2007 Pontiac GTO

Pontiac's first Holden Monaro-based GTO isn't even out yet--and here we are, speculating on the next model. So is General Motors, as the powers that be at GM are deciding where to take the next-generation halo Pontiac. Timing remains one of the many questions for the car, which could appear as early as the '07 model year and as late as 2010.

We do know this: The next Goat will be designed in the United States, but will be built, like the '04 model, in Australia. Building it for several markets makes the GTO economically viable. It also creates conflict because Holden needs a car that appeals to its customers' tastes. While the Aussies tend to like big, rear-drive V-8-powered cars, like we do, Holden is in the midst of shifting its design philosophy to match GM Europe's. Smaller rebadged Opels have been filling out the Holden lineup for a long time.

Thus, two possibilities for the next GTO: an all-American design with more expressive sheetmetal and a styling philosophy sprung from the upcoming Grand Am replacement (as predicted by the G6 concept car) or a Holdenesque GTO, with GM-Euro styling that would be a natural successor to the current Monaro. Either way, we hope the tire-melting V-8 and rear drive remain integral parts of the package.

At freshening time a few model years hence, will the GTO get an All-American Pontiac face (upper) or follow the more Euro-style evolution likely for its donor Monaro?