Revived GTO mild on styling, hot going down road!
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Thursday, June 30, 2005
By James M. Miller
At the gasoline station where I was filling up the test drive vehicle, another customer asked, "Is that the Pontiac G6?"
Well, no, it was the 2005 Pontiac GTO.
While it has a lot going for it, including 400 horses crammed under its hood, the powerful rear-drive, midsized coupe from Down Under has yet to carve out its own strong public image.
When Ford has a hot new Mustang with styling cues from the original and the Chrysler Group has a cool retro-look Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger, a car called the GTO should be more distinctive.
Maybe it's just bad timing. A decade ago, this car - a modern rendition of the muscle cars of 30 or 40 years ago - would have stood out more and been received with more enthusiasm. But now we're into "retro" looks.
There's nothing bad in the GTO's styling, but it seems a bit mild for something trying to revive that legendary model name.
It's also a little odd that General Motors chose to reinvent the GTO by rebadging a two-door car built by Holden, GM's division in Australia.
The General might have found more acceptance of this car by borrowing one of the other names from the Holden lineup - like Cruze, Monaro or maybe even the Jackaroo, if the marketing folks wanted to emphasize the Australian heritage.
Make no mistake, there's nothing mild about the car's performance. From the first rumble at startup to punching it to pass on the expressway, the engine is ready to go.
The styling of the first edition of the reborn GTO in 2004 drew a less than an enthusiastic response from some quarters, so designers gave the GTO a couple of scoops on the hood and tweaked the front fascia for 2005.
The 2005 GTO has more horses under those two scoops. The previous model had a 5.7-liter V-8 engine rated at 350 horses, while the latest version has a 6-liter V-8 rated at 400.
As fans of muscle cars know, there's no substitute for more power.
The test model is fitted with a four-speed automatic. The GTO is also available with a six-speed manual transmission, which is probably more fun but might mean more shifting than some people would like. A six-speed isn't that much fun in stop-and-go traffic.
I like the way a rear-drive performance car handles, and the truth is that a lot of today's machines handle better than many of the classic muscle cars. With the new GTO, you can hit the gas in a curve and power through with confidence.
Straight-line acceleration is great. It has a nice exhaust note, but hard-core muscle car fans might wish for more growl and rumble.
Like the Chevrolet Camaros, Pontiac Firebirds and Ford Mustangs of the 1960s and '70s, the new GTO has a small back seat that's not easy to get into, and probably is best left to smaller children.
The GTO's price includes a gas-guzzler tax of $1,300. The tax is supposed to be a deterrent, but I suspect that most people who want a car like the GTO and would pay $33,000 for it will be just as willing to pay $34,300.
QUICK TAKE
2005 Pontiac GTO
BASE PRICE: $32,295
PRICE AS TESTED: $34,295
DRIVETRAIN: Front engine,
rear drive
ENGINE: 6-liter V-8
HORSEPOWER: 400
MPG: 16 city, 21 highway
BUILT: Elizabeth, Australia
***
Linear Mode
