Last night I test drove a 2004 GTO (LS1 5.7 litre/350 hp manual 6 speed) and a 2006 GTO (LS2 6.0 Litre/ 400 hp manual 6 speed.)

My first impression of the 04 was it was an allround nice car, relatively fast, but had no sports car feel. It seemed to have the same accelleration of my 03 gt.
Secondly impression of the 06 GTO was simply amazing. It sounds sporty, and went like a raped ape. I realize there is a 50 hp difference between the 2, but why did one seem soooooooo... much faster than the other. I mean the 06 put the 04 to shame. Does 50 hp make that much of a difference because it seemed like it was twice as fast?

Any thoughts......

 

While I wait for an actual LSX owner to speak up, I'll take a shot and say it's the difference in the area under the torque curves. Those HP figures are basically justderivatives of torque

 

Not to mention that the interior and the seats of those cars are AMAZING.

 

Yea I was going to say that. It may "only" have 50 more HP but the LS2 probably has a nice and flat torque curve so it makes more power through the rev range. Not only that but the car is a good bit heavier than a F-Body, it needs all the power it can get to push it...

 

They have quite decent interiors, especially for a GM product in the affordable price range...but they are FAR from amazing.

 

The LS1 has a torque curve flatter than Paris Hilton's chest. I haven't driven any LS2 powered vehicles but I would not think that the difference between 350 and 400 hp would be that great. The 1/4 mile timeslips are usually about a half second apart.

 

Far above anything else (American made) in the said price range. Including the new Mustangs.

But if you start including imports, nothingfrom the big threeis worth talking about.

 

Any LSx engine has an amazing power curve compared to basically any motor on the market.

The LS1 GTO shouldn't even be compared to an LS1 f-body...it's a fat, hard to launch, sedan...

 

Yes, 50hp is a pretty big difference. I kind of like to think of it like this, one car with 10hp more than the other will pull a good carlength on another in a normal roll race. Multiply this by five (50hp) and itll pull 5 lengths on the other car. So basically in a race the 06 will put 5 lengths on an 04 at least. I know many other factors affect this, but you get the gist of it.

 

You said EXACTLY what I had to say, but managed to go out of the way to put down the new mustangs...classy.