SadbutTrue said:
the only reason people complain about the GTO's styling specifically is because the GTO SHOULD be a much mroe styled car. Its a legendary muscle car, it should at least look the part. Had they named it anything else, no one would complain. It would jsut be a conservatively styled, powerful sedan. They brought this on themselves by calling it a GTO.
I'm new to the board, though I couldn't help but chime in here. When Pontiac set out to redesign the GTO, they weren't applying the late '60s/early '70s streetfighter formula that the GTO Judge followed, subsequently carried-on by the Firebird. The new GTO was meant to apply the '64 formula- an understated, elegant Grand Tourer coupe. In this respect, I think that Pontiac got it right-- if you were to take the concept of the '64 GTO and trace it along that development progression for 40 years, I honestly believe it would look like something akin to the current 2004 model.
It boils down to this:
Restraint-- what Pontiac did correctly.
Distinction-- what Pontiac overlooked.
The GTO is subtle, elegant, and conservative... whilst looking like a mid-90's Grand Prix on steroids. I've heard people say that it looked like "an oversized Cavalier." It is an example of what happens when you follow a corporate design scheme too closely. I, myself, see a little bit of last-generation Camaro in it, though without that grotesque wedge profile in the hood.
The exterior of the GTO should not be made more edgy or obnoxious. 'Edgy' isn't what the original intent of the Grand Tourismo Omologato was about. If anything, the design should be 'distinctive.' For an exercise in example, let me use this pair of illustrations: an Infiniti G35 is 'distinctive.' 'Distinctive' means "I look very classy, but just boisterous enough to let you know my bite is much meaner than my bark." A Mazda RX-8 is 'edgy.' 'Edgy' means "Yah, I know you want a piece o' this!" Neither design philosophy is better than the other. The important part is CONTEXT. When designing a Grand Tourer coupe, like the GTO, aim for 'distinctive.' When designing a sports car for the tuner crowd, like the aim for 'edgy.'
If a brawny, boisterous car from GM is demanded by the consumer, Pontiac should re-do the Firebird (Requiescat Im Pace, ye Camaro, car of the mullet-wearing-wife-beater). Keep the current philosophy for the GTO intact. Keep the GTO onboard for folks who would otherwise look to BMW's 6 and Mercedes-Benz CLK. Bring back the Firebird, or beef up the Monte Carlo, for the V-8 brawlers.