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Comments
WHAT ABOUT THIS AUDI S4/ RS4..... DOES ANYBODY know about these cars???
Your next free mod is to turn up the subwoofer amp. From memory (haven't seen my GTO since January (in storage)), it's located on the left side of the trunk (standing behind the car), behind some of the side insulation. The amp is mounted vertically, with the dial for adjusting the amp volume in between the amp and the fender wall. After popping out the plastic grommet holding the liner in, I was able to reach my big hand in there and turn it almost all of the way up - made a major improvement.
Your next best bet is to replace the junky speakers in the door and behind the front seats - they are really, really cheap. Then you can start looking at replacing the speakers on the back shelf if you're still not happy...
My A4 car now also has been "Predator Tuned." Makes a HUGE difference in auto cars. Removes torque management and firms up shifts, plus optimizes the advance curves and cleans up the fuel trims. I got mine from James at Runnin with the Devil and so got custom tuning included... really puts a smile on your face. Lined up next to a shiney black GTP Grand Prix the other day at a stop light and gave it about 3/4-throttle away from the light. No feeling like the satisfaction of laying down ten feet of rubber hitting second gear!
There's an update to the Predator's firmware which provides a better stock performance tune... think I'm going to do that. Once that's back (and my new GTO's broken in :-) I'll load it and see. I hear pretty good things about RWTD's custom tuning, so I may end up going that route as well, if I think the updated performance tune is still shifting too firm...
--Robert
There was nothing wrong with that car. But there was nothing special about it either. It was just another car. But it was a total flop. What do you suppose a cherry one would go for today? There is one guy who has over 150 of them but I think most are junkers. I'm sure the original owners took a bath with the Edsel. But with 40K GTO's there is no problem. If you got a GTO, right on! If you don't, too bad...
Here are a couple of no spoiler pictures: nope -- didn't work. How do you import pictures here?
I really like the new back end. The split sided dual exhaust really looks great. Hood scoops don't really get a reaction either way.
My salesperson said I should come in and drive one. I think I just might have to do that. Kind of curious if I could feel the extra 50hp.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
first ride today...got it from BRUNO in new york last nite...has no more had 2...really one ,mine came from another dealer....will not get anymore they said.....real great promotion that is it....they don't want to bother.....wow
GUYS......any of you experiencing an NEW CAR PROBLEMS?
I AM IN NYC....forgot to take the traction control off ...when i did....[non-permissible content removed] is a whole new sensation..........as of now I love my brand new "409" mean "389 cubes"
Thanks!
The modern GTO may not survive production but a few years, however, I can guarantee to you, Sylvia, that the memory of the dishonesty of MT, other mags, and your company in their reporting/editorial bias against this great car will outlast the GTO. But not to worry, posters: other, more honest companies will replace the current ones, and that's where we will go to seek honest appraisal of stuff. What a country!
Like it or not - you are giving input each and every time you post in this discussion.
--Robert
a) code reader
b) real-time information on various engine conditions
c) can back up the stock computer settings, and upload a more aggressive "performance" tune.
If you have a laptop computer and know what you are doing, you can use programs like HPTuners and EFILive to adjust settings as well. I do, but don't know what I'm doing, so I'm sticking with the Predator for now.
As to K&N, if properly installed the FilterCharger (cone plus plastic molding to help seal off the filter from the engine compartment) has dynod 19 rwhp improvement (I've seen the slips). The butt dyno noticed a difference, too (not my car). I plan on putting one of these in once I break the car in (taking her out of storage tomorrow - only 42 miles on my replacement '04, woo-hoo).
--Robert
Of course Edmunds doesn't take money for reviews. That would be bribery and someone could go to jail. But you do take money for advertising and then turn around and review the car that's being advertised. There's a very fine line there Sylvia, a very fine line.
Yet they preferred the Mustang to the GTO. Makes you go hmmmmmm.........
You guys need to face facts: there is a LOT more to getting positive reviews than just the ability to put black tire marks on asphalt. GM has been able to do that, in spades, better than Ford for quite a while, yet tire burning performance is BUT A PART of the overall equation. Maybe the reason why Edmunds hasn't tested an '05 yet is because they don't feel that it is sufficiently different from the '04? Maybe? Just perhaps? Yes, it has 50 more hp. But if the performance of the '04 was already good (and it was), yet the car sold poorly, then what good does adding even more performance do? Obviously, lack of performance was NOT why the car was a slow seller.
Five things have killed this car:
1) Non-distinctive exterior styling
2) Dealer mark-ups
3) Dealers refusing to allow test drives
4) Inept product distribution and marketing
5) Rising gas prices
1, 2, and 3 have played the biggest role in my opinion.
I think edmunds should bite the bullet like Motor Trend did: forget all the praise you had about the '04 (which I wager you will do) and come up with creative criterion like "the must have factor" and so on. Talk about the dinky trunk and how difficult it is to get into the back seat and how bland it is and the crappy radio and how there's no "must have" impetus to it. Don't mention the scopes, the big split pipes, the fit and finish and -- oh, I almost forgot -- the roaring 400HP is has.
BTW, my '05 was MSRP minus $1000; $22,000 trade-in on the '04 with 12,000 virtually trouble-free miles (compared to my Audi A6 2.7T)
The lesson I learned here is that I'll never buy another car sight unseen based on "expert" car reviews.
I lied: if GM offers a 500HP GTO for nearly the same price, with the same "bland" styling and good quality, I'd do it again.
Whatever moves reviewers to publish their car opinions, there clearly has been an anti-'05 GTO bias. Hey, this is how the market moves: good car reviews sells cars. That's why there are a gazillion mags and web sites publishing car reviews. Adverising works: It is naive to believe otherwise. But if I were in the car reviewing business I'd rather work for an outfit like those which are currently identifying the '05 GTO bias of MT, CD, etc. I suspect that what they loose in advertising they will gain in increased readership. Like the man said, "The truth will out."
To edmunds' credit, you are not censoring such criticisms of edmunds. If you did I wouldn't be here.
800 miles on the '05 goat. I have shown such breakin restraint momma would have been proud of me. Favorite pastime: finding a 15% down slope road, role down windows, listen to rapping of LS2 in 2nd or 3rd (wife says, "It's too cold for this!").
I refered him to the original Edmunds' test drive and review and I will quote it here. "especially nice is that the variable-ratio steering makes the high speed stuff fun as well as precise." and " the suspension has been tuned to deliver exellent high speed adhesion with almost no roll or pitch."
I don't know how to reconcile these two differing views.
'04 was $33.1M, 6M ; '05 was 32.9, 6M, plus I got the spoiler removed for 600, for which I paid half. BTW my body shop guy plugged the spoiler holes and refinished the whole cover -- it looks really nice. He said he could do it without refinishing the whole cover but I'd see a slight mound, about the size of a hand, where the holes were filled.
In the year I had the '04 I saw two other '04's on the road -- have yet to see another '05 (since I got mine Feb 14). Was in last year's Memorial Day Parade in our town and the goat was a big hit -- kids and adults, yelling "rev it, rev it!" which I would do -- "Oh Yaaaaaaa!" It was as fun for the folks as it was for me. Going to parade the '05 this year. I know it'll be an even bigger hit -- even at idle it's got this very audible low rumble/growl.
We've got to give edmunds credit for publishing all of this embarassing stuff about them. I don't think I'd work for them -- be like working for Dan Rather, a biased bum. It'll be interesting to read their response to your latest post (today)
You know, that just sucks b/c we all know if it was a toyota or honda edmunds would retest it in a heartbeat. But they won't run the car long enough for the tranny to blow out.
I always thought Edmunds had unbiased and fair reporting. I really did, but this GTO situation, unless they resolve it, would mean that this website becomes good for car discussions, not reporting. Then again, what is? All of the mainstream are biased in one way or another. The best test is to go out there and test drive it yourself. Its more fun too.
I will hand Edmunds this, they have, unequivocally the best online auto forums i have ever found. They regulate it well, it works reasonably fast, and best of all, I haven't been banned yet.
The worst thing about the GTO, though, in full sincerity, besides the radio is that it is not made in the USA, with such a legendary name it should be. Then again, I'd rather buy US made in Australia than (GTO) than German posing as US (300); and after an ugly and arguably illegal merger.
You guys know if this was the other way around the auto press would not let go of it, but that’s a different story.
Hey, do you guys notice something else; it seems that quietly the 2005 GTO is selling for or at least very close to MSRP! At least on these boards I don’t see ppl paying 25K for one. In this day and age, it’s something worth getting exited about.
YTD = 3261
Not a bad month, but I have to wonder how many sales were '04s at $6K off msrp.
GM first qtr. overall sales numbers: trucks -1.5%, cars -9%
Bob Lutz has now been shifted to a "global" role and eased out of GMNA. I guess all those Buick/Pontiac/GMC dealers didn't react well to his suggestion that maybe another division might have to go.
So they sold 248 more "new" cars compared with March of last year.
Also, does anyone think that the sport appearance package would be worth the $3K? I'm looking into getting a Black 05 in the next few months.
Thanks a lot.