I stopped in at the Pontiac Dealer in Elk Grove, as it was next door to the Saturn dealer where I needed a $1.15 plastic fastener for my front chin/air dam. I had looked up the 350-hp 6-sp Pontiac GTO on the web. There it was, 1st car in the door, center stage showroom floor. Can't miss it, 1st thing you have to see when you enter. Now I now why I dont patronize GM if I can help it. $9,999 "Retail Value" charge - AKA Dealer Markup. The showroom was unattended as I looked around, and I could hear a loud, condescending voice raised at another. It was the manager talking down to his sales rep...... " I dont care if they come in here off the web and try to grind us down...... profit is not a four-letter word............I've got a 5-million dollar inventory...." <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> Anyhow, I looked at the beast, the speedo goes to 200 mph <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif" alt="" /> I'm looking for the sticker.........
%20 made in USA... WTF ? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Engine- USA Transmission - USA
Final Assembly - Holden,Australia. Is this related to an Isuzu ?
They actually ship 5.7L V-8s and 6-sp trannys to Australia, build em', then ship them back here ? Isn't that like the Cadillac Allantes, another GM masterpiece ? No wonder GM killed Isuzu off. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I have been following the GTO since I heard it was coming back. The vehicle is not related to Isuzu, it is the Holden Monaro converted to left hand drive with a pumped up 5.7L. A good web site for info on the car is www.newagegto.com .

I thought Holden was Isuzu.........

Holden - Isuzu ?

This sure looks like an Isuzu.. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Holden is an Australian branch of GM, and through that affiliation marketed the Isuzu trucks that came from that GM connection.

James

Heheh... I know it's kind of sick but I'm really liking that little Ute thing they have on there. It's a modern El Camino, cool!

Holden, opel and IIRC Vauxhall are all GM owned brands and all sold isuzus under their nameplates but have nothing to do with isuzu. Just like the honda passport is built by isuzu, but honda has no affiliation with isuzu other than their lisencing agreement.

Dallas

They do have a bit more then just rebadging them in some cases. Vauxhall/Opel, for example, gets the base chassis and body and finished manufacturing the the rest of the vehicle to fit UK specs (the hardest in Europe). The European line of Isuzu's (the Rodeo and Amigo, known as the Frontera and Frontera Sport) have different features then the rest of the world. The 2nd gen Trooper wasn't rebadged for the UK and is sold under the Isuzu name.
Here's pics of the UK Frontera Sport for example. They came up with different tail lights, bumper, headlights, brush guard, roof bars, and a completely different hard top setup with removable windows and top roof portion. All of this is Vauxhall/Opel factory!

And on a 'this just doesn't make sense' side. The UK/most of Europe requires side marker turn signals, as does Japan. So the Japanese Isuzu Wizard/MU have sidemarker lights installed on the front fenders between the corner light and the wheel well. Instead of using those on the European models, they installed the sidemarker on their models between the wheel well and the door. Yet another item that makes the Vauxhall/Opel versions of the Isuzus unlike any others.