New Car Review of the 2004 Pontiac GTO Mid-Size Coupe

Description: Mid-Size Coupe
Base MSRP Range: $31,795
Invoice Price Range: $29,410

Pontiac's original GTO led the muscle-car craze in the Sixties and ultimately accounted for more than half a million units sold.

The new GTO borrows the shapely two-door body of a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) Monaro coupe built by Holden, a GM subsidiary in Australia. Then it's spiked with a 5.7-liter V8 Corvette engine cranked to 340 hp, plus 'Vette transmissions from a heavy-duty four-speed automatic or close-ratio manual six-speed. Expect mechanical gear oriented for performance with a limited slip differential, four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock brake system (ABS) and traction controller (TCS).

A 2+2 cockpit shows bolstered buckets in color-coordinated leather, a steering wheel in satin-finish chrome, plus metal pedals and a premium sound system with ten speakers and six-disc CD switcher.