So long, GTO.....

[trapin]

The end of a very "forgettable" era. As much a homer as I might be...even I had a hard time swallowing this thing.

GM to cancel GTO.

[rob07002]

Typical GM move.... They slap a GTO badge on a Grand Prix looking car and can't believe why their not selling. So what do they do? Kill production, instead of getting it right. They truly did a disservice to all Goat owners on this one. Ford and Chrysler must be laughing their a$$es off.

[Steve Chryssos]

Superbirds and Charger Daytonas languished on dealer lots as well. Better snap up a GTO and fill it with mothballs.

[Travis B]

Superbirds and Charger Daytonas languished on dealer lots as well. Better snap up a GTO and fill it with mothballs.

ya those were pretty low production numbers, would have never guessed they only sold 11k of them...

[MarkM66]

Seems like everyone cried that GM didn't make a rwd car with good power. When they did, no one bought the thing.

[Derek69SS]

They truly did a disservice to all Goat owners on this one.

I'm guessing you've forgotten what the '73 and '74 GTOs looked like.

Seems like everyone cried that GM didn't make a rwd car with good power. When they did, no one bought the thing.

So True. I wish I could have been able to buy a new one, but I've got other priorities. I will own a black one or a blue one with a 6-speed once the used ones get cheap enough that I can afford it.

[69rs]

Seems like everyone cried that GM didn't make a rwd car with good power. When they did, no one bought the thing.

It's gotta look good too!

[MarkM66]

It's gotta look good too!

Geeezz, if you want ALL that, you're going to have to build it yourself, lol.

[6'9"Witha69]

The GTO was a let down in that it didn't have the Nostalgia people wanted. And it looked a little like a bloated Cavalier. The only other thing was that it started at $32K and didn't have a lot of options other than trans, Ext Color and Int Color.

On the positive side it came with big meats, high power, a 6 speed and the ability to handle it all well. Now while someone of my stature may not fare well in one, it is somewhat roomy (better back seat than a 4th Gen Camaro) and has a usable trunk. Now what other cars are that much for the money? A Mustang? NO! A Mustang Cobra? Close. Truth is if they were priced a little closer to the 4th Gens of a couple years prior we could overlook the few downfalls of the overall perceived concept of the car. If Leather were an option along with sound system and other stuff it would bring the price down. Other than that I like 'em and will miss seing the 6.0 on the back of cars.

[Little Bob]

I think that American car manufacturers need to step up to the plate and start producing better quality vehicles. I read that the fit and finish was that of the lower priced commuter cars. The performance is defiantly their. I just think they to think before they produce something. They need to stop relying on the Corvette and Viper to be the root of performance. Until then, American manufacturers will never have the numbers in sales they want.

[rob07002]

I'm guessing you've forgotten what the '73 and '74 GTOs looked like.

Good Point! but who didn't forget those models, or atleast tried to....

[CAMAROBOY69]

Typical GM move.... They slap a GTO badge on a Grand Prix looking car and can't believe why their not selling. So what do they do? Kill production, instead of getting it right. They truly did a disservice to all Goat owners on this one. Ford and Chrysler must be laughing their a$$es off.

That is my exact same opinion on this situation. The drive train on the new GTO was perfect but come on dont put that into a Grand Prix looking car and expect anyone to buy it.
It isnt even close in any way to looking like a GTO.

[MuscleRodz]

The complaint from the beginning everyone seem to express was looks. Why spend $30K on a hot rodded rental car when you could buy a C5 a couple years old for less money? Is it being canceled or are they just going to quit importing Holden's and take it off the US market?

Mike

[EFI69Cam]

This goes not bode well for the Camaro.

It was my understanding that GM was going to base their decision to produce a low cost RWD platform on the sales numbers from the GTO.

[Derek69SS]

It isnt even close in any way to looking like a GTO.

It was an average-looking, average-sized car, with above-average performance... just like the old GTOs.

[Jim Nilsen]

When the GTO was born it was another car upgraded to be a GTO not something that started out as one. It would be a simple transition to do another GTO from another car if they desired. If GM wanted to they could make it from a Cadillac since a GTO is a full size car brand.

If the GTO concept is performance options to a Pontiac they might be in trouble but they kind of threw that loyalty out the window when they made it from a Holden didn't they?

It is another bad marketing mistake to say they are cancelling it when they could be saying they are going to redo it again.

If the marketing people at GM keep it up noone will believe what they say they are going to do. Cancel the Camaro then bring it back, cancel the GTO and then bring it back. Next thing you know they will be changing their name to Toyota and then change it back

I have lost faith in the marketing at GM not the cars or the dealers or even some of the engineers, but those marketing people are the biggest heads up their uranus planetary structured orbit I have ever seen or heard.

Jim Nilsen

[Kenova]

I think that American car manufacturers need to step up to the plate and start producing better quality vehicles. I read that the fit and finish was that of the lower priced commuter cars.

The GTO was actually built in Australia and I'm sure that has something to do with the obscene price of the damned things. As mentioned before, there is nothing distinctive about the GTO. It looks like some generic blob. The '74 - '75 GTO had more character than the new ones.
As for the quality, stop believing what you read. One of the biggest problems the North American manufacturers face is the myth perpetuated by the press that foreign cars have better quallity. I've bought my share of new vehicles, and each time I've checked out the foreign products offered. I found the quallity to be no better what so ever. On top of that I would have gotten less car for my money, and you can forget about ordering a car the way you want it.
One of my favorite rants is of Consumer Reports. They did an article on S10 trucks. The two wheel drive trucks were rated "poor" for paint quality. The 4x4 trucks were rated "very good" for paint quality. Well guess what people!? They were both painted in the same paint shop, in the same factory, so wtf is going on here?? I haven't so much as looked at that rag since.
Moral of the story: Stop listening to everybody else and be your own judge when it comes to quality and value.
RANT OVER
Ken

[6'9"Witha69]

Yeah, for those who complain about the heritage of the new GTO, the originals were Le Mans with upgrades and badges. So if they used a Grand Prix, Grand Am or anything else with upgrades and badges it isn't exactly wrong or bad.

I was at the auto show when they announced the new Monte and Impala last year and they were talking gaps. Looked up the gaps on imports. Went to a few lots and measured gaps. Guess what. No difference. All cars have tight gaps and good fit/finish. Unless you buy an MBZ or other high end car you will get orange peel. Fact of life with mass produced cars. Reliability? I am very hard on my vehicles. 50k miles on my Silverado and guess what has broken. The Park brake release lever (I use it every time I park and sometimes while drifting out in the dirt). That's it. My '98 Monte Carlo lasted 98k miles before traded it for my truck. Guess what went out in it. An alternator and a water pump. This was having gone 12k miles b/w oil changes once. I drive what I like and what works for me. I don't see any real difference between Chevy and the imports (I can't speak for Dodge and Ferd as I don't care). I did have Fords before that that always broke. And I mean always. If I went more than a month b/w repairs I thought I was in heaven. But this was much farther back than the last decade, so I will not place not on their newer vehicles.

Now marketing on the other hand. Domestic guys need help.

[southernfriedcj]

Shoulda made the thing retro.

[trapin]

Hey I love the Holden Monaro. Great car.

If they would have just called it something else, I think it would have done a lot better. Maybe something like the Pontiac G8 or something. I think people might have bought them.

For what it's worth I've driven one and it's a fun little car.