Spring Rally: GTO and Z51 on the road
After lunch I was really worn out from the track. And i realized I wasn't getting the best feel for these cars in the
everyday world. So I decided to go back on the roads of Wisconsin and enjoy the scenery and open lanes without the
pressure of the track. I took the GTO and the Corvette Z51 out and turned on the classic rock stations that are
indiginous to the area. The weather was finally clearing and it was the perfect setting for a few joyrides.
The new GTO has more horses than last year and snarling dual hoodscoops. But to be honest, it felt exactly like the previous GTO except that it rumbled even more and was very rough at slow speeds. It is an unrefined muscle-car in performance, but the interior is still sharp. Im also happy they deleted the auto-skip shifting in the 6-speed manual. So no more going from first to fourth gear. If I was in the market for a GTO Id go out and get last years model if possible. And I still love the stealth look of this car.
A Corvette is not stealthy. It is curvaceous and beautiful. Even with the tighter suspension
package on the Z51, the Corvette was so much smoother than the GTO it wasnt even close. This is one of the most
engaging and drivable sports cars around and is almost a no-brainer for enthusiasts. I couldnt figure out how fast
0-60 might be since the car was going 70 mph by the time I could glance down. The HUD is a tad distracting at first,
but I got used to it very, very quickly. As an overall package the Corvette is still one of the best performers of
anything out here. Along with the new Cadillac STS I drove up to Wisconsin, the Corvette proves GM can build fantastic
performers on the road.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Walter J Keegan Jr 11:00PM (12/18/2005)
I can't wait till September when this Autobloger gets to take all sorts of cars around the Pocono racetrack at my rally. My envy will only last for a few months.
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Finishing.Law.School 11:00PM (12/18/2005)
"white trash sports cars reviewed" should have been the headline for this post
kudos to gm for adding the nostrils but until it looks like that orange gto that someone linked to in an earlier post i say the gto is for white trash who can't afford the corvette
and please, get a bigger memory card for your digital camera so you can give us photos of the interior and other parts of the car along with the nifty view out of the windshield and old barns
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Slim 11:00PM (12/18/2005)
Yeah, I'm envious too...
The Corvette is my favorite so far of the cars you've driven at the rally, but I've been a Corvette fan since 1988.
Why would you prefer the '04 GTO over the '05 - b/c it doesn't "rumble" as much? Or b/c they have already depreciated into the low to mid $20k range?
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James 11:00PM (12/18/2005)
"i say the gto is for white trash who can't afford the corvette"
I would take the GTO over a corvette, they both are 400HP while you miss out on the Z51 package on a GTO, imo the GTO looks better.
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Marc 11:00PM (12/18/2005)
Was the Corvette a C6? Coupe or vert? There is no such animal as a Z51, only a suspention package.
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Dan 11:00PM (12/18/2005)
A $50k Corvette is white trash? Compared to what, exactly?
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David Thomas 11:00PM (12/18/2005)
slim,
because you won't notice the difference they both rumble a lot. all you're getting is the # to go with it. This thing barely holds it together as is those extra 50 horses just make it more unwieldy.
geeze louise marc, yes a corvette with the z51 package
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Mark 11:00PM (12/18/2005)
So what did you think of the GTO actually driving it? Does the acceleration pin you back in your seat like a an STi does? Also how does the driving FEEL compare to the mustang? I know in numbers, the 05 stang GT is a little slower, but do they feel similar when you are driving along at like 25 and punch it? And yeah, the GTO just sounds downright wicked :D
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David Thomas 11:00PM (12/18/2005)
The GTO feels much heavier than the Mustang but both have the soothing rumble of a v8. But the Mustang doesn't feel like you could lose control at any time like the GTO. Although this year's feels somewhat more secure than last year.
You can't compare the GTO and the STi. at all. The STI is too hard to drive IMO, the wheel is heavy and the clutch feels like a hundred pounds. It performs great on the track etc but everyday is nothing special. The gto has that stop and go launch that can't be beatm but it doesn't handle or grip well. The corvette being the best combination of all things. the mustang a cheaper alternative.
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Rick 11:00PM (12/18/2005)
I really like the new GTO and C6.
The new Z06, with its aluminum chassis and dry-sump lubrication, is AWESOME!
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Duck 11:00PM (12/18/2005)
I love my 04 GTO ! Best bang for the buck!
I went over 153mph the other day, I whizzed past cars like they weren't moving! :-)
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Duck 11:00PM (12/18/2005)
I love my 04 GTO ! Best bang for the buck!
I went over 153mph the other day, I whizzed past cars like they weren't moving! :-)
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Duck 11:00PM (12/18/2005)
The STi steering wheel is heavy and clutch feels like 100 lbs ?!?? Are you NUTZ ?? Have you been driving semi-trucks all your life?
Have you felt the clutch in ANY Mustang ? The STi clutch feel is akin to most typical imports, after a long hard workout at the gym, I can still shift - in a Mustang, my legs tremble like a Catholic school girl in the cold.
If you want the steering wheel feel of a semi truck - go get yourself a new F150, don't drive a sports car, please.
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James W. 11:00PM (12/18/2005)
Duck, are YOU NUTZ? The new F-150 has a small sporty wheel and quite capable handling.
Funny that you would pick a Ford to rag on with your semi truck comment when the dodge and Chevy are much closer to a big rig than the F-150 is. The dodge even looks like a Peterbuilt!
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