GTO Beats out Cobra - or so sez R&T

[03CobraBro]

Originally posted by svt46sc
You have nothing to be sorry about. At first glance I thought it was a Cavalier with a body kit. An ugly body kit. Hell, even that POS looks better than the Judge concept, though. Maybe it's just me, but why does everybody want to turn the GTO into a ricer-wannabe?

I think part of the reason they're trying to make it appear "ricey" is because GM is trying desperately to attract a younger audience than the F-body did... Supposidly part of the reason the Mustang had always outsold the Camaro/Firebird, is because while the Mustang was constantly attracting the interest of new blood, the Camaro and Firebird pretty much had the same following since it originated in the late 60's. So I think what is happening with this GTO, and what seems to be a jab at this "New age" style is an attempt to attract a younger audience. Only problem is GM, to my knowledge, does not offer a V6 GTO, which means as long as the damn thing is priced as much as a Cobra, they're going to have a hard time attracting that younger audience.

 

[03CobraBro]

All in all though I think its just another flavor of the week thing. High praise the Terminator got when it first appeared, then the 350Z came along, and they talked about how superior it was to the Cobra, then it was the EVO, then the STI, and now the GTO... I wouldnt pay the least bit of attention to mag articles. Sometimes they get lucky and do actually hit things close to the mark, but for the most part thats a rarity.

 

[SVT4J]

We had a 64 GTO when I was growing up. Back then, the GTO was a force, a brute, a name that meant something. I hate that the General is trying to use the name on a car that is not deserving of the moniker. It may be a nice car, but it doesn't deserve the GTO badge.

 

[KOOY]

th 03' is much much more good-looking than the gto... with all my respect, I think the new gto looks like a sedan or a mazda 3..

 

[elmo0244]

bs f@#k a gto

 

[CobraBob]

Originally posted by 03CobraBro
I think part of the reason they're trying to make it appear "ricey" is because GM is trying desperately to attract a younger audience than the F-body did... Supposidly part of the reason the Mustang had always outsold the Camaro/Firebird, is because while the Mustang was constantly attracting the interest of new blood, the Camaro and Firebird pretty much had the same following since it originated in the late 60's. So I think what is happening with this GTO, and what seems to be a jab at this "New age" style is an attempt to attract a younger audience. Only problem is GM, to my knowledge, does not offer a V6 GTO, which means as long as the damn thing is priced as much as a Cobra, they're going to have a hard time attracting that younger audience.

I don't see them attractng many young drivers with a limited production vehicle like the GTO. The Mustang has always been a mainstream vehicle available to the masses along with good marketing. The GTO is a good product but has very limited availability. And like you said, it isn't cheap. GM is still focused on the 30 and up group. I'm not convinced they're even trying to attract the young crowd. There's too much money to be had selling SUVs, and the new Impala is a success. They surely have nothing to compete with the Mustang, and probably never will. JMO.

 

[super-roo]

i asked the GTO what it thought, and it said to me, "i don't care what the Cobra thinks or how much the Ford boys bash me..."

" I will improve year by year , and I am not going away any time soon."

:beer: so there you have it folks, the GTO might have slow sales to begin with , but since its costing GM F-all to import it, it doesn't really matter that much..."

it will grow on people , i feel the dark side of the force is strong in here but,,, oh well , you sound like pretty cool guys(and gals) anyhoo... :-D

 

[gnxs]

Nice drivetrain in an ugly car. Before I traded in my WS6 Formula, I took a peek at GTO's before getting my Cobra. Too plain looking for me. When I see them on the street from a distance I have to look them over for a few seconds to figure if it's a Cavalier, Grand Prix, etc.

A dealership near me had 9 GTO's on the lot when I passed by Friday.......Oh yea, they had those same 9 when I passed by almost a month ago. I'd be very surprised if they're selling well.

 

[03 Red Cobra]

I've yet to see one on the road yet and every Pontiac dealer around here still has them sitting on their lots collecting dust.

 

[AtomHeart]

Its all very sad, actually. I had GREAT hopes for the GTO, not only because of the name, but because of the similar hushed respect that a Holden Minaro carries. I figured if they were bringing these two cars together, they had an automatic slam dunk. They must have thought that too, because they didn't even TRY to make it something special. They are resting on the coattails of two legends, and not trying to give this car any specific merit of its own. I, for one, am PRAYING that changes in the next couple years, not only because it SUCKS to see a name like GTO on a ho-hum vehicle, but because we need some honest competition from GM to keep Ford honest.

 

[SSlayer96]

GTO better car than Cobra:lol: :lol: :lol:

The performance on them is crap, and I mean 3 bus lengths back crap.

 

[OnesmokinSS]

It will be GM's Mercury Marauder. It seemed like a good idea but didn't sell for shit.

 

[AtomHeart]

Exactly! Even with rumors of a Supercharged Marauder coming out...its just too little too late. People want NEW cars when a new car comes out. They dont want a rebadged version of some other car. It's very hard to convince someone that the car is new if you dont totally redesign, specifically for the car being produced.

I think its very notable that they had to use the "Point System" to get the GTO to beat the cobra, because if they just compared actual data, instead of subjective point ratings that they can lie about for cash from GM, the Cobra beats the GTO in every possible catergory. Neat trick Road & Track!!!

 

[ShelbyGuy]

this just means that this particular issue has more pontiac ads than ford ads. wake up.

 

[Orange Poison]

New GTO...:xpl: plain and simple



'65 GTO on the other hand...:coolman:

 

[Blue03Cobra]

Originally posted by Zinc03Cobra
great.. now I'm sure some GTO owners will love this and think they can take me. wonderful, just another kill to come.

Ditto. And the STi and Evo and etc., etc...

Keep 'em coming :coolman:

 

[JoeNashville]

I read the article specifically because of this thread.

I'm looking at it for what it is. The people who write for the magazine are beginning to get out of the preferred age range for the Cobra. The GTO is a big soft family sedan with a hotter version of the same corporate V8 that they've been using for years. As we get older, most of us will tend to want a softer, cushier ride than when we were younger.

To me, they are just aging and don't see the Cobra for what it is...a rough and ready muscle car that wears its street credentials on its sleeve.

It's quite obvious that they are not drag racers. I go to the drag strip about once every two years, and I beat their 1/4 mile time by two tenths...with what I found out to be the totally wrong technique. They test cars for a living, and they did worse...? Didn't somebody else get mid twelves out of a stock 03?

Anyway...my point is, the article writers are into the age bracket where they prefer something a little less edgy. They admitted that the Cobra felt more powerful than the GTO, but they rated the GTO much higher in the pansy departments like styling and interior fitment and accoutrements.

Somebody else hit it on the head earlier in this thread...about how the magazines take the newest car on the market and puff it up really big...it generates newsstand sales. The Cobra was on every magazine cover when it was new and the mags FLEW off the shelves. Now it's the GTO, could we really expect them to behave any differently...? They are in business to sell magazines, not necessarily to perform scientific testing on equipment.

I also had high hopes for the stateside version of the Holden Monaro. That car is 100% badASS down under, and regularly beats up on Ford Falcons (which are really hot cars in their own right...I think they have updated versions of the 351 Cleveland or perhaps even a production 351 SVO mill). To see it turn into another vanilla flavored bouldevardier is...disappointing.

I'm not partisan, really. I just like fast equipment. Right now the Cobra is the poison of choice.

 

[NIELSTTCOBRA]

i personally love everything about the cobra interior. i know the seats are a little pinched for some, but i love them. comfortable as heck for me.

i actually think the front of the new gto looks okay, its the rest of the car that looks like crap.

13.5 is such a bs time. i ran a 12.8 bone stock no powershifting. bastards.

 

[frank3si]

CarpetCityCobra you're exactly right - in fact, the R&T article even praises the GTO for being more of an "adult" car. Of course, I'm 48 and going to Ozzfest next month, so I guess that makes me permanently stuck in Beavis world - but at least I have a Cobra to go along with my immaturity! :thumbsup: The grown ups can have their GTOs - it's all a state of mind anyway ;-)

Frank

 

[FKing1]

Dealers have a 6 month supply of GTO's in their lots. That says it all. For R&T, if it isn't a BMW, it's no good.
Fred K.