GTO discontinued?

[Sixty8panther]

I guess I'm, in the majority. "Yes as a trim of another model" I hope it's a 2 door.... the Charger lucked out wiht Enthusiasts but the GTO is not a Impi SS, it needs only 2 doors.

[daves87rs]

It is near imposible to do all that in 2-3 years.

Too bad for Pontiac then.

GM knew it was coming- so someone will hace to excuse me if I have no pity for them.......

What's the use of having a huge parts pin, if you don't even know how to use it??

[daves87rs]

I guess I'm, in the majority.  "Yes as a trim of another model" I hope it's a 2 door.... the Charger lucked out wiht Enthusiasts but the GTO is not a Impi SS, it needs only 2 doors.

I could care less how many doors it has, as long as it is done right, and is very fast...

[sciguy_0504]

I know I am in the minority but the current-gen GTO is on the top of my used car list. I love it.

[mjdecker]

I know I am in the minority but the current-gen GTO is on the top of my used car list.  I love it.

I agree.. Though, the only other V8 RWD 2 door coupe I would take over a GTO, is a 98-02 Firebird/Trans Am.

[loki]

too bad gm could not have made an advertising thing out of this and give it the 6speed auto to appeal to more people, while improving milage also.

but gm must have some plan for it soon.... right?

[CaddyXLR-V]

I know I am in the minority but the current-gen GTO is on the top of my used car list.  I love it.

I agree. I probably would have bought one already, but I know the insurance will probably be alot more than the car payment. I plan on either a GTO or Corvette once I'm 25 though.

[Chevyguy2001]

FYI: Sent to dealers today:

2/20/06

Due to changes in US regulatory standards, the current generation of the GTO will cease production at the end of the 2006 model year. The end of the current generation GTO will occur much sooner than we at Pontiac would like, however the necessary redesign to meet U.S regulatory standards would be cost prohibitive.

Since its re-introduction in 2003, the GTO has helped Pontiac solidify its performance reputation by dominating both on and off the track and has brought many new customers into your dealerships, with up to 50% of its buyers coming from outside GM. This current generation of GTO – as the most powerful GTO ever made and priced at only $31,990 - is simply the best performance value in the market today. While no announcement will be made at this time regarding a replacement product, we are strongly committed to performance and feel that there will always be a special need at Pontiac for an expressive, V-8 powered, rear wheel drive vehicle and we are continuing to explore those options for the future. As a statement of our continued commitment to performance, we are very excited to be introducing the 260 HP Solstice GXP turbo later this year to match up with the current 300 HP Grand Prix GXP V-8, and have more GXP variants in the works.

Please be advised that the last consensus period for the 2006 GTO will be the March cycle. The final dealer order submission is currently planned for April 6, 2006. Final build-out production will occur sometime in June.

As consumers become aware that this current generation of the legendary GTO will no longer be available, we expect increased demand. To that end, please review your inventory needs through the balance of the calendar year as there will be no 2007 model. Pontiac will continue to support GTO through the entire 2006 calendar year with marketing efforts and incentive tactics. And our very successful racing programs are set to continue, where Pontiac performance has continued to surprise – and beat – our import competitors.

Although we are closing this current chapter on the legendary GTO, Pontiac keeps getting healthier overall. As you know, Pontiac is realizing solid sales growth as a result of our new products and marketing efforts, with double-digit retail sales increases in recent months as our new products have begun to take hold. As we further introduce the G6 Convertible this spring and the recently announced G5 Coupe later this fall, we fully expect continued growth in a very competitive market. I know you share my great enthusiasm for Pontiac's potential.

Thanks for your continued support and great selling!

John Larson

Pontiac/Buick/GMC

General Manager

[Camino LS6]

Well,well. Read between them lines there boys!

[NOS2006]

Indeed! I like that little article!

[99camaroSS]

what is G5? the pontiac varient of the cobalt?

[NOS2006]

Yep, and it's supposedly coupe only. It's for a "stop-gap;" question is: to what? So that's why I'm speculating something RWD to replace it in a few years..

Edited February 23, 2006 by NOS2006

[Cadillacfan]

Well, GM is developing a few small RWD sedans and coupes so that sounds like a good prediction.

Edited February 23, 2006 by Cadillacfan

[daves87rs]

I know I am in the minority but the current-gen GTO is on the top of my used car list.  I love it.

I would have to agree...

[NOS2006]

Well, GM is developing a few small RWD sedans and coupes so that sounds like a good prediction.

I hope so.

I would have to agree...

Me too. My cousin's saved his money his whole life and, for his 21st birthday, is buying a brand new '06 GTO in black, loaded, and going on an exotic vacation. My dad wants one like no other too.

[mjdecker]

Well,well. Read between them lines there  boys!

Indeed... Note the bolded areas

Since its re-introduction in 2003, the GTO has helped Pontiac solidify its performance reputation by dominating both on and off the track and has brought many new customers into your dealerships, with up to 50% of its buyers coming from outside GM. This current generation of GTO – as the most powerful GTO ever made and priced at only $31,990 - is simply the best performance value in the market today. While no announcement will be made at this time regarding a replacement product, we are strongly committed to performance and feel that there will always be a special need at Pontiac for an expressive, V-8 powered, rear wheel drive vehicle and we are continuing to explore those options for the future. As a statement of our continued commitment to performance, we are very excited to be introducing the 260 HP Solstice GXP turbo later this year to match up with the current 300 HP Grand Prix GXP V-8, and have more GXP variants in the works.

So.. G6 GXP I'm sure will happen

Possibly a G5 GXP (hoping for more than just a Supercharged 2.0L)

[NOS2006]

there will always be a special need at Pontiac for an expressive, V-8 powered, rear wheel drive vehicle

"Vehicle" does not equal coupe OR sedan.. it could be either.

[Sixty8panther]

Well,well. Read between them lines there  boys!  

So months ago I insist the GTO is not going anywhere, it's here to stay as Pontiac's flagship.

I got told I was just being my usual obnoxious self...

Later I read everywhere that the GTO was scraficed on the altar of performance so that we can see a 5th gen. Camaro become a reality. It does not make any sense to me but I think okay, perhaps I was wrong, shortly after I apologize.

....not too long after I admit I was wrong GM pretty much says I was right all along making me look like even more of an idiot.

Should have stuck with my gut. Just like with the Camaro concept so many on here insisted would happen when Pigs Fly at the earliest. :wink:

This is a crazy/frustrating/fun/nerve-wrecking/exciting time to be a GM enthusiast.

Edited February 23, 2006 by Sixty8panther

[MGZ06]

It's really sad to see the beast die so quick. . . without a huge effort from GM. I remember being in my grade 11 auto class back in 1998, I ran into the Holden website by some chance and saw the Monaro . . . and wonder why it wasnt already here! 5 years later and my dream became a reality. . . but not quite. When I first heatd it wasnt coming to Canada I knew it was only here for a short term run. . . It's so long for now.

[ToniCipriani]

"Vehicle" does not equal coupe OR sedan.. it could be either.

I hope vehicle won't mean SUV. RWD + V8 -> GMT-900?

[NOS2006]

It's really sad to see the beast die so quick. . . without a huge effort from GM. I remember being in my grade 11 auto class back in 1998, I ran into the Holden website by some chance and saw the Monaro . . . and wonder why it wasnt already here! 5 years later and my dream became a reality. . .  but not quite. When I first heatd it wasnt coming to Canada I knew it was only here for a short term run. . . It's so long for now.

Yeah, I remember when the GTO was just being released back when I was in 10th grade... I pulled up a picture of its true dual exhaust and was showing others.. and the sound clip was amazing.

I hope vehicle won't mean SUV. RWD + V8 -> GMT-900?

[I hope GMRULES again]

You can't be serious.

Oh yeh I'm serious.

[Camino LS6]

The moment that the original Zeta program was cancelled, a minimum of a one-year gap in GTO production was unavoidable. Holden has to do the changeover to its new VE platform (Zeta) and GMNA had to go back and create Zeta-lite for us. There was simply no way to get a new GTO into production in time for the 07 model year.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

This is a sad scenario.... I don't think it's a good thing that the performance division will not have a performance flagship and I'm sure the media will point that out as much as possible.

Hopefully the replacement will FLOOR us though and hopefully GM can keep the performance momentum going with other performance vehicles like the GP GXP, a G6 GXP and the Solstice GXP. oh, and maybe a tubo-ed G5 or something.

[Sixty8panther]

I hope vehicle won't mean SUV. RWD + V8 -> GMT-900?

This is GM not Ford we're talking about. Sedan/Coupe names used on Minivans is one thing GM has not done yet, with the exception of the Lumina APV, but that was not a highly valued brand name to begin with.

(Ford Fairlane, Mercury Monterey)

[ToniCipriani]

This is GM not Ford we're talking about. Sedan/Coupe names used on Minivans is one thing GM has not done yet, with the exception of the Lumina APV, but that was not a highly valued brand name to begin with.

(Ford Fairlane, Mercury Monterey) 

Obviously it was only a joke.

Maybe do it the Impala and Monte way. Have a RWD Grand Prix, then call the coupe GTO with different front and rear clips. Not exactly trims, but still distinct enough to be called different models.

Monaro and Commodore are the same cars, so I can't see why a Grand Prix / GTO combo won't work. It works in Australia, so I don't see why it won't work here in NA. GTO was a trim to start with anyways, much like Olds 442.

As an aside, Keep the G6 FWD though, for more diversity. I know a lot of people here are obsessed with RWD and V8, but you can't force everyone to go that way. I myself can never afford operating a car with a V8.

[Sixty8panther]

As an aside, Keep the G6 FWD though, for more diversity. I know a lot of people here are obsessed with RWD and V8, but you can't force everyone to go that way.

Why NOT have a 100% RWD division? And who better to go 100% RWD than Pontiac? I think this is an idea of the century. Give Chevroelt a RWD Camaro and Caprice and then keep the rest FWD for the point-A-to-B types, but make Pontiac the BMW fighter it has the potential of becoming. This is a fantastic idea!

BTW: I4, I4T, V6 and V8 motors would obviously be all used, not just V8s.... no one said anything about a V8 only G6... it's not even big enough for any motor other than a modern 215.

I myself can never afford operating a car with a V8.

PLease explain. What about a beautifuly simple, fuel afficient pushrod-V8 from GM is so muhc more expensive than a V6 or even DOHC four cylinder for that matter?

[ToniCipriani]

Why NOT have a 100% RWD division? And who better to go 100% RWD than Pontiac? I think this is an idea of the century. Give Chevroelt a RWD Camaro and Caprice and then keep the rest FWD for the point-A-to-B types, but make Pontiac the BMW fighter it has the potential of becoming. This is a fantastic idea!

       

BTW: I4, I4T, V6 and V8 motors would obviously be all used, not just V8s.... no one said anything about a V8 only G6... it's not even big enough for any motor other than a modern 215.

PLease explain. What about a beautifuly simple, fuel afficient pushrod-V8 from GM is so muhc more expensive than a V6 or even DOHC four cylinder for that matter? 

I don't see Pontiac fighting BMW, but I do see it fighting Mazda, high-end Hondas and Acuras. Leave all RWD to Cadillac. We have to be progressive here.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not Anti-RWD/V8 here. I just think that it needs more diversity to reach a bigger crowd. I just think that we need to be a bit slower and be cautious about marketing decisions.

As for the V8, I was barely struggling (financially) to operate my 2.2L I4 LN2. Thank goodness the LX9 isn't much higher. In fact I was looking for a 4-cylinder G6 before they stepped me up to V6.

Edited February 23, 2006 by ToniCipriani

[Chicagoland]

All these big ideas, like "all RWD", would take years to pull off. The products are locked in til 2009 at least. And where would GM get the extra $$$, after paying all the 'legacy costs'?

[NOS2006]

Why NOT have a 100% RWD division? And who better to go 100% RWD than Pontiac?

Well, Pontiac would need something G6-sized, and that would force GM to build a completely new platform for this one car. Pointless.

[hyperv6]

Too soon to lock the gate on the Goat yet!

[balthazar]

The luxury sport coupe buyers either never heard of it, or dismissed it as muscle car.

The 'luxury sport' coupe buyers must not be well informed at all if they think an introduced-in-'04 nameplate has absolutely anything to do with a previously produced version from the 1960s.

[Chicagoland]

The luxo coupe market today is tiny, not at all like the glory days of 70s/80s. The Monte Carlo is pretty much it now. Not too many Solaras or Accord 2 doors either.

Price gouging hurt the new GTO, at first, and the exchange rate, too.

[hyperv6]

The 2 door midsize market is as difficult a market their is today. Only mid level high end low volume car tend to do ok.

The only exception is the Mustang but Pice and performance help sell it not luxury. The Pricing of the Camaro at Mustang levels is a must.

I am suprised the Monte has hung on as long as it has but I think it's days may be numbered.

[pow]

Perhaps it would've done better as a Pontiac Monaro... no GTO expectations to live up to. And the Commodore could have been the Bonneville replacement.

[trinacriabob]

Damnit... why does GTO have to die for Camaro to live???? WTF!

Pantho, I think GTO is going away for Firebird to be slotted in. I don't think the 2 can co-exist in Pontiac's line up. The other thing we don't know is the dollars and cents behind having the car made in Australia.

While I am a GP/LaX customer, I really like the GTO. I like it a lot. In silver with the dark red leather seats and the red dash bezels, it's a sexy car. Not only that, it doesn't bring on the rocket-ship claustrophobia that so many other sports cars do.

I don't think the positioning was right. At its price point, you nudge the BMW/Audi market, in which I wouldn't be in the slightest bit interested. However, others are. In real estate, it's location-location-location. It seems that in the automotive world, it's perception-perception-perception. "Gee, I'm just not cool enough if I spend $ 32,000 for a GTO when my friends are popping another $ 5,000 for a Bimmer." Personally, that's what I think happened.

I think the market will be ready for a Firebird. My only concern is that there could be too many pony car type slots in Pontiac's line up. I am more of a Pontiac fan than a Chevy fan, so I would expect to like the FBird more than the Camaro - with each successive model change, it seems that I have always liked the FBird more.

Edited February 27, 2006 by trinacriabob

[Guest flowmotion]

The 'luxury sport' coupe buyers must not be well informed at all if they think an introduced-in-'04 nameplate has absolutely anything to do with a previously produced version from the 1960s.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sheesh, you got to love the "Blame The Victim" mentality around here.

GM totally misnamed and mismarketed the car and result was that it barely sold. That's not the potential customer's problem, that's GM's problem.

[Mule Bakersdozen LS]

I don't see Pontiac fighting BMW, but I do see it fighting Mazda, high-end Hondas and Acuras. Leave all RWD to Cadillac. We have to be progressive here.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not Anti-RWD/V8 here. I just think that it needs more diversity to reach a bigger crowd. I just think that we need to be a bit slower and be cautious about marketing decisions.

As for the V8, I was barely struggling (financially) to operate my 2.2L I4 LN2. Thank goodness the LX9 isn't much higher. In fact I was looking for a 4-cylinder G6 before they stepped me up to V6.

I agree with you there, but I think G6 should make the 2.8-liter DOHC HF V-6 engine standard but leave the 4-cylinders to compacts and base Malibus.

[ToniCipriani]

I agree with you there, but I think G6 should make the 2.8-liter DOHC HF V-6 engine standard but leave the 4-cylinders to compacts and base Malibus.

As previously discussed in another thread that I started, it's concluded that the mass majority wants a 4-cylinder G6. G6 coupes losing sales to Accords because of this.

Again, the performance image is important, but more important is that it needs to SELL for the brand to justify to stay and avoid the axe.