What Is It?
2004 Pontiac GTO
What's Special About It?
It's not exactly the "goat" most people remember from the mid-'60s but this all-new GTO does have some pretty serious muscle under the hood to justify its legendary name. A reworked version of the GM's 5.7-liter LS1 V8 churns out 340 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque — more than enough juice to lay down some meaty black stripes. It's backed by the same T-56 six-speed transmission found in the Z06 Corvette along with the 'Vette's 3.46 rear-end gears. Pontiac is claiming a 0-to-60 time of less than six seconds and quarter-mile runs in 14 seconds flat.
Unlike the Firebird that could be had fully stripped of all unnecessary hardware, the GTO will come fully loaded with a premium audio system and color-coordinated leather trim, along with the usual stuff like cruise control and a driver information center. Pontiac is pushing the car as more than just a big engine knuckle dragger, it's intending to draw customers away from European coupes as well as bringing in traditional muscle car fans. We'll see. Production is scheduled to begin in September with roughly 18,000 slated to roll off the assembly line in the first year.
Why Should You Care?
If the demise of the Firebird was a major setback in your life then this new coupe should help fill the void. It may not have the unmistakable style of the original but with the help of a stout LS-1 V8 and nimble handling it should uphold the GTO name without getting laughed off the drag strip. — Ed Hellwig
2004 Pontiac GTO
What's Special About It?
It's not exactly the "goat" most people remember from the mid-'60s but this all-new GTO does have some pretty serious muscle under the hood to justify its legendary name. A reworked version of the GM's 5.7-liter LS1 V8 churns out 340 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque — more than enough juice to lay down some meaty black stripes. It's backed by the same T-56 six-speed transmission found in the Z06 Corvette along with the 'Vette's 3.46 rear-end gears. Pontiac is claiming a 0-to-60 time of less than six seconds and quarter-mile runs in 14 seconds flat.
Unlike the Firebird that could be had fully stripped of all unnecessary hardware, the GTO will come fully loaded with a premium audio system and color-coordinated leather trim, along with the usual stuff like cruise control and a driver information center. Pontiac is pushing the car as more than just a big engine knuckle dragger, it's intending to draw customers away from European coupes as well as bringing in traditional muscle car fans. We'll see. Production is scheduled to begin in September with roughly 18,000 slated to roll off the assembly line in the first year.
Why Should You Care?
If the demise of the Firebird was a major setback in your life then this new coupe should help fill the void. It may not have the unmistakable style of the original but with the help of a stout LS-1 V8 and nimble handling it should uphold the GTO name without getting laughed off the drag strip. — Ed Hellwig
Add A Comment »