GT500 the next GTO??

[Squeeler92]

No, not talking about the actual performance of the car or anything, but rather, the status of the car. A lot of present day GTO owners report stories of snotty original GTO owners who do not recognize the current GTO's as the real deal. There are those who do appreciate the car, but many feel that the new GTO's are a disgrace to the name.

Now, do you think the current GT500 will have the same reception from the original GT500 owners? I could see them saying things like, "They just used Shelby's name and that's not a REAL Shelby" or something along those lines. Depite likely being faster and have much better handling, do you think there will be just as many of these disgruntled owners who do not accept the new GT500's?

Not trying to start a flame fest, just some friendly debate here. Personally, I think the GT500 WILL receive the same reception as the GTO from the original owner's. There will be some who love it, and others who think it's a sham and a disgrace to the Shelby name...although I wouldn't care, I'd still get one if I had the money, lol.

 

[WDW MKR]

I don't think anyone really views the GT500 as an SAC production... it's a Ford car with the Shelby name on it. That doesn't make it any more/less cool. Hell, I'd probably save nearly $20k and buy an LS2 GTO!

 

[grimreefer]

HATER!!!













j/k ;-) I'm sure there will be a few classic owners/fanatics that will be every bit as unhappy as some of the classic Mach1 owners/fanatics are about the 03/04 Mach1. Ever hear some of the 2 seater Shelby Cobra/Factory Five owners go off about Mustang Cobras??? You'd think someone had shot their momma. :burn:

 

[NinetySixSVT]

HATER!!!













j/k ;-) I'm sure there will be a few classic owners/fanatics that will be every bit as unhappy as some of the classic Mach1 owners/fanatics are about the 03/04 Mach1. Ever hear some of the 2 seater Shelby Cobra/Factory Five owners go off about Mustang Cobras??? You'd think someone had shot their momma. :burn:

lol it's true, i had some guy in a shelby at a light go off on me for like a minute about how my car was not a cobra blah blah blah. I kept telling him my title clearly states it is in fact a cobra. Then he got mad when the light turned green and gunned it, so I dusted him for the fun of it. Guy didn't look too happy as i went screaming past him.

 

[ElGato]

Ever hear some of the 2 seater Shelby Cobra/Factory Five owners go off about Mustang Cobras??? You'd think someone had shot their momma. :burn:

And then you tell them thier "cobra" is actually a British AC with a Ford V8 and they have a stroke right there on the spot

(I Still don't understand why someone will pay 60k for a kit car :nonono: )

 

[WDW MKR]

HATER!!!
j/k ;-) I'm sure there will be a few classic owners/fanatics that will be every bit as unhappy as some of the classic Mach1 owners/fanatics are about the 03/04 Mach1. Ever hear some of the 2 seater Shelby Cobra/Factory Five owners go off about Mustang Cobras??? You'd think someone had shot their momma. :burn:

I hear ya. The Mach1 owners don't have a single thing to bitch about. The old car was a production-line Ford... the new car was a production-line Ford. They're both pretty sweet in their own right. If I were buying a classic Mustang that wasn't being modified, it would be a Boss.

 

[P49Y-CY]

well at least ford made this car look good

i think pontiac did an awful job in designing that new gto

 

[Squeeler92]

well at least ford made this car look good

i think pontiac did an awful job in designing that new gto

Wow....thanks for staying on topic..... :loser:

And I'm sure there will be many who disagree with your first statement...vehemently.....

 

[Top_Fuel]

The new GTO was destined to get lots of heat...

There were hundreds of thousands of GTOs made in the 60s-70s. If you're over the age of 40, you either owned a GTO or likely knew someone who did. Many are still around and in the hands of enthusiasts. The GTO is unique in that it's generally recognized as the first musclecar (yeah, I know it wasn't...but that's the perception). So the GTO holds a special place in musclecar history. The fact that the new GTO didn't measure up to loyal Goat fans was no shock. A re-badged Holden with no hint of the GTO's original heritage was not going to be well-received by the old-school crowd.

The GT500 situation is different...

First, very few original Shelbys were made. Most are likely now in the hands of collectors and speculators. So it's not like there's some huge grass-roots following of former/current Shelby owners out there.

Secondly, the new GT500 does a decent job of living up to the original. It has good looks and is true to classic Mustang styling. It's also an impressive performer. Even most hardcore complainers can only slam it for its weight and price. For the most part, the new GT500 hits the target.

 

[GTSpartan]

I wouldn't worry too much about the few hundred old Gt500 owners out there that you may not ever run into.

 

[Bert5.0]

No, not talking about the actual performance of the car or anything, but rather, the status of the car. A lot of present day GTO owners report stories of snotty original GTO owners who do not recognize the current GTO's as the real deal. There are those who do appreciate the car, but many feel that the new GTO's are a disgrace to the name.

Because they are.

Now, do you think the current GT500 will have the same reception from the original GT500 owners? I could see them saying things like, "They just used Shelby's name and that's not a REAL Shelby" or something along those lines. Depite likely being faster and have much better handling, do you think there will be just as many of these disgruntled owners who do not accept the new GT500's?

Not trying to start a flame fest, just some friendly debate here. Personally, I think the GT500 WILL receive the same reception as the GTO from the original owner's. There will be some who love it, and others who think it's a sham and a disgrace to the Shelby name...although I wouldn't care, I'd still get one if I had the money, lol.

You got that all wrong. The GT500 is a replacement for the SVT Cobra. And obviously there are plenty of SVT Cobra owners that are disgruntled over what they have heard about the new GT500. "Shelby" doesnt mean much anymore since Shelby sold out and slapped his name on pretty much anything to make a buck. Speaking of which, I wonder how much of the new "Shelby GT500" Shelby had a hand in developing....

 

[svtjunkie]

There are those who do appreciate the car, but many feel that the new GTO's are a disgrace to the name..

thats casue they are. My wife's favorite car of all time is an old GTO and she can't stand the new ones. We had somebody offer her a new one off the lot for like 25k casuse they couldn't get it off the lot and she wouldn't even go test drive it.

 

[WDW MKR]

The new GTO was destined to get lots of heat...

There were hundreds of thousands of GTOs made in the 60s-70s. If you're over the age of 40, you either owned a GTO or likely knew someone who did. Many are still around and in the hands of enthusiasts. The GTO is unique in that it's generally recognized as the first musclecar (yeah, I know it wasn't...but that's the perception). So the GTO holds a special place in musclecar history. The fact that the new GTO didn't measure up to loyal Goat fans was no shock. A re-badged Holden with no hint of the GTO's original heritage was not going to be well-received by the old-school crowd.

The first GTOs were nothing more than a LeMans sedan with a big engine. In my opinion, stuffing a wicked drivetrain into the unassuming Monaro body is a perfect continuation of that concept. People just got pissed because it didn't look exactly like the old Pontiac. Considering all of the retro craze, I was glad to see someone do a modern interpretation of an old ideal... not just make a copy of the old car.

Secondly, the new GT500 does a decent job of living up to the original. It has good looks and is true to classic Mustang styling. It's also an impressive performer. Even most hardcore complainers can only slam it for its weight and price. For the most part, the new GT500 hits the target.

I'm not sure how the GTO cannot be viewed as an impressive performer that lives up to the original. The only fault it can really be given is styling, and that is completely subjective. You can pick up a well-handling 12sec car that is blessed by a proven powertrain and amazing interior for under $30k. Even considering sticker price, it's no worse of a $/hp value than the GT500.

 

[Bluedot_26]

"Shelby" doesnt mean much anymore since Shelby sold out and slapped his name on pretty much anything to make a buck. Speaking of which, I wonder how much of the new "Shelby GT500" Shelby had a hand in developing....

Amen ...

 

[Top_Fuel]

The original GTO has an image among old-schoolers that's bigger than reality. GTOs were never the fastest cars, nor did they dominate the streets...but many seem to remember it that way. Likewise, the vast majority of GTOs were relatively conservative, but the images the old-schoolers remember are tri-power, Ram Air II/III/IV, and Judges with outrageous color schemes.

It's not about what the old GTO was in reality...but I think it's the unrealistic image/perception that old-schoolers have held onto. The new GTO certainly is an impressive performer, but its average looks and perceived lack of heritage were too much for it to overcome.

I like the new GTO, but I understand why there's a disconnect between the old-school Goat lovers and the new generation GTO fans.

 

[Squeeler92]

thats casue they are. My wife's favorite car of all time is an old GTO and she can't stand the new ones. We had somebody offer her a new one off the lot for like 25k casuse they couldn't get it off the lot and she wouldn't even go test drive it.

Sorry to be rude here, but if that's not ignorance, I don't know what is. I think the vast majority of GTO owners were won over AFTER the test drive. I don't think you will find a single GTO owner who think the car looks "aggressive" or "trend-setting", but that's the way we like it....we prefer those in Mustangs, Camaros, T/As, Vettes, etc. getting the tickets while we blend in with most other cars on the road. Also, the combination of comfort and power is matched by nothing else out there for the price. The DCX new line of SRT's comes close, but for the price, they have lost the "bang for the buck factor". There's a reason that Top Gear has reviewed this car 3 different times and fell in love with it all three times. I do agree that it's not a great looking car (if they had brought it over looking like the Vauxhall VXR, they probably wouldn't be able to keep them ON the lots), but the car is amazing at heart. I guess in an American society that's so caught up on appearances, it never had a chance....

 

[WDW MKR]

The original GTO has an image among old-schoolers that's bigger than reality. GTOs were never the fastest cars, nor did they dominate the streets...but many seem to remember it that way. Likewise, the vast majority of GTOs were relatively conservative, but the images the old-schoolers remember are tri-power, Ram Air II/III/IV, and Judges with outrageous color schemes.

It's not about what the old GTO was in reality...but I think it's the unrealistic image/perception that old-schoolers have held onto. The new GTO certainly is an impressive performer, but its average looks and perceived lack of heritage were too much for it to overcome.

I like the new GTO, but I understand why there's a disconnect between the old-school Goat lovers and the new generation GTO fans.

I think that pretty well sums it up. The average looks and perceived lack of heritage are reason I love the new GTO!

 

[Top_Fuel]

The average looks and perceived lack of heritage are reason I love the new GTO!

:lol1: :-D

I agree completely with your points on the looks. Unless the new GTO showed up in a retro skin with gaudy Judge decals, a certain segment of the buying public wasn't going to accept it as authentic. That's a shame because it's a great car.

 

[CobraRed01]

That holier-than-though "ORIGINAL muscle car" stuff is just so much BS. We have a right to carry on the lineage and enjoy the evolution of the beast without undue commentary from the "Old School". Original is cool....rare is cooler.... and original, rare and mint is cooolest....but it's still just a CAR, dude. (That whole AC Shelby Cobra vs. Superformance Cobra vs. FF Cobra vs. Mustang Cobra vs. Shelby GT500 Cobra Mustang thing is just way too funny.)

I think the GTO lost because of its way too understated - just another Pontiac - look AND mostly because the basic platform is/was an Aussie import. Despite being a real tight, solid platform... it has no direct American lineage to the original. It's too bad because the new Goats performs really well for the price. Wonder what would of happened if Pontiac gave it a REALLY aggressive look? Pontiac needed to be a lot more aggressive marketing the car and should have kicked up an aggressive bad-boy image. (How about a commercial with an Aussie and Yank taking turns laying done hundred foot patches? or marketing it as "NOT Your Dad's Goat." They should had some fun with it. Ooops, too late.) I think they could have pulled it off despite the mumbling of "old dudes".

 

[Bert5.0]

That holier-than-though "ORIGINAL muscle car" stuff is just so much BS. We have a right to carry on the lineage and enjoy the evolution of the beast without undue commentary from the "Old School". Original is cool....rare is cooler.... and original, rare and mint is cooolest....but it's still just a CAR, dude. (That whole AC Shelby Cobra vs. Superformance Cobra vs. FF Cobra vs. Mustang Cobra vs. Shelby GT500 Cobra Mustang thing is just way too funny.)

So would you call what happened to the Cougar or Thunderbird evolution then? How about the Monte Carlo? If thats what evolution is, then perhaps its not such a good thing.

I think the GTO lost because of its way too understated - just another Pontiac - look AND mostly because the basic platform is/was an Aussie import. Despite being a real tight, solid platform... it has no direct American lineage to the original. It's too bad because the new Goats performs really well for the price. Wonder what would of happened if Pontiac gave it a REALLY aggressive look? Pontiac needed to be a lot more aggressive marketing the car and should have kicked up an aggressive bad-boy image. (How about a commercial with an Aussie and Yank taking turns laying done hundred foot patches? or marketing it as "NOT Your Dad's Goat." They should had some fun with it. Ooops, too late.) I think they could have pulled it off despite the mumbling of "old dudes".

You forgot to mention the exchange rate changing, pricing the GTO out of the price range that GM wanted the car to be in. Like the SSR, it turned out to be priced higher than people were willing to pay.