Make no bones about it, Pontiac's Monaro-turned-GTO will run. Even considering those "factory-prepped" 1960s-era drag tests, the LS1-powered 2004 Goat will gladly put lengths between it and any of its illustrious forebears. Anyone witnessing a race between the '04 and, let's say, a '65 model, would instantly notice what 40 more years of engine technology can do. But that bystander's eyes might slide right past the unremarkable contours of the newer car to feast on the old Goat's figure, and he may wonder: what happened to 40 more years of great styling?
They don't call them timeless lines for nothing, and you won't find them on the '04 GTO. Back in 2003, the idea of bringing a gussied-up version of the LS1-powered Holden Monaro stateside as the new GTO had late-model enthusiasts in a tizzy. Americans already knew what the powerhouse LS1 could do for them. The idea of that mill putting out 350 ponies, combined with a six-speed gearbox, IRS, a killer interior, big wheels, and some diverse color choices, tortured deposit-holding accelerophiles like a Hootie-blasting Sparkomatic. The Aussie connection was ready--GM's job was to swap the Monaros to left-hand drive, modify them to meet federal crash guidelines, and give them an aggressive makeover suitable for the high-tech successor to the almighty musclecar throne. As it turned out, two of the three missions were accomplished.
The 5.7-liter LS1 planted...
The 5.7-liter LS1 planted between the GTO's fenders was given a .479/.467 lift and 196/207 duration at .050 camshaft to accentuate torque output. That cam helps push output to 350 horsepower and 365 foot-pounds of torque.
And with the GTO's mild facelift came bad news: the middle-aged aficionados of original GTOs, assumed to be a large part of the new-Goat demographic, literally aren't buying it. You have to remember, these guys fell in love with the type of '60s looks that defined an automotive generation. So in their eyes, LS1 or no LS1, the Goat's exterior just won't cut it. This stone in Pontiac's shoe has turned out to be bigger than expected, leaving first-half '04 GTO sales at a lukewarm 3,687. (Aggressive marketing and attractive incentives have since helped to pick up the pace, to 5,551 through August.)
But reaching a conclusion about the 2004 Goat depends on your perspective. Unlike Ford fans, we GMers don't yet have the option of buying a 300-horse, $24,000 '05 Mustang equivalent. And unlike the old timers, we young bucks missed the musclecar's age of innocence, replete with a million cool models, crazy engine choices, and an oblivious insurance industry. What we saw were the $32,000-plus final-year F-bodies, so a little more money for a similarly powered, heavier, but much more refined GM product with a usable back seat makes total sense. And GM musclecar lovers who toiled through the great rear-drive drought of '03 see the GTO's slightly vanilla exterior and know that it's a solid foundation to build upon, if not quite a drop-dead stunner. But one aspect of this new Pontiac that almost everyone can agree on is its near-perfect interior. At first glance, with those creamy, leather-swathed bucket seats staring you in the face, it's hard to believe that the entire cabin could be put together as well--but it is.
The red gauge cluster is cosmetically...
The red gauge cluster is cosmetically beautiful, but could use some more instrumentation.
Starting with those seats, you'll find function in the hip and side bolsters and 8-way, slide and tilt/manual lumber adjustments, and form in the detailed GTO embroidery. We're all of medium frames 'round here, but judging from seat adjustability and the adequate amount of headroom, these buckets should fit nearly all shapes and sizes. And it's not just the front-seat occupants that get first-class seating: pop a squat in the Goat's rear buckets and you get good headroom and the kind of legroom that has eluded musclecars for years. We hadn't wanted to spend so much time in the back seats since high school--but those purpose-built buckets would definitely put a crimp in any amorous intentions.
Handsome doorsills are another nice accent; with the express-down window controls located just aft of the shifter, the suede/leather sills are devoid of their usual conveniences; only the vent, door latch, and power mirror adjustments mark up these superbly crafted panels.
This Torrid Red Goat came...
This Torrid Red Goat came with the optional red interior. Quality leather, brushed metals, and superb seating make up the 2004 GTO's cabin. If Comic Book Guy could possibly squeeze behind the wheel, he would deem this "Best GM Interior...Ever!"
Dash meets console near the circular HVAC controls, a sophisticated, uncluttered change from the typical GM fare, framed by a seamlessly fitted metal finish. Underneath you will find the 200-watt Blaupunkt stereo: the 6-disc in-dash CD system is much more skip-free than the Z06's system that we tested a few months back; however, the 'Vette's Bose speakers seemed to be better than the GTO's 10-speaker setup.
Right in front of your beady little eyes is the color-keyed gauge cluster, dominated by a large speedo and tach. Small peripheral coolant temp and fuel level gauges, along with a digital readout, are the driver's only other informers as to the goings-on under the hood. Although very attractive, this cluster lacks the complete instrumentation necessary with a high-performance car. The tilt/telescopic steering wheel feels good in your hands, but its unique four-pronged look caused one editor to complain of not being able to comfortably put his hands at 9 and 3. Other inside gripes were the absence of power door lock buttons and the lack of a dead pedal. But those small objections aside, the GTO's interior is the new benchmark for American sports cars.
Aussie 18-inch rims didn't...
Aussie 18-inch rims didn't make the cut, but the satin-finish 17x8s and their 245/45 tires look great in front of 11.7-inch front and 11.3-inch rear brakes.
And there's more good news once on the road--the GTO's dead-solid foundation is the most impressive aspect of the car. The era of rattling third- and fourth-gen F-bodies and stiff-riding C4s has been over for some time now, but taking this Goat around the block is the exclamation point on GM's goal of product maturation. Nestle yourself in this supreme comfort and you'll find that road noise is virtually nil, and the exhaust is very quiet until it passes 2500 rpm. In fact, the only beef we had (save for an issue with the clutch and shifter, more on that later) was with outward visibility. The driver's view through the rear window is hampered by the trunk and spoiler, and the low roof, combined with the locations of the A and B pillars, makes looking out the side glass very challenging.
But we can overlook that minor shortcoming for this Pontiac's ride quality. The 109.8-inch wheelbase is 8.7 inches longer than an F-body's, and it shows in the GTO's excellent road manners. When the going gets rough there are shades of BMW 3-Series in the FE2 suspension, as the semi-trailing arms, control links, shocks and struts overcome those low-profile tires and 17-inch rims to isolate chunky pavement and railroad tracks. You may have heard that the suspension is way too soft for a performance car, but unless you live at a racetrack, its day-to-day manners will impress.
Breaking from recent GM hot...
Breaking from recent GM hot rod tradition, the GTO's rear seats will actually hold full-sized humans.
GMHTP, however, does live at a track. We welcomed the news of a new GTO along with everyone else, and found it as functionally good as its billing on the open road. But all of those accolades don't mean squat to us if it can't perform at Raceway Park. Englishtown, New Jersey's world-famous strip is a tire-grabbing, headwind-blowing, quarter-mile monster with a penchant for munching drivetrain components like popcorn. RP isn't kind to the most robust vehicles, and our 6,000-mile tester brought with it several concerns: the IRS felt wobbly during aggressive gear changes; also present on this early-build car was the dreaded "suspension clunk" from incorrect, factory-installed rear cross member insulators. A rubbery, long-throw shifter sometimes had trouble finding the right gear, and a very low clutch engagement left us wondering. But Pontiac's new flagship wouldn't get any special treatment from us: immortality comes only from big scoreboard numbers.
To get an idea about rear-wheel...
To get an idea about rear-wheel power, timing, and air/fuel ratio, we strapped the 2004 GTO to SLP Performance Parts' SuperFlow dyno and let the LS1 scream.
For the record, a GMHTP drag test of another early-build, six-speed '04 GTO in 50-degree weather--and on drag radials--resulted in a 13.11 ET. Normally, the addition of sticky meats is pretty much guaranteed to drop ETs, but this car exhibited heavy wheelhop and that same suspension clunk. We gave it a shot with both the stock 245/45/17s and the DRs, and it didn't make much of a difference either way. But in the end the car was on sticky tires and it didn't come from the GM press fleet, so it was an unofficial test.
Unfortunately, with the GTO's second coming came enormous backlogs for the opportunity to review a press fleet car, and it was another three months before this Torrid Red six-speed was dropped off at our Jersey digs. That meant that drag testing would take place in the summer heat--not cool conditions like the previous test. Regardless, we got ready for the track day by spending as much time behind the wheel as possible. Our GTO's power was deceptive, thanks to the 3.46 axle, the performance-geared 6-speed and the torque-tuned LS1. A dyno session found 302 horsepower and 311 foot-pounds churning at the wheels, but go balls-out in the first couple of gears and you'd swear that another 50 horses were on tap. Still, three-hundred and eleven pounds of twist seemed a dubious adversary to 3,900 pounds of car and driver, but with a June 30 track date looming, it would have to do.
We like to keep an eye on...
We like to keep an eye on our test engines' vital signs; this test had an Aussie theme, with the Monaro-turned-GTO being monitored by EFILive on a laptop. Tiny increments of timing were pulled on powershifts, but a lot was pulled due to the intake air temp sensor reading hot summer air.
Test day brought clear skies, moderate humidity, and 86-degree temps. As RP's crew prepped the lanes, new Tech Editor Scott Parker and I prepped the '04 GTO by slapping an ice bag onto the LS1's intake, adjusting the pressure in all four tires to 32 pounds, and connecting a laptop to monitor the PCM through EFILive. This would be my second time down the strip in an early build GTO, so I at least knew the '04's personality. But I didn't know the delicate balance between what the Goat's IRS would take without shaking, and what E-Town's sticky first 60 feet was willing to give. The track was ready, and after being swallowed by those big buckets, I moved the seat up a bit for better clutch feel. The helmet and belt went on, the LS1 spun to life, and the traction control was turned off. I rolled up to the box, performed a quick burnout to clean off the tires, and creeped into the stage beams.
For the first run, I decided to come out on the conservative side to see how the IRS would react. So 2700 rpm was dialed up on the tach and I waited for the tree to drop...yellow, yellow, yel-GO! With more slip than drop the clutch was out, and with it came more throttle. 2.09 flashed with the 1-2 shift, and I snuck a look at the tach for the next six-grand slam. Third was engaged cleanly, the LS1 kept pulling through Fourth, and run 1 ended with a 13.62 at 102.54. With a 60 like that a hot lap was definitely in order, so I whipped the red coupe around for another burnout, another shallow stage, and another 2700-rpm launch. This time the clutch got out fast, to a 2.05 short time. The switchgear felt smooth through the six-grand upshifts, and the timing equipment saw 13.58 at 102.21.
Despite the fact that our...
Despite the fact that our early build tester suffered from the dreaded suspension clunk, the Goat's IRS was able to pull out radar-verified 5.1-second 0-60s and 60-foot times as low as 2.03.
We gave our Goat 40 minutes of cool-down before the next attack. This time a full three grand would be on hand for takeoff, and another quick clutch drop showed the same 2.05 short time. On previous runs, the LS1 didn't seem as edgy, so an indicated 6200 rpm would be used for gear changes. And it paid off: the alloy motor pulled to 13.55 at 102.38, with an identical back-up run clocking 13.50 at 102.17. The next two runs came an hour later, but the independent rear's limit was found at 3300 launch rpm and all that hopping produced 13.52 and 13.57.
While the rumbling exhaust...
While the rumbling exhaust system is an aural delicacy, much has been made of the fact that the GTO's duals only exit on one side of the car. GM will be sending one pipe out on either side of the rear end for the 2005 models.
Two big pieces of the ET puzzle--the approximately 3100-rpm launch spot and the 6200-rpm shift points--had been put together. It was just after noon and although the track was getting slicker, my driving was getting better. Again we allowed a full hour of cool-down time, as the Goat's LS1 heat soaked more than any Gen. III engine we've seen. After the burnbox antics I eased into the lights again and held the tach at a dead-steady 3100. Clutch out fast, First's 2.97 ratio screams to the redline, 2.05 60-foot. Second receives 365 foot-pounds and the BFGs spin. Third comes with more clutch slip than tire spin and Fourth is engaged. Result: 13.45 at 103.38. Three minutes later, a near-identical run results in a 2.04 short time and a 13.44 at 103.40. The Goat was still performing through the heat and the changing track conditions, so it was parked for another 40 minutes in anticipation of what we hoped would be a better run.
After a little pizza and caffeine, it was time to get back to the delicate business of cracking the whip on someone else's car. The clutch still felt a bit odd and the ass end was still clunking on every powershift, but EFILive showed that only half a degree of timing was being pulled due to the false knock. Indeed, the real timing problem that we were fighting had nothing to do with the suspension hitting where it shouldn't; the GTO's computer will start to automatically pull timing when upper-80-degree air intake temperatures are reached. With outside temps at that level, that sensor was seeing 100-plus temps, and top-gear WOT timing was a measly 19 degrees. If only we could have had a cooler test day... Boo-friggety-Hoo, right? Damn the heat, it had already gone a .44, did it have anything left?
The rubber-isolated shifter...
The rubber-isolated shifter should be the first change after purchase.
So I pulled the GTO up for another shot at immortality. A photogenic smokeshow of a burnout ended with the big 5-spoke rims resting in the stage beams. I took a deep breath, selected First, and wound the 5.7-liter mill to 3200. When the tree dropped I knee-jerked the clutch and breathed on the throttle. The GTO's big torque threw my torso back even as the rear wheels briefly spun, but the 60-foot was a mediocre 2.07. Once I saw 6200 on the blood-red tach I slammed Second, with the tires howling in protest and shifting the car slightly to the right. Two-Three could be dicey with the rubber-isolated stock shifter, but it was clean, quick, and satisfying. And as Fourth was thrown home, this freshman flyer sped through the traps in 13.40 seconds.
Naturally, we made a few more runs to try and improve on that time, but it couldn't be done. So I got a few photos, packed up, and began the two-hour trek home to New York City.
302.3 horses and 311.7 lb.-ft....
302.3 horses and 311.7 lb.-ft. were present at the wheels, a bit less than many LS1s that GMHTP has tested. (IRS, my dear Watson?) Also, the tune was ultra-conservative: a 12:1 air/fuel ratio and only 20 degrees of WOT timing leaves horsepower on the table.
Over July 4 weekend, while sitting at a light under the N train in Queens, the GTO's clutch finally gave up. Even though gears couldn't be selected while the engine was running, I managed to get it back to its rightful owners a few days later. Turns out that in addition to the suspension clunk, '03 and early '04-built Goats also had an incorrect pressure plate/flywheel bolt torque spec, which could result in the failure that we experienced. But these first-year hiccups (which Pontiac is happy to warranty) are a minor price to pay for this car. What really matters is that this Aussie-turned-flag-waving American had given its all through a hellish drag test, and gladly sacrificed itself to reach for legend status. Thirteen-forty on stock rubber is impressive in summer heat, but not as impressive as the overall car itself. Many will tell you that the iconic first-model-year 1964 GTO wasn't the pinnacle of looks and performance--it was the start of something great. We feel the same way about the '04 Goat, and GM has big plans for the 2005 model year. A 6-liter, 400-horse LS2 engine, revised bodywork, dual exhaust outlets, and of course, a killer set of hood scoops should burn rubber and warm hearts until a new platform shows up around 2007. So think of it this way: the new Pontiac GTO isn't a legend yet, but it's well on its way.