Fully independent rear suspension. 5.7 liter V8. 3.46 limited slip. Great agility, crisp handling. Rear wheel drive.
All of that makes for a 346 horsepower Pontiac GTO. Unfortunately, by the time Bob Lutz convinced the bean counters at GM to bring the Holden-engineered Monaro to the States, it cost north of $30,000, making it less affordable than today’s Camaro.
But here’s our question: how did the Pontiac G3 (aka the Daewoo Kalos and Chevy Aveo) and G5 (aka the Chevy Cobalt) qualify to wear the same badge as the brand taglining itself as Fuel for the Soul?
Comments
Horrible planning to bring here without major face lift… the car was probably one of the most generic sports cars of its time, its as if they took a Lumina and said how do we remake a car for the late 80’s.
Great CGI, a lovely chassis, potent powertrain and then its wrapped up in 1990s Chevy lackluster styling. What a shame.
I’ve driven both the GTO and G8 extensively and found them really great driver’s cars. Excellent handling dynamics, fast and fun, blah blah blah… but the exterior styling and, to a lesser extent, the drab interior just wasn’t competitive or exciting enough to attract enough buyers. The prostitution of the GTO badge certainly was not befitting the image of Pontiac from its glory days of the 1960s and 1970s. A shame.
I hope Bob Lutz can get Chevy to reconsider a civilian version of the Caprice PPV. With a more dynamic exterior and upgraded interior, it would be a perfect competitor to the Dodge Charger.
I think the G8 was one of the best looking sedans I’ve ever seen, even compared to some sportscars, it looked better.
Amen to both @Todd and @gm wisdom seeker.
Long live the Monaro!!!