If only Pontiac were still around…
Back when General Motors decided which brands would carry on and which would die, the decision to ditch Pontiac certainly wasn’t a popular one among brand loyalists in America. The sad truth is Buick was kept around to give GM a foothold in the ever-important Chinese automotive market. As a result, we no longer have the Firebird, Trans Am, or GTO. Plenty of people have wondered what would have been if General Motors valued the US market more, but we’ll never know.
However, that hasn’t stopped artists and others from imagining what modern Pontiac cars would look like. Some of the resulting creations are way out there, looking more like something you would get from Hot Wheels than an actual production vehicle. That’s far from the case with this 2006 Pontiac GTO that’s been given a touch of modern design cues.
Overall, it looks like the same car. Before you start complaining, just look at the design evolution of the Camaro from its current and previous generation. The differences are maybe a little too subtle, although this is even more that way.
The big change is the front fascia, which wears wider, thinner lights with LED daytime running light strips. The front grille is larger and more aggressive.
Other than that, the artist sharpened up the soft lines on the car, which he calls “bubbly” for a more chiseled, aggressive vibe. Does it work for you or do you think this exercise is as ridiculous as GM killing Pontiac?
Some people claim that Pontiac using a badge-engineered Holden Monaro for the final generation of the GTO is what really killed the brand. That’s a pretty bold conjecture and one we find ridiculous. After all, Buick has consistently done similar things, with its lineup at some points comprising almost strictly badge-engineered cars. GM easily could have done with Pontiac what Fiat Chrysler has done with Dodge, which we believe is a lost opportunity.
