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Pontiac GTO
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Comments
http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=6128&n=156,- 173&sid=173
no www. in front of url.
Wait for it to load.
More at http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat- - - _code=specials&loc_code=index&content_code=04062563
Retro fans--the '05 GTO will get hood scoops!
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
ice
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
ice
Ever get into a discussion with car salesperson about tires? I did.
me: Hey, those wheels look a little small for a car of this stature.
he: Oh, I hadn't even noticed before. (bending over to squint at the "armour-all"ed donut) No, these are big enough - they're 15s. I've only got 14s on my Camry I think. You really don't need much more than that. Big tires are very expensive you know.
me: But so is this car.
he: But Toyota is interested in reducing your surprises down the road (tells me an "interesting" story about his uncle who paid $1000 for 4 tires!!!!)
me: (thinking "whatever") Fair enough but that aspect ratio reminds me of Rosie O'Donnell.
he: Huh?
me: Jackie Gleason?
he: Huh?
me: The tires look um... "well-rounded".
he: Well a car of this weight needs the grip.
me: On the sidewall?
he: That gives you cruising comfort.
me: Uh huh. Does it come with bigger wheels?
he: Let me see... (removes brochure from literature dispenser and flips to the back). Yes, you can order 16 inch wheels. With 205/60/16
me: Wow - that's some serious rubber.
he: (not getting the sarcasm) I think about 1/2 of the ones we sell come with the 16s but most of our customers don't care.
me: Interesting - then why do they order them?
he: Well, they come with some of the option packages.
me: Can you get them alone?
he: Probably - with a special order. But mostly they're bundled in with Nav, leather, or upgraded stereo packages.
me: Because?
he: I don't really know - you'd have to ask Toyota.
and so it went... (I also learned some fascinating "advantages" of engines which run on premium fuel only).
ice
I'm probably going to get some 275/40R18's for the rear (they should just fit) and some 245/45R18's for the front.
Considering I was expecting $35K+ for my GTO, the $2K for wheels and tires isn't that big of a deal.
Still requires premium??? Too bad. The northstar's were redesigned to run on regular a few years ago and still perform as good if not better than their predecessors.
Anyway, I'm still jazzed about the GTO. I don't know as much about tires, but I'll take your word for it. No doubt the tires will make a big difference in the performance numbers for this car. I can hear the magazine editors already lamenting the inability to get the torque from this specially tuned torque monster LS1 to the pavement.
I will be looking at these cars in a few years - hopefully a low mileage used one. At that point it's not so bad to upgrade the tires. Hopefully in a few years all the usual hype will subside.
My bad.
And looks like GTO will be at the $1,000 GM Card rebate level for 2004. And I see that the GM Card will offer a master card with the GTO on it. Not sure if they will be doing the same in Canada with the Visa program.
http://media.gm.com hit the 2004 info link
If GTOs ever get to Canada, I'll have a look but I'd be tempted to do a tire exchange with the dealer on day 1 if they insist on shoeing the GTO with RSAs.
Though I imagine the selection will have a lot to do with what's available in Australia. They will be limited by the needs of factory production.
The new GTO...
Great...
Wonderful...
Yea...
Import Fighter?
Bling Bling / Cha-Ching @ $33,000.00 ?!!!
Gimmie a break Mate.
I'll stick with my Formula...
Replace the [ and ] with < and > and put the web address (don't forget the quotation marks) where URL is in the following:
[img src="URL"]
Be careful about putting a copyrighted image here. IOW, if you don't own the image, you might want to reconsider posting it here - Edmunds might ...er... disagree and scribble your post. Click on "Member Agreement" in the left hand navigation column on this page and read under "Intellectual Property Rights Of Third Parties".
Better still, just provide us a clickable link to the image. You can do that (again with a little html) using the same rules as above:
[a href="URL"]file or site name[/a]
You can call the file/site anything you want.
For example, here are some links to some really sweet GTO pix. WARNING: These are GIANT high-res jpgs (definitely wallpaper material):
front shot
interior shot
And these images - and more - can be found at:
newagegto.com
Hope this helps
ice
Mark
Concur with Ruski's question. Is your G35 Coupe an automatic or manual?
Mark
Minuses:
- NO side airbags. (This wipes it out for me.)
- POOR 55/45 weight distribution!!!
- No mention of EBD or Brake Assist
- Manual tranny a Tremec
- Standard 6-disc in-dash CD. (Prefer single in-dash.)
- Poor instrumentation (only speedo, tach, coolant temp, & fuel gauge
- Small tires (P225/50-R17 W)
- Small trunk--9 cubic feet
- Low headroom--37.3 inches (and there is no mention of any available sunroof and none shown in any photo)
- Cloth seats not available
- Stereo controls down low and climate controls up high
- No mention of Xenon HID headlights (std or optional)
Pluses:
- 6-speed manual close ratio transmission
- Limited Slip Differential!!!
- Fully independent rear suspension!!!
- 350 hp (@ 5200 rpms) and 365 lb-ft (@4000 rpms)
- 3.46:1 final drive ratio
- W speed-rated tires
- Traction Control (for winter snowbelt driving) and standard ABS
- Dual exhaust with twin converters, resonators and mufflers
- Front & rear stabilizer bars
- Analog gauges
- Machine-drilled floor pedals
- Manual adjustable lumbar for driver and passenger
- NO brown interior
- Interesting interior colors
- Daytime running lights
- Steering wheel mounted stereo controls
- Front & rear adjustable headrests
Acceptable:
- Claims 0-60 mph in "the mid-fives"
- 18 gallon fuel tank (20+ would be better)
- Decent standard equipment including tilt-telescopic steering wheel, cruise control, AC, remote keyless entry, computer driver information center, and fog lights
- Tasteful standard alloy wheels
Unknown:
- No mention of top speed
- No discussion of brake size or whether rear brakes are vented
- No discussion of individual gear ratios
- No mention of whether it needs premium fuel
-I drove 40 years without side airbags. I'm more interested in a car that will keep me out of trouble, as IMO most GTO-intenders would be.
-Is there any V8 powered sedan that does much better than 55/45, which sounds no worse than say a Mustang?
-no EBD, Brake assist? Do you want to drive the car or have the car drive you?
-Poor instrumentation, indeed by my standards but no worse than many modern cars. Us old time sports car guys want to see oil-temp & press as well as voltage/amps.
-Small tires, indeed but those of us who remember skinny tires and how easy it was to get them to slide will tell ya a skinny-tired rwd is all the fun there is.
-18 gallons, that has to be a joke!
-Hopefully the front discs @ least are vented.
- I can't imagine they'll recommend regular, IIRC
Corvettes want premium.
-Don't know what your problem is with the Tremec.
it's supposed to be superior to the Borg Warner for a 'Stang.
-IRS will be a big selling point against Mustangs.
-Top speed? C,mon! (maybe you will need those side bags after all)
Above comments all in good fun, folks.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I think it's possible with the GTO being pretty limited at first, it's heavier than a Corvette and the new Corvette engine is just around the corner. So I think it's possible.
If you want a sunroof or side air bags - just wait a year of two I guess. I'm sure these will arrive. I admit they should be at least available. Oh well.
One thing I hope it has is a that those back seats fold down. It doesn't seem to be a biggie to add and it is a GREAT feature for any car with a back seat. I really hope they didn't leave this out.
I'm considering the GTO as a possible MY05 purchase. But would also compare that to a CPO '02/'03 540i6. I want powerful V8, 6-speed manual, IRS, and room for 4. 2- or 4-doors not an issue for me.
I don't see anything wrong with wanting high performance and outstanding safety features. Want to protect myself, wife, and my two pre-teen kids. My 540i6 has 8 airbags and great crash test results (e.g., it is a "Best Pick" from IIHS). The new GTO should at least have the now ubiquitious 4 front airbags.
The calendar year is 2003. The model year is 2004. This isn't 1964 or 1969. And the price is over $30,000. Hyundai Sonatas have standard side airbags. Toyota Camrys have Brake Assist. Tons of cars have EBD. ABS, EBD, and BA can all significantly improve braking performance and efficiency.
Wonder if the battery is in the trunk? That would help weight distribution.
Too bad GM/Holden couldn't get Getrag 6-speed transmission and Brembo brakes. (I can dream, can't I?)
Forgot to mention some more "Unknowns":
- Does it have a decent overdrive (say .75:1 or numerically lower) to boost top speed, relaxed high speed cruising, and economy)
- What is the highway fuel economy rating? Hope it is at least 27 mpg.
- Does the small trunk at least use the space-saving multi-link trunk hinges?
One more Minus:
- Seatbelts appear not to have pretensioners
- Likely standard GM 3/36 warranty
Some other "Pluses":
- No computer interface system (e.g., BMW's iDrive)
- Clean styling
- Appears to avoid lots of electronic gimmicks (e.g., rain sensing windshield wipers)
I agree with Andy about the fore-aft weight ratio - while it's obviously not ideal, I personally think 55/45 for a V8 is quite decent.
I also don't consider 225/50/17s to be small tires - perhaps a tad small for a V8 performance car weighing 3700 lbs. I'd like something wider in the back but, if you're going to drive it year-round, 225-17s are a good compromise.
Eagerly waiting...
ice
P225/50-R17 W are TOO NARROW! Many family sedans ride on tires this wide! Should be at least P235/45s. Heck, even the lowly and much lighter and less powerful FWD Hyundai Tiburon 6-speed manual uses P215/45R17.
But a hoped for plus: Tires NOT run flats!!!
First and second seem numerically too low. But should be able to 60 mph in 2nd for maximum 0-60 mph time. Too bad 5th isn't direct drive (1:1) and 1-4 made numerically higher. No need for 2 overdrive gears. But at least the 0.57 6th should allow a great top speed, relaxed highway cruising, and great highway fuel economy.
Ratio Data for 6-speed:
1st= 2.97 x 3.46 = 10.28 overall
2nd= 2.07 x 3.46 = 7.16
3rd= 1.43 x 3.46 = 4.95
4th= 1.00 x 3.46 = 3.46
5th= 0.84 x 3.46 = 2.91
6th= 0.57 x 3.46 = 1.97
Pulled out some old material on my much-missed '97 Camaro--3800 V6, 5-speed manual with Performance Pkg (LSD, 4-wheel disc brakes, and bigger tires). She rode on P235s. The V8s rode on P245s.
I can't believe Pontiac thinks P225s are wide enough. For a widetrack Pontiac???
I will say, however, that I wouldn't want too large a contact patch when driving in deep puddles, slush or (heaven forbid) snow.
On the dry, 245-18s (or larger) would be sweet but that's not all we drive on now is it?
ice
1. They are NOT run flats.
2. They are NOT all season.
3. They are truly high performance (e.g., Michelin Pilot Sports).
Bit surprised the brakes are only 11.7 front and 11.3 rear. Seem a bit small, given the weight and engine output.
Not sure what the new GTO really compares to. Think it is much more sophisticated than the old Camaro/Firebird (which didn't have IRS). Maybe a "poor man's" M3? A "blue-collar man's" G35 coupe 6-speed? I'm thinking it is more a successor in spirit to the '94-'96 Chevrolet Impala SS.
Pulled out some material I saved from my former beloved '96 Impala SS. She weighed 4036 pounds. She rode P255/50ZR17 tires (BF Goodrich Comp T/A). Top speed of 142 mph (drag limited). 3.08:1 final drive w/LSD (3.06 first gear and 0.70 4th gear). Brakes were 12.0 x 1.0 vented disc front and back. And she "only" had 260 hp (@ 5000 rpms) and 330 lb-ft (@ 3200 rpms).