The GTO is a 4.5-generation Camaro

Two GM aficionados walk into a bar. One pulled up in a sixth-generation Camaro SS 1LE. The other arrived in a low-mileage 2006 Pontiac GTO. The topics of conversation range from opinions on the C8 Corvette all the way back to why the Corvair ended production. The atmosphere is relaxed, and nothing is off limits. Then the Camaro driver drops a bombshell: “You realize your GTO is essentially a 4.5-generation Camaro, right?” Before the fight breaks out, let’s consider the validity of that statement.

Band of Brand Managers

Avid fans of 1990s-era Chevrolet remember a unique mix of good and bad things. We remember tantalizing glimpses of what could’ve been, thanks to Jon Moss and his roster of Chevrolet Special Vehicles. We remember the staggering bureaucracy proliferated by Ron Zarella and his crew of dry goods executives that stacked GM’s ‘Brand Manager’ ranks. We remember the glory that was the C5 Corvette and how it almost wasn’t. We also remember the fourth-generation Camaro and the well-publicized saga of its impending demise.

2002 Chevrolet Camaro SS

The fourth-generation Camaro and its Firebird stablemate were created when ‘old’ General Motors was in its most delusional state. For starters, the corporation projected asinine sales numbers. Then it set production up at Sainte-Therese – a costly and inefficient facility that produced just the Camaro and Firebird in an age when flexible assembly was quickly becoming the industry standard. Even worse, General Motors brass had repeatedly leaked that, because of costs and slow sales, they had no plan to invest the capital required to make the Camaro and Firebird compliant with 2003 safety standards. In other words, the entire F-Body program, the platform that had underpinned Camaro and Firebird since their inception, was doomed.

Maximum Bob Lutz

In reality, General Motors knew it had a problem connecting with consumers. The company’s market share had been dropping for decades, and it barely skirted Chapter 11 bankruptcy not long before the fourth-generation F-Body was scheduled to sunset. In September 2001, GM hired well-known car executive Bob Lutz. Several years earlier, Lutz had helped BMW become the global standard for European sports cars. After that, he cemented his legacy as part of the dream team that took Chrysler from bankruptcy to prosperity. At Chrysler, Lutz had championed winners like the Plymouth Prowler and legendary Dodge Viper. The hope among GM brass and car enthusiasts alike was that ‘Maximum’ Bob Lutz could shake up the bureaucracy of GM just enough to reverse sliding fortunes.

2002 Pontiac Trans Am

When Lutz arrived at GM, he immediately took issue with the fact that the corporation’s supposed performance brand would, due to the cancellation of Firebird, have no actual performance car in its arsenal. Throughout most of its 70-plus years, Pontiac had been synonymous with performance. However, in the past decade, the brand had become synonymous with Chevrolet since, thanks to an overzealous dealer body, it sold a lot of rebadged Chevys. Speaking of Chevrolet, that division would probably do just fine without the Camaro since the Corvette had always been its number one priority anyway.

2004 Chevrolet SSR

RIP F-Body

As expected, the F-Body ended its 35-year production run in 2002. Chevrolet officially introduced the SSR, a full-frame convertible truck, as a spiritual Camaro replacement. But for Pontiac, Lutz had a better idea. For years, GM had teased V8, rear-wheel drive Holden offerings to thirsty American enthusiasts. Lutz decided to act on that interest, bringing the newly revived Monaro coupe to the States as a modern GTO. The GTO hit our shores in 2004 with LS power and a 6-speed drivetrain, just like the 2002 Camaro and Firebird. It was 190 inches long and 73 inches wide, very close to the dimensions of the 2002 Camaro and Firebird. It featured two doors and years of muscle car lore, just like the 2002 Camaro and Firebird. And, like the Camaro and Firebird it essentially replaced, the GTO slotted just below the Corvette in the GM performance hierarchy.

In conclusion, perhaps the 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO was a theoretical Camaro replacement. Especially in hindsight, since Chevrolet is now tasked with peddling all of General Motors’ approachable performance offerings. Maybe our Pontiac enthusiast should just take the compliment instead of storming out of the bar. Let us know what you think!