you meant the GTO's closest competitor was the WRX.  :ph34r:  :P   Yeah, RWD and weight can't match that DCCD AWD street-legal rally car.  B)  B)

If the Mustang had a little more power, it would probably smoke an STi.  AWD means understeer, and the STi is a little soft.

That might be true as well.  But the STi can hammer out of the corners better than the Mustang can because of it's AWD - unless the 'Stang has TCS that might be an advantage for the WRX - , and plus if you gave the 'Stang more power that'd be comparing a 305+ HP coupe to a 300 HP sedan...a little unfair, IMO.

[Raza]

The GTO can only really compete with the WRX (STi) in a straight line...out on the track the WRX will take it to town, no? (just assuming...don't have any proof, feel free to correct me on this... :P )

I meant Mustang, but the GTO will probably get raped on a course against an STi.  It's too heavy.

Oh I thought you meant the GTO's closest competitor was the WRX.  :ph34r:  :P   Yeah, RWD and weight can't match that DCCD AWD street-legal rally car.  B)  B)

If the Mustang had a little more power, it would probably smoke an STi.  AWD means understeer, and the STi is a little soft.

That might be true as well.  But the STi can hammer out of the corners better than the Mustang can because of it's AWD - unless the 'Stang has TCS that might be an advantage for the WRX - , and plus if you gave the 'Stang more power that'd be comparing a 305+ HP coupe to a 300 HP sedan...a little unfair, IMO.

Not really.  The STi is lighter, turbo, and AWD.  Comparing them at all is going to be unfair, but say the Mustang had 325bhp and handles as well as everyone says...it would smoke an STi because of the damn understeer.

[giant_mtb]

I guess...I don't have enough experience to know how bad the STi's understeer is or how much of an effect it would have on a race course lap time...so I'll trust you on this one.    B)  

[Raza]

I guess...I don't have enough experience to know how bad the STi's understeer is or how much of an effect it would have on a race course lap time...so I'll trust you on this one.    B)

The STi's suspension is rather soft compared to the Evo.  You'll get understeer, no doubt.  

[giant_mtb]

I guess...I don't have enough experience to know how bad the STi's understeer is or how much of an effect it would have on a race course lap time...so I'll trust you on this one.    B)

The STi's suspension is rather soft compared to the Evo.  You'll get understeer, no doubt.

Yeah I always noticed in pictures or videos that the STi has more body roll than the Evo...

Understeer is a bitch...

[SJ_GTI]

If the GTO can't hang with an STI, how do you expect the mustang to do?

Most comparo's of the Stang and GTO said the GTO was a  better handler overall.

[JYODER240]

If the GTO can't hang with an STI, how do you expect the mustang to do?

Most comparo's of the Stang and GTO said the GTO was a  better handler overall.

Out of curiosity which comparo was that? Most i have read were the other way around.  

[ifcar]

My opinion may not represent the majority, but I like it now.  Infact, it was even better before it got the hood scoop.

The 05s are available without the hood scoop as well.  

[Raza]

If the GTO can't hang with an STI, how do you expect the mustang to do?

Most comparo's of the Stang and GTO said the GTO was a  better handler overall.

Out of curiosity which comparo was that? Most i have read were the other way around.

I've seen it both ways, actually.  But more often than not, I remember the GTO handling marginally better.  

The main problem with both these cars (moreso with the GTO) is the sheer amount of mass they have to throw around.  Suspension engineering is fine and dandy, but the laws of physics still stand.

[TBR]

What scares me is the way they suggested there could be a 4-door coupe, they said it like it would be a four-door coupe -OR- a 2-door coupe. They need to stick with a 2-door coupe and make the 4-door an option.

The article said quad coupe which means two regular size doors and two small doors that open backwards, like the RX-8. You likely won't even be able to tell that they are there.