So, today I went to Auto Show in Motion with a buddy and my son. For those of you who may not be familiar with it, Auto Show in Motion is a traveling GM event where they lay out driving courses with cones and allow you to drive GM cars and their competitors on these courses. It's a great deal--drive almost any production GM car (including Hummer, SSR, Corvette--the only thing there you couldn't drive was the XLR), enjoy lunch and beverages, and leave with a t-shirt--for FREE!
For more information on this show, i.e. where you can catch it and join in on the fun, check out the Auto Show in Motion Web site.
Anyway, the "must-drive" car for me this year was the GTO. This is my story.
First off, the line I waited in to drive the manual-tranny GTO was the fourth longest of the event, behind Hummer, SSR, and Corvette.
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I waited about 45 minutes to get in. During that time, my buddy took my son to go drive the fabulous Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, the brawny Saturn VUE, the heart-stopping Chevrolet Aveo, and the ultimate bling machine--the Saturn L300 Wagon.
Finally, it was my turn with the GTO. I took a deep breath and made my way to the awaiting Goat. My legs were moving briskly, but the world was moving by me in slow motion.
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Although I realized that there were people waiting in line behind me, I had to take a minute or two to walk around the yellow GTO. It was a more beautiful machine to me than it had ever been.
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I can remember my first impression of the GTO at the 2003 LA Auto Show, and that I wasn't exactly floored. Maybe it's grown on me since then, but the GTO looks gorgeous to me now. It definitely has a breathtaking presence, (then again, if you've been waiting in line for 45 minutes fantasizing about how great a ride this is going to be, I guess anything would be breathtaking).
Once I stepped inside, I paused again to look around me, feel the various controls and surfaces (don't worry, nothing weird is about to happen), and generally taking in the interior of this car. Where some might not have the most favorable opinion about the outside of this car, I can't see how anyone can complain about the inside. It was a little dusty, but taking into account that we're talking about a low-30's car here, I was duly impressed.
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I particularly liked the yellowish gauges with the 60's-looking numbers. I'd seen them before at this year's auto show, but they really come to life when the needles start moving.
And oh if these pictures had sound to go with them! After starting the car, I gave the accelerator a gentle push with the shifter in neutral position. Sah-WEET! This car has the sweetest sounding engine I've heard since, well, I can't remember. I realize that the Goat's 5.7L LS1 V8 isn't exactly exclusive to the Pontiac, but it just doesn't sound quite this good in a Corvette or a Camaro.
Finally, I moved the shifter into first gear and began to merge in line to get on the course, ready to see what this baby can do.
Even then--even without pushing her at all--the uniqueness of this car struck me. It felt on the one hand like a well-mannered and refined sports car, much like my CTS. OTOH, it felt like I was behind the wheel of a bad-a** muscle car, not unlike a late model Trans Am.
I waited as the line of cars in front of me began to disappear, one car at a time, into the course ahead.
My turn.
No sooner did the show guy clip my little wrist band thingy (and say something about some sort of speed limit, er, something like that) than I engaged the clutch and slammed on the gas. She's definitely very fast off the line.
I took the first turn and threw her into second. I was really starting to have fun when...tragedy struck!!
...that's right. Of all the cars that had to go ahead of me on the course, I got the only Toyota Camry with an annoyingly cautious Soccer Mom and her three kids taking a Sunday stroll. A nice, SLOW, Sunday stroll--affording me plenty of time to snap this picture of my antagonist:
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AAAAAARRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!! :angry:
I had to repeatedly stop and give her room. I'd sit there and wait for her to take a turn as if she were trying to impress a driving instructor, then try to eak out what enjoyment I could with only three feet of room in front of me. Each time, after believing I had ample room, I'd push the Goat into another frenzy only to encounter Miss Molasses and her Turtle-ota before I could get out of second gear.
It was SO FREAKING FRUSTRATING!!
Okay, new law: NO CAMRY IS ALLOWED WITHIN 10 MILES OF ANYONE WANTING TO FREAKING DRIVE THEIR FREAKING CAR AT A FREAKING REASONABLE SPEED!!
Well, before I knew it, I was back at the staging area, forced to give up my GTO to someone else who probably got to have some fun with it. <_<
But you know, at least I got to get behind the wheel and experience this car, even if it was at its most benign. But even that was a thrill. I can't speak from the position of having driven this car the way it's supposed to be driven, but it is nonetheless clear to me that anyone who reviews this car and dogs it for anything other than its inability to safely dispose of a Camry is a grade-A world-class moron. This is an AWESOME car!
For more information on this show, i.e. where you can catch it and join in on the fun, check out the Auto Show in Motion Web site.
Anyway, the "must-drive" car for me this year was the GTO. This is my story.
First off, the line I waited in to drive the manual-tranny GTO was the fourth longest of the event, behind Hummer, SSR, and Corvette.
I waited about 45 minutes to get in. During that time, my buddy took my son to go drive the fabulous Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, the brawny Saturn VUE, the heart-stopping Chevrolet Aveo, and the ultimate bling machine--the Saturn L300 Wagon.
Finally, it was my turn with the GTO. I took a deep breath and made my way to the awaiting Goat. My legs were moving briskly, but the world was moving by me in slow motion.
Although I realized that there were people waiting in line behind me, I had to take a minute or two to walk around the yellow GTO. It was a more beautiful machine to me than it had ever been.
I can remember my first impression of the GTO at the 2003 LA Auto Show, and that I wasn't exactly floored. Maybe it's grown on me since then, but the GTO looks gorgeous to me now. It definitely has a breathtaking presence, (then again, if you've been waiting in line for 45 minutes fantasizing about how great a ride this is going to be, I guess anything would be breathtaking).
Once I stepped inside, I paused again to look around me, feel the various controls and surfaces (don't worry, nothing weird is about to happen), and generally taking in the interior of this car. Where some might not have the most favorable opinion about the outside of this car, I can't see how anyone can complain about the inside. It was a little dusty, but taking into account that we're talking about a low-30's car here, I was duly impressed.
I particularly liked the yellowish gauges with the 60's-looking numbers. I'd seen them before at this year's auto show, but they really come to life when the needles start moving.
And oh if these pictures had sound to go with them! After starting the car, I gave the accelerator a gentle push with the shifter in neutral position. Sah-WEET! This car has the sweetest sounding engine I've heard since, well, I can't remember. I realize that the Goat's 5.7L LS1 V8 isn't exactly exclusive to the Pontiac, but it just doesn't sound quite this good in a Corvette or a Camaro.
Finally, I moved the shifter into first gear and began to merge in line to get on the course, ready to see what this baby can do.
Even then--even without pushing her at all--the uniqueness of this car struck me. It felt on the one hand like a well-mannered and refined sports car, much like my CTS. OTOH, it felt like I was behind the wheel of a bad-a** muscle car, not unlike a late model Trans Am.
I waited as the line of cars in front of me began to disappear, one car at a time, into the course ahead.
My turn.
No sooner did the show guy clip my little wrist band thingy (and say something about some sort of speed limit, er, something like that) than I engaged the clutch and slammed on the gas. She's definitely very fast off the line.
I took the first turn and threw her into second. I was really starting to have fun when...tragedy struck!!
...that's right. Of all the cars that had to go ahead of me on the course, I got the only Toyota Camry with an annoyingly cautious Soccer Mom and her three kids taking a Sunday stroll. A nice, SLOW, Sunday stroll--affording me plenty of time to snap this picture of my antagonist:
AAAAAARRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!! :angry:
I had to repeatedly stop and give her room. I'd sit there and wait for her to take a turn as if she were trying to impress a driving instructor, then try to eak out what enjoyment I could with only three feet of room in front of me. Each time, after believing I had ample room, I'd push the Goat into another frenzy only to encounter Miss Molasses and her Turtle-ota before I could get out of second gear.
It was SO FREAKING FRUSTRATING!!
Okay, new law: NO CAMRY IS ALLOWED WITHIN 10 MILES OF ANYONE WANTING TO FREAKING DRIVE THEIR FREAKING CAR AT A FREAKING REASONABLE SPEED!!
Well, before I knew it, I was back at the staging area, forced to give up my GTO to someone else who probably got to have some fun with it. <_<
But you know, at least I got to get behind the wheel and experience this car, even if it was at its most benign. But even that was a thrill. I can't speak from the position of having driven this car the way it's supposed to be driven, but it is nonetheless clear to me that anyone who reviews this car and dogs it for anything other than its inability to safely dispose of a Camry is a grade-A world-class moron. This is an AWESOME car!
Easier than navigating the sharks at the local dealership or even convincing them to let me test drive a Vette.
