It’s 1964, John DeLorean — the same DeLorean that later createdthe concept car company that manufactured the vehicle featured inthe “Back to the Future” series – was working for Pontiac anddecided to put a Bonneville V-8 in a compact Tempest body. The GTOwas born.
To the dismay of many, Pontiac discontinued the legend 10 yearslater because of “changing times and aggressive pollutionrequirements.”
It’s 2004 and the Goat is back!
Pontiac came out with a brand-new version of the Pontiac GranTurismo Omologato — Italian for “goat” — this year with whatMotor Trend magazine said will “disappoint those expecting the VinDiesel treatment, yet the muscle is there for those who appreciatesubtlety.”
Compared to when the GTO won Motor Trend’s Car of Year award in1968, this new, real-wheel-drive six-speed has a smaller engine,less horsepower, less torque at fewer rotations per minute (rpm),and it is heavier. However, the junior model beats the old man inthe quarter mile by over a second — 13.62 at a speed of 104.78 mphcompared to a former 14.80 at a speed of 96.00– and it went 0-60mph in 5.3 seconds compared to papa’s 6.5.
With either the manual Tremec six-speed or the standardautomatic transmission, the top speed electronically allowed is 155mph.
“There’s no doubt that outstanding power and launch feel was thepriority for this vehicle right from the start,” said DaveHimmelberg, GTO program engineering manager in a press release.”The original GTO was the standard bearer of its class in terms ofpower — and that’s exactly the standard we set for ourselves whendeveloping the modern version.”
The same engine that powers most Corvettes lies behind the GTO’ssignature grill — the all-aluminum 5.7 liter-Gen III LS1 V-8 thathas 350 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 365 pound per feet of torque at4,000 rpm.
For anyone that is not fluent in automobile jargon, “rpm” standsfor revolutions per minute and measure how fast the motorturns.
Torque is how much force the engine can turn immediately, whilehorsepower is how much power an engine can exert over a longerperiod of time. One unit of hp equals 33,000 foot-pounds per minute- or, how much Mr. Ed could pull by himself.
Perhaps GTO chief engineer Bob Reuter summed up the GTO’s powerwhen he told Automobile Magazine, “It’s faster than snot.”
This new “snot” rocket with a manual transmission is registeredto get 17 miles per gallon in the city, 29 mpg on the highway. Theautomatic transmission is said to achieve 16 miles per gallon (mpg)in the city; 21 on the highway.
The dual exhaust has twin converters, resonators, and mufflerswith symmetrical chrome outlets to give what Pontiac called “oneawesome seismic exhaust note.”
With all this power giving out enough boost to cause a .80 gforce – not quite the Batman ride at Six Flags, but significant fora car – on standard 17”
inch wheels, one might wonder how smooth the ride could be.
However, Motor Trend magazine reported that their test driverscommented about how few rivaling coupes give as much poise, balanceand confidence as the GTO.
“The GTO will lose locker-room debates based on spec-chartbravado, but it shines where it counts: in the driver’s,” saidMotor Trend magazine.
As for the interior, the passengers can find great ease in thefour, all-leather bucket seats with sports-styled bolsters andembroidered GTO logos – each car having a color-coordinatedinterior and satin nickel appointments.
The leg room can easily seat anyone of six feet tall and Pontiac– as well as owners — boast about the considerable shoulderroom.
One of the common, but few complaints of users is the acrobaticmoves needed to move in and out of the back seat.
Pontiac also installed a European Blaupunkt audio system, whichcontains 10 200-watt speakers and an in-dash, six-CD changer.
But what some would call the recurring American dream is noteven American, but Australian.
The new body design was first formulated as an after-hoursproject for a few Aussies in a General Motors subsidiary calledHolden. They were working on a styling concept for the HoldenMonaro in the 1998 Sydney motor show.
The Monaro, though similar to the GTO ever since its premier,still has its differences — about 450 according to AutomobileMagazine.
For example, the gas tank was relocated from behind the rearbumper to the back of the trunk, which had potential to become themodern-day, self-destructing Pinto.
In the Baton Rouge area, Capitol Buick Pontiac GMC on AirlineHighway reported that only one GTO has been purchased, and GerryLane Buick-Pontiac-GMC-Hummer, LLC on Florida Boulevard said thattwo have been bought in the roughly two months that they have beenon sale.
“I wanted a Camaro, but they quit making them. I wanted anotherGM car, and these happened to be on the market again,” said JohnEwing, one of the new owners from Gerry Lane. “I was just lookingfor a V8. After three rough-riding Camaros, it’s the best ride. I’mglad I got it.”
According to Capitol Buick Pontiac GMC Salesman Bert St.Germain,people have really complimented the power, handling, and smoothride. He said the only complaint is that it does not look like themuscle car it once was.
“I think it’s part of the old-fashioned trend,” said St.Germainon whether or not this is Pontiac’s response to
Ford going back to the roots with the Mustang and Thunderbirdand Chrysler’s PT Cruiser. “Also, it’s one of the first newer carswith real wheel drive — the way it’s going to turn back,”predicted St.Germain.
To drive one of these, the curious need to be interested inpurchasing the $33,000 – $36,000 automobile.
When asked if it would be possible to rent a GTO for a day ofspeed and style, St.Germain chuckled and said rental companieswould probably not support the liability attached to so muchpower.
But St. Germain said he has driven the car and it handles great.A luxury, no doubt, of being a car salesman.
“The GTO doesn’t seem quite American, in that it doesn’t havethe ponderous, disjointed feeling you sometimes get in Americancars,” reported Automobile Magazine. “But neither does it have thehummingbird personality of a Japanese sport coupe.”
It seems that once again Pontiac has turned heads with itsstandard of American muscle — the Pontiac GTO.