| Pontiac Motor
Division General Motors Corporation Pontiac, Michigan |
| Engine |
360-hp, 400
cu. in. V-8 |
| Transmission |
3-speed automatic |
| Steering |
Power-assisted |
| Suspension |
Heavy-duty |
| Brakes |
Disc F, Drum R |
Check
list |
| Engine |
| Throttle Response |
Excellent |
| Noise Insulation |
Poor |
| Drive
train |
| Shift Linkage |
Very
Good |
| Shift Smoothness |
Good |
| Steering |
| Effort |
Very
Good |
| Response |
Very
Good |
| Handling |
| Predictability |
Very
Good |
| Evasive Maneuverability |
Good |
| Brakes |
| Directional Stability |
Good |
| Fade Resistance |
Very
Good |
| Interior |
| Ease of Entry/Exit |
Very
Good |
| Driving Position |
Good |
| Front Seating Comfort |
Good |
| Rear Seating Comfort |
Fair |
| General |
| Vision |
Good |
| Heater/ Defroster |
Very
Good |
| Weather Sealing |
very
Good |
| Trunk Space |
Good |
|
Never a Division to
rest on its laurels, Pontiac has had its stylists and engineers
hard at work on the GTO ever since its introduction in 1964.
There are few cars, domestic or foreign, that can boast better
handling without an accompanying general deterioration in overall
ride comfort. Our only complaint in the suspension department
arose from severe rear axle hop encountered during hard braking
from over 80 mph. The car still stops in a hurry, but the shaking
and sudden noise scared the hell out of us. We were particularly
surprised in view of the seemingly adequate number and strength
of the links locating the coil-sprung rear axle; the severity
and frequency of the judder caused us to check under the car
to reassure ourselves that Pontiac hadn't gone back to leaf
springs on the GTO. Otherwise, the suspensiontogether with the
uncannily responsive engine-gives the GTO driver a feeling of
supreme confidence. Other
manufacturers have built Super Cars with more brute acceleration,
but when it comes to building a fully integrated package that
combines ride comfort, handling, style and performance-all
at a bearable price-the GTO is very tough to beat. Now, if
they can only solve their production problems with the whiz-bang
plastic bumper... |
