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Pontiac GTO
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Take your choice, spend more for luxuries or go faster w/o them for less.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
http://media.gm.com/division/2004_prodinfo/pontiac/pdf/04_Pontiac- - - _GTO.pdf
See the top of page 3, "Safety and quality".
When you look at the past 5 years and at all of GM's marques, GM has NOT been at the forefront of passive safety equipment, esp. side airbags and pretensioners.
Good luck.
URL ("unique resource locator") was somebody's idea of a joke - early Internet parlance that stuck around. Obviously not with everyone.
Essentially, it's the web address - like "http://www.edmunds.com". You have to put the web address where your image file is located in the expression [img src="http://www....."] (remember to replace the "[]" with "<>" - if I used "<" and">" in the above example, you wouldn't be able to read the example because the browser would present it as a link, not code.
If it still doesn't work for you, find a site with html tips - something like: ibdguy.com
Good Luck
http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=6246&sid=17- 3&n=156
"Will The Goat Get a New Skin?
Is a new, more macho version of the Pontiac GTO already under development, even before the reborn version of the legendary “goat” reaches showrooms? Inside sources tell TheCarConnection a revised GTO, more angular than the jellybean car due out for ’04, could hit the road with tires spinning in time for the 2006 model-year. “We do understand” the criticism leveled at the Australian import’s styling, Pontiac General Manager Lynn Meyers concedes. Aftermarket hood scoops and other accessories could be quick, bolt-on improvements, she suggests. While Meyers won’t directly address the issue of an all-new design, she broadly hints, “It always was in our thinking that we would do other things relative to appearance. It always was in our thinking, from Day One.”"
also: http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=6239
Getting a kick out of the purists who are griping about a car they haven't even driven or listened to yet. Would have liked to see tail lights reminiscent of the late 60's Firebirds.
For those of you who have placed an order are you able to tell us the price? Thanks.
Put me down for "Holdenesque GM-Euro".
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I drive a 2004 silver 6M with 5700 miles on it, and I got rear-ended around 11 PM last night by a DUI driver. There was nothing I could do. I was waiting for the light to turn green, with a 2005 BMW M3 in front of me, when I heard the tires screeching a second before impact, I'd say at around 40 mph maybe less. I judge the impact by the bumper falling off. Simply said, the GTO took a hit front and back. I know I should be thankful I wasn't hurt but I am so depressed.
Random thoughts -
Reading stuff about all parts being from australia and taking a long time, and the chassis not compatible with anything GM makes here, does anyone have any thoughts about the local bodyshop repair capabilities? You know, like straightening out the frame? Are there any good questions to ask the bodyshop guys before I hand the car over? Will the GTO make it out of this mess?
I thank the engineers who moved the gas tank away from the fenders. I also think the car absorbed the impact very well. The spare tire convexed upward, forming a hump on the trunk flooring. The rear glass did not shatter or break. However, I am curious why the airbag did not deploy. I wonder how strong the impact have to be before the airbag goes off??
Drinking and driving - what a senseless thing to do.
Don't know about you, but I have a wife and two kids. I want them to survive a crash and I, too, want to survive. Side impact crashes are some of the most dangerous. Just ask someone who has been t-boned or t-boned someone else. T-boning often happens when some drunk runs a red light. Or someone not paying any attention doesn't see the light change. Truly dangerous and hard to stop occurrence.
Comparable cars like G35 Coupe or BMW 3 Series Coupe come standard with side airbags. Not to mention Cadillac CTS, Lincoln LS, Lexus GS400, etc. Why can't GTO?
How many 4-seat cars (sedans or coupes) with MSRPs over $30,000 are not available with side airbags? GTO is one. Any others besides the Mustangs I mentioned above? Are all those marques and models, and their buyers, just worrying 'bout nothin'? If you get hit on side, would you rather have the side airbags or not?
Safety cannot and should not be sacrificed for performance. One can have both. My '98 540i6 is a perfect example.
GM dropping ball on GTO. Does it even come with front seat seatbelt pretensioners?
My current ride (an '00 Bonneville) has side airbags - but in the front only. That won't help my kids much in the event we get T-boned or simply just roll down an embankment.
I chose the Bonnie partly because of its phenomenal safety rating but it wasn't the only factor. As was (sort of) said earlier, a heavy vehicle without side airbags is safer than a compact with them. That being said, the Holden Commodore without side airbags did okay on the side impact tests in Australia. I don't know if the Monaro has been tested and if it's results will be similar.
By the way, if you get T-boned, why is the sobriety of the driver an issue?
;-P
Notwithstanding any of that, I do take my safety seriously and still wouldn't dream of passing on the GTO because it didn't have side airbags. Although I will agree with you that it should have them - simply because of its price range and that it's a new model. Still looking good to me though.
Funny that, huh?
No one in my family got t-boned until my grandmother, who shouldn't have been driving anyway, pulled out into traffic. However, both my grandparents were completely uninjured and that was long before even front airbags were standard.
I don't know a single person who was in an accident that would have not been injured (or just not as severely) had they had side airbags. And I know people all over the country.
How often are there accidents where the side air bag will make a difference? How much of a percentage of total accidents do they make up? How likely is an individual to get into one of these accidents? Could it still happen to me? Yes. Is it possible for me to win the lottery or get struck by lightning as well? Yes. Is any event likely enough for me to worry about? No.
I'm not going to go through life worrying about all the little things that might happen. Life is too short to spend it worrying. I don't want to miss out on all the great fun things that life has to offer.
If you want to worry about accidents, then maybe you should consider abandoning all cars and just walk or take the bus.
davbo... You wrote, "Who would have thunk that the GTO forum would have degenerated into an Air Bag forum...Air bag threads are few and far between". Absolutely correct!!! Only reason airbags came up is Pontiac chose not to put them into a MY04 $35,000 high performance coupe. Their absence is conspicuous and I won't be the only person to note this oversight. I can't wait to see the crash test results, esp. side impact. Shame on Pontiac.
I'm a bit bummed. Saved about $3,000 in GM credit card rebate and the GTO is the only GM product that interests me (other than Corvette, but I need 4 seats).
Even an older 540i has to be light years ahead of the new Goat in everything except pure acceleration, particularly safety, handling and braking.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Nothing against the Goat but a muscle car, even a neo-muscle car is not going to be as well rounded as a good Euro performance car. At least I wouldn't expect it to be. Maybe I'm prejudiced by what the GTO was.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I was just one breath away from buying a WRX and the only similarities between that and my Volvo are their 1/4 mile times and the fact that they both have 4 doors and turbos. They are nothing alike in any other way.
What sparked my interest in the GTO is the good ole' reliable 5.7 along with a stick, 4 doors, and a potentially stellar all-around performer ... for a decent price. Euros may be great in many categories, but cheap they are not. Now that I've heard this price of $35K for the GTO, yes, my money will go elsewhere. For just a bit more I can get the S60R and give myself AWD along with Volvo comfort and safety (not that I always think about safety, but just throwing that in to relate to recent conversation).
If GM could have come to market with a price of $26-$27K, then at least the argument against these Euro machines could be "hey, its $27K!!" But it doesn't even have that going for it.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
And side airbags of course.
;-P
I don't know if my next car will be a GTO or a CTS-V. I like what I'm hearing about both of them.
Then again, it could be something completely different - as I'm still about 2 years away from my next new car.
I also have a soft spot for GM iron. Loved my '96 Impala SS. Had it for 6 years. Miss old Darth Vader. Traded in for the 540i6. I also had a bright red '97 Camaro I used for work purposes. 3800 V6 5-speed manual with the Performance Pkg (LSD, bigger tires, etc.). Kids and I miss the old Red Baron. But both lacked IRS.
Too bad the CTS styling is so futuristic. Too hip, too current for my taste. Don't think it will wear well over time. I like the GTO's more restrained and curvy styling.
And with $3K in GM credit card rebates, a 6-speed GTO Gen III 5.7L V8 with LSD and IRS is most appealing. Heck, a 540i6 doesn't even have an LSD (only the M5 has an LSD).
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Mark
G35 Coupe owner who wants more torque and a bike rack, is this it ???
whatever. the points still stand.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
It's a good point though. When does a coupe become a 2+2? And at what point would you simply be better off buying a 2 seater? The Mustang's rear seat is pathetic to be sure and the GTO's promises to be much better.
But cars like this conjure up visceral responses - they don't win over adherents through safety equipment and leg room (as you have correctly stated). Nevertheless, most of us still have to rationalize a $30k + purchase - if only to help convince the missus. And the practicality of real rear seats does help.
ice
V8, 6-speed, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, its the only one. Great. So does that mean I should pay that kind of money for it? So they discontinued the reasonably priced Z28 and are, in effect, replacing it with this and we should be happy to pay a premium for it? Sure, sure, you'll tell me about the increased rear leg room and seat travel or some such thing. I still say its not worth all this extra money. Sorry. hey, go buy one, have fun, beat the pants off many many cars on the road. That's great. I'm just not willing to fork over that kind of money for the privelege of driving a 2-door GM V8 (unless it can haul really big things).
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Brochure also says front headroom is only 37.3 inches, rear also at 37.3 inches. That might cause problems for tall drivers.
Wonder if the quest for rear seat space compromised trunk room?
Those really in the need of family transportation
with a performance edge would be better advised to look at offerings from Volvo, BMW, Audi and the like.
Back in the day Goats were sold mostly to single guys or married ones with a station or six-passenger sedan already in the driveway.
You can't teach a new Goat old tricks (?)
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
You obviously don't know me, you obviously don't know what a troll is, and you obviously haven't read all of my comments to see the good things I'm saying as well as the bad.
so only a buyer of this car is allowed to comment? Now THAT is boring. Must be lovely going through life only speaking to people who agree with you.
I came here because I WAS interested in the GTO. Have always been a GM musclecar fan. I do like this car, no doubt. Just not over $30K worth of liking. But I'm going to stick around and continue to read about it because it still interests me from a fan standpoint. Just not as a consumer. If that bores you, too bad.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I've complained about nothing but the price, so I don't know what you are reading or why my comments have enraged you more than anybody else's. Heck, I've only made 2 posts in regard to this! You must be confusing me with someone else or lumping several people together.
only buyers or potential buyers add value? That's great. Better stop reading all those car mags cause 99.99% of the time those writers never buy the cars they test or write about.
So, come on, fans. Get on with it. Where is all the decent chatter? The last good post concerned comparisons. Anybody else put deposits down? What else did you consider before doing so?
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
We're all just having fun discussing a future car. Who knows what the future holds? Though I think we are all hoping the GTO turns out to be a very good car that GM works to improve over time. I don't want to see a Fiero debacle where the first years' cars are junk and it isn't until the final year GM gets it right, just before axing the car. Nor do I want to see a repeat of the Allante or Regatta debacles. Or the sad demise of the Riviera and Tornado. (Heck, can't say I know how to spell these two former Buick products. At least Pontiac keeps the name simple!)