R.I.P GTO

Black95GTS said:
Hey everyone, I have a great idea! Lets stop making the Trans/Am which everyone LOVES, and instead make a new GTO! We'll upgrade everything and then stuff all these awesome performance parts into something that looks like a Grand Am with dual exhaust! People will buy a ton of them and we will crush Ford, the Mustang will never compete!

- Interoffice Memo, President of GM, circa 2001
thats pretty freakin funny!!!
 
It seems GM as of lately (except the corvette) have taken all of there bread and butter cars of late...Malibu, Impala and made them into family cruisers that look like overdone fiberglass boxes. I got an idea...lets come out with a 454 Chevelle SS station wagon thats front wheel drive. I thougt they were sorta headin in the right direction with the GTO. Hell they do it with the vette....christ that thing will have 10.0 liters soon...only prblem is that its getting a little expensive.

Thats why I woul rather have a stang, that I can put extra money into aand make my own.....hopefully I will make a 03-04 cobra my own before they are all blown up:D
 
I'm also kind of sad that they are discontinuing the SRT-4. Cheap turbo 4 banger, looked pretty good also. Those things sold like hotcakes, wtf are they thinking. Not to mention, when done right they can be made pretty fast. They are replacing it with some gay ass mix between a small suv and econo car. It really pisses me off.
 
WhiteStallionGT said:
I'm also kind of sad that they are discontinuing the SRT-4. Cheap turbo 4 banger, looked pretty good also. Those things sold like hotcakes, wtf are they thinking. Not to mention, when done right they can be made pretty fast. They are replacing it with some gay ass mix between a small suv and econo car. It really pisses me off.

Agreed. I really wonder what goes through their head when they make these kinds of decisions. For the price, that car was an excellent performer!

As far as cars like the Corvette, eventually, the extravagance of these vehicles is going to have to come to a point where it will all come crashing down again. The same thing happened with all of the big block muscle/pony cars of the 60's and 70's. It just is not going to prove cost-effective to build a 500+ factory horsepower car with a big price tag.
 
WhiteStallionGT said:
I'm also kind of sad that they are discontinuing the SRT-4. Cheap turbo 4 banger, looked pretty good also. Those things sold like hotcakes, wtf are they thinking. Not to mention, when done right they can be made pretty fast. They are replacing it with some gay ass mix between a small suv and econo car. It really pisses me off.


The neon itself is being discontinued and its replacement is rumored to have an SRT variant. I don't think it'll be gone long.
 
They might be making way for the new Camaro it might be being built at the plant where they currently build the GTO and our going to use the Goat platform ,who know but its a shame cuz it was a nice car overall.
 
Killercanary said:
The neon itself is being discontinued and its replacement is rumored to have an SRT variant. I don't think it'll be gone long.

You guys are talking about the Dodge Caliber SRT-4. http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/08/aye-carumba-dodge-unloads-the-300-hp-caliber-srt-4/ It will be built in the town I lived in a few months ago which is only 15 mins from my house- Belvidere, Il. They started production of regular models in January. I read somewhere that an AWD verision will be offered later this year! What do you guys think of it???
 
pleasehelp said:
You guys are talking about the Dodge Caliber SRT-4. http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/08/aye-carumba-dodge-unloads-the-300-hp-caliber-srt-4/ It will be built in the town I lived in a few months ago which is only 15 mins from my house- Belvidere, Il. They started production of regular models in January. I read somewhere that an AWD verision will be offered later this year! What do you guys think of it???

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I dont like it. Looks like a Mini Magnum. That would be cute if i had a magnum and my wife bought that or something:rlaugh: No but seriously, i would have liked to see the neon get a 2 door version, and they build they srt-4 off that. The caliber doesnt look bad, i just dont care for that "style" too much. And for it to look similar to the magnum...well...ill just pass and get the magnum.
 

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it was really discouraging to see the GTO stuffed away in a corner at the Chicago Auto Show (whether you like GTO or not, it was still a RWD V8 in a sea of FWD displacement on demand V8 GM's). I know the thing didn't have anywhere near the best styling, but if the price was a tad lower it would have made a great DD. IRS, 400hp ls2, and a gorgeous interior. I would have considered buying a used one a few years down the line (aka after graduating college and finally making some cash) but i'm sure it will be $$$$ like the 94-96 impalas. say what you will about the GTO, but i'd still rather have one of those than a 5.3 FWD impala. BTW, the dodge caliber is pretty ugly in person...a lot of power considering it's a 4 banger, but you should have seen the dodge display in chicago. not a soul looking at that thing and hordes of people around the new challenger.
 
The GTO was pathetic, I mean if you like that sort of subtle styling "Grand Prix/Am" copycat sort of thing.

The SRT-4....hahahahah I don't even want to start.

I'm looking forward to the new Camaro look, the new Challenger, etc. etc. THOSE are going to be some decent rides.
 
The GTO platform has been around for a while... GM is just slow in doing anything.. (I can say this since I work at a Chevy dealership). The middle east has the Lumina SS, which is the chevy badged version of it which dates back to 2002. I really like the Holden Monaro/GTO/Lumina SS, but I think they should have just renamed it something else..

I know that at our dealership, we never have a problem selling Corvettes. If the Z06 wheel problem was fixed, we probably could have sold atleast 2 already.. But Erie is big on Vettes since the roads are crap :bang: