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Autoextremist: Look for 2009 Firebird

2K views 7 replies 8 participants last post by  flyinglow57 
#1 ·
http://www.autoextremist.com/page6.shtml#table

GM, Pontiac. The GTO will be be discontinued at the end of this model year, with the last deliveries arriving at dealers by the end of September. The reasons behind the GTO's demise are many, but ultimately it came down to the fact that the architecture that the car is based on (from GM's Holden division in Australia) is going out of production in preparation for the company's newly revised ZETA RWD program. The GTO was one of the first things that Bob Lutz did to jump-start the Pontiac Division when he came on board at GM. Even though the plan was well-intentioned, the GTO suffered from unfair comparisons to the original GTO (not that any of the hard-core GTO enthusiasts could actually define what a modern GTO should look like), among other things, but the biggest problem for the car from our perspective was that it just cost too much money. If GM could have brought the car in for the mid-$20,000 range at intro, it would have taken off, big time. We made no bones about the fact that we loved the GTO, and the plain looks of the car never bothered us. After all, the original was a Pontiac Tempest with dog-dish hub caps and a couple of fake scoops in the hood, about as bland of a car as you could get back then. But the proof of the original was in the performance, just like the current GTO, which, if you haven't driven one you're missing out, because it is simply a blast to drive. The current car also has one of GM's finest interiors, and we find the overall package to be outstanding, which is why we called the GTO our Autoextremist "High-Performance Value of the Year." The retirement of the GTO presents a real quandary for the Pontiac Division, as the GTO is really the only other car besides the Solstice that is true to the brand's mission within GM's divisional structure. Pontiac had a narrow window of opportunity with the car, but now that's gone, which is a shame. So if you like RWD high-performance, you owe it to yourself to check out the GTO before it disappears. And by the way, Pontiac enthusiasts shouldn't give up on the brand just yet, as there is a RWD performance car coming for the division. After the new Camaro makes its street debut as a 2008 model, watch for an all-new Pontiac Firebird to debut 12 months later as a 2009 model. You read it here first.
 
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#3 ·
Like I've said before. Concerning the Firebird, if it's not coming out of Scott's mouth I have a hard time believing it. But I'd love to see it.
 
#5 ·
At this point I see more of a business case for GTO returning than Firebird.
But I'd love to see Firebird come back rather than GTO.
Hell I'd love to see BOTH come back.

For Firebird to be successful, it really would need to be ALOT different than Camaro, and that much difference makes more sense for GTO I think.

But I guess we'll just have to wait and see!
 
#6 ·
i have no problem with the Firebird coming back as a car that is not directly copied from the camaro. but unfortunately, i don't see that happening. GM needs to make good mass market cars that sell, not niche cars that really don't bring in alot of sales. and i really don't see the base firebird coming back for some reason, maybe just the T/A. a V8 solstice would be enough for me tho
 
#8 ·
i dotn care what its called. as long as GM comes out with a rwd fast car and it looks nice. in the past i have liked the "off brand" like the firebird. or sonoma. i like pontiac cars and GMC trucks better then the main brand chevy. just like to be differeint i suppose. plus the make them a lil more refined.
 
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