mr-mstng

(08:32 May 24, 2004)
Slow Goat: Controversial styling, high price hobble inital sales of new GTO

By K.C. CRAIN | Automotive News
Pontiac sold 719 GTOs in March and 650 in April.

DETROIT - The Pontiac GTO, a pet project of General Motors product czar Robert Lutz, is off to a slow start.

Dealers say the GTO - touted as a halo car for Pontiac - suffers from bland styling, a high sticker price and no incentives.

"The car is more conservative looking than today's customer expects," says dealer Hugh Fiore, owner of Harbor Motors in Old Saybrook, Conn.

So far this year, Pontiac has sold just 2,451 units. Discounting seasonal differences, that amounts to an annualized rate of 7,300 units - well below Pontiac's 16,000-unit target. GM has a 168-day supply of GTOs, well above the 60-day supply that is considered ideal. A December launch slowed sales of the Australian-built car, says Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson. "Winter probably isn't the best time to launch a rear-wheel-drive vehicle," he says. "However, we're already beginning to see sales pick up with the nice weather."

Pontiac sold 719 GTOs in March and 650 in April.

GM launched an advertising campaign for the GTO in November. Pontiac hopes the USA Network cable TV movie The Last Ride will help spread the word. The movie features the GTO.

Lutz, vice chairman for product development, pushed the Australian car to the United States with only minor changes.

GM engineers reworked the Holden Monaro, giving it left-hand drive and a Pontiac front end. The V-8 received 48 more horsepower, for a total of 350 hp. The exterior received a new front fascia and a spoiler.

Lutz praised the car's "brawny, muscular stance." But many enthusiasts say the reborn GTO lacks the in-your-face styling of the original muscle car, fondly nicknamed the Goat.

"When you come back with a name like GTO, you need something more," says one Detroit area sales manager who declined to be named.

Last week at a press event in Detroit, Kip Wasenko, director of design for GM's performance division, said, "You heard me talking about heritage. That's probably one of the things the GTO could probably use a little more of. But other people find it quiet and reserved because not everyone wants in-your-face, look-at-me kind of style."

Some dealers say the market for coupes is limited, and the sticker is high. The GTO starts at $33,495, including the destination charge. The 2004 Ford Mustang with a V-8 starts at $24,300.

The GTO lacks popular extras such as hood scoops, a sunroof and factory chrome wheels, some dealers say. Rumors have circulated that the 2005 model will have different styling and more horsepower, but GM declined to comment.

Uneven allocation to dealerships may be one factor in the slow sales start. One dealer, for example, says the Detroit area is flooded with GTOs. Hopson says the company has changed its allocation, shipping more vehicles to dealerships where the car is selling.

Some dealerships report brisk sales. Dennis Hadd, sales manager of McNamara Pontiac in Orlando, Fla., says, "All but a couple of our allocation are sold. A vast majority were pre-sold." McNamara has sold about 10 GTOs.

Last year the company said it planned to sell 18,000 GTOs. But Holden plans to assemble 16,000 GTOs this year in Australia. The GM subsidiary can produce up to 18,000 GTOs annually in coming years.

As of last week Holden had built 8,500 GTOs. At least 6,000 are in the United States, and another 1,000 are in transit, GM says.

JeffreyDJ

I've still not seen one out on the road. I had a possible sighting a few months back, but that's it.

How much you wanna bet the Pontiac body side mouldings make an appearance, along with fake scoops, in the next model year?

burningman

is this suprising anyone other than bob lutz?

TMSBrad

I honestly thought they'd sell all 16-18,000 pretty early just because of the baby boomers that had original GTOs and would buy one for the nostalgia of it.

JeffreyDJ

I might have thought that. But for many that remembered the GTO, they were mighty peeved at the way the car looked. Even my brother (who is 37 and was more GM fan then a Ford fan) said it looked like a Cavalier to him.

Bland exterior styling hurt it more than anything else. You'll get the occasional person who'll claim they'd buy performance over styling any day, but most people want a balance there.

I can't imagine nostalgia overcoming that oversight by GM.

38special

Just another GM project done on the cheap. No one is suprised. :nono:

iluvstangs

Wow - That is high!! And, I personally, didn't care for the looks of it either.

- Lori

Galaxie

I tought it would sell quite briskly as well... But I do think the price is a little steep. From what I have read it seems people can manage to get a Mustang Cobra for the GTO money, with more power and looks.

JeffreyDJ

What's so sad about the whole deal, is the exterior (and price, no doubt) is detracting from what is otherwise a good package. Nice engine and a nice interior.

It needs to be about 2-3K less then what it currently is, and at the very least a new rear fascia and update front clip.

TMSBrad

I agree Jeffrey. The GTO is a nice looking car with a nice interior and a good engine. It just doesn't deserve a GTO badge.

Galaxie

Like someone said, they should sold it as the Grand Prix coupe or something to that effect.

Although some people would argue that the 64-65 GTO's were clean and not "festooned" with stripes or fake scoops (where's rhumb ?), the GTO's always had an agressive look to them, even the 1974's. I really think this 2004 model lacks that same character.

Dan

I mentioned that way back when. A two door hi-pow version of the G.P. You could still have the GTP with four doors but this could have been one step up.

GhostTX

Ugly is still ugly. The way they're giving away 2004 Corvettes now, why bother going after a GTO?

JeffreyDJ

They could have made it a bit more agressive looking without fake this and that. Its current form is so soft.

I really like the interior, though

mr-mstng

Agreed Jeff, the interior looks really nice. The ext. does need some styling work....too bland.

I figure that there is a fair number of people waiting for a quick redesign before buying one.

6t7 stang

Well, everyone agrees that the new GTO needs some restyling; I think it just looks like a regular sedan with a big engine, which, I guess, is true to GTO heritage, in that it was orignally just a much more powerful Tempest. But that idea just doesn't sell today like it did 40 years ago.

Nazgul

By the time they get around to upgrading the exterior the whole idea of the car will be dead. There won't be any demand for after-market upgrades and no reason for a second-gen exterior from Pontiac because the verdict will already be final and the car will be on a slab. A shame really. Guess that old Detroit saw must be wrong about "you can get away with a hot engine in a car that looks lousy but you can't get away with a lousy engine in a hot looking car."

I'm just glad the new 'stang doesn't look like a family sedan!

TheWho

the 2004 Grand Prix looks a lot better then the GTO, it has a more agressive look to it, might not have a nice interior and engine as the GTO, but it does offer a few features that the GTO doesnt have. The TAP-Shift is pretty fun and the HUD(Head Up Display). How do I know? Because my dad owns one and it's a great car to drive.

Lord Chabelo

That's exactly what I said when I first saw pics of the car

hatsharpener

this happened with the t-bird (which i think looks great) but is waaaay overpriced...