The origin of the GTO, the vehicle that became an icon for the muscle care set, is really a story of one man's battle against the corporate establishment. That man, John Z. DeLorean, was, at the time, chief engineer of Pontiac. What he wanted was to build a normally mild-mannered mid-sized sedan powered by a big V-8.
The GTO concept developed in early 1963 when DeLorean, along with members of his engineering staff, were experimenting with the Tempest, an economy Pontiac introduced the previous year. The cars four-cylinder engine was inherently rough-running and vibration prone. As a cure for the car's power deficiency, it was suggested that, since the Tempest's four cylinder shared the same engine mounts as the V8 it would be easy to install the big motor into the little car.
A prototype was cobbled together using a Tempest Lemans coupe as a test bed. It contained a 389- cube V8 borrowed from Pontiac's full size Bonneville, as well as a four-barrel carburetor and heavy duty four-speed manual transmission. The resulting transplant not only made the car quick, but was also a blast to drive.
It was also DeLorean who named the car. The term GTO stood for Gran Turismo Omologato, or, in plain English, Grand Touring Homologated. The word "homologation" was used to describe a race car constructed from a variety... [Read More]
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Driver charged with racing adjusts to life without a GTO
November 25, By By Sonja Elmquist, Staff Writer
Jarrod Bivins was charged with prearranged speed competition and two counts of reckless driving.
GREENSBORO - In a very real sense, Jarrod Bivins is grounded.
His Pontiac GTO is sitting in a Forsyth County Sheriff's Office impound lot with other cars seized in a street racing investigation that led to arrests Saturday night.
Highway Patrol officials continued to work Monday to arrest the remainder of the 32 people charged with racing-related crimes that troopers couldn't get Saturday.
Bivins, 19, who was arrested Saturday, was charged with prearranged speed competition and two counts of reckless driving. He said a few of his friends - other "car guys" - had also been charged with racing-related crimes.
"Mainly, we're just trying to figure out how we're going to get through this without losing our cars and drivers' licenses and going to jail and stuff," Bivins said.
Bivins declined to discuss the charges against him. But he said he had always been interested in cars and... [Read More]
Discount Tire/falken tire announces Daijiro Yoshihara
AS ITS NEW Formula drift 2009 team driver
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – (November 07, 2008) – Discount Tire/America's Tire, a long standing North American Drift supporter, is proud to announce its new 2009 team driver. Beginning at Round 1 of Formula Drift in Long Beach California, the unmistakable Discount Tire/Falken Tire Lexus IS350 will be piloted by none other than the internationally known and highly regarded Daijiro Yoshihara. Affectionately known as “Dai,” he has proven his ability to not only win, but to seamlessly adapt and perform at the top tier in a wide array of vehicle platforms. For five years running, Dai has consistently placed within the top 5 standings for the Formula Drift Professional Championship Series.
Yoshihara, born in Tokyo Japan, stormed the North American drifting scene early in 2003 driving a heavily modified Nissan 240SX, the tried and true drifting vehicle of choice at that time. Since then, Dai’s personal liking has broadened to embrace V8 muscle due to near unbeatable torque and raw horsepower capabilities. Looking to next season, Dai is thrilled to push the 500+ horsepower Lexus to its limits. Focused on capturing an overall championship, Dai said “I am excited to join Falken Tire and Discount Tire's drift program for the 2009 season. I look forward to adding to the success that Falken Tire has had in North American drifting. Falken Tire was one of my... [Read More]
John Sawruk; An ICON in the Pontiac world passed away on Novenber 12, 2008 after a long battle with cancer. Below is a letter sent from the GTOAA Chapter Coordinator to all GTOAA chapter Presidents.
"It is with great saddens that we must tell you that our dear friend and long-time GTOAA supporter John Sawruk passed away early this morning, November 12, after a long battle with cancer. We will greatly miss John's advice and support at our meets and his friendship. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Marge, and the entire Sawruk family.
John Sawruk was an important figure in the automotive field for his engineering work and later for his role as historian for the Pontiac Motor Division of General Motors. He was well known to GTOAA members through the numerous technical articles he wrote for The Legend and many other magazines, and through the popular and informative seminars he conducted at our national and regional meets.
John began his career with GM in 1967 as an intern, and became an engineer in the Special Problems Laboratory in 1968. Among his many career highlights was his appointment as Supervisor of GM's Experimental Powertrain Group in 1978. In 1983, he was named official GM Historian for Pontiac. He ran Pontiac Motorsports and Specialty Vehicles in 1986, before returning to Advanced Vehicle Engineering.
John retired as a GM Engineering Director in... [Read More]
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