I'm at least one Jalop who thought the late-model GTO (at least the 400-hp model) was a fine and underrated car. Sure it looked like a stretched jellybean, but its handling was precise and its acceleration nicely punchy, in a way few domestics can muster these days. So what went wrong? Well, according to GM's chairman of viceness, Bob Lutz, there was a litany of mistakes. First, it was introduced at the end of a design cycle, making it seem dated despite never having been seen on these shores. It was also overpriced and poorly distributed (too many in the midwest, too few in SoCal, where the drift kids are). We're right on board with the Lutz frankness, noted during a video by Automotive News. Maybe a little honest self-examination is all GM needs to get the G8 right.
Bob Lutz Explains Why The Pontiac GTO Failed [Winding Road]
Related:
Chicago Auto Show: Pontiac G8 GT Show Car; Spy Photos: Holden Commodore VE [internal]