Remember the days when muscle...
Remember the days when muscle cars would proudly display their engine size on the fender? This plaque, located on the top of the radiator core support, proudly calls out this GTO's cred: 505 ci, 680 hp, and 664 lb-ft of torque.
As I pulled up to the Source Interlink Media paddock area at Gainesville raceway, I saw the Jim Wangers Signature Edition GTO and knew it was something special. It had already attracted a lot of attention from other SIM employees and Gainesvelle Raceway staff, as a group was amassed around the Goat. I had the privilege to drive, test, and photograph this car, and that gave me a perma-smile.
I met with the crew, we went over the car's most outstanding features and several humorous stories from the past, and then we got down to business. I adjusted my seating position, strapped in with the lap harness, and pressed the go button. I have to admit that the gadget junkie in me loves the pushbutton start.
Once the 505ci Pontiac mill erupted from underneath the carbon-fiber hood, excitement pulsated through my veins. I shifted the Viper Spec TR6060 into First, gave the engine a little throttle, and began moving forward. The raucous exhaust note has been masterfully toned by a pair of Pypes round mufflers. It's one of the coolest sounding cars I've ever heard, and it made an incredible racket as the sound echoed off the bleachers.
We made our way over to the road course to get a better idea of how well the Roadster Shop/RS Performance Concepts chassis performed and stacked up against other cars that we had taken around the track. Right off I noticed the brakes weren't power boosted. This threw me off a little bit, but once I had a few minutes behind the wheel, I was comfortable with them. It did, however, make the car a handful during our braking tests.
With confidence found, I started to heat things up a little more, taking the turns with more speed and coming out of corners rolling onto the throttle hard. The massive 345-series Michelin Pilot Sport tires screamed out in displeasure as all 664 lb-ft of torque attempted to twist the rubber. I couldn't help but think, this is fun! The chassis was extremely well balanced and flat through corners. The weight of the iron block did, however, seem to push the car slightly in the corners, but that's to be expected.
The HRE/Jim Wangers Signature...
The HRE/Jim Wangers Signature Edition Rally IIs feature a 3-inch-deep outer lip in the front and 4 1/2-inch in the rear, and Jim's engraved signature on one of the five spokes. If Pontiac was still alive, these wheels should have been standard equipment.
Once we compared lap times around the course, they were better than an '05 Corvette and a '10 Camaro SS that were also lapping the course with us. That's impressive from a '69 GTO. Also of note, it performed on par with my '05 GTO on R-compound tires. That's very impressive!
With some solid road-course numbers under our belt, we took the Poncho over to the dragstrip. After Evan Smith made some passes, it was my turn behind the wheel. I decided to take it easy: I dumped the clutch to roast the tires before my launch. In a delicate dance of clutch and throttle, I navigated out of the hole with a sudden rush of power. Once I shifted to Second, I sent the tires into a quick spin, which I caught early, so I backed off on the throttle. The tires caught and I was on my way onto Third and Fourth. My second and third passes were similar with more tire spin.
The consensus was that this is a very difficult car to launch with this wheel and tire combination. This has little to do with anything on Big 3 Performance's end-it has everything to do with the style and setup of the car. It was never intended to be a drag car, and it was never intended to look the part either. It's a grand tourer; in that category, this car is absolutely perfect. From suspension setup, ride comfort, power, and cruising, the Jim Wangers Signature Edition GTO feels like it could take you anywhere in America.
The adjustable suspension was very forgiving and wasn't harsh at all. I was anticipating a hard ride that would rattle my fillings out, but it felt very similar to a modern performance car, like the C6 Corvette that was on hand. Even with the adjustable suspension, however, it wasn't conducive to drag racing.