I don't buy into all the talk about Chevrolet or any of the other corporates in a plot to keep Pontiac at bay, that's a bunch of hogwash and likely just pontiac lovers sitting around and bench racing and coming up with conspiracy theories, lol.
It was a direct result of EPA strict emissions compliance and the introduction of low octane unleaded gas. Chrysler, Ford, Oldsmobile, Buick, Chevrolet, Pontiac, they all had to lower compression ratios and change camshaft profiles to meet the new standards.
All this plus the rising costs of insurance premiums is what killed the whole muscle car movement.
It's happening all over again, with the government implementing stricter fuel mileage regulations every few years, with the latest coming in the next couple years, it's causing the auto manufactures to completely rethink their performance platforms,,,,again.
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