The 2004 GTO is Pontiac’s effort to bring back the roaring muscle cars of the 1960s and ’70s. In those days, hulks of steel hid monstrous engines and specialized in painting streets across America with strips of black rubber.
Thirty years after the last GTO hit dealerships, a new sleek and somewhat understated GTO roams the streets. Powered by a rumbling 350 h.p. engine shared by the current Corvette, the GTO will most likely go under the radar of passersby because of its humdrum styling.
“I don’t think it will have the same appeal as the original down the line,” says Greg Grams, founder of Volo Auto Museum in Volo. Grams knows his muscle cars, and he isn’t overly impressed with the modern redux of America’s first iteration.
“If I had to pick one to drive every day, I’m sure I’d choose a new one, but it won’t stick out in the parking lot like the original.”
The Australian-designed and -built coupe may look like a supersized econo-car from the outside, but inside, the GTO scores major points. Decked out in matching color leather seats and suede trim, the GTO resembles an exotic sports car, far from the boring interiors of earlier Pontiacs. RedEye’s “impulse blue” test vehicle featured eye-catching blue seats and door panels. A matching blue gauge cluster sealed the deal, proving this wasn’t just an ordinary car. While the power is substantial enough to please the enthusiast, the solid handling, pleasant ride and comfortable seats will make passengers happy to be along for the ride. The GTO handles city bumps and highway driving with ease and would be comfortable for extended road trips. A powerful Blaupunkt 200-watt, 10-speaker stereo with 6-disc CD changer matches the engine for sheer decibel thrills.
The biggest negatives to the GTO are its pitiful gas mileage and hefty price tag. Advertised as 10 miles per gallon in the city and 29 on the highway (for manual; 21 mpg for the automatic transmission), RedEye’s city-based GTO averaged just over 9 mpg. And it seems Pontiac gets sadistic pleasure from reminding owners of the mileage, as one of the gauges permanently displays how much gas the car is sucking down. Add the fact that the car requires premium fuel, and those gas bills grow exponentially.
A $33,000 price tag also will keep any curiosity seekers far away from the showroom. You can slip into a Mustang GT, Nissan 350Z and Mazda RX-8 for less and pick a number of options before hitting the $33,000 mark.
Of course, practicality should not factor into the buying process of a new, or any, GTO. The limited availability, giant engine and ultracool interior will probably win over enough power fanatics to make it a modern favorite.
Pontiac GTO
Price: $32,495
MPG city/highway: 10/21 (automatic); 10/29 (manual)
Power: 350 h.p.
RedEye road test
Pros: Stylish interior, ridiculous power.
Cons: Price, mileage.
Parking: Even though it’s 6 inches longer than a Mustang, the GTO is not a parking disaster.
What a valet says: “It has a beautiful feel. And there’s a lot of class to it. Anyone driving a GTO probably knows a little bit about the history and understands the meaning behind the name,” says Shane Anderson, who works for V.I.P. Valet at various locations in the city and suburbs.
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale (cdipasquale@tribune.com) and Victoria Rodriguez (vrodriguez@tribune.com)
