Modded LS1 GTO does long burnout for the Mustang Drivers out there.
The Holden Monaro-turned-Pontiac GTO for the North American market seems like it was only on sale for a few weeks. These curvy Aussie muscle cars have become relatively rare on US streets with just shy of 41,000 units sold over 3 model years. With the LS1 V8 engine, the first few years of the modern GTO had a similar powerplant to the 4th generation Camaro and Firebird which left the lineup a few years before Pontiac began importing the Monaro as the new GTO for the 2004 model year, so while the GTO might not have gotten the attention of the Firebird – it packed comparable power.
Just in case any Ford Mustang drivers out there forgot about the modern Pontiac GTO, the owner of a 2004 model put together one hell of a burnout video specifically for those pony car owners who struggle to keep their cars straight while spinning the tires.
We know from the video details that the only modifications to this 2004 Pontiac GTO are a cold air intake package and a straight pipe exhaust system – neither of which would add any real power. This means that this GTO “only” has around 350hp, but even with the 4-speed automatic transmission, it has no issues putting a serious smokin’ to the rear tires.
In fact, over the course of this minute-long video, the driver of this bright red LS1 GTO smokes the tires for a solid 40 seconds, along with a short quick burnout off in the distance. Also, thanks to a strong head wind, the massive amounts of smoke quickly blow off into the distance, which the cameraman shows us by occasionally panning away from the car.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
