Inside, the custom leather seats provide endless comfort and support. Did I mention they're climate-controlled? It greatly adds to the comfort and grand touring status. The Butler Performance 505ci engine clearly makes more power than the car needs, but that's not a complaint. I'm one of those who believe the more power you can get, the more interesting it is to drive. (Your right foot can get you in trouble, however.)
But with all these great ingredients, probably my favorite features of the car are the FAST fuel injection system and TR6060 transmission. I love fuel injection because of my obsession with electronics and complex things. It also happens to help cars drive smoothly in high-performance applications. This car drives like a Pontiac G8 if you stay off the throttle and it has very crisp throttle response. I did experience some "bucking" when I had Fifth or Sixth gear selected too low in the rpm range, but some mild tweaking to the tune can fix this.
That brings me to the transmission. It's outstanding. Tremec's latest six-speed manual is a remarkable gearbox. Gear selections are smooth, and you're assured by a positive clicking feel when the shifter has found the gear. All of these elements make this car something you just want to hop in and drive to a random place just for the excuse to get behind the wheel.
Stylistically, the car nails a modern look without sacrificing the character of the '68 and '69 GTO. I would, however, like to see a few changes to the rear treatment. The original GTO taillights are good looking, and I don't think something so sharply different than the original ones is necessary. Maybe some trim could help this look, but the LED lights are cool.
When it comes down to it, this is the best GTO I have ever photographed, driven, or heard. It embodies what makes a GTO a GTO-power, style, and performance. -Kevin DiOssi