The Pontiac GTO is a muscle car legend. As the car that's most often credited with kicking off the trend of putting the biggest available engine in the smallest available body, the praise and adoration are well-deserved. Despite the reality that the Goat wasn't always the fastest ride available, Pontiac's performer was an instant hit and it carried that momentum through the early 1970s.
A good portion of Pontiac's success with the GTO can be attributed to Jim Wangers, who served as the brand's chief marketing manager when the GTO was first released in 1964. It comes as no surprise, then, that Wangers' name and endorsement was sought by Big 3 Performance, which is launching a new restomod based on the 1969 Pontiac GTO.
Changes to the original Goat's cosmetic appearance are minor, including wider hood scoops and a Trans Am-style ducktail spoiler. Inside, a custom dash and audio system join embroidered Recaro seats and GPS navigation. Holding it all up is a custom chassis fitted with Corvette bits up front and a tried-and-true Ford 9-inch rear end. Revised Pontiac Rally II wheels round out the visual package.
The car's powertrain gets a complete workover with a Butler Performance 505 cubic inch Pontiac V8 that's expected to put out around 700 horsepower. Shifting duties are handled by the same six-speed manual transmission used in the Dodge Viper. It's not yet clear when the Wangers GTO will be available and how much it'll cost, but early projections put the car at around $130,000 to $140,000.
