Alright, well I was at the track last night and I got to see numerous cars in action... stock form or modded. There were a zillion (no exageration) Mustangs, all shapes, sizes and forms, forced induction and N/A. There were a lot of SVT's the 03-04 Supercharged ones and I must say they were the most consistant, on the other hand we had guys in LT1 Camaro's running 15's and 16's and yes they were real LT1's... a z06 that ran a best of 13.2 and a couple C5's that ran 14's. Bad drivers I must say. Well stock for stock I was most impressed with the red 35th ann. LS1 SS... it ran a 13.2 but looked to be one of the best on the track, pretty impressive for a stock car. I am not a fan of the Camaro interior and it seems to feel like a bigger car, the nose is too long (this is from a driver seat perspective, not knocking the looks of the car at all... there hot.) Well this brings the Pontiac GTO to mind, a car that is indeed newer, I really like the interior, it gives off a sort of import refinement vibe though not exactly up to par, a nice overall feel. I have never driven one but I have been in one, they seem to be close in power to an LS1 F body but the one I was in was an A4. I see these around for little money, it seems that you can get them with nothing on the odo and get them cheap compared to the sticker of over $30,000. I saw one for $23,000 and it had 10,500 miles on it. I think they look nice for sure and the heritage is there, though it is a Holden... what do you guys think about the car, I am sure it can hold it's own in stock form and shouldn't be hard to make faster if the desire is there. I live in Maine though so I would almost surely have to have a different car too... My mind is pretty bent on an V/// but I'd like a point of view from EVO owners who have done the V8 RWD car thing. I would be paying roughly the same for either car, insurance on the EVO would be $271 per mo. the GTO probobly near $320, fuel mileage is probobly 16 mpg on the GTO, close to 21 on the EVO... the EVO is all season and a bit faster in stock form but I think the used market for the GTO is more friendly, people scare me off with the "Every used EVO has been tortured and beat" statement.

 

Spaces between paragraphs is your friend

 

Z06 was only 13's I see them at NED runnig 12.2's stock...

 

Driver skill has a huge impact on the times a RWD car can run.. I've seen a few run high 13's, and a few run mid 12's stock.. Never seen any run quicker than that, but I'm sure tire choice and driver skill are still a factor.

Of course, same goes for our car.. There's a few people running high 14's stock, and a few running high 12's stock..

Anyway.. I personally love the new GTO, BECAUSE its a Holden Monaro... Their not all that quick, but the motor is very mod friendly and there's sure to be a decent aftermarket for it. Since they didn't intitially sell well, you can get one very cheap too (new or used)

I wouldn't put too much into the "Beat/abused" thing about the evos.. I think all cars have their share of "Beat and abused", you have to do your homework and research on the cars your interested in. Then when you find a car you like, find out as much as you can about the specific car's history. A modified car isn't necessarily abused, but in many cases if it was owned by someone younger, and modified, it probably was run pretty hard.

Its important to find a car that has been maintained well, repaired when needed, and if modified, it was done correctly and neatly (not hacked) since attention to details is the key to finding a good car, regardless of it being stock or not. If possible, always pick the stock car anyway..

 

saw a gto at the track last night and his best run with exhaust was 14.1. not that impressed, though for comparison that was the same et that the '05 vette ran. crappy drivers me thinks.

 

Even though 2005 GTOs look better with more hp than the 2004, I still don't care too much for them, but it's just matter of personal preference. Yes, interior is nice but it still lacks that in your face heritage of GTO, another thing I don't like about GTO is it's weight. It is one heavy car so even with 400 hp, it can't get out of 13's in stock trim.

 

For the money the GTO's are great cars. I like the understated looks of them. There are currently more mods available for the '04 but I'm sure that the '05 will catch up. Also, the '04's have a lower compression ratio and are more "boost friendly." You can also get a hell of a deal on a low mileage '04. Great bang for the buck IMO. Totally different feel than an Evo though.

 

you mean you weren't impressed with those drivers

 

If you like the looks, it's a great GT car. Most people around here seem to rag on the bland appearance. Great engine, solid drivetrain, heavy.