2056 messages,
Last post on May 27, 2009 at 5:34 PM
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Ford Mustang Forum.
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Ford Mustang, Pontiac GTO, Coupe, Convertible
#431 of 2056 Re: stang22 [danman]
by stang22
May 05, 2005 (8:20 am)
I know we are suppose to be talking about mustangs and gto's,so this will be my last follow up comment on the 300c srt-8!! First of all let me set you straight,you got the 1/4 mile time right,srt-8 wins,and oh by the way,it out-weighs your gto and is still faster,so it just goes to show you pound for pound the srt hemi is kicking your butt,be very thankful the srt-8 is not the same weight as the gto,if it was --man you would looooose big time-they got something hiding in that engine thats for sure!! Second-srt-8 looks 100 times better than the cavalier,grand am,I mean gto-sorry,I keep forgetting!! Thirdly-The srt-8 is a limited production car,and it is the only reason they are making 2000 of them so they don't flood the market and take away from the 300c which by the way has outsold gto's by the tens of thousands!! GTO is not limited to 2000 models,they just plain could not sell them because their plain ugly--looks nothing like a real gto---which were very hott cars!! Now back to mustang,You better enjoy your gto,because mustang is going to be around alot longer and looks 1000 times better than the gto!! Plus the latest news is GM has terminated the ZETA platform for rear-drive,which the new gto was counting on having,but no more,because GM is trying to cut costs,and the gto sales numbers are terrible,and are not selling that good, compared to the mustang,which has INCREASED PRODUCTION TO 200,000 FOR THE FIRST YEAR ONLY!!! Your gto will lucky to get half that number in several years of production,but you don't have to worry about that because they cancelled the Zeta rear -drive program,and thats not good for you guys!!! Either way I hope you enjoy what you got!! You'll see!! Sales figures tell all!!!!
All GM had to do is to do a retro gto from the 60's,and I guarantee you,it would have been a grand slam!! But Lutz tried to do it the cheap,easy cost effective way,gambled and lost!! The public is way tooo smart for that,especially when us baby-boomers remember what the originals were and are,and always will be,and thats most muscle cars from back then!!!! That's why mustang is doing so well,because they did exactly that, they gave the public what they wanted,not what the greedy upper management thought they could get away with like lutz anticipated, He should have went to the public like Ford did,and then you would have had A Real GTO with incredbile styling also!! That's why their trying to fumble around with your current gto by adding this or that to it, to make it exceptible!! Its like trying to throw a life preserver on a sinking boat!! Need to redesign,so it stays afloat on its own,like the ones we use to remember!! They(GM),probably could have got away with it if they named it something else,but please not a GTO!! The name GTO is held to a much higher standard than that and what they tried to hand off to the public as their version--Big Mistake and their finding out the hard way!!!
#432 of 2056 Re: stang22 [stang22]
by sputterguy
May 05, 2005 (8:35 am)
Why did you drag the 300C into this forum? While it can be cross shopped, it is not in the same class as either Mustang or GTO. And why don't you compare it to the Mustang? The same points could be made. Better looking? That''s subjective. The 300C looks like a steroidal Mercedes to me. That's not something I aspire to. The 300C is faster than the GTO? Since many of you claim the Mustang is also faster, then the 300C vs Mustang should be a good shootout. Then you could claim similar performance for say, $15K less.
You say the 300C is outselling the GTO and then turn around and say the 300C is limited production. You can't have it both ways.
You say the 300C is luxurious. I don't know since I haven't checked it out. I can't get by those fender flares which look ridiculous to me. But considering the Mercedes/Chrysler combo I'm sure you are right. The 300C is a luxury car with muscle. The GTO, although I don't think you would agree, is upscale muscle. So where does that leave the Mustang? Economy muscle?
Comparing the 300C to the CTS-V would be more valid.
#433 of 2056 We're off-topic again.
by claires HOST
May 05, 2005 (8:50 am)
Please stick to the topic -- Pontiac GTO vs. Ford Mustang.
Claire
#434 of 2056 Re: stang22 [sputterguy]
by tayl0rd
May 05, 2005 (9:03 am)
You say the 300C is outselling the GTO and then turn around and say the 300C is limited production. You can't have it both ways.
The 300C is outselling the GTO by leaps and bounds. The 300C SRT-8 is limited production, but it's outselling the GTO, too. It costs more, it's heavier, and it only has 25 more HP. But it's still coveted more than the GTO. That tells you something.
The 300C is a luxury car with muscle. The GTO, ..., is upscale muscle.
What's the difference?
So where does that leave the Mustang? Economy muscle?
Absolutely!
And America wouldn't have it any other way!
GTO sales are proof of that.
#436 of 2056 bigger issues.....
by graphicguy
May 05, 2005 (10:14 am)
Rergardless of perceptions of what the GTO or Mustang is/isn't, the fact of the matter is, GM missed the mark with the GTO.
While I thought it quite unfair, the front cover of the Business Week GM debacle issue had a GTO travelling over a cliff to show what ails GM.
The bigger issues prevail for GM. That is, products like the SSR and the GTO have missed the mark (along with plenty of other models). Some will say it's a marketing issue. Some will say it's an issue with GM not knowing their customer. Some will say it's a styling issue. Some will say it's a pricing issue. It's probably all of the above. GM has to add legacy costs to all of their vehicles to cover their mind numbing labor costs. This doesn't translate to better value. It only adds to the cost. Personally, (and I'd have to think I'm the GTO's target market), I thought the styling was too derivative and that the performance should have been better than what 100 extra HP over the Mustang, should have been. While I've got my own beliefs why the GTO and the Mustang GT are so close in the performance categories, this has not been something that is lost on those who are in the market for a ~$30K performance car.
Whether you believe the GTO is a luxury car or not (I don't), whether you believe the GTO is a performance car or not (I do), the fact remains that GM should have known from their lessons with the '04 GTO that something drastically had to be done to hit their sales figures. Clearly, they didn't do enough with just dropping an LS2 in it (which it seems is their perscription to boost sales for many models) and adding some hood scoops. GM had more pressing problems they needed to address to make the GTO what it should have been. They didn't address those.
What's clear is that with the current state of the General puts the GTO (and probably all of Pontiac) at severe risk.
Obviously, Ford (even with their own issues) got the product right with the Mustang.
#437 of 2056 Re: stang22 [stang22]
by danman
May 05, 2005 (10:35 am)
I do NOT have a GTO, had a Mustang whcih was great, too many problems. Contemplating buying a GTO, but have not yet.
The GM Zeta Rear drive program is alive down under in Austraila just not for the US, that kind of stunk.
Certain people are complaining about this 2004-2005 not being a real GTO etc. Hate to tell you but the 1964 and 1974 were NOT real GTO's then either. 1964 was a rebadged Lemans and 1974 was a rebadged Ventura. Knowbody complains about the 1964 though. The 2005 is the most powerfull, fastest, best handling, best braking GTO ever MADE! I think that more then speaks for itself. Yeah it would have been nicer to have better styling, but it's not ugly. It looks like other Pontiacs, just like the 1964 and 1974 did!
The 1973 and 1974 did not sell well at all either, only about 7,000 to 10,000 each. Oh well.
Next years Mustang supposed to be fastest one every made too, the GT500.
#439 of 2056 Re: Ford isn't doing much better then GM graphicguy [danman]
by graphicguy
May 05, 2005 (11:10 am)
I agree....Ford has their own issues. But, I think they are moving in the right direction. They asked their customers what they wanted in the Mustang and then proceeded to provide it. It's almost like GM didn't care what their customers thought about what the "new" GTO should or shouldn't be.
Focusing on trucks is something both GM and Ford did way too much of. I think everyone knew that a "spike" in gas prices would hit them like it has.
Ford seems to be more willing to make the tough "cuts" where they are needed. The Jaguar X model is the latest to be cut.
Ford has done more to leverage "good platforms" against the duds.
Ford has another "hit" on their hands with the Escape Hybrid.
While I wouldn't want to be in either GM's or Ford's shoes right now, if I had to choose between what model would or would not survive between the Mustang and GTO, I feel very comfortable where the Mustang is as opposed to where the GTO is.
#440 of 2056 Re: bigger issues..... [graphicguy]
by danman
May 05, 2005 (11:22 am)
Monaro and Holden are very good selling cars in Austrailia though. Too bad we couldn't have the Holden division here. El Camino's there, 4 door version of the GTO etc. What if it was a great hit? Obviously it wasn't. Look at the Mercury Marauder and Retro T-bird, same thing. Cancelled do to lack of sales! Mercury failed to market and promoto the Marauder as well. Almost like they wanted it to fail Like GM with the GTO. Pontiac has sold more vehicles this year then Buick has if that is of any consolatin.