GTO Dies after this year..
02-25-2006, 10:10 AM
#21
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The current GTO was always intended to fill the void for GMs muscle cars while the 2008 models were being designed. Trust me, assuming GM is still in business, the Earth doesn't run out of oil, and the price of oil isn't $237/barrel, the Camaro and GTO will be back out in 2008 or so. They'll get the LS2 to start. One year after the C7 comes out with the LS7, the Camaro and Goat will get it- maybe around 2012.The only reason that article says no replacement is planned is to encourage the sales of the current model. Don't worry, be happy. 
02-25-2006, 11:27 PM
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Well, I may be wrong. I read some more about this in the March Motor Trend. Looks like there's a good possibilty GM will build the Camaro on a platform based on the Zeta platform, but Pontiac may not have an equivalent car. So the GTO may be truly dead. Looks like Pontiac is going to be more of a niche division - with the Solstice, G6, and maybe a few others.
If that happens, these GTOs will be pretty rare vehicles.
If that happens, these GTOs will be pretty rare vehicles.
02-26-2006, 10:15 AM
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Originally Posted by Tall Guy
Actually the Firebird had an inline 4 cyl. as an option in the early 3rd gen's.
1982-1985 had the LQ8 2.5L I4, something like 88-92 hp and 132-134 ft.lbs IIRC
1982-1985 had the LQ8 2.5L I4, something like 88-92 hp and 132-134 ft.lbs IIRC
I think they sold 5?
02-28-2006, 10:59 PM
#24
At the risk of sounding "trollish", wasn't the GTO basically a marketing disaster? It looks like a Cavalier. Take away the engine & it's not much more. Only the name & a big engine could make a car that ugly sell in the States. To give that car the GTO name was a marketing error @ best. The original GTO is an Icon, not easily copied. It needed a much better plan than "the guys in Austrailia have a platform we can use". Just my opinion & am hoping that a future "better planned" body type will re-establish it's good name. Really not a surprise that it's ended; planned or not. The GTO name deserves better.
03-01-2006, 04:14 AM
#26
I think what hurt the Holden based car we call the GTO in this country, was the fact that it was called the GTO. I think had the car been called something else, I don't think it would have suffered the same fate that it did. There's also the fact that GM at this point in time ain't exactly the most well run business either. I also never saw many if any advertisements for that car.
Now days, with the economy being global like it is, a man doesn't exactly think Pontiac when he thinks quality product. They haven't really been anything in a good while. I'm not saying they couldn't come back, but they really need to make the marque special and unique again like it used to be.
Now days, with the economy being global like it is, a man doesn't exactly think Pontiac when he thinks quality product. They haven't really been anything in a good while. I'm not saying they couldn't come back, but they really need to make the marque special and unique again like it used to be.
03-01-2006, 09:17 AM
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From the Cleveland Plain Dealer...
New GTO coming around the bend,Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Joshua Dowling, Special to The Plain Dealer
Geneva, Switzerland- The Pontiac GTO isn't dead after all, says a top General Motors Corp. executive, who also hinted there might be a new ultra-fast Corvette coming. The current GTO will be phased out at the end of this year, but an all-new model is expected to return at the end of 2008 as a 2009 model, said Bob Lutz, who heads GM's global vehicle development.
In an interview at the international auto show in Geneva, Switzerland, Lutz also suggested an even more powerful version of the Corvette might be on the way. Industry insiders have talked about a "Blue Devil" Corvette that would be more powerful than the 505-horsepower Z06 that is currently the fastest Corvette. Lutz stopped short of confirming that, saying: "There will be something special for the Corvette soon." When "Blue Devil" was mentioned, he simply smiled.
The GTO, however, is definitely on the way. Last year, it appeared that GM had canceled any future GTOs as part of its efforts to reduce costs. And a Pontiac spokesman confirmed this year that the last GTOs would be sold this summer because the model wouldn't meet a new airbag standard taking effect in the fall. The spokesman said that the automaker would like to have another GTO but that there was nothing to announce.
But in the interview Tuesday, Lutz said the GTO plans were just off the shelf for a few months and he always wanted a new version. The new GTO might be built in North America, particularly if the Chevrolet Camaro concept gets the go-ahead for production, he said. Both the Pontiac GTO and Camaro could be based on GM's Zeta mechanical underpinnings, which are being developed by the company's Australian outpost, Holden, Lutz said.
With the current strength of the Australian dollar and the recent free-trade agreement between Australia and the United States, it would be more feasible to build the GTO in North America and export a version called the Holden Monaro to Australia, he said. The GTO, which is based on the Monaro, has been built in Australia and shipped to America.
Dowling is motoring editor of the Sydney Morning Herald.
Well WTF?????
New GTO coming around the bend,Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Joshua Dowling, Special to The Plain Dealer
Geneva, Switzerland- The Pontiac GTO isn't dead after all, says a top General Motors Corp. executive, who also hinted there might be a new ultra-fast Corvette coming. The current GTO will be phased out at the end of this year, but an all-new model is expected to return at the end of 2008 as a 2009 model, said Bob Lutz, who heads GM's global vehicle development.
In an interview at the international auto show in Geneva, Switzerland, Lutz also suggested an even more powerful version of the Corvette might be on the way. Industry insiders have talked about a "Blue Devil" Corvette that would be more powerful than the 505-horsepower Z06 that is currently the fastest Corvette. Lutz stopped short of confirming that, saying: "There will be something special for the Corvette soon." When "Blue Devil" was mentioned, he simply smiled.
The GTO, however, is definitely on the way. Last year, it appeared that GM had canceled any future GTOs as part of its efforts to reduce costs. And a Pontiac spokesman confirmed this year that the last GTOs would be sold this summer because the model wouldn't meet a new airbag standard taking effect in the fall. The spokesman said that the automaker would like to have another GTO but that there was nothing to announce.
But in the interview Tuesday, Lutz said the GTO plans were just off the shelf for a few months and he always wanted a new version. The new GTO might be built in North America, particularly if the Chevrolet Camaro concept gets the go-ahead for production, he said. Both the Pontiac GTO and Camaro could be based on GM's Zeta mechanical underpinnings, which are being developed by the company's Australian outpost, Holden, Lutz said.
With the current strength of the Australian dollar and the recent free-trade agreement between Australia and the United States, it would be more feasible to build the GTO in North America and export a version called the Holden Monaro to Australia, he said. The GTO, which is based on the Monaro, has been built in Australia and shipped to America.
Dowling is motoring editor of the Sydney Morning Herald.
Well WTF?????
03-01-2006, 01:31 PM
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Maybe our versions will e made again in St Thersea. 
Norm - I want a V8 too!
http://www.beretta.net/board/ib3/ik...;f=9;t=261;st=0
Norm - I want a V8 too!
http://www.beretta.net/board/ib3/ik...;f=9;t=261;st=0
Last edited by Norm '88 GT; 03-14-2006 at 11:16 PM.
03-01-2006, 06:09 PM
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The former f-body plant was leveled I thought? Having Canadians make cars is not stupid. I just hope they build a car with far fewer squeeks and rattles as my WS6. How long was the nameing agreement with Canada for on the Camaro and Firebird? Curiously though all the pionts I made on a lock thread about Why Eveyone Hates GTO's was in one of those links about the death of the GTO. But I was branded as a mullet wearing, F-body loving redneck, that has no appreciation for the GTO. I just though they should have called it something else. Why bring back the GTO name and kill Firebird, Grand Am, Sunfire/Sunbird. And make up G6 and Solstice, Torrent, Vibe and SV6? There is a lack of continuity. Pontiac talks about Formula One inspiration about the Grand Prix but where the Pontiac F1 team? The killed the 2-door G-P and let Chevy push the slightly warmed over Monte Carlo. G.M. needs to get its head out of its ***.
03-01-2006, 07:16 PM
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GM workers in Canada have lower cost per worker mostly due to their less expensive healthcare system compared the US. And Canada does have the best assembly plants in the corporation, if not the NA or the world winning many awards.
The 30,000-50,000 they'll sell of the '09 model(s) definitely exceeds the few thousand workers to build one, putting more money into more pockets.
My '05 GTO is tight as a drum. I've owned $40-55K cars and this one is right on par of those costing thousands more, if not better. The Mustang doesn't even compare in both quality and price.
Norm - I want a V8 too!
http://www.beretta.net/board/ib3/ik...;f=9;t=261;st=0
The 30,000-50,000 they'll sell of the '09 model(s) definitely exceeds the few thousand workers to build one, putting more money into more pockets.
My '05 GTO is tight as a drum. I've owned $40-55K cars and this one is right on par of those costing thousands more, if not better. The Mustang doesn't even compare in both quality and price.
Norm - I want a V8 too!
http://www.beretta.net/board/ib3/ik...;f=9;t=261;st=0
Last edited by Norm '88 GT; 03-14-2006 at 11:15 PM.
03-02-2006, 08:00 AM
#34
Originally Posted by bww3588
no its stupid. why pay Canadians to build our cars? that just puts US workers out of work and means less money to buy the cars they build. its just as bad as outsourcing.
It's not gonna happen.
At the end of World War II, our Government decided it was a great idea to give our technology & manufacturing away to our former enemies so they could rebuild their Countries, & a trend was started. Now, fleeting service type businesses, Sports, Entertainment, & infrastructure related work are the money makers in America. Mass manufacturing in America is gone for good. In it's place we have huge corporative Monopolies like Walmart who move in, shut down small business competitors & strain their vendors with questionable business tactics @ best.Sorry for the soap box episode, i've seen too much unethical BS accepted as "just business".
03-05-2006, 06:34 PM
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03-07-2006, 09:38 AM
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Oh Canada!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Camaro on verge of revival
CAW vote this week is next step toward GM's 2010 goal
March 7, 2006
* emailEmail this
* emailPrint this
BY MARK PHELAN
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
photo
zoom
The Camaro concept was the hit of the 2006 auto show in Detroit. GM wants the car to be part of the company's new rear-wheel-drive family. (Chevrolet)
Photo galleries:
*
More Photos Camaro
Concept specs
*
The Chevrolet Camaro expected to go into production by 2010 will undergo changes before it reaches the market. But here are the specifications of the concept Camaro shown in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit:
Type: Two-door, four-passenger, rear-wheel-drive sport coupe.
Engine: 400-horsepower, aluminum small block V8.
Transmission: Six-speed manual.
Suspension: Four-wheel independent.
Camaro generations
*
1967: After Chevrolet sees the popularity of the Ford Mustang, it builds the Camaro. Base price is $2,466, or $2,704 for the convertible. The Camaro is available with a V6 for volume sales but can be equipped with performance options that include a V8.
1970: Second-generation Camaro lasts through 1981.
1982: Third-generation car is first Camaro with factory fuel injection, hatchback body style and four-cylinder engine.
1993: Fourth generation is the fastest and most powerful Camaro ever built. Declining sales prompt cancellation after the 2002 model year.
Just weeks after it thrilled crowds at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Chevrolet Camaro will take a giant step closer to production if workers at General Motors' plants in Oshawa, Ontario, approve a new flexible manufacturing system this week.
GM hopes to have the Camaro and other members of its new rear-wheel-drive family of cars in production by 2010. The automaker wants to reignite enthusiasm in Chevrolet by cashing in on Camaro's heritage of affordable style and performance.
"The Camaro program is on a very good track," said a knowledgeable GM person, who requested anonymity because the company has not publicly announced it will build the car. "Things are looking good."
The stunning V8 Camaro concept was the undisputed hit of the auto show, drawing praise for its combination of futuristic design touches and retro cues that recall the legendary muscle car. It was a mainstay of Chevrolet's lineup from 1967 until it went out of production in 2002, a victim of slow sales.
GM is betting that plenty of life remains in the public's appetite for muscle cars, given the popularity of the new Ford Mustang and Dodge Charger.
Karl Scheffy, 52, a store owner from Macungie, Pa., who is cofounder and president of the American Camaro Association, recalled Monday that "as soon as I saw that thing roll down the line" at the auto show, "I said, 'Oh, my word.' "
GM will invest $710 million to build the Camaro and other members of a new family of high-performance rear-wheel-drive cars in Oshawa if the Canadian Auto Workers agree to the deal. The CAW local told its members that GM plants in the United States are also in the running to build the cars.
GM currently has two car assembly plants with about 5,600 workers in Oshawa. One plant is scheduled to close in 2008, and the second could close in 2009 without the new labor agreement.
"The plant will become a flexible manufacturing facility to build a number of models from the new rear-wheel-drive platform, including the Camaro," if the deal goes through, said a CAW person who requested anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing.
The flexible manufacturing system would allow the plant to build a wide variety of models, probably including two- and four-door models for Pontiac, Chevrolet and Buick.
The cars all come from GM's new global Zeta family of models. Engineers and designers are developing Zeta rear-wheel-drive sedans and coupes at the company's Australian tech center. The first of the cars, the Holden Commodore, goes on sale later this year in Australia.
Although the two-door Camaro would give Chevrolet a competitor for sport coupes like the Ford Mustang and Nissan 350Z, GM expects to sell larger numbers of several new sedans that reportedly will come from the Zeta family.
Those cars would give Buick, Pontiac and possibly Chevrolet prestige models that can compete on power and style with the Chrysler 300, which took the country by storm when it went on sale in 2004.
The program has not been officially approved by GM's board of directors, but that irreversible step isn't due until the company must begin paying suppliers for the equipment to build the new cars, probably sometime in 2007.
Neither the CAW nor GM will say anything about how many of the new cars Oshawa will be able to build, but the workers are voting on a proposal that includes provisions for a possible third shift in 2010. A third shift would be necessary only if demand for the cars were very strong.
Building the Camaro and other new cars would save more than 3,000 jobs in Oshawa, which was among the plants targeted for closure in GM's recent reorganization plan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Camaro on verge of revival
CAW vote this week is next step toward GM's 2010 goal
March 7, 2006
* emailEmail this
* emailPrint this
BY MARK PHELAN
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
photo
zoom
The Camaro concept was the hit of the 2006 auto show in Detroit. GM wants the car to be part of the company's new rear-wheel-drive family. (Chevrolet)
Photo galleries:
*
More Photos Camaro
Concept specs
*
The Chevrolet Camaro expected to go into production by 2010 will undergo changes before it reaches the market. But here are the specifications of the concept Camaro shown in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit:
Type: Two-door, four-passenger, rear-wheel-drive sport coupe.
Engine: 400-horsepower, aluminum small block V8.
Transmission: Six-speed manual.
Suspension: Four-wheel independent.
Camaro generations
*
1967: After Chevrolet sees the popularity of the Ford Mustang, it builds the Camaro. Base price is $2,466, or $2,704 for the convertible. The Camaro is available with a V6 for volume sales but can be equipped with performance options that include a V8.
1970: Second-generation Camaro lasts through 1981.
1982: Third-generation car is first Camaro with factory fuel injection, hatchback body style and four-cylinder engine.
1993: Fourth generation is the fastest and most powerful Camaro ever built. Declining sales prompt cancellation after the 2002 model year.
Just weeks after it thrilled crowds at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Chevrolet Camaro will take a giant step closer to production if workers at General Motors' plants in Oshawa, Ontario, approve a new flexible manufacturing system this week.
GM hopes to have the Camaro and other members of its new rear-wheel-drive family of cars in production by 2010. The automaker wants to reignite enthusiasm in Chevrolet by cashing in on Camaro's heritage of affordable style and performance.
"The Camaro program is on a very good track," said a knowledgeable GM person, who requested anonymity because the company has not publicly announced it will build the car. "Things are looking good."
The stunning V8 Camaro concept was the undisputed hit of the auto show, drawing praise for its combination of futuristic design touches and retro cues that recall the legendary muscle car. It was a mainstay of Chevrolet's lineup from 1967 until it went out of production in 2002, a victim of slow sales.
GM is betting that plenty of life remains in the public's appetite for muscle cars, given the popularity of the new Ford Mustang and Dodge Charger.
Karl Scheffy, 52, a store owner from Macungie, Pa., who is cofounder and president of the American Camaro Association, recalled Monday that "as soon as I saw that thing roll down the line" at the auto show, "I said, 'Oh, my word.' "
GM will invest $710 million to build the Camaro and other members of a new family of high-performance rear-wheel-drive cars in Oshawa if the Canadian Auto Workers agree to the deal. The CAW local told its members that GM plants in the United States are also in the running to build the cars.
GM currently has two car assembly plants with about 5,600 workers in Oshawa. One plant is scheduled to close in 2008, and the second could close in 2009 without the new labor agreement.
"The plant will become a flexible manufacturing facility to build a number of models from the new rear-wheel-drive platform, including the Camaro," if the deal goes through, said a CAW person who requested anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing.
The flexible manufacturing system would allow the plant to build a wide variety of models, probably including two- and four-door models for Pontiac, Chevrolet and Buick.
The cars all come from GM's new global Zeta family of models. Engineers and designers are developing Zeta rear-wheel-drive sedans and coupes at the company's Australian tech center. The first of the cars, the Holden Commodore, goes on sale later this year in Australia.
Although the two-door Camaro would give Chevrolet a competitor for sport coupes like the Ford Mustang and Nissan 350Z, GM expects to sell larger numbers of several new sedans that reportedly will come from the Zeta family.
Those cars would give Buick, Pontiac and possibly Chevrolet prestige models that can compete on power and style with the Chrysler 300, which took the country by storm when it went on sale in 2004.
The program has not been officially approved by GM's board of directors, but that irreversible step isn't due until the company must begin paying suppliers for the equipment to build the new cars, probably sometime in 2007.
Neither the CAW nor GM will say anything about how many of the new cars Oshawa will be able to build, but the workers are voting on a proposal that includes provisions for a possible third shift in 2010. A third shift would be necessary only if demand for the cars were very strong.
Building the Camaro and other new cars would save more than 3,000 jobs in Oshawa, which was among the plants targeted for closure in GM's recent reorganization plan.
03-07-2006, 11:20 PM
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I hope no retro. I'd hate to see what a modern day Tempest would look like. Think similar design and size, just chiseled with sharper edges. Or think C5 to C6 evolution, if you call it that. I think the Aussie like change....sorta like USA!