It was inevitable-simply a matter of time until modified versions of Pontiac's new GTO began to surface as turnkey packages. It's one of the signs of the times we live in, where performance is once again considered a driving force in the auto industry, and lots of power isn't necessarily enough. These are good days indeed.
It was no surprise, then, that the first of these "tuner" GTOs came to us from Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. LPE has been modifying brand-new GM vehicles for increased performance for a long time, starting with Corvettes and moving into F-cars, Impalas, Suburbans, or whatever its customers want made faster. In all cases, the "after" version of the LPE-tweaked vehicle starts, runs, and drives with the same reliability as the stocker ... it just goes a lot faster. The GTO follows suit.
You can probably take an educated guess as to what's at the core of this GTO based on past LPE programs. Yep, it's got the CNC-ported heads, it's got headers and a rumbly after-cat exhaust, there's the cold-air intake, and of course, a Lingenfelter cam-the kind you can hear. There is not, however, a stroker short-block under those ported heads. That's OK because the engine still makes 450 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque according to LPE's specs. There's also a set of 3.91 gears in place of the stock 3.46s, a short-throw shifter, bigger Baer brakes up front, and Eibach springs on adjustable perches with Koni dampers. Oh, and there's a big engine bay brace, another brace underneath the engine, and a set of frame connectors, plus the 18-inch wheel/tire combo.
On The Road
Despite that list of alterations, the GTO is surprisingly usable out on the street. The cam profile actually makes the engine lope to the point of rocking the car side-to-side during the cold-start mode, yet easing the clutch out brings no chatter, sputter, hiccups, or any other unpleasantness. The car simply rolls forward, responding briskly to inputs. That responsiveness, along with the 3.91s, the burbling thrum of the exhaust, and the engine's power makes keeping the pedal away from the carpet a challenge. But so long as you can muster the restraint, the GTO glides through traffic, the clutch as seamless as a Honda, the power application like a big electric motor. It's just that you know what's lurking just a few degrees of throttle opening away. Succumb to temptation and you'll soon learn as the LS1 goes from rumble to scream and the 3,800-pound GTO surges ahead more nimbly than most ponycars ever did.
While attempting to behave ourselves on the streets of L.A., it quickly became apparent that the LPE GTO gets all the attention the stocker doesn't. Granted, the electric hue has something to do with that, and the crackle of the Corsa exhaust system announces the car's presence (sometimes long before it arrives), but the body on this car wasn't modified at all. Only the 18-inch Mille Miglia/LPE wheels shod with BFG G-Force T/A tires and the lowering treatment serve to alter the Goat's outward appearance, yet somehow the entire car looks substantially more aggressive.
Speaking of the lowered stance, the degree to which the car squats is up to the owner, as the LPE car has adjustable ride height both front and rear. The ride that results from the stiff, short springs, brief suspension travel, and Koni yellow dampers is very taught, yet even in urban commuting the car never bottomed out, and in fact, did not "crash" over heavy road imperfections in the manner we'd grown to expect from heavily lowered and stiffened cars. The chassis reinforcements can be felt during these times as well, as nary a creak or groan ever emerged from any interior bits when things got choppy. Those with no tolerance of any discomfort might whine, but we found it quite livable for a substantially modified car.