I haven't noticed. My '96tbird, after adjustment by my mechanic, and '04 Marauder with stock shift points had harder auto 1-2 shifts at low speed than the GTO. The Marauder was very jerky off the line with just a little pedal which took some getting used to. The GTO tranny is much more refined.
My favorite tactic with performance cars with a new rider on-board is NOT to be all goosey with the pedal. Let them relax a little, show them that you can be a responsible driver, talk about the car. This often lures them into a false sense of security before I hammer the pedal and give them an exhibition of acceleration.