# GM plans all-new Pontiac GTO



## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

*GM plans all-new Pontiac GTO*

_*Sales of 400-hp coupe take off*_ 
July 28, 2005
BY MARK PHELAN
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER​
General Motors Corp. will stop building the Australian version of its Pontiac GTO performance coupe later this year, but the U.S. model will remain in production at least through the 2006 model year, and an all-new model is in the works, a Pontiac spokesman said.

After a slow start in 2004, U.S. sales of the 400-horsepower GTO have taken off this year. Pontiac sold 87% more GTOs in the first half of 2005 than for the same period last year.

The car is based on the Australian Monaro coupe, which went into production in 2001. GM's Australian unit, Holden, will drop the Monaro this fall to concentrate on getting a new model of its higher-selling Commodore rear-drive sedan into production. The new Commodore goes into production in mid-2006.

The Monaro and GTO are built in the same plant in Elizabeth, near Melbourne.

The next-generation GTO will come from a new global family of rear-wheel-drive cars, Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson said.

GM insiders say that car's appearance will be more eye-catching than the somewhat anonymous GTO. The new model is likely to go into production in 2008 and will probably be built in Australia.

"The next-generation GTO will fulfill the promise of the current car," Hopson said. "We have every intention of getting it on the street as soon as possible."

Holden will continue to build a version of Monaro for sale in England by GM's Vauxhall unit.


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## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

*More rumors on the 08 GTO*

Pontiac GTO: Due to a gap in production between when current GTO production ends in Australia, and when new plants will be retooled to make GM North America's new large RWD platform, there will be a 12-24 month hole in GTO production. The new car will be a sibling of the G8/Grand Prix, and likely be built on a version of the current Sigma platform (since Cadillac is working on an updated Sigma II platform for their new products)

Source;http://www.gminsidenews.com/index.php?page=future_guide#2008+


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

> GM insiders say that car's appearance will be more eye-catching than the somewhat anonymous GTO. The new model is likely to go into production in 2008 and *will probably be built in Australia*.


Now _that's_ good news!



> *The new car will be a sibling of the G8/Grand Prix*, and likely be built on a version of the current Sigma platform


Now that *sucks!*


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Groucho said:


> Now _that's_ good news!
> 
> 
> 
> Now that *sucks!*


It does suck....... The backlog at the docks continue.... Traffic jams of GTO's being unloaded from the ships continue to pile up and the snail pace release of GTO's for final destination continue to mount. Reason: According to the sales manager at my local dealer..... Customs. Also, when these GTO's are off loaded and inspected, the spoilers have to be mounted on the trunks. The spoilers are illegal in Aussie land, and are not permitted to be installed on the GTO's on Aussie soil. So they must be installed at port. Why can't they be placed in the car's trunk, or back seat and the dealers can install them? This would eliminate one more step in the delivery process, and get the cars shipped faster than the current process. (Does this make too much sense? ) This also is causing a delay, because help is hard to find. Apparently there is a problem retaining employees at the Port of entry as well.....Customs has their hands in the shipping process and hence, the cars are released once Customs clears them. More Bureaucratic red tape. Granted with all that is going in the world a couple of weeks to clear for safety would be fine. However it isn't a few weeks. Customs holds the process up for months. In my case it was 5 months. I applaud Homeland security for inspecting my car for bombs, hidden Taliban, and Alquida , stowaway dingo's etc etc etc.... I was but one of many customers waiting and waiting for my order. I was told that a customer went into my local dealer inquiring on ordering an 05'. There is no way he will receive an ordered 05" GTO by the end of 2005. He was advised to order an 06' so he can have it my "hopefully" spring. That is BULLSH1T!!!! Ordering an 06' to hopefully have it 9 months??? I have read on this board many complaints about various components on GTO's failing and other quality issues. I have been fortunate (knock on wood  ) that I have no issues with mine. The quality of my GTO is second to none. The problems for customers getting their orders begin once it hits US soil. I am not demeaning the workers in the USA either..... There is no logistic reason other than increased profit margin for GM not to build them in the states. With all the backlogs that have been occurring, and will continue to occur, GM still plans to produce them down under? So the nightmare will continue. I was informed by my salesman that a "retro looking" possible Judge is in the works. I told him for 2007-2008 I want to order it now so my 1-2 year wait can begin. It baffles me that GM would not stifle at least one complaint on pre-ordered cars delivered in a timely fashion, and not bring production to the US. I do not want to go thru that ordering, and wait process again. Going out to a lot and finding what one wants, is a crap shoot. I think a 4-5 month wait is reasonable, not 7-10 month. I know all the speculation is rumor at this point, and plans can change, but man, GM has a chance to start the GTO over again..... How bout doing everything right this time. Maybe I'm seeing this all wrong..... :confused :willy:


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## b_a_betterperson (Feb 16, 2005)

The Sigma platform isn't bad at all. The Cadillac CTS (including the CTS-V), SRX and STS are built off of it. The CTS-V is solid. The SRX with the Northstar is outstanding -- flat out smokes the BMW X5. The STS is kind of a pig -- but let's see what the STS-V can do.

Because the car will be built in Australia, the interior quality should be ok -- unless the idiots living in the RenCen get involved.


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## sboylan (Nov 14, 2004)

GTO judge said:


> It does suck....... The backlog at the docks continue.... Traffic jams of GTO's being unloaded from the ships continue to pile up and the snail pace release of GTO's for final destination continue to mount. Reason: According to the sales manager at my local dealer..... Customs. Also, when these GTO's are off loaded and inspected, the spoilers have to be mounted on the trunks. The spoilers are illegal in Aussie land, and are not permitted to be installed on the GTO's on Aussie soil. So they must be installed at port. Why can't they be placed in the car's trunk, or back seat and the dealers can install them? This would eliminate one more step in the delivery process, and get the cars shipped faster than the current process. (Does this make too much sense? ) This also is causing a delay, because help is hard to find. Apparently there is a problem retaining employees at the Port of entry as well.....Customs has their hands in the shipping process and hence, the cars are released once Customs clears them. More Bureaucratic red tape. Granted with all that is going in the world a couple of weeks to clear for safety would be fine. However it isn't a few weeks. Customs holds the process up for months. In my case it was 5 months. I applaud Homeland security for inspecting my car for bombs, hidden Taliban, and Alquida , stowaway dingo's etc etc etc.... I was but one of many customers waiting and waiting for my order. I was told that a customer went into my local dealer inquiring on ordering an 05'. There is no way he will receive an ordered 05" GTO by the end of 2005. He was advised to order an 06' so he can have it my "hopefully" spring. That is BULLSH1T!!!! Ordering an 06' to hopefully have it 9 months??? I have read on this board many complaints about various components on GTO's failing and other quality issues. I have been fortunate (knock on wood  ) that I have no issues with mine. The quality of my GTO is second to none. The problems for customers getting their orders begin once it hits US soil. I am not demeaning the workers in the USA either..... There is no logistic reason other than increased profit margin for GM not to build them in the states. With all the backlogs that have been occurring, and will continue to occur, GM still plans to produce them down under? So the nightmare will continue. I was informed by my salesman that a "retro looking" possible Judge is in the works. I told him for 2007-2008 I want to order it now so my 1-2 year wait can begin. It baffles me that GM would not stifle at least one complaint on pre-ordered cars delivered in a timely fashion, and not bring production to the US. I do not want to go thru that ordering, and wait process again. Going out to a lot and finding what one wants, is a crap shoot. I think a 4-5 month wait is reasonable, not 7-10 month. I know all the speculation is rumor at this point, and plans can change, but man, GM has a chance to start the GTO over again..... How bout doing everything right this time. Maybe I'm seeing this all wrong..... :confused :willy:


Might I suggest paragraphs? I had to manually seperate my eyes after readings this they were crossed so badly...


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## BigNick (Jan 7, 2005)

05GTO said:


> ...new plants will be retooled to make GM North America's new large RWD platform, there will be a 12-24 month hole in GTO production.


Sounds like the 2007 GTO will be just like the '83 Corvette.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

sboylan said:


> Might I suggest paragraphs? I had to manually seperate my eyes after readings this they were crossed so badly...


Might I suggest reading one word at a time?


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

sboylan said:


> Might I suggest paragraphs? I had to manually seperate my eyes after readings this they were crossed so badly...


Actually when I wrote that it, was broken up into paragraphs. For some reason when I submitted it, it was condensed. When I read it on the board I seen it was all run together. Next time I'll triple check it.


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