The Pontiac GTO arrives...

Giving the public its first look at the rebirth of a legend, Pontiac (General Motors' "excitement division") introduced show car versions of the 2004 GTO to audiences at the Los Angeles Auto Show and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit simultaneously.

It's been a long time coming, and the hype has reached fever pitch leading to the car's US debut, such is the Potiac GTO's popularity in America.

"This latest GTO will carry on the proud tradition of a legendary line," said Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman of product development.

It's also a well-known fact that the car is essentially a mildly tweeked Holden Monaro CV8, albeit with a higher level of tune for the 5.7-litre Gen III V8, minor cosmetic changes and of course it's now left-hand drive for the American market.

The original Pontiac GTO was built in 1964 and many will be quick to tell you it was the vehicle that kicked off the muscle car revolution. As such, a 21st century GTO had to set benchmarks, as Lynn Myers, Pontiac's general manager stated.

"We considered bringing the GTO back a number of times, but we never had the right product," said Myers. "We knew it had to be a V8, rear-wheel drive and offer outstanding performance, but, until GM's leadership team looked at the Holden Monaro, nothing really fit."

Indeed, after just one drive of the Monaro in February of 2002, Bob Lutz gave it the big rubber stamp of approval, and now some 20,000 units will be built per year, with roughly 18,000 of them destined for the US.

"The public's interest in the GTO has been everything we hoped it would be, and more," said Bob Lutz. "This car is a strong statement from both Pontiac and GM that we are determined to re-energize the car market with vehicles that command the customer's attention and excite their senses."

Apart from the new front fascia treatment and GTO badging, the only other major changes occured in the engine bay.

Making use of GM's famous 5.7-litre V8, the GTO makes some 340bhp at the crank, or 253kW, @ 5200rpm. Furthermore, torque has been bumped up too, with some 360 lbs.-ft. torque @ 4000 rpm, which converts to about 490Nm.

The extra punch is liberated from the V8 mill via changes to the intake and exhaust systems, and also the fitment of a lumpier, high-lift camshaft, essentially actuating valves differently compared to the Monaro, making for improved combustion.

Pontiac PR-types claim the new GTO will sprint from 0-100km/h in less than 6.0 seconds, which is understandable when you consider that the increased power is put to the ground via a six-speed transmission sourced from the Corvette.

A close ratio jobbie, it is expected to offer much better takeoff compared to the six-speeder offered in the Monaro, which is often criticised for having overly tall ratios. An electronically controlled Hydra-Matic 4L60-E four-speed automatic is also on offer.

Both manual and auto models get a limited slip differential and a three-channel traction control system designed to help enhance vehicle control.

The GTO is also expected to run the quarter-mile in approximately 14.0 seconds at a speed of 105 mph, or 169km/h. The top speed of the vehicle is estimated to be about 160 mph (257km/h).

Inside, the car looks very much like '03 CV8 Monaro, right down to the new instrument cluster, centre console and four-spoke steering wheel, first seen on the new VY Commodore. The GTO seats four adults in 2+2 bucket seats and customers can choose between standard leather seats in black or color-coordinated to several exterior colors.

Sporting a special high-gloss paint in red and yellow, the GTO show cars exhibit strong Pontiac brand character with a signature dual-port grille, which differs to the Monaro's.

The show cars ride on 18-inch alloy wheels (from the 2003 CV8 model) but the final spec GTO's are expected to ship with 17-inchers.

Stopping power is supplied by power-assisted four-wheel ventilated disc brakes with a standard four-channel anti-lock braking system.

Additional standard safety features include: dual front air bags, side air bags, three-point seat belt systems at all seating positions and an Emergency Mode, which automatically shuts down the engine, turns off the fuel pump, unlocks the doors and turns on the dome light any time the air-bag system is deployed.

It's big news for both Pontiac and General Motors, and you can be sure that Holden types will be grinning from ear-to-ear too.

It'll be interesting to see how the American motoring media receive the new Pontiac, but even shabby write-ups won't stave off the thousands of muscle car fans who've been hankering for the GTO nameplate for some 30 years.

Production of the 2004 Pontiac GTO is scheduled to begin in September 2003 at Holden's Elizabeth plant. Up to 18,000 GTOs will be produced annually.

The production version of the GTO will be available in Pontiac showrooms in the US in late 2003.

Show car specifications:

5.7-litre LS1 V8 engine
340 horsepower @ 5200 rpm
360 lbs.-ft. torque @ 4000 rpm
Rear-wheel drive
Six-speed manual or four-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission
Standard limited slip differential with traction control
Four-wheel ventilated disc brakes with standard ABS
2 + 2 bucket seating with standard black leather seats
Six-disc CD player with 10-speaker sound system
18-inch alloy wheels