8th Jun 2006, 08:58

I still want to know if the last post was by the reviewer's wife or mother.

The review was okay, but I've read better.

In my opinion Pontiac missed the boat by not giving it more of a retro look. It looks too much like the G6 & the Grand Prix.

Better then the '74 GTO, but a far cry from the original. Perhaps they shouldn't have tagged it with a legendary name. It's not a bad car, but I expected more.

9th Jun 2006, 21:16

I have been following reviews on this forum and the GTO in particular. This reviewer offers one of the most insightful and best reviews I have yet to read! I have yet to test drive one of these cars, but I will! I am 58 yrs old (young). I owned a '66 GTO with tri-power,4spd Muncie and 3.91 rear in the late '60's prior to going into the Army!I remember that I couldn't keep it together, got about 8 MPG and would absolutely pummel the Firestone Wide Ovals on the car if you even thought about dumping the clutch over 2500 RPM's! Ahhh, those were the days! I'm not hung up over the fact that this is an Australian car with a Chevrolet motor. Some people are. Deal with it!! 400HP,400 FT/LBS of torque. Independent rear suspension. One of the nicest interiors from GM!! Oh Yeah!!!

13th Jun 2006, 12:40

Concur on the review. As an owner of an '06 GTO M6, I can say the review is spot-on. I highly recommend folks taking a test-drive. I won't argue the styling, but this is the fastest production GTO ever made. I'm running a Bobcat package on it with 455+ HP and it is downright scary. This car will be only appreciated once it's gone...

7th Jul 2006, 21:13

Well I am the reviewer.. Thanks for your comments. I try.

A previous comment said - "I still want to know if the last post was by the reviewer's wife or mother." What's that about?

So... I told you I would update as needed. Now at 3000 miles. I had a switch for the seat controls cease functioning. Have an appointment to get it fixed. Should be no problem. Thought I had some funny wear on the rear tires, but it turned out to be a combination of independent rear suspension and heavy foot. I don't romp on it, but I did get peer pressured into a burn out or 2. So far VERY pleased, probably like it more than ever.

As for getting a bargain on it. Terminating the model has not decreased the price. They did include it in the recent 0% 72 month sale. But dealers know there are people out there that want the car and are willing to wait for them.

Depends on your area, here they are tagged at $40k, though one shouldn't pay that.

I have since found a great owner resource in LS1GTO.COM forum. Of course it's a forum and opinions abound, but if you sort through the chaff, it's pretty good.

9th Aug 2006, 12:52

Same author as the above and original.

About 5000 miles now. No issues. Still find the car to be "perfect" for its design. Usually by now in a relationship with a car, I've already started thinking about what car might be next. But not in this case. The only thing that could really change my mind would be a similar car with 2 times the fuel mileage.

The longer you look at it (in my case) the less "bland" the styling appears. The front fenders are severly flared, the lines are very clean.

1st Oct 2006, 18:46

This review is both thorough and accurate. I have 25K miles on mine and other than regular oil changes, have had no maintenance expenses or any mechanical problems. It is about as practical a daily driving true sports car that you will find. It's a clean, elegant four seater with audible power and far more rare than most other sports autos. People at my work constantly ask me about the car and comment on how it stands apart from the multiple Mustangs, Daytonas, 350zs, Q35s, and Corvettes in our corporate headquarters parking lot.

My wife loves the car and we are looking at getting her an automatic to go with my manual. That is how highly we regard the new GTO.

2nd Oct 2006, 10:10

Re the above comment: if your GTO "stands apart" from all the other sports cars in the parking lot, it is only because there are not many of them around, due to low sales, not because of any great styling features.

This version of the GTO was too blandly styled to succeed, and didn't. The next version, based on the Zeta platform and planned for a 2009 model year introduction, has much more distinctive styling, calling to mind the classic looks of the 1968-1970 GTO models, and will likely be much more successful.

5th Oct 2006, 19:17

I really get tired of all the whining about the looks of the GTO. Beauty is subjective. The car did not sell well because Americans are more concerned about image than substance. If the car said "BMW" on the side, it would have sold a bazillion. The GTO is simply the best bang for the buck in its class. The Mustang (a rehash of a 40 year old design, solid axle car for the "American Idol is my favorite show" crowd. The Dodge Charger for the "daddy didn't pay attention to me so I want a big noisy car so people will think I have money when I really don't" crowd. The WRX or STI for the "would you like the ironing board option mounted as a spoiler on the rear deck" crowd. You wanna go faster in a more well built car be prepared to spend 15-20k more. I've even thought about trading my C5 on one now that the new 'vette looks like an RX-8 with performance exaggerated by the factory almost as much as the Mustang GT.

6th Oct 2006, 05:38

Excuse me, but if styling wasn't important, we would all be driving around in cars that looked like 1985 Honda Accords.

The GTO failed because the millions of Americans recognized it for exactly what it was: a classic name slapped onto an existing car that had already been around a few years, with just some minor styling changes to try to justify calling it a new model. Even if the car is fast, it still needs to look distinctive, and the GTO doesn't.

Blaming the low sales and ultimate cancellation of a model on "stupid Americans" is just hilarious. Guess that's why the Yugo, Merkur and Sterling failed too, eh? Americans were just too stupid to buy them?

12th Oct 2006, 00:53

In response to the above comment; to most buyers styling does not matter. That's one of the reasons why Camrys and Accords are the best selling cars. I dare say that neither one of those looks half as good as a GTO.

I too whined about the more "mature" styling of the GTO till I saw it in person. then the 05-06s came out and they started looking very attractive. Then I drove one and that was all she wrote! I'm now the proud owner of a Torrid red 6 spd LS2 GTO! And I can't get enough of driving it. I am a big BIG car nut, so I'm always looking at the next and newest models and plotting and dreaming of owning them. But since buing my GOAT, I honestly have to say that I don't even care about all the other cars on the road! In fact I was saving for a new Camaro when I bought this car. And even with the news of GM's confirmation of production of the new Camaro, I'm still not interested or thinking about trading in my GTO!

It really is that great a car! Its like a "grown mans hooligan car". Loud and rambunctious when the mood hits you, but quit, sophisticated, and civil when it doesn't. Besides, the build quality is with the best Europe has to offer. From the weight of the doors to the feel of the controls in your hand, the GTO just oozes a certain well engineered and assembled quality about it. An we all know that that is something GM has been lacking for a while; though they are greatly improving as of late.