2004-2006 Pontiac GTO – Is It Worthy of the GTO Name?

Pontiac is guilty of revisionist history in the 2005 GTO profits brochure. In the brochure, a timeline of substantial milestones in the 41 yr record of the GTO is offered. The 1964 design normally sales opportunities off the timeline. Following all, this motor vehicle flagrantly violated GM’s anti-racing edict of 1957 and single handedly described an solely new class of vehicles. The 1966 GTO also earns mention as the first of the Ram-Air models, followed by the 400 cubic inch 1967 and then the fabled GTO Judge in 1969. Having said that, from 1970 until eventually the 2004 rebirth – the timeline is blank. It’s as if Pontiac has excised all memory of the potent-but-porcine 1971-72 GTO or the underachieving Nova derived 1973 models. And, of course there is zero mention of the puerile Grand-Am centered GTO strategy that GM paraded around the show circuit in the early nineties.

With the missteps that sullied the name of the most well known icon in muscle car historical past, we can take pleasure in Pontiac’s selective corporate memory. They do on the other hand elevate legit issues about the 2005 GTO. Is this car worthy of the GTO name? Will the new GTO be remembered 20 several years therefore as 1 of the “fantastic types” or will its memory be the victim of a Stalinist purge from the document?

In our opinion, the 2005 GTO is the genuine article – and in many methods a great present day interpretation of the legendary 1964 GTO. We urge you to push a person, because to generate this car or truck is to appreciate this motor vehicle.

We had the honor of driving an Impulse Blue 2005 GTO 6 pace at Josephs Pontiac in Norwell, Massachusetts. Josephs has been marketing and servicing Pontiacs due to the fact 1928 and to this day it really is an honored and liked south shore landmark with some of the friendliest men and women you happen to be probable to meet. This loved ones is aware of Pontiac, and converse about traditional and foreseeable future Pontiacs with apparent passion. It truly is a place where by neighbors drop by to chat in excess of coffee and you are just as most likely to see Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler halt in for a tank of gas. When compared to the soulless auto mega malls, Josephs Pontiac is a direct hyperlink back to a superior time – and no finer place exists to exam drive a famous Pontiac marque.

Let’s start out with styling – arguably the most contentious problem surrounding the 2005 GTO. The vehicle journals have roundly criticized Pontiac for ultra conservative styling that belies the performance abilities of the motor vehicle. We say the critics are idiots – or at the least thoroughly ignorant of the original GTO style and design philosophy. The 1964-67 GTO was In no way about visible flash. John DeLorean and Jim Wangers started with the spare and unadorned Tempest entire body. They extra a tasteful scooped hood, interesting wheelcovers and delicate sophisticated badges on the grille, fender and decklid. You experienced to glimpse closely to pick up the visual clues, and we might wager a superior quite a few men and women walked appropriate by individuals early GTO’s with nary a 2nd look. The GTO was not promoted to travel-by posers. It was a significant general performance machine that kept a very low visual profile and did it really is conversing at the stoplight and dragstrip.

Economic and political concerns also performed a section in the GTOs original styling restraint. The sector for the GTO was unsure, so to lessen funds investments Pontiac wanted to make because of with the sleekest mid-sized coupe in the present solution portfolio. Pontiac division main John DeLorean also had to tread lightly for fear of attracting unfavorable focus from the horsepower-phobic GM Executive team. Whatever the good reasons, the 1964-67 GTO stands as just one of the most tasteful and timelessly styled muscle mass automobiles of the era.

The 2005 GTO is a great stylistic and economic interpretation of the first. To continue to keep expenditures small and time to marketplace limited, Pontiac raided it can be throughout the world sections bin to arrive up with the most handsome rear drive coupe in the stable, the Australian Holden Monaro. Its strains are tight, clear and tasteful. The GTO badging is delicate as are the twin non-functional hood bulges. As in 1964, you have glance for the subtle visual clues as to the real mother nature of this auto. Again in the day, gearheads discovered to rapidly differentiate the heavyweights from the palookas. It rarely was about shiny paint, garish graphics and chrome wheels. The most critical cars ended up generally the most visually unremarkable – and you figured out to look for the very small “426 Hemi” fender emblems, or the steel wheels with DOT authorized Mickey Thompsons. You realized to hear for or the choppy idle of a 305 degree sound cam. And so it is with the 2005 GTO. You’ve got to know what to glimpse for.

Automotive posers is not going to get it and they most likely is not going to acknowledge it. And that is good with us. The 2005 GTO is for folks assured in their personal skin – people who prefer to kick ass and just take names under the radar display. Folks like you and me.

In 2005, Pontiac responded to styling criticisms by introducing the aforementioned hood scoops and an optional Sport Visual appearance Package. Our take a look at car was fortunately absent this solution. We urge you to boycott the Activity Visual appeal package as it represents an ominous return of Pontiac’s worst styling excesses in the 1980s. The entrance fascia is blocky and ham-handed, as are the vestigial “gills” above the quad outlet exhaust tips. Our issue is that if adequate persons invest in this silly option, GM will interpret this as market place acceptance of flash around material and we’ll be back to the times of the “Screaming Chicken” and the Mustang Cobra II. Just say NO!

So what’s the 2005 GTO like to travel? Mana baby, pure mana! The complete frame doorways open and shut with a sound thunk – and the upper window frame promises wind, rattle and leak evidence glass. The interior is rather basically GM’s greatest. At any time. The complete instrument cluster is legible – rimmed in brushed nickel and coloration keyed to the exterior paint. On our Impulse Blue tester this was an unforeseen and sophisticated touch. The inside panels are finished in matte gloss gentle touch padding – a spectacular improvement from GM’s traditional shiny difficult plastic interior trimming. Inside place is superior, seat convenience excellent and visible sightlines very good. About the only criticism we could levy at the interior is the steering wheel. When it feels good in your hand, the centre pad seems like a giant goofy Shriners hat. This motor vehicle demands a steering wheel that better emulates the gorgeous GM rosewood wheels from the 1960s.

Twist the important and the starter engages with a fulfilling and considerable whirr – like it is spinning above a substantial compression huge block. The 6. LS2 V8 roars to lifestyle and the exhaust take note is intoxicating. Deep, mellow and throaty with not a hint of tinniness. Blip the throttle and the the pipes pop and spit as the revs tumble. Assume major block electric power boat and you would be close to the impact. Close your eyes and it can be 1969 all more than all over again!

Clutch takeup is easy and dead specific. With 400 Lb/ft of torque (SAE internet!!) the GTO steps off cleanly and crisply with little driveline lash. The 6 pace Tremec trans shifts conveniently, with just the proper amount of money of mechanical notchiness to remind you what’s occurring on the other finish of the lever. An specially awesome contact is the slight shifter vibration you truly feel though accelerating difficult in 3rd equipment. Everyone who’s ever rowed a Muncie M22, Ford Toploader or MoPar A833 by way of a Hurst shifter knows that sensation. There is certainly a technology of motorists elevated on cable shifted, rubber insulated transaxles that have no clue what this feels like!

The journey is company and exact with no influence harshness more than sharp bumps. The steering is satisfyingly sharp with excellent turn in and excellent highway truly feel. The GTO tracks straight and accurate with minimal dartiness on rough pavement. There are no squeaks and rattles and the GTO exudes a significant solidity and stiffness reminiscent of the Porsche 928. This is a vehicle you could quickly reside with on a day-to-day basis – equally adept at ferrying Grandma to Bingo as ripping up the back again roadways.

The GTO LS2 helps make a correct 400 horsepower. In pre-1972 SAE gross ratings the amount is probable around 470 BHP at the flywheel. Compression is a stratospheric 10.9 and the light-weight valvetrain, successful cylinder head port layout and 90mm throttle body make this motor a clean, torquey and rev pleased screamer. Think about that for a instant. 400 horsepower for $33,000 – or about $82.50 for every pony. And, you can provider it at any of thousands of GM shops nationwide for pocket transform. And it gets 25 MPG per the EPA freeway cycle. Given the monumental strides in GM product or service high quality in the earlier decade, it is a sensible expectation that the GTO will involve only regime routine maintenance in the program of prudent, conscientious ownership.

The 1996 Porsche 911 Turbo manufactured 400 horsepower and stickered for about $120,000 ($300 per). The 2000 BMW M5 made 400 horses and stickered at about $80,000 ($200 for each). And the sticker price of these Teutonic supercars was just the minimum ante. Think $200 oil modifications, $1,000 program servicing bills and you get plan. These usually are not vehicles for you and me. These are cars for the belief fund young ones you knew and hated in school. The GTO is a auto for standard persons, just like in 1964.

This automobile flat cranks – and the LS2 pulls cleanly in each individual gear from idle to the 6,500 redline. The LS2 really will come alive at over 3,000 RPM, and when you stand on the pedal in very first or second you ought to have the wheel pointing straight in advance – simply because the tires are likely to crack free. Under extra gentle throttle inputs the GTO accelerates without the need of histrionics – just a liquid, seemingly limitless rush to the higher limits of the speedometer. Contemporary engine administration assures that there are no flat spots in the fuel and spark shipping. Think well tuned LS-6 Chevelle and you can be in the reduced-conclude ballpark of just how effortlessly the GTO accelerates. The shifter is immediate with nicely-outlined gates and shift hard work acceptable for a supercar. The exhaust notice is heavenly, but no so loud as to lead to your wife to shrink in her seat from shame.

This is a incredibly significant overall performance automobile, and we’d be astonished if the GTO wasn’t excellent for a sub-5 2nd dash to 60. The quarter mile moments ought to be about 13.30 at 108 MPH. These are massive figures, and vastly excellent to ANY stock GTO from the previous – like the fabled 1969-70 Ram-Air IV. It really is basically a make any difference of time ahead of companies like Lingenfelter commence marketing and advertising supercharger kits and stroker LS2 motors – so if inventory is just not rapidly adequate the days of 500 HP GTOs are unable to be much off.

So, what is the conclusion? We think that the 2005 GTO is for real and in most strategies a legitimate non secular successor to the primary. The styling is handsome, interior outstanding and the driving practical experience is simultaneously comfortable and thrilling. This is NOT a car or truck for the “bling bling” crowd who are living to be viewed and endlessly chase the acceptance of their peer team. It is a car for self self-confident efficiency fanatics who worth substance in excess of model. It can be a car for GTO individuals.

We want this automobile to do well due to the fact it will presage the long-lasting return of these kinds of automobiles not only by GM but Ford and Daimler-Chrysler. We urge you to generate it – due to the fact you can probable acquire it!