I agree. A powder blue GT drove by me the other day... me likes. Of course the Mustang had a lot going for it. The lineage is familar to a variety of car buying generations. Many of them have been waiting for a Mustang they can love with every body change since the 1994's. Each version tried to recapture some classic styling and update it, yet they always found a way to fall short. They seem to really hit the mark with the new 05's! It appeals to a variety of car buyer, is available with a 6 cylinder motor for relatively low cost, and it will have performance options available that should satisfy many of the power freaks. The GTO is essentially a specialty model. You can't get it with several different engine and trim packages. There is one price point. It doesn't have any lineage, other than the 05 updating the (bland) visual aspect of the 04. It has a borrowed chassis and drivetrain, etc... Of course if they do things right and when it comes out on the new chassis with it's own design, it could sell very well. We'll see.
:Brow: now if GM would put that motor (blown 3800) into a ..say GS/Holden/GTO body :Brow: that could be cool :bglasses: never cared much for front drive performance cars :sleep: oh the Mustage is just plain awesome (too bad it's a Ford)
I bought an 04 and love it! As far as styling, it always subjective, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Remember, all the road tests of the GS cars in the late 60's and early 70's stated how bland the styling was compared to its counterparts. All I can say is for a bland styled car, I have gotten alot of thumbs up and was even pulled over by a local cop who wanted to check the car out, and it's not even red! I recently saw the new Mustang up close, and I liked the photos I saw off it, but the build quality is terrible. Cheap plastic mirrors and the interior was really plain. Obious they cut a lot of corners to keep sthe price low. I'll stick with the Goat thank you very much.
And throw away 160 HP? are you loco? I think Steve put it best, I'll buy a used one when they are cheap because of the poor styling. As far as arguing they are no different than the Tempest upgrades from the past, that is true, but the Tempest wasn't ugly. If they built a retro style Tempest and upgraded it to the GTO they BOTH would sell well. Just like the V-6 Mustang being upgraded. So far I would still buy and '03-04 Cobra (I'd be eating a lot of crow buying a Ford!). They've got beans and personally I think they look better than the '05's. I hope the price drops a bunch as the '05's begin to sell.
It isn't just us, A-bomb. It is all of America. Nobody is willing to plop 30 grand down for a car that gets lost in the parking lot at Chuck E Cheese's. Complain all you want about how we fail to get behind the only RWd performance yada, yada, yada. The fact remains: Mustang sales will top GTO sales by about 500,000 units in '05. Hmmm, gee, I wonder why?
I like the car and have liked the car. It's not the flashiest thing on the road but a little while back I realized one thing- A blue GTO came screaming by me on my morning commute, I was doing about 70 in a 60 and he came by at a good clip, maybe 80 or so. We all blew right by a cop, and he never winked. So while there may be a lack of aggressive styling, you still have a killer car that can hang with the best of them and will have some good mods coming out. And you don't have to worry so much about driving a beacon for the police. I'd really like to get my hands on one in a couple years and maybe rebadge it up as a Monaro, maybe even get RHD stuff from one of my friends down under.
I like the GTO although it does look like a Bonneville or a Grand Prix. Motortrend says its a modern muscle car, but for me I don't think it has the looks. It looks too Japanese. I think the last American muscle car was the Mercury Marauder, although it was too slow.
I like the new GTOs....:TU:....The 05s are even better. I like kinda plain with plenty of grunt. :bglasses: I do not, however, like the new Mustangs at all. uzzled: Waaayyy ugly. ou: Just my thoughts.
:laugh: hey.................what can I say.......... I'm a die hard buick guy p a small price to pay for a buick engine rear drive car again :3gears: besides look what there doing with the V-6 allready :3gears: :bglasses: :TU:
The same reason Mustang sales topped our beloved Buick sales. Same reason Mustang topped the f-bodies. Mustang sold probably 10-1 at the end of the f-body. What looked better? What performed better? What looked better out in the parking lot? Didnt matter to GM. Sales only matters. Until GM gets a hold of its pricing, sales will only continue to fall on GMs speciality cars. (void Corvette, has and always will be exempt). Pricing is what hurting this car. It can use some refinement to American car buyers taste (and is getting it). Cudos to GM for attempting. I happen to enjoy alot of what GM is doing right now. Not perfect by any means, but a step in the right direction. Trucks and SUVs are competing on all fronts (performance, work, comfort, eye-appeal) Corvette is simply assume this year, GTO is improving, SSr is a cool truck, but then again, pricing??Bonneville got the Northstar (and will scoot) Grand Prix are holding their own (refinements in getting rid of leaking batteries and plastic upper pleniums and steel oil pans are gone) Could go on but wont, lot came out better this year. Nobody minded paying 30 grand for the GNX 17 years ago cause it had small production numbers and a market.If GM made a modern day GNX, what would the price tag on that thing be????? 45 Grand?? GTO has to actually compete for its market share and its tough going at that price. Mustang has always (exempt very few years) held the production/sales advantage. (poor little ole Mustang II) ***BTW Yardley***, hated to quote you cause I know people feel attacked when you do that at times. Not meant to be that in any way what-so-ever. You said what many think, and I just wanted to offer a counter-point :beer
Mustang sells so many units because of fleet sales to rental car companies. Of the total sales it's something like 75% are v-6 turds. I hope GM never builds a v-6 GTO just to sell more units and make it a "successful" car. I'm plenty happy with bland styled GTO and Bland styled GS. It's a shame that the performance group can't get behind the car, but I think the performance minded car buyer today is different than the old muscle car guys of yesterday - the new guys want to many wings and scoops and junk.
They'll never do it. Buick is not aching for a supercar like Pontiac is. (Maybe they should be though) The new Buick Lacrosse commercial has a sense of aggressiveness to it, but not with a lady wearing a long gown as the owner in the commercial. If Buick ever wants to get serious with a performance vehicle ever again, they need something worthy of the "bad to the bone" image again. So far, IMHO, nothing since 1987. Edit: I shouldn't say they'll "never" do it. They "may", but when? o No:
Buy the GTO, enjoy the ride I love that there is a new GTO. The styling? Non existent but hey it's a RWD V8 and it's fast!!! We haven't seen that in a while. I love sleepers anyway. Smart people will buy cars like these now or in a few years when they depreciate. It (new car performance) can't keep getting better forever. Gas prices are going nuts. New car sales suck. The insurance companies will start with surcharges if they haven't already. This time we're living through right now is better than it has EVER been for factory speed. Look it up. Look at the 1/4 mile times in 1970 and compare to today. There are tons of fast cars and trucks sittin on dealer lots today. Have you ever wished you were driving in 1970 and could afford a new GS or GSX, I know I have. I say this is it, this is that chance. Buy a fast new car and enjoy it.
We're pretty much SOL IMHO as far as styling. The bricks of old are gone, aerodynamics technology has seen to that. That's why you have to be able to read the brand/model badging on a new car to determine what it is.. they've become generic due to wind tunnel testing. Hey, there's no problem distinguishing GM/Ford/Chrysler products from one another from 1/2 mile away - as long as they're 30+ years old. When HP Pontiac magazine first came out with the Monaro/GTO project as 'possible' I was determined to have one. This was with only a picture in my mind of something retro and leaning toward an a-body platform. After it appeared, I saw one in person and the sticker.. no way. I've never been a Ford fan but like the '67 - '70 Mustangs and can live with the '05 styling, at least it can be distinguished from all other Ford products, unlike the GTO/Grand Prix/Cavalier... again, I'd have to get up close and personal to be sure which is was. Fit and finish on the Mustang has always been second rate IMO and it sounds like they've kept that. Looks like I'll expire before I'm inspired to buy a new "muscle car". What could I buy with the $35k sitting in my pocket. New PAE block, TA Stage-whatever heads, drag race it, g-machine it, etc., etc., etc. And have KEWL to spare and outrun either the new 'stang or lamb (I mean goat). None of this means they're not good for someone else. :Smarty:
Still looks like a Honda Accord to me! For that kind of bucks I would buy an old 64-72 muscle car hands down every time. And the old muscle machines are appreciating and you wouldn't loose 30% of your investment in the first year. I will be dead before the 2005 GTO recoupes its original cost and it will still look like a Honda Accord! Trash that body and start over!
Nice machine. $30,000.00 for a car expensive, what planet do you guys live on? Ugly, please give me a break. Mustangs sell well because they are less expensive to purchase, period. The new GTO is a nice machine with awesome performance. I saw a new Mustang on the road last evening, at first I thought it was nice looking but upon closer inspection the body looked like it was pieced together, it looked like the roof was a seperate piece and was glued on. Then I saw an older Honda Prelude blow it away as the two vehicles flew past me. I would like to see that Honda race the GTO. The guys at GM must want to :spank: :spank: :spank: when they hear of comments like the ones I am seeing here about the GTO on this board. Give GM a break, they build some of the best autos on the planet, period. How many of you guys have reliable commuter machines that get about 20 MPG and run in the 12's - how about it?
GM was just testing the waters, it's just too bad that the waters were already tested and turned out to be nice and warm (pt cruiser anyone?). I wouldn't even think of buying one until they change the whole style in a few years.
The 1997-2002 F Bodies were great cars and sold a helluva lot better than the new Goat. Talk about style! GM really missed the boat by not designing a 5th gen, IMHO. Frank
I can't understand the logic when I hear "well, at least it's a rear wheel drive V8". We are too used to having to pay big bucks and settle for second rate designs just because Detroit throws out a bone to us once in a while. If you want a rear wheel drive with a rumble, why not take the same cash and buy a couple of GS's? :3gears:
