Goat or Chicken: Will 2010 Pontiac be a Firebird or GTO?

05GTO · 07-04-2007, 08:19 PM

Goat or Chicken: Will 2010 Pontiac be a Firebird or GTO?
Posted Jul 3rd 2007 by Frank Filipponio

We visited this issue in February, when Winding Road speculated Pontiac would get a Camaro spinoff, but now Car and Driver is weighing in. With the imminent return of the Chevy Camaro, many Poncho fans have wondered about a possible return of the screaming chicken, as well. Pontiac's last attempt at reviving a storied model (GTO) met with mixed results.

The GTO was supposed to be a slam dunk for Pontiac. Take an existing rear drive muscular platform, add a few Pontiac trim pieces and a GTO badge, and voilà, instant success. Well, it didn't quite go as planned and GTO sales were rather tepid. Not that it wasn't a good car, especially in 6.0 form, but it didn't really set hearts aflutter, especially compared to the wildly successful retro Mustang.

So will Pontiac get a new GTO, or maybe a Firebird instead? With the G8 coming to replace the Bonneville and Grand Prix, a suitable RWD platform is already approved for US consumption. And of course, it's also underpinning that hot new Camaro. So if Pontiac gets a new muscle coupe, will it show up as a goat or a chicken? That's what Car and Driver asked Pontiac. After a long silence, C and D finally got some answers. Surprisingly, they seem to point towards a new GTO.

They based this on Bob Lutz's own words: "No carbon copy of the Camaro will make it into any other GM-brand showroom" is how they put it. They also point out that while a Firebird would have to be essentially the same as a Camaro, a GTO from the same platform could be bigger and different enough to claim its own place in the market, maybe more of a G8 coupe.

Whichever badge this future Pontiac sport coupe wears, it should get the same 261-hp 3.6-liter DOHC V-6 or 362-hp LS2 6.0-liter V-8 options as the G8. They would be offered with five or six-speed automatics, respectively, but six-speed manuals should be available, as well. Tough choice, really – a Firebird that would be a restyled Camaro, or a GTO that could go its own way. Which would you choose?

[Source: Car and Driver]

Questor · 07-04-2007, 08:40 PM

I agree with Lutz....clone cars are boring. That firebird mock up is as ugly as the last 20 years of Firebirds. GTO is the type for me....

Eddie 70 · 07-04-2007, 08:45 PM

I would rather see a GTO myself. I am still digging the last Goat and still wishing I had bought one.

BV GTO · 07-04-2007, 08:49 PM

I don't think there would be a big market for a cloned Camaro labeled as a Firebird. Camaros were better sellers than Firebirds anyway and the Firebird would only eat into the Camaro's sales. GM doesn't need another 2+2 coupe. They should continue the GTO heritage as being a bigger car than Camaro and also a true 4 seater coupe.I read that the Monte Carlo will not be continued, so Pontiac will have the GM coupe market to themselves.
But PLEASE don't give me a retro-GTO.

2006GTOLS2 · 07-04-2007, 08:53 PM

No thanks. The styling might be different, but I like the way my GTO looks.....and a 38HP decrease in power........nope. I will keep my 06 GTO.....

Chuck · 07-04-2007, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BV GTO

I don't think there would be a big market for a cloned Camaro labeled as a Firebird. Camaros were better sellers than Firebirds anyway and the Firebird would only eat into the Camaro's sales. GM doesn't need another 2+2 coupe. They should continue the GTO heritage as being a bigger car than Camaro and also a true 4 seater coupe.I read that the Monte Carlo will not be continued, so Pontiac will have the GM coupe market to themselves.
But PLEASE don't give me a retro-GTO.

Especially not with 38 less horsepower than the last one.

Xman · 07-04-2007, 09:35 PM

By 2010, there will be the new LS3 out with 425 HP - maybe even and LS4!

koman · 07-04-2007, 09:45 PM

they should bring back the legacy of the fireturd. it's been lingering as the camaros dark shadow all of these years why not continue that legacy? i never really cared much for the f-body cars but the x-bodies were nice. if they did bring back the camaro maybe they make the fireturd and then make an x-body variant like the g8 and formula both 2 and 4 door models of this car for both chevy and poncho. and buick too like the nova, ventura, apollo. shoot why not bring back the vega? i think the goat should be what it was originally, a small sedan like a lemans with the largest/most powerful engine available (ls7 FTW). so a g5 with an ls7 = modern day gto. i'd sell my 06 for that version. camaro and fireturd FTW with a nova ventura and apollo "popular" model. just imagine a v6 gto...makes me want to say WTF instead of FTW.

koman · 07-04-2007, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xman

By 2010, there will be the new LS3 out with 425 HP - maybe even and LS4!

ls4 is what is found in the impala ss and monte carlo ss and grand prix gxp. the 5.3 front mounted v8 producing around 330 hp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_LS_engine

Zoomin · 07-04-2007, 09:59 PM

It wouldn't cost them much more to put out a Firebird on the same line. I don't know if it would cannibalize camaro sales, or supplement them. The idea of going after a different market with the GTO name makes sense too.

I say both.