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Mr.Goat

66NICK98

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 24, 2004
Messages
47
Location
New Jersey
Corvette
1966 Blue Conv, 1998 Black Conv.
So the Pontiac GTO has the same 400hp engine as the C6 for approx. 35k.

Tell me again why we shell out another 10k - 15k for our Corvettes?

We have better handling you say? If I'm next to a GTO at a light I'll

bet the GTO owner is not going to be saying "but the Vette has better handling"

He will be say "Ha, I have the same engine as you but I paid 15k less!"

Pardon my rant but I hate it when GM does this. However, on the flip side

a Ferrari owner can be saying the same thing about the 75k Z06.

Still, I wish there was a greater difference in the pecking order between the

beasts in the same family(GM).
 
Perhaps that packaging is why the car is $75k versus quite a lot more. This has been done often before, with 'intake differences' (or GM politics) having the non-Vette engines with lower output. While I would prefer the Vette to be unique (better) in ALL areas, the lower cost has its own appeal.

At your virtual light, who has the gearing and weight advantage? Who is faster to the next light? What does that "$15k" pay for in your mind?
:w
 
WhalePirot said:
Perhaps that packaging is why the car is $75k versus quite a lot more. This has been done often before, with 'intake differences' (or GM politics) having the non-Vette engines with lower output. While I would prefer the Vette to be unique (better) in ALL areas, the lower cost has its own appeal.

At your virtual light, who has the gearing and weight advantage? Who is faster to the next light? What does that "$15k" pay for in your mind?
:w[/QUOTe You pay for what you believe in. That's the cost of admission. For that matter you could get a junker and juice it up and save even more. You buy a GTO ,Vette or etc, because of perceived value, ego, and budgetary constraints. I always loved the old GTO's. The new one's are flat out boring. They may have the goods and run like stink, but they look like Grand Am's. They will languish in the marketplace. They are having a difficult time moving them. I wouldn't buy one if they were $40k less then a Vette. That my .02...
 
My brother owned a 1968 Impala with an L-88 427 and a 1971 LS5 454 Chevelle. My nephew owned a 1990s LS1 Trans Am. Using "Corvette" engines is nothing new. The 1950s Corvettes used the same V8 as the Bel Air.

A Corvette is very unique and specialized. Some people need a backseat and some can't afford the insurance. If you don't want to spend the extra cash that's ok at least you can have a little Corvette in your car. The more miles put on the "Corvette" motors the more GM learns about it and improves it. We all benefit from lower costs when GM uses common parts across vehicles.

:v
 
66nick98, I prefer to use a different approach to shopping for just about everything. It's called incremental value. It works like this: I want a fast new factory hot rod and will spend $35k. I decide to buy a GTO. Having made the decision to spend this sum of money I now ask myself what I can get for an additional increment amount. If I am willing to spend about $10k or so more, I can get a vette. So for me it's not about the $10k "saved" in buying the GTO it's about how much MORE this will get me when added to the $35k that I have already committed to spend. What do I get for this incremental amount that is less than ONE THIRD my base committment?
1/ PERFORMANCE: I get the car the engine was built for at the full intended power.
2/ STYLING: I get the latest world class American sports car that is recognized and respected shore to shore north to south etc.
3/ HANDLING: I get an integrated frame and suspension designed specifically for the Corvette and not a hand me down from the grocery getter lines.
4/ STATUS/EGO: No contest. I'm driving a Corvette.

Is this difficult?

No offense intended to GM but the new GTO is an affront to the proud name of past GTO's. It's terribly ordinary looking, built in another hemisphere, and will depreciate faster than you can say "like a rock" or "what happened to the Camaro?". It's just no contest-the GTO is nothing special. Sure, it's a nice car. Comparing it to a vette, though, just isn't a fair contest. If I am already going to spend the substantial sum of $35,000 then the INCREMENTAL $10k or even $15k looks to me like one of the standout best automotive bargains of all time.

Now, if a person has the $35k and no more, has to have the car RIGHT NOW, and doesn't care about status, styling, handling or depreciation then he should get a GTO pronto. He can go around proudly proclaiming that his new car "has the same engine as the C6". ( and precious little else in common I'd wager ) Perhaps it really can keep up with a C6 in a straight line. However, I seriously doubt it. The extra bang for your incremental buck is just phenomenal. It's all about what a person wants. I would drive a new GTO if it was given to me. Otherwise the downpayment, payments, and staggering depreciation would interfere with my saving for a C6. It would not be worth it. og
 
66NICK98 said:
So the Pontiac GTO has the same 400hp engine as the C6 for approx. 35k.

Tell me again why we shell out another 10k - 15k for our Corvettes?

We have better handling you say? If I'm next to a GTO at a light I'll

bet the GTO owner is not going to be saying "but the Vette has better handling"

He will be say "Ha, I have the same engine as you but I paid 15k less!"

Pardon my rant but I hate it when GM does this. However, on the flip side

a Ferrari owner can be saying the same thing about the 75k Z06.

Still, I wish there was a greater difference in the pecking order between the

beasts in the same family(GM).
chevy has been putting "corvette" engines in other cars since the 60s,remember the nova,camaros and firebirds with "corvette" engines with lower HP ratings because of the exhaust manifolds needed to clear the chassis.
 
;) I agree , the new GTO isnot the way I hoped they would look.....Yes it has power, but no STYLE at all....I would rather have a Vette myself.....just my 2 cents......
 
Besides the Corvette (and some may say possibly including the Corvette) the old classics that we all love can not and will not be recreated. This is 2005, not 1969. Today's society won't allow sub-10 MPG. And the American car makers can't be competing with the 15 mpg, they only have the names to hold on to.

Look at the new GTO. Look at the new Charger. These are nothing like their predecessors. Even the new Mustang is a long toss from the 60s. Styling is no different than anything else (clothes, furniture, etc.). New times bring new styles. GM is going to put out what sells. Imagine if they put out a boat-ish GTO like the good ol' days. Sure, us group enthusiasts would love the hell out of it. But a 4,000 lb car just won't fly in these days, nor will it sell. Auto makers can't sell to the enthusiast crowd (us), they have to appeal to the realist crowd (...not us :D). Even with the 400 hp and the new 7 liter coming out they are giving us what we want. But the Corvette can do that I guess. It can deny economy. :D That's a good thing though. Other cars, they can't. Not even the Mustang. Maybe they shouldn't rename them with old classics (GTO, Charger). But that's not our decisions. They are just new cars thats all.

My 2 cents.
 
The GTO does look like a Grand Am. I think GM turned some people away, at least me, when there was such a huge disparity between the first and second model years. 50hp is a big difference. The GTO is close to 35K, which is too much for that target market. I think the new GTO will meet the same fate as the F-bodies. And the GTO is so heavy. Isn't it just a little more than 3700 pounds? 400hp is great but that is too much weight even for that much power.

You can't just throw a Corvette engine in something and say, "It's the same thing as a Corvette." I see a lot of car ads where the seller says, "Corvette engine." My interpretation is that they're implying that since it has a Corvette engine, it will perform like a Corvette."
 
We had a protracted conversation at lunch Thursday trying to figure out how such a tiny car like the GTO could possibly weigh 3,725 Lbs. By comparison, my '79 Electra is 3786 and is a HUGE car with a 350 big block Buick X-motor, TH350, solid rear axle, and a full frame. I don't get it!
 
wishuwerehere82 said:
We had a protracted conversation at lunch Thursday trying to figure out how such a tiny car like the GTO could possibly weigh 3,725 Lbs. By comparison, my '79 Electra is 3786 and is a HUGE car with a 350 big block Buick X-motor, TH350, solid rear axle, and a full frame. I don't get it!
That's a good question. Mind boggling to me as well! :D

My guess would be that it has a heavy duty drivetrain. But so does the Corvette. I really have no idea why it would be that heavy. Well the body is a lot heavier than a Corvette's, but I don't think it would put it that much over the top.
 

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