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2008 Pontiac GTO Review
Overview
Resurrecting a legend is never easy. Sometimes it's not even a good idea. Especially when it involves a car with the legacy of the Pontiac GTO.
As much myth as reality surrounds the GTO, from the origin of its name, ripped off an even more legendary car of Italian heritage, to its genesis, a skunkworks-like project slipped under GM's corporate radar with nondescript parts names and downplayed performance numbers. By way of proof of the power of the car's name, counterfeit GTOs have been offered for sale in classified ads and reportedly have even been detected, and turned away, by reputable auctioneers. Against this history, Pontiac has elected to take the chance.
Say hello to the new GTO. Will it make the grade as a real GTO, true to the heritage? One thing is without doubt: The 2004 GTO is by all objective measures much, much better than the original. The jury is still out on the other, perhaps more important, question.
WalkaroundPontiac's stylists confronted a difficult task in designing the new GTO: Rather than starting with a blank computer screen, they began with an existing assembly of sheet metal mostly imported from Australia. They deserve a round of applause, then, for crafting a look that is clearly Pontiac, and especially for doing so without slathering great expanses of plastic cladding along the sides or hanging garish lower trim pieces fore and aft. In the case of the new GTO, understatement has been a good thing.
The front end suggests a slimmer, toned down Grand Prix or even Bonneville, with the split grille bookended by high tech headlights behind clear aero lenses sweeping subtly upward as they wrap around the front fenders. A large air intake fills most of the lower fascia, which also houses fog lights recessed in the curvature of the bumper. Widely spaced wheels give the car a sturdy, planted look. Alas, no scoop disturbs the hood's graceful lines, though Pontiac is studying the possibility of adding hood scoops for 2005 to appease traditional GTO enthusiasts.
In silhouette, the GTO shows evidence of substantial wind tunnel time. From the sleek, aero nose, the outline flows smoothly from the gradual arc of the front fender over the steeply raked windshield and properly proportioned glass house to the somewhat stubby boot, giving the car a mild wedge-like shape. In an apparent bow to the car's muscle car-cum-sporty heritage, a less than graceful spoiler is draped over the trailing edge of the trunk lid. Mild blisters stretch the top of the fenders out over the tires, which leave no wasted space in their circular wheel wells.
The hind end is vaguely reminiscent of a previous-generation Chevy Monte Carlo, the very rounded, Lumina-esque iteration. Save for the taillights, that is, which are accented by a brace of round, white lenses stacked vertically along the outer edges of the trunk lid. The twin tips of the authentic dual exhaust peek out from beneath the left end of the rear bumper. And again, wide tires placed at the outer edges of the car's body give the GTO a look of confidence, of stability.
Driving ImpressionsThe new GTO is supposed to beg to be driven, above all else. And here, it delivers, relegating virtually all its shortcomings to minor irritations.
Americans love V8s, and the GTO answers the call. From its throaty, rumbling exhaust note, to the subtle joy of a barely perceptible rocking movement at idle, to pink slip-collecting acceleration, this one is the real thing.
Clutch take up on the manual is smooth, although strong enough to handle a heavy right foot. And that right foot treads on a responsive gas pedal, with a quick tip in giving ready access to the engine's ample power. Shift throws are short, but could be more precise, especially when the lever is directed toward reverse. Annoying is the first-to-fourth gear bypass at speeds below 20 miles per hour, necessary to avoid a gas guzzler tax on the six-speed manual, but only those sufficiently socially responsible to ever even think about leaving first gear at such a snail's pace will ever notice.
The automatic transmission works quite well, quickly sensing the driver's intentions and responding with the correct gear and shift speed. A big readout on the dash displays the selected gear when shifting manually. However, we were surprised and disappointed that the automatic did not have a better manual-shift feature. While a manual-shift feature seems unnecessary on a lot of luxury cars that it comes on, it seems to be missing in action on this sporty coupe.
Suspension is firm, if bordering on stiff, which translates into fun on smooth, windy roads and short trips, but wearing otherwise. The car plows initially when carrying a bit too much speed into a turn, but this is easily countered with the gas pedal. Turning off the traction control let's a driver hang the rear end out at will. (Pressing the T/C button briefly displays a neat digital graphic that tells the driver whether traction control is on.) Braking is linear, with good pedal feel.
Quick transitions from left to right aren't managed with the same finesse as, say, a BMW 3 Series, but this is no shame on the new GTO. It's not only still far and above its legendary namesake, which did one thing well and never mind stopping or turning, but also better mannered than its domestic competition, the Mustang. Not to mention, it has a real rear seat.
