First time posting here, but thought I'd throw in my 2 cents worth.
I emigrated from Engalnd in 1996, so have little knowledge of 60's & 70's muscle cars apart from The Dukes of Hazzard.
I kind of appreciate where the old school guys are coming from with the its-not-a-GTO-and-should-never-be-called-a-GTO, as I owned a Lancia Delta HV Integrale Evo III - best car EVER made BTW - and when Lancia dropped from the world rally circuit, the car was redesigned, mainly to keep up with style. That said, there were a number of different Delta's, from the vase model up to the rally version. To me, it wasn't my Delta though.
I bought a 2004 GTO in October.
I tested all the others in it's 'bracket' - RX8, G35, 350Z, IS300, WRX STi, M3 (used), EVO, etc.
I took over a year with this, drove each car numerous times, finally settling on an Impulse Blue with blue interior that I paid under $29K out of the door.
Does it matter to me that this car doesn't look like a particular car did 30 years ago? No, not in the slightest.
It's a great car for me, for all the reasons previously posted on here.
It is I would imagine, almost impossible to revive a classic car 3 decades on and expect to keep the old faithful happy AND keep modern enough to attract new buyers.
For me, it's so called bland syling is perfect as it's not a cop magnet, yet I've yet to be beaten from the lights or over a distance, and I include a WRX STi, a carrera and an M5 in all that.
Had Pontiac kept the car after 1974(?), and updated it through now, it would have looked very different but, and I'm sorry to say this, Pontiac aren't in it to keep people happy - they're in it to make money.
Buy one if you like it. Don't if you don't.
PS - I love the fact that only three people in my town have got one!
|