DeepBlueZ

I weighed my GTO tonight actually....3690 pounds. It's a pretty large car for a coupe, if you knocked 400 pounds off it somehow, it would weigh considerably LESS than an LS1 F-body and would drive/feel like a big tin can. It's NOT SUPPOSED TO be a stripped down race car. I'm not sure why nobody understands that. the '03-'04 Cobra is barely lighter at all.

If they sold it for $29,000 instead of $33,000, people would STILL say it needs to be $4,000 cheaper....EVERYONE ALWAYS wants a car to be cheaper...


aside from the fact that nobody pays sticker price for a car ANYWAY, find me a 400 HP RWD, V8 car that STICKERS for less than $33,000....

2edybrd

Somebody said earlier that no one asked for for a grand prix looking coupe with a v-8 in it? Well, Actually, yes, the public did ask for just that exact thing.

It was called the G-8 concept and it was a Grand Prix with flares, the LS1 and AWD drive. People went crazy for it at the auto shows auto magazines drooled over it and GMHTP even did a reader survey asking which concept cars they would like to see go into production. EVERYONE said "The G-8 is the Bomb...just build it!!"

Darksol

The GTO was not obviously what the buying public at large wanted. GM is in this to make money. The GTO is not as profitable as the F-body in the US. The GTO is a fine car. And the Fbody was a different kind of car. Non-functional hood scoops are not enough to dress up this car. Trust me most people know that the GTO is out there. As far as production is concerned its not like dealers are having trouble keeping them in. Hell most dealers have several in inventory around here. For a low production car (i would think of the Viper or Prowler as low production) there sure are a lot of these things on dealers lots for them to be so popular and limited. The interior is much nicer as is the ride on rougher roads. This car is geared toward older people thats all. Yonger people aren't as concerned about the rattles(we add more stereo). About the doors that sudder when closed, every car w/o full framed door does that. My car with over 100000 on it still sounds very solid when i close the door. I hope GM bring us something that we all can enjoy for the GTO has caused a fracture in the GM performace camp.

Darksol

Any car car can be modded. Good for you. I was comparing apples to apples. Stock for Stock. Did you modify the suspension? Did you get a tune? Alas the fbody days are already done. But they are still cars capable of competing at the stoplight or dragstrip and at the autocross course if setup correctly. The Dodge b-body day is long over but they are some of the best looking and performing cars of there day too. And still capable of making a strong pass down the 1320. Gone but not forgotten.

GTO_Scott

iTrader: (3)

ws6gluemaker, I understand your mind is dead set on not liking the 2004-2006 GTO. This GTO run was never to be a large profit automobile, I think you've read at least 3 times in this forum that GM was only allowed to import a max of 18,000 per year due to legal agreements with the UAW. You simply don't make huge profits with such a low production vehicle unless you are charging over $100,000 each and the cost is nowhere near that.

As far as younger people, we have 20 to 25 2004-2006 RMGTO members in greater Denver with a lot more that don't know about our club yet. Quite a few of those are well under 30.

The look of the car is actually geared more toward generation X and under. Most older people prefer the musclecar looks from the 60s and 70s they grew up with. And beyond all, the car was designed in Australia for their preference (Have you ever looked at the 2 and 4 door Ford performance vehicles there and seen what they look like?) and it was also designed for export to middle east/U.K.

Sorry, but this car was not designed or intended to be sold in the U.S. and not to excite those that want the look of a WS6 or 60s/70s musclecar. If you bother to watch the entire clip I posted, you'll understand how others outside of the U.S. look at it instead of Americas taking their frustration out on it because the F-Body production ending in 2002.

The same base Monaro sells for much more in AUS, U.K, and the middle east than it does here.

2edybrd

And the Trans Am is a gaudy Ricey Bat-mobile wanna-be while the Camaro looks exactley like a Geo Storm or a Chrysler Concord depending on what year you got.

Most people don't know the GTO is out there. I just went through training for a new job and had to explain to everyone when the GTO was re-released. Then they all wanted a ride

The GTO has caused a fracture in the performance camp?? You guys on these F-body forums are the only ones I see freaking out. I go out in the real world and people love the GTO. Plain and simple. It's a shame that you live in St. Louis otherwise I would take you around and show you the reactions I get to the car.

Most people don't buy the GTO because they don't "Trust" a 350 - 400 hp rear wheel car. They don't see the use of it as a daily driver. They don't see how it can be safe in the rain, the snow, etc. They don't believe the car gets almost 30 mpg on the highway, and if they're buying a car, that's the kind of mileage they expect. SUV's people could care less about the mileage, That's why we have so many hot-rod suv's coming out this year.

But you did hit the nail on the head with your comment about age and these cars, F-Bodies included. In my twenties, I had nothing but F-Bodies. I love them. They're fun fast and insultingly in your face. Yet all my friends that were not car guys and my girlfriends wanted to be in the Jeep Cherokee I had for work. Now I have a good job, that requires me to take customers around, so I could no longer be insultingly in your face, and I live in an apartment building so two cars is out. Here comes the GTO and it has EVERYTHING I love about a sport coupe. It was a no brainer to trade in the Trans Am and get the Goat.

And really the comments I just made aren't exactely true either. Even when I had the Trans Am I was very unhappy with everything about the car EXCEPT the drive train. I paid 26k for the TA (I ordered it to my specs) and the 4 year old Jeep Cherokee I had was built more solidly. But the Trans Am was the ONLY thing out there that had 350 hp for under 28000, so that was a no brainer as well. But as soon as the GTO came to the states, bye bye TA. I have no trouble giving up 3 tenths at the drag strip to gain everything I did with the GTO.

It's just that good.

01SSDRVR

iTrader: (1)

Palm Beach eh, No wonder you act like a douche.

Darksol

So in a nutshell, different strokes for different folks. I personally don't like the looks of the car. But the inside is gorgeous. Guess I'm just bitter. Not that GM stopped Fbody production but that the GTO is the car that could have been....

DeepBlueZ

as 2edy said, this seem to be a ONE way street....

ohohsilverado

i knew i'd get flamed for my opinion and i never even said anything about the performance of the car other than i wish it were lighter weight. man, i know you gto guys are probably kind of defensive because people have probably given you crap since you bought your cars, but chill a little bit. all this flaming gets started cuz everyone is too tense about what someone says about their car.

Deepbluez---you just supported my statement, that the gto is not meant to be a stripped down race car-its targeted at a different buyer than i am. that doesnt mean that there arent a bunch of people out there like me that want a stripped down car. im just on my soap box about gm. anyways, im sure i'll catch some crap about this so..............FLAME ON!

Rob

iTrader: (6)

I just don't get it. The original GTO was as plain jane as you could get. It wasn't until the Judge came out(6 years after its debut!) that it got "flashy"

The new GTO has it all over the original in performance. Once you get over the nostalgia, you can see the car for what it really is.

bandit12

Last time I checked, all f-bodys 93-up were made in Canada.

07Sport

I dont really agree w/ the age difference argument. Im 22 years old and love the new GTOs as Ive already stated. And I also agree that people just didnt/dont know about the GTO. Heck, my buddies were dumbfounded when i told them id just bought a new GTO, but as soon and they rode in it, they were in love. (and these are some hardcore "GM rules all" guys)

I dont have any issues w/ fbodies personally, they are cars built for a purpose and serve that purpose very well, what bothers me is the contempt alot of fbody owners display towards their GM brethren (GTO owners), as was the subject of this thread, which has been proven in this thread.

bandit12

You must remember there were entry level model f-body's that were much cheaper than the GTO. Anytime you see a convertible camaro with hubcaps, it came from a rental fleet.

I do agree that there marketing efforts for the Goat and even the f-body were pathetic. Imagine if the gave it a 1/4 of the attention they give the vette's.

Firehawk0220

You are 100% correct. All F-Bodies from 1993-2002 were produced in Canada. All previous F-Bodies were produced in Norwood Ohio or Van Nuys California. Though the Norwood plant closed in 1987.

I also don't totally agree with the whole argument about the F-Bodies looks vs. the GTO's being totally an age thing. The GTO should appeal more to the current market trend which is a more Europeon design in the performance car segment rather than the Japanese and American designs we've seen the last 10 years. That's just my opinion.

With the Corvette I don't think anything has to do with age either. The thing is that most young people won't have the capabilities of buying such a vehicle from a financial standpoint. So it gets this rep for being sought after by the middle aged.

glennster

iTrader: (1)

I like the GTO as I stated even tho its overpriced and has no entry level at 24k.You GTO guys complain about no love and then almost all of you throw a dig in about F-bodies.Well,enjoy the short run cause I doubt the GM will market 2 v-8 rear drive coupes and we know the camaro will win that easy.
Oh yeah,glance over at ls1gto and see the thread by htrdlncn,lotta hate for the F-body and the people who drive them.
http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56503

Rob

iTrader: (6)

The current GTO was only planned for a 3 year run. The new one will have a much longer run. Although the current platform has been around for 6 years now. If it gets made in the US, numbers will be pretty big. If its still going to be made in Australia, then the numbers will more than likely stay around 15K or so a yearly. Simply because they can not build that many at the plant.

As far as marketing rwd coupes, that's where GM is headed. The Camaro and GTO will still be different markets. As well as the Monte Carlo/Grand Prix when it goes rwd.

I also don't get this over priced thing everyone says. The last F-Bodies were in the same range and you get a much better car 2-4 years later

glennster

iTrader: (1)

Gm learned a lesson and it didn't sell,I bet no redesign.Gm took away what used to make them great,CHOICE.GTO has 2 choices,color and trans.My Z stickered for 24K with everything except leather

05_GTO

Yep the M6's weigh less than 3700lbs, and the A4's weigh right around 3725lbs.

Rob

iTrader: (6)

Not quite. Mine weighed in at 3760 and its an M6. Right where its supposed to be.