Just heard on CBS "Up To The Minute" morning news show that GM was bringing back the 60's muscle car GTO for the 2004 model year.. Anyone else heard anything about this? Maybe a replacement for the discontinued Camaro/Firebird platform?

Here is a picture that I found after a quick search.
Steve


[img]http://www.drive.com.au/PHOTOS/PHOTO400/AUS/HOLDEN/MONARO/2001/2CO.JPG[/img]

IT LOOKS LIKE A HONDA!

just like every other car on the road.
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That is the 60's muscle car huh?? Man was I fooled when I bought that '68 GTO, don't look nothing like that thing. It is truely a shame that Detroit muckety-mucks see fit to desecrate legends at every turn. With an import no less, WTF??? Hows about we try the old body style out with some new tech stuff, think LS6 engine (compliments of the Corvette Z06), upgraded suspension........

Lord. Is nothing sacred to these people?

That is NOT!!!! the GTO I saw at the Chicago auto show.

It looked more like this:

[img]http://scgg.simplenet.com/gifs/pontiac_gto5.jpg[/img]

Av.

Two words... BOB LUTZ

He ain't gonna let it be no panty waist car...

Who's Bob?
(Can you say VIPER)
(Once he was director of BMW M)
Need I say more?

M4-AK

That's more like it.

Is it rear wheel drive? I have a hard time using the words muscle car and front wheel drive in the same sentence.

Here we go:

[img]http://members.telocity.com/~avalon01/ford_gt.jpeg[/img]

The NEW GT 40.

That is the car I saw at the auto show.

Pontiac is giving many of their cars the "GTO" badge. Kinda like how Doge has all of the "R/T" badged cars.

Av.

Edit:  Uhh... got my brands mixed up. I'm not a car guy.

Isn't that the Ford GT40?

Interesting, your pic of a Holden Monaro looks just like this pic of an Opel (German GM division since the 1920s) Calibra

[img]http://users.raketnet.nl/rene.welling/images/Calibra-geel_uitgebouwd.gif[/img]

The GT40 is still concept car, but the specs look nice:

[b]GT40 CONCEPT TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS[/b]

Construction

Aluminum spaceframe, unstressed composite body

Dimensions

Length: 181.6 in (4613 mm)

Width: 76.8 in (1950 mm)

Height: 43.5 in (1106 mm)

Wheelbase: 106.7 in (2710 mm)

Track width, front: 64.4 in (1636 mm)

Track width, rear: 65.0 in (1650 mm)

Engine

5.4-liter, DOHC 32-valve, supercharged and intercooled MOD V-8 Aluminum block and heads

Horsepower: 500 @ 5250 rpm

Torque: 500 lb-ft @ 3250 rpm

Bore: 3.55 in (90.2 mm)

Stroke: 4.17 in (105.8 mm)

Compression ratio: 8.5:1

Horsepower/liter: 88.9

Fuel requirement: 91 octane

Fuel capacity: 28.4 gallons

Transmission

RBT 6-speed transaxle

Ratios:

1st 2.86:1

2nd 2.06:1

3rd 1.47:1

4th 1.18:1

5th 0.958:1

6th 0.740:1

Reverse 2.86:1

Final drive ratio: 4.22:1, limited slip

Suspension

Front: Unequal-length control arm, push-rod/bell-crank system with longitudinal/horizontal spring-dampers

Rear: Unequal-length control arm, push-rod/bell-crank system with longitudinal/horizontal spring-dampers

Brakes

Alcon 6-piston monoblock calipers

Ceramic-based "Ceratec" friction material, 11.5 in2 (74 cm2) per pad

Cross-drilled Alcon discs, 15.0-in (380 mm) diameter, 1.5-in (32 mm) width; 48 curved-vane design for enhanced cooling, lightweight aluminum hats

Wheels and Tires

Front Rear

Wheels: 18" x 8" 19" x 10"

Tires: 245/45R18 285/45R19

Construction

Aluminum spaceframe, unstressed composite body

Dimensions

Length: 181.6 in (4613 mm)

Width: 76.8 in (1950 mm)

Height: 43.5 in (1106 mm)

Wheelbase: 106.7 in (2710 mm)

Track width, front: 64.4 in (1636 mm)

Track width, rear: 65.0 in (1650 mm)

Engine

5.4-liter, DOHC 32-valve, supercharged and intercooled MOD V-8

Aluminum block and heads

Horsepower: 500 @ 5250 rpm

Torque: 500 lb-ft @ 3250 rpm

Bore: 3.55 in (90.2 mm)

Stroke: 4.17 in (105.8 mm)

Compression ratio: 8.5:1

Horsepower/liter: 88.9

Fuel requirement: 91 octane

Fuel capacity: 28.4 gallons

Transmission

RBT 6-speed transaxle

Ratios:

1st 2.86:1

2nd 2.06:1

3rd 1.47:1

4th 1.18:1

5th 0.958:1

6th 0.740:1

Reverse 2.86:1

Final drive ratio: 4.22:1, limited slip

Suspension

Front: Unequal-length control arm, push-rod/bell-crank system with longitudinal/horizontal spring-dampers

Rear: Unequal-length control arm, push-rod/bell-crank system with longitudinal/horizontal spring-dampers

Brakes

Alcon 6-piston monoblock calipers

Ceramic-based "Ceratec" friction material, 11.5 in2 (74 cm2) per pad

Cross-drilled Alcon discs, 15.0-in (380 mm) diameter, 1.5-in (32 mm) width; 48 curved-vane design for enhanced cooling, lightweight aluminum hats

Wheels and Tires

Front Rear

Wheels: 18" x 8" 19" x 10"

Tires: 245/45R18 285/45R19

Chicago auto show rep said the GT40 IS going into production in the 2004 model year.

Av.

Now if they really made them the same as in the 60's they would have something there.  

It's an IMPORT, so a GTO in name only, in reality it is a POS. And they replaced an American car with it (Firebird) and more importantly American jobs.

I had the original 1964 GTO.
2-dr. hdtp.
389 TriPower.
Muncie close-ratio 4-spd.
2.7:1 Saf-T-Trak diff.
Blue on blue.

That combination of engine/gears was a trip.
It was both quick AND fast.

I never lost a street race and I never got a ticket in that car!
Sold it to a kid who promptly stoved it up completely within 2 weeks...
What a waste.

As a current F-bod owner, let me say this:
The new GTO will rock!

Sure the Holden bodywork looks a bit plain, expect Pontiac to make it look more like the classic GTO.

But here's the important stuff:
LS1, 5.7 L, 320 HP listed (but dynos are showing about 360 HP at the crank)
T56 tranny, 6 speed (same as in the Viper too)
This is the same setup in the current base Vette and V-8 F-bodies.

18" wheels
Rear wheel drive
And most importantly to me: 4 wheel indy suspension.

Cost might be a problem. Estimates now are in the $35-45k range. Too pricey if you wanted to get a F-bod replacement.
And while the Ford GT40 might kick ass, what are those going to run? $80k+

I'm excited about the new GTO. Bob Lutz is at least trying to put GM on the right track.

check www.ls1.com for more comments.

That last two years of the GTO looked like a disgrace.  I have only seen one copy of each on the road and I'm sorry I did.

GTO RIP

Edited to add:
I hope to get a 64 Tri-power before fossil fuels disappear from the face of the earth.

IF they are going to produce a yellow RICE BURNER and call it the GTO well they can drive it... I guess my Quest for the 65 GTO continues..  There is only one GTO anyway. Just like there is only ONE Cobra II.. Now if they want to design muscle cars they can just design new ones.

Benjamin

Holden is the AUSTRAILIAN branch of GM. They have never stopped building rear drive V8 sedans. There are no smog laws in Austrailia. They are NOT rice burners. They are more like traditional American cars than the American automakers make.

And when it gets here it will not be wearing that bodywork- it will get a Pontiac specific bodywork.

And YES stratsanddaks it is rear wheel drive...

dosen't matter where the hell its built, if its not built here then its a slam against the American auto worker. Why not American cars built by Americans, is that so hard for GM to do ?