Test Drive of the New GTO

Thanks for sharing your impressions of the new GTO Joseph. Was the dealer asking close to Suggested Retail Price?

#Took it out, only went a couple of miles. Holy Cow! This thing is MUCH #faster than my '67, and stops and turns, too! I found myself moving the #seat forward (I'm 6'1", about 250).

It certainly moves very quickly. However, while turning you do get a sense of its 3,750 lbs.

I'm 6'5" and have had to move the seat up. However, the whiz-bang electric seat is difficult (for me) to ajust into a position that provides proper support. You might get something that feels good for the moment, but an hour later the back hurts. Sorta prefer the Recaros I am used to. I'll keep working on it.

The back seat is for show only, and while I assumed the nine cubic foot trunk was a joke as well, I managed to transport a lot of guns and ammunition (including rifles) in it over the weekend.

Mitch

Well, here's the 'deal' with the dealer... He's my dad (I don't mean the salesman, I mean the dealer), and one of the good guys out there. We've been talking quite a bit about this car, and I told him I thought it was a shame that dealers were gouging people on this one. I even shared some of your comments from a.a.p. with him. He agreed, but didn't make a decision at the time (the car wasn't here yet). When the car arrived about a month ago he told me he was asking MSRP. He won't be charging over that. I was soooooo glad to hear it - he didn't lose his scruples over a couple of thousand dollars!

Bottom line, if you want a GTO at MSRP in upstate NY, I can tell you where to get it!

Here in Flint, MI at one dealer the prices for an automatic are

33,495(list), 32,140(anyone), ad 30,231(GMemp), for a 6-spd 33,190(list), 31,728(anyone), and 29,829(GMemp). None of the dealers I've seen are charging more than MSRP.

Frank

I only got to sit in one in the showroom while my Aztek was getting the free oil & lube that comes every 6,000 miles. The first thing I do is look at the VIN number and saw that the first digit was "7", indicating a country I wasn't familiar with. Then I saw the final assembly point was at Elizabeth, Australia. Now I can say that I've been in a car built down under. Seems that it's much cheaper to have them built 12,000 miles away rather than construct platforms for them up here.

Rich Dean Butler

#Seems that it's much cheaper to have them built 12,000 miles away rather # than construct platforms for them up here.

More to the point, GM no longer has a US production line for RWD V8 coupes or sedans. The GTO will be imported from Australia until a domestic production line can be tooled up, or until it flops.

Mitch

#None of the dealers I've seen are #charging more than MSRP.

I got mine in Orange county, CA, for MSRP, but boy did the dealer whine about it. For crying out loud, when was the last time a dealer got MSRP for a new Pontiac? I am beginning to suspect that being disrespectful idiots to their customers is in the blood of car dealers, no offense intended to Joseph. They can't seem to help it.

Mitch

Isn't that small Cadillac made in North America? They even have a kind of Caddy GTO themselves. If the GTO moves to NA that's where they'll put it. It's pretty lame that GM doesn't make rear drive "American" cars. I don't plan to forgive that easily.

Welcome to Globalization.

If you're talking about that little 2 seater, it's actually based on the Corvette. At least, if I'm remembering the Road and Track article correctly... I've been out of the biz for more than 10 years now, and I find I haven't kept up... :(

Actually its not based on a US product at all. The company that produces the GTO for GM is its Australian Subsidiary, Holden and Holden has a HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) Plant that makes the Monaro V8 which is the car the GTO is based upon.

The HSV is the Moanro 8 with GTO branding.

or more specifially

#Actually its not based on a US product at all.

No one is talking about the GTO anymore. Joseph was probably referring to the Cadillac XLR:

While Joe was probably thinking of the CTS-V:

The CTS-V includes a Tremec six-speed and 400hp LS6 V8. Hmmm.

Mitch

You are absolutely correct. I had to look for my own answers. The CTS is built in a brand new factory in Lansing. This is GM's only rear drive car manufacturing in all of North America. If the GTO succeeds, I guess it would be a candidate to move to Lansing. There are enough similaries between the cars to think a GTO could roll off the same line, especially if they're going to build a V-version, which has an almost identical drive train. I assume the Monaro body would not be used if the GTO is moved there.

I think it's kind of interesting that the CTS-V has 400 hp, while the GTO has 350. Obviously some GM politics were involved in that, and it just makes you wonder why.

For those of you that haven't looked at this, Cadillac is putt>

Not so sir, every Corvette comes out of Bowling Green KY. all rear wheel drives