2006 Pontiac GTO 6MT: Regular Car Reviews

[@RegularCars]

Get Entered to WIN this awesome Pontiac GTO! go.getenteredtowin.com/regularcars DEADLINE to ENTER is September 20th @ 11:59pm (PST).

[@michelestaffiere7422]

when are you going to make these eligible for Canadians

[@parkyt13]

Fine print, if you live in New york, Alaska, Florida or Hawaii you will never be picked as your intelligible for some reason. But the sweepstakes po box is actually in my zip code. Shame on me for entering a whole bunch of times but not reading.

[@imadequate3376]

Thanks for your wonderful addition to the new Tex Talk's Battle Tech video.

[@shawnlibby675]

The 2006 GTO came with 18s my 2004 GTO came with the 17s

[@PhilipShand]

Ozzi,Ozzi,Ozzi....OI,OI,OI....... Australia has had MANY such cars for YEEEEEERS. 🤗

[@ampgp03d]

The Australians knew how to build a modern muscle car. These things along with the G8 and SS should and would have sold well if GM would have advertised them but they didn’t.

[@wigletron2846]

GM only imported those cars to fulfill an agreement with Holden. GM never wanted the cars to succeed.

[@marvellousm]

The G8 is still a dream car for me, I love how they look.

[@bobhill3941]

Very well said and very true. I loved all of them when they came out. I loved the GTO in my late teens reading about it and playing BLACK for the original XBOX.

[@christopherwilson9140]

The G8 was selling well. It was to little to late for pontiac though. GM spent over 20 years destroying pontiac.

[@whatareyoudoingyouidiot342]

GM really never knew what to do with Pontiac, ever since the Malaise era. They were an afterthought, and it showed in their product lineup. Truth be told, by the time the G8 had showed up, the writing was already on the wall. Pontiac was done for. As for the Chevy SS? GM didn't WANT it to sell well. It would've impacted their CAFE average if it had, so they only wanted to sell a limited amount. Given that they didn't have to put a ton of work into it, they could recoup their investment pretty fast.

[@lolz976]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mr. Regular this excited driving a review car. The energy in this whole video is so great

[@wonkywombat9691]

he got into the funny flour before this video

[@MichaelD8393]

I haven’t seen him like this since the Mustang RCR gave away.

[@michaelschmidt5179]

It’s almost like he has a crystal addiction that no one is willing to talk about 19:06

[@andrewparis5712]

I think it's the LS. He was pretty excited for the LS Winnebago a few years back.

[@Andriig75]

Honda S2000?

[@dopey473]

One of the most slept on cars of the 2000s. "It's just a Monaro" yeah and the Monaro is amazing. It's the evolution of muscle cars from bricks to beasts.

[@leadfoot8593]

Because GM marketing treated it like a Chinese restaurant.

[@dopey473]

@@leadfoot8593 what does that even mean

[@The_One_Over_There]

i highly agree. Always liked the GTO but people were always so overly butthurt about it, So what if it's *Just a Monaro*. There's nothing wrong with the Monaro anyway. I often feel like national pride was one of the big reasons it got overlooked so often. Which is such a shame. Probably not in all cases, But too many cases regardless.

[@dopey473]

@@The_One_Over_There American patriotism ruining good things, not unheard of

[@anasevi9456]

The worst thing as an Aussie is it seems 90% of them were exported overseas. You don't see Monaro's nearly as much as one would think, and they have been stupid expensive used since the late 2000s. Meanwhile I had a friend sent me links of dozens of Pontiac GTOs back then selling used in the late 2000s in the USA for $15-20k usd. 🤬

[@brianchung9876]

This car, as a Pontiac fan and former salesman, was in my top 3. I miss how the T/A was devoloping but Pontiac was turning the corner with this the GTO and even more so with the G8. Find a G8 GTP M6 and do a review on it. If you like the GTO, you’ll love the G8! Also, when you get to Australia, do a review on the Holden Ute and bask in a vehicle that should have been released in the US as a modern El Camino with the LS in it.

[@wigletron2846]

*G8 GXP. The manuals were very rare though. There was only around 1200 I believe and who knows how many are left.

[@craigsampson3386]

America almost got our VE Commodore SS Ute rebadged as a Pointiac G8 ST. 50 Cent even unveiled it at the New York Auto Show in early 2008 just before Pointiac got shut down unfortunately, but yes i agree it should have still came to America under the Chev badge and revived the El Camino name, or even under its own name Holden in America. Shame yous missed our on our awesome car based utes, we made them for decades up until 2017.

[@copano2012]

​@@wigletron2846I've got one. It's a fantastic car.

[@TQFMTradingStrategies]

Late stage Pontiac came out with some decent stuff. 15-20 years later most of those Vibes still driving around including mine 😂

[@markmiller3279]

​@@TQFMTradingStrategiesThe Vibe was an excellent car, except for the ugly boom box dash design. Otherwise, it was the perfect size and shape for many people. My hair stylist had always driven Pontiacs (it was his family's brand), and I talked him into buying a Vibe when he wrecked his Sunfire. I didn't tell him it was mostly Toyota. He absolutely adored his, and still had it last I knew.

[@vr4787]

The last gasp of breath Pontiac drew before GM pulled the pillow across its face.

[@xsct878]

I really wouldn't even call this Pontiac's "last breath", this car is a Holden Monaro with a different front bumper and a LHD conversion, not much of a Pontiac product.

[@vr4787]

@@xsct878 and sadly Holden suffered the same fate in 2020.

[@nothinghere7391]

Straight from Holden lol

[@richardspears5384]

And yet GMC and Chevy survive

[@lukelowe918]

All Pontiac did was put their name on the smart kids homework.

[@ghost21501]

My brother and I drove a GTO from Missouri to California. He took the Southern route. We were driving through Arizona in the middle of the night and we drove through pretty much the whole state at 155 mph. It was spectacular.

[@dautömötive68plus1]

I drive mine from NY to Texas dude I had so much fun on that trip.

[@myMotoring]

how many hours u guys took?

[@rolandverde8771]

How does that speed even feel at that point?

[@ghost21501]

@@rolandverde8771 you get used to it.

[@ghost21501]

@@rolandverde8771 you get used to it.

[@navytwidget7480]

I own a 2006 with a manual and can confirm they are A LOT of FUN!

[@Rickbane01]

In Australia we had a 4 door sedan called the VL commodore in the 80s that had the choice of V8 or Turboed Skyline engine.

[@RattlingAlucard]

Straight facts, I had a cyclone gray Metallic

[@CockatooDude]

So you gonna sell it for 30k on Cars and Bids?

[@mikewozawski1634]

Always wanted one. Loved the styling as a kid.

[@wesdoobner7521]

I had a 2004 with automatic and even that was a lot of fun, and very refined compared to my 2002 Mustang GT.

[@Super22b]

It's the perfect GM product: -German GM chassis with independent suspension in all corners, rear wheel drive and LSD. -American LS V8. -Everything put together and tuned by the australians to dominate the ATCC. It's a shame they never sold it in mainland Europe, it would have been perfect as a newer Opel Monza.

[@clinkerclint]

When I bought mine off the showroom floor, the elderly owner of the dealership personally gave me the keys and came outside to watch the burnout as I left the dealership. I'll never forget it!

[@NaruSanavai]

Sounds like the old timer _definitely_ knew what this car was.

[@mx_nana_banana]

as an aussie this car makes me proud

[@nothinghere7391]

As it should. Aussie exclusives are amazing. The Holdens, the Aussie Fords, they're truly amazing

[@WitchyWhale]

I love your Aussie exclusive cars.

[@RAAM855]

Aussies do muscle v8s better than Americans did. R.I.P Holden

[@morallyemptycorruptedmaggot]

Aussies put us all to shame!

[@anasevi9456]

too bad the vast majority of them were exported from our shores. I had a yank friend sending me links to 6mt 2006 used ones being sold for F'ing 15-20k usd in California 15 years ago. Meanwhile here they commanded vastly more even roughed up once converted at the same time, and have only shot up to not worth it since.

[@cthorno2991]

Laws around speeding here in Oz are pretty strict. If you see an SUV on the side of the road it will be a mobile speed camera for sure. Just hope that other motorists coming the other way will flash you with hi beams to alert you. I hope you have a great trip here and looking forward to the content.

[@bwickham195]

Australia has a Nanny State culture, trying to protect people from themselves. It's more about social cohesion and communitarianism than individual responsibility. One of the ways we keep people safe from themselves is making certain nobody has too much fun on the roads. Highway policing is also a good revenue source for the states and territories!

[@stephenravenscroft3636]

Was about to type the same comment, Then saw yours.

[@stephenmoutafis5587]

3 km over 300 dollar

[@captainunderpants200]

@@stephenmoutafis5587 It's a voluntary tax :)

[@alastairward2774]

​@@bwickham195I don't get what's wrong about protecting people from idiots.

[@pontiacGXPfan]

GM's past is so much better than their future and the LS engine is one reason why

[@Mach5Johnny]

Yep! GM hasn’t cared about and listened to their fanbase in a long time and it shows!

[@pontiacGXPfan]

@@Mach5Johnny tell me about it. Cadillac is too expensive and GM has no more cheap cars

[@johnsanko4136]

@@pontiacGXPfan I absolutely love the idea of the Blackwing, but there ain't no way I'm gonna be able to afford one anytime soon. And I traditionally detest Cadillacs.

[@pontiacGXPfan]

@@johnsanko4136 there IS the CTS-V which led to us having the Blackwing, but finding one that hasn't been abused won't be easy or cheap

[@aminorityofone]

they are getting rid of android auto. good lord the idiocy of GM knows no bounds

[@requiem5179]

I have a 2006 in quicksilver. All original 80K miles. I redid the entire suspension this summer. Everyone from the sales dept to the mechanics took photos standing next to it at the GM dealership. I love it and so does everyone else.

[@ricardovaldez4658]

Not sure why that’s what I want with red interior and manual

[@NaruSanavai]

Just a shame that nobody loved it, when it needed it the most.

[@jerryboy617]

Ive had mine for 9 years, 72.5k miles all original except for coils and the full poly bushing set, handles better than my 2015 Cts-v sport

[@adchristensen7962]

@@ricardovaldez4658that’s what I have just built and tuned auto

[@AaronHendu]

When I was a mechanic, a guy brought one in that he had just bought...he was hyped on it and get it for a steal. I was hyped for him! Awesome car. He came back a few weeks later and said he burned the tires off it doing burnouts and needed some new tires...he priced them out and was like, "wtf...what did I just do..." after realizing he smoked some expensive tires and replacing them with the same ones was not gonna be fun...Bridgestone Potenza something I think they were. He later bought a BMW with another staggered wheel fitment and came in one day with one of the wide wheels on the front and one skinny on the rear lol He came in cause the car was "pulling to one side" hahaha

[@k-dog7013]

It amazes me when people buy an expensive/enthusiast car and then make a fuss out of the cost of putting good tires on it.

[@TheMstaquiroz]

At 18 years old I had the 04 GTO as my first car, I’m 32 now. The old goat is now in my parents garage, waiting for a tune up. Fantastic car that got me through many duty stations in the Army.

[@steveballmersbaldspot2.095]

Don't ever get rid of it bro, these cars are gems.

[@BitcoinTo150K]

Spoiled little rat 😅

[@NaruSanavai]

Waiting? Dude, get it tuned up, and drive the _piss_ out of it. It's a great car!

[@TheMstaquiroz]

@@BitcoinTo150K definitely not spoiled. I remember it being 13K from a smaller dealership with quite a ridiculous interest rate. But believe what you will.

[@TheMstaquiroz]

@@NaruSanavai I’ve picked up another few projects which are more temporary. I definitely want to keep the GTO for life.

[@collinmanning8334]

My dad drove the G8 for a few days as a dealer. Had a 6MT. Thing was such a underrated sleeper, itd melt tires to your hearts content while still being comfortable. Shame there's no Pontiac 😢

[@daleg162]

Brilliant muscle car that gets better with each passing year. Was hoping this would be a review for a while now, so cheers for coming through with the goods

[@JimoftheSlim]

The blue one you got in Prostreet absolutely smacked every single drift event. Ryo in his Evo? Try Ryan in his Bogan-mobile

[@99toyotacorolla]

Used mine in Drag races and it's easily the best drag car I've had in that game. Supra was fast but I didn't have as much fun as I did with doing 6 seconds in the GTO

[@lemonscented7703]

I used to really like G35s so I always made the inferior decision 😔

[@chE3z1]

@@99toyotacorolla yeah i stuck with a new edge mustang for a while but I got a GTO on a whim and it didnt wheelie at all just hooked and BOOKED mustang doing the whole 1/4 mile with the front wheels up was funny though lol

[@99toyotacorolla]

@@chE3z1 real. i used the Charger for Wheelie Challenges but i loved the GTO on Drag races.

[@hamdichami4636]

This thing does 5.8s quarter mile when properly set up. Insane car

[@06M6GTO]

06 manual owner here!! Got mine modded to 520 hp (no sc or turbo) but still remember her stock and how blown away I was on the test drive!!! Great vid

[@dmillz168]

My Dad had a 2004 automatic with an LS1 when I was in high school. Driving it was the most fun I’ve ever had in a car. One night, I made the mistake of driving with the traction control off in the rain and ended up drifting into someone’s yard. Somehow the only consequence was having to pull a tree branch out from underneath. Amazing and underrated cars.

[@McDroney]

I owned a 2005 6m, and absolutely LOVED the hell out of that car. Added SLP exhaust and it was a real screamer. You nailed the comments about the handling - nobody would believe me that it handles like a dream, It's a bit heavy but the fully independent suspension was superb. The saddest day in the world was when I had to trade it in because of a new family - totally worth it...but I still miss my Aussie beast... Such a shame people never took it seriously, would've liked to see pontiac and this car survive GM's fuckup. I finally recently bought a 2015 Camaro and honestly it feels like a slightly newer GTO - basically the same drivetrain. I actually prefer the interior of my GTO over my camaro though - we've definitely gone backwards in regards to interior usability and quality. Definitely should have hung on to my 2005 - I'm sure it's gonna be a collector soon...

[@RackieD]

My dad recently got into an accident that wrote off his Monaro, so this video feels like a nice goodbye. It's great to see it celebrated in this way, because it deserves it. It's an incredibly reliable an fun car to own and drive

[@philostroff6163]

Bloody awesome clip! I'm an Aussie now in Texas, and have a 2005 Monaro. Rebadged and replaced the Pontiac nose with a Holden kit. It's an epic drive and only a few folks really know what it is. Others are intrigued and disturbed by the noise!!

[@jamesdisnow]

Back in the day, I convinced my dad to buy a "devil yellow" 2002 Monaro CV8 5.7 LS1. It was an auto, but it still went hard. I had a lot of great times in that car with my dad. Hearing you get so much joy from a GTO warms my heart. We can't wait to welcome to you to Australia!

[@waynelutwiniak797]

I worked for a Pontiac dealer, when these were new. Was a damn shame that they weren't really noticed. Fun cars.

[@seththomas9105]

GM had a hard on for PMD back to the 80's. Killing the Fiero at the actual moment they got the bugs worked out and the suspenstion offof the Citation platform after spending millions. The motor press was singing praises and licking their lips at a Buick GN turbo or 3800 SC being dropped into it. Typical Roger Smith GM, kill it.

[@bryanwithawhynot]

My 2006 GTO is RARE RARE RARE GTO, because it's impulse blue metallic, manual transmission, black interior, and EIGHTEEN INCH wheels. It's all stock, which is exactly how I plan to keep it. I've owned the car for a year and a half, and I'm astounded how many people have no idea what it is. No one ever asks me about it, even though I used to get "how fast is it?" all the time about my '95 Miata. It puts a smile on my face every time I drive it.

[@jerryboy617]

I've had mine since I was 16, and I'm 26 now, still enjoy driving it everytime even though I also have a 2016 CTS-V now, it gets to be my weekend car now with 72k original miles haha

[@tigerhawk84]

I don't know fellas. I can't quite put my finger on it but I think Mr. Regular might actually like this one.

[@JK061996]

Or maybe he's just hyping it up for the giveaway

[@VxW0lf]

5:15 These days, you **could** do it in 7h 8m, but no sane man would dare try; not without several instances of waze running, a team of spotters spread along the Hume, and a (hidden) radar detector you smuggled in from your trip to Cambodia 4 years ago. Awesome vid Mr. Regular, glad to see you come around to the Monaro!

[@LgSutterby]

Don’t some Aussie highway patrol run Chrysler 300 SRT8s?? Unnecessary and nutty but they’ll definitely chase any runner down.

[@acfsambo4996]

@@LgSutterbyall kinda changing now. Used to run Holden SS Commodores, Ford Falcon XR6 Turbos, Chrysler 300 SRT8's. Since they have all gone now various other cars are being used, including Diesel BMW 5 Series

[@JohnMachado24]

I just sold my GTO a couple months ago, exactly like this one. I was the original owner and remember driving the Mustang and then driving the GTO (test drives), and it just was a no-brainer to add in the extra 4k or whatever it was to get the GTO. I remember everyone hated on it, as it isn't even American! Also, was super annoyed how everyone said, "It doesn't look like a GTO!" It's like well, they haven't made it for a very lone time, why would you want it to look like a product that was 40 years old? But...Mustang had everyone convinced that muscle cars must have retro styling! Glad I got one, and enjoyed it for 217,000 miles!!

[@MikeHarris1984]

I love my 05 GTO.... 6.0, T56, just a beast of a car.... Black.. This car is a work or art that was not realized until after it discontinued. I got mine when it was 3 years old . I've put 140k miles on her. Was only 12k miles when I purchased it. Top speed is 165 with limiter. I removed mine with HPTuners.... Yes it can handle corners very nice. It has some body roll, but upgrade to poly mounts and she stiffins up. I have full ebc drilled and slotted rotors and ebc yellow pads and steal braised lines. She freaking stops on a dime! I set my overspeed alert to 80 because getting on any freeway, or with no one around, you would go fast and not realize it.... The GTO is such a fun car to drive. You just want to mash the pedel all the time

[@tommyg420g5]

I own a 06 torrid red Gto and I do this every time I drive it 😊 biggest smile ever.

[@rjfritz]

I regret selling mine every day.

[@eric05gto45]

Got my new 05 in April 06. Still have the car today. Best $ I ever spent. Only mod is I installed is the factory oil / voltmeter that some bean counter contented out. Fun feature… the rest reminder. Picnic bench and a tree after 2 hours. And the most comfortable seats!

[@ziptiejedi5658]

I have an 05 Gto and I absolutely love that car. It sits in my garage alot since it's just a weekend car and sometimes I get a terrible idea to sell it because I feel like I don't drive it enough. The second I fire it up and let the clutch out I quickly realize why I love it and won't sell it any time soon. One of the main things I like about the Gto is how far and few between they are. I rarely ever see another one out driving and when I do it's usually clean as he'll. They aren't like most 20 year old Mustangs or Camaros that are clapped out and look beat to death. It still runs with if not beats modern muscle/sports cars especially it's had a few mods done in the past 20 years like mine. I've beat new Scat Packs with it fairly easily and can run with Hellcats if I got a bottle in the trunk. Hell it will even drift with the best of them if the situation arises. It's a damn good car for how little respect it gets. If anyone is on the fence about buying one trust me buy it. You won't be disappointed.

[@TheFairlaner]

I was looking at C6's for my midlife crisis. Thanks for reminding me of this beast. Now I want one again.

[@10WBlood]

I feel like the retro revival really impacted this car because the Mustang and Camaro both did the throwback styling that was appealing to the market at the time so everyone was expecting a Retro styled GTO.

[@clinkerclint]

They should have named it the Pontiac Torrent... and never made the Pontiac Torrent SUV. The cars were generally frowned upon by the old guard. I don't care how fast it was, the boomers weren't going to accept it with the GTO name in the grille. I love them. So comfortable and so capable. They were truly a great car. Thank you Holden.

[@PURENT]

It was mainly the retro style Mustang concept which stole the show literally, it was unveiled at the 2004 Detroit Auto Show. Boomers ate that up. Camaro retro concept along with the Challenger didn't come out until the 2006 auto show, which was the last model year for the GTO.

[@RikMcCloud]

I have a 2004 5.7 and everything that Mr Regular says here is absolutely true. These things get under your skin and make you feel amazing!

[@rrrandommman]

Nice Monaro! We wish those were still made here in Aus. Euro handling, Noughties styling and American muscle. Looked better with our grill IMO.

[@georgew.9663]

It most definitely looked better without the American nostrils lol

[@likenem]

The V6 version was a Buick 3800, don't sleep on the Grand National

[@paulsz6194]

@@likenem The entry level Monaro, called the CV6, actually had the s/c 3800 in it. The V8 was way more popular down under.

[@literallyshaking8019]

A lot of people in the States put the Holden grille and badging on their GTOs. Kinda like the dudes who put JDM spec everything on their Hondas lol

[@literallyshaking8019]

@@likenemthere’s a great video on the GM 3800 series engine lineage. The Buick 215 (the first all aluminum V8) which would go on to be the first mass produced turbocharged engine in the Oldsmobile Jetfire (and then go on to become the legendary the Rover V8) then had 2 cylinders lopped off to become the 3.8l V6 (which was then boosted in the Grand National) and eventually named the 3800. I’d argue that theres a strong case that that engine lineage is even more legendary than the Small block Chevy.

[@wildmanbrandon1]

Ive watched this channel for nearly 10 years. Ive been waiting for this video ever since. 5 years ago I finally grabbed myself a pristine example of the GOAT. This has been a dream come true... and watching you discover the musicality of the parking brake that I assumed only I knew was incredibly satisfying. Cheers!

[@ufcker915]

I had the pleasure of buying a red 04(5.7)GTO for my 50th birthday and haven't stopped smiling yet..😊

[@SpaceCityBallers713]

Yo me too lol! Just got mine a month ago . So happy man . Shes an auto but drives amazing

[@ufcker915]

@@SpaceCityBallers713 Mine's an automatic but it's a fucking GTO..All them haters can watch my 'ass-lights'..🤣

[@socksonfeet8125]

Had my 04 for basically 20 years now. Still no major repairs needed, if anything the Aussies know how to make a car reliable as well. Its weird seeing this resurgence in interest in the car that some of have had for a long ass time now lol. I like that the majority of your video is just you driving it and having fun. Anyone who says the car sucks doesn't know how to have fun on 4 wheels.

[@bradprimeaux8443]

I bought a GTO a couple years ago. Definitely do not regret it. Mine is cammed with long tube headers and the popping is magnificent.

[@jasongraham3488]

I drove one, an automatic, on a closed course for like 5 minutes. I've loved these ever since. I been wide awake all along. Excellent specimen.

[@micahperwien9732]

Nice to see an awesome review of one of the most underrated cars of the early 2000s. I love mine and I'm glad to see it get some appreciation.

[@ayurvedicman]

I encouraged my friend to get an '06 just cause how awesome the exhaust is and getting a Corvette engine for 36k! His biggest regret was trading it in just 3 years later. Just shared the video with him to reminiscence. Thanks for the review. Agreed on the GT-R point!

[@ileutur6863]

This was the car you would unlock at the same time as the mustang in every 00s racing game, so nobody ever picked it.

[@_e_j_p]

I got to ride in one of these as a teenager when they were new, what a fond memory. This, and the Trailblazer SS from the same era, I break my neck every time I see one pass. Thanks!

[@bluetape32]

As a 2005 GTO owner, it feels like this review was targeted directly at me. Driving to work rowing through the gears puts a smile on my face every time. I've even driven this car across country without a problem. Best car I've ever owned.

[@mikelnomikos]

As an Australian, I rate that yeah nah, nah yeah, yeah nah as culturally accurate.

[@mattmcilwhan]

Yeah nah that was spot on

[@realcanadian67]

I didn't you we Canadians were so similar to you lol

[@jimmy3people0]

unequivocally my favorite GM car of the '00s; very happy to see Mr. Regular loves it as much as I do.

[@Sodom_and_Gomorrah]

This GTO is one of those cars I love, but I didn't really have a reason as to why. Now I have some good reasons to love it. So thank you Mr. Regular for shining the light onto a very underrated car.

[@Yourmission9]

I owned an ‘04 GTO and I want one again, nothing was more fun than people coming up and saying they never knew Pontiac put a V8 in a grand-am

[@taylorfox499]

Proud to own one of these beasts. Glad he finally did a review of one.

[@JK061996]

To be fair he already reviewed it last year

[@zmike6]

In early '05 I bought a leftover '04 at a huge discount. Great car. It's a travesty that GM dropped this line after '06.

[@ImmortalInflames]

There was a very, very special version of the Holden Monaro, called the HSV Coupe. It was basically what you just experienced in this video.. but with AWD!! Very rare and I can't imagine you'd be able to get one for less than $100K Dollarydoos. A few years ago though, I was able to jump on a HSV Avalanche, it's a big full size station wagon (the Commodore wagon) but also with the LS1 and AWD. It's a big 2 ton brute of a car, but my word it really handles so well considering its weight. It came from the factory with big flared guards & body kit.. looks mean, but not over done. Even in Australia, most people don't know what they are (only 57 were made made for the VZ model). But when the occasional S2000, Skyline or any modern sporty car starts showing off... oh man, the power is intoxicating!! My parents also ended up with similar cars Holden Adventras LX8's - same LS1, but not tickled and played with by HSV - my fathers has done over 530,000K's and still going strong. Even in this day & ages there are still several easter egg cars out there.. often different makes, over looked by many & enjoyed by a few. Since you're making Australia happen, I hope you get to check out a couple of our car museums! Such as the "National Motor Museum" which there you can see Holdens like the Hurricane, basically a supercar from 1969 by Holden & the SSX which was the concept showing AWD that would later be developed in Utes & Wagons while having this really cool sedan lift back design. I love how every country has their own flavour of car culture, some times that sense of love is also shared by another country or a some develops a love for a style of car not really found where there from. It's apart of the reason I love RCR, we all have our favourites but at the end of the day we all really do love cars!

[@craigsampson3386]

HSV Coupe 4 * 👌

[@Eatinbritches]

I'm a little perplexed as to why they would bother building an AWD version of the Monaro. You don't need it in Australia, plus you lose the fun of the burnouts and the slides.

[@craigsampson3386]

@Eatinbritches it was marketed more towards higher end clientele as it was pretty expensive and had more restrained styling from HSV compared to their other HSV versions of the Holden Monaro like the HSV Coupe GTO. Also those clientele typically wouldn't do burnouts, it can still slide offroad if you wanted to lol. Also it does still snow in some parts of Australia, plus any mud or light off road duties it would tackle with ease. Holden had already developed their own AWD system for other Commodore based platforms like the Adventra, Crewman and One Tonner AWD ute so it made sense for Holden's tuner company HSV to raid Holden's parts bin and slap the AWD system into a rare limited run model based on the Monaro. HSV also put it in their Avalanche (like OP said is a sportier version of the Adventra) and also a sportier version based on the Crewman called the Avalanche XUV.

[@conduitultra]

Buying a 2005 in two days and this video just dropped. I don't think buying a car has ever felt so meant to be.

[@gregharvie3896]

From Sydney, Australia. The humble Holden ALWAYS delivered brutal reliability, brutal performance and pure quality. We as a nation expect our car purchases to last for years, be as comfortable on a freeway as in a brutal dirt road and not break. These last Monaro's were maybe our crowning glory and could if marketed properly by international GM have been a world class car sold in reasonable numbers, not a niche market vehicle sold to a few.

[@A-classic-smithy]

😢 they were gorgeous

[@Yakushi0Mikatsu]

Yes yes yes! I always knew these were special. Ever since I saw one of these in NFS Underground 2 I fell absolutely in LOVE with these cars. I vividly remember beating my big bro with one of these in the game, good memories.

[@khex_bb]

Since I still own one, i have to say I match your excitement every time I drive my GOAT. However, that car may appear stock, but sadly, its not. First, it sounds like the catback was either swapped, resonators removed and possibly had an xpipe installed. And then, the backfire you are getting was tuned in to occur more often. The only time that happened on a stock GTO is if you were in a high RPM decel, and it was rare. A tune will wake that up, and definitely more often with a pop-happy cat back like a corsa sport. Either way, I love this car. It makes good power with bolt on. Can make crazy power with FI. Can be a track car with the right suspension set up. And its truly a sleeper. People thing you are rolling up in a GrandAM, only to blow their doors off and wonder how a Cobalt got sooo fast. Fun video and good luck to the winner of this car. You will enjoy it.

[@wuffysgarage]

I’ve always wanted one, and I’m a huge mustang guy. This is now one of my favorite rcr videos just because of the energy alone

[@seattleboatdetailingmobile1926]

Was gonna buy a 14 stang gt.. got an 05 GTO should be delivered tomorrow…. I think I made the right choice, stil I’ve the look of Mustang there just sooooooo common. Had an 08..

[@Brothers_Cherenkov]

"she'll be right" is somehow so much more comforting than "it'll be fine", maybe because when you're in that secret bonus track of NZ you have the feeling that it might be true.

[@bensharpe64]

My dad had one, until he traded it for a Chevy Colorado that exploded. It now belongs to some greasy teenager.

[@PrydeWater901]

I worked as a salesman at a Pontiac dealership in 2005. Yes, people paid these cars NO attention and didn’t appreciate what they were. They’d find nits to pick with it like the fact that there is no pass-thru backseat and the hood scoops weren’t functional. Auto got the gas-guzzler tax, but the manual was an extra-cost option and was about $500 cheaper. Three years is all it lasted, much like any other good thing from GM.

[@FalseHoodx]

Scoops are functional tf lol

[@PrydeWater901]

@@FalseHoodx What did they do from the factory?

[@FalseHoodx]

@@PrydeWater901 you said hood scoops were not functional, they are.

[@PURENT]

@@FalseHoodx They don't do anything on the GTO, from factory they had some rubber stopper blocking them.

[@SuperAbsolute]

@@PURENTwhich you can pull out to make the vents functional?

[@u1richh]

I've always wanted one of these cars. They're hidden gems in a few ways. Only downside is the fuel tank annihilating your trunk space.

[@FalseHoodx]

Who needs trunk space in a race car?

[@alexhale73]

Can still fit a set of golf clubs in the trunk. Just saying

[@bridge-p7u]

Rolled mine off the Pontiac lot on 12/9/2006 and have had it for 18 years (currently in the barn) ...the driver's reactions were perfect and the way I feel every time I get on it! :)

[@chrisphoenix77]

I loved the GTO when it came to the States. I loved it when nobody seemed to buy it. I love it still today. And here I am, looking at one I could win, and I can't even afford an entry. Even if I could, the odds are never in my favor. Just a pipe dream. Just a pipe dream.

[@morallyemptycorruptedmaggot]

Your time will come.

[@JustACuteFox]

The moment I saw the thumbnail, "skyline killer" title, and over the top "look how much I'm enjoying this" intro, I knew it was yet another giveaway.

[@JK061996]

It's interesting how these giveaway cars have next to no flaws

[@JustACuteFox]

@@JK061996 Yup, just as trustworthy as when Demuro is 'reviewing' a car that is for sale on his website.

[@dhuber78]

As a fellow GTO owner, I am so glad the car is getting some love it deserves. When you go to Australia I hope you can experience an HSV Coupe 4. The all wheel drive Monaro.

[@eightfold189]

As someone that owns a 05 6.0 GTO i can say, I LOVE this car, its literally in my top 5 dream cars and ill never sell it.

[@ynotw57]

The amount of excitement an LS provides Mr. Regular is off the charts. There’s nothing like it.

[@BitcoinTo150K]

He's a paid actor gets a cut of giveaway car

[@ynotw57]

@@BitcoinTo150K he’s had the same reaction with other LS engines that were not giveaways. Try again.

[@MyAb111]

I love that car. The styling has aged so well, even better than the 5th generation Camaro in my opinion.

[@sethmoyer]

I had a 2004, but tuned to about the same as a stock 2005-2006. The rear seats had so much leg room, it felt like a limo back there! But I eventually sold it for a Fiesta ST. It was definitely super fast and fun to drive, but I missed having a tiny little car! Edit: One cool thing about it is how much random stuff you can re-program on the little information screen. You could change so much stuff like speed warnings, how the lights behaved, etc. Edit 2: Mine was ACTUALLY in the rarest color, Barbados Blue.

[@richmcdowell]

04 owner here. Almost 16 years and still lovin it. Thank you Australia!!

[@thesquirrel914]

Lets be honest. Pontiac was GM's blacksheep that they couldnt control that was gonna go out guns blazing. Throwing out some of the most badass cars of the early 2000's before they had a pistol put behind their ear.

[@cuneyt4313]

I first saw this car in Herbie movie and was struck by its beauty ever since.

[@pauladrian7999]

The power and torque are fun and all but the hand break song really seals the deal for me.

[@packerman1203]

My uncle has this exact car, color and all, and he bought it brand new when i was 3 and a half, hes kept it in a garage and its got 36k miles on it. I love it, i loved it as a kid and i still love it now, hes kept it bone stock and its perfect as is. His headlights arent cloudy like every other car from 06, his alloy wheels are clean, his paint is slick and spotless, but his tires are almost bald. He doesnt drive this thing with traction control at all and hes got a routine for getting in and starting it, check for neutral, clutch, start, turn off traction control, turn on parking lights and fogs. This thing is so much fun to be in but i havent driven it myself yet and it will be my first manual.

[@JCTsFascinatingHobbies]

These are epic, in the UK we received a 'literally rebadged' version of the Holden Monaro and later the HSV version, rebadged as the Vauxhall Monaro VXR. Following on from that, we also received the Commodore Clubsport R8, bebadged as the Vauxhall VXR8. They're incredible cars for the money.

[@craigsampson3386]

Yeah old Top Gear even reviewed them great to watch.

[@markbroadworth5270]

GM didn't bother selling them in Canada.

[@CJColvin]

​@markbroadworth5270 If they did they would be considered the Acadian Beaumont.

[@GTSW1FT]

Oh yeah you guys also didn't get the ugly front bumper that the US got

[@2URLex]

I love seeing these on the road, they still hold up very well. The color code is my all time dream, but with Barbados Blue seats! I still want one but I have no space for it. This is now my favorite video from you guys. Congrats to whoever wins it.

[@shayne7300]

Monaro means High ground, I owned a 1969 HK GTS 307 and a 1972 HQ Monaro Coupe in the 90's...and a 2002 CV6 with the L67 Supercharged V6 up until 6 years ago... great on long trips... The speed warning can be turned off, but with all the speed cameras and point to point cameras, its a good reminder to watch the right foot...

[@curtisg8700]

The last of the natural aspirated sleeper... love these cars

[@wigletron2846]

Chevy SS?

[@kleinbottled79]

In this video Mr Regular tells us something we already knew. Any older LS powered car is going to be an unbeatable performance bargain. My dad had an '06 GTO with a 550hp crate motor. I got to drive it once but the man lived out in the countryside and there really wasn't anywhere I could even start to use all that power. Sounded glorious though.

[@Angryeddie14]

Was literally just looking at listings for these yesterday lol, pretty undervalued imo

[@xsct878]

I will always envy the prices your GTO's go for when trying to look at a Holden Monaro here in Aus, undervalued indeed.

[@A6Legit]

How so? Just looked real quick and saw an okay looking 04 for $20k

[@wigletron2846]

Eh idk. Clean low mileage GTOs are pushing $30k.

[@jeffhobbs1729]

they are expensive as hell for gxp version

[@jerryboy617]

​@@jeffhobbs1729that's a g8, no such thing as a gxp gto

[@arjunsengupta9810]

Had one of these as my first car. People were surprised/jealous that I got it for the price of a used Corolla. Quite a lot of fun, but sadly left me stranded twice, despite being a "one-owner" car with less than 80k miles when I bought it. Maybe the GTO would beat an R34 GT-R in a drag/rolling race, but I'm pretty sure it couldn't beat it round a track. One underappreciated feature was the seats, both front and back -- super comfy and spacious. Great roadtrip car.

[@bigdude101ohyeah]

The speed alert was fairly common in the large Australian cars in the 1990s-2000s. Even dad's Toyota Avalon "Mark III" (basically a cheaply facelifted locally-built first-gen Avalon) had it, and in my head, I can still hear the beep-beep noise it made when overtaking b-doubles on the Hume.

[@cjdacka]

All the tooling for the Avalon was recycled from America and brought to Altona.

[@alexhale73]

As an ‘04 GTO owner, thank you Mr. Regular.

[@Corvettedude101]

I got made fun of as a kid a lot for wanting one of these. And after my cousin bought one, and I got to experience it, it became one of my ultimate dream cars.

[@alongseriesofthelettera1425]

Aussie here, the first one at 17 minutes or so is correct. Most holdens (past 2000s-ish) have an 'overspeed alarm' that you can configure to beep when going over a certain speed. Yes, it's because our "expedient driving" laws are very strict. The second one at 17:30 or so I'm not sure sorry, although it wouldn't shock me if speedos did run fast to keep people under the limit. It's funny, for a country renound for its V8s and sports car heritage our road safety laws are among the strictest in the world. Our highway speed is 100/110, or a about 60-70mph. Most towns run at 50-70kmh. Fun fact too, if you're caught by the cops going 30 over, then your car gets crushed! Zero tolerance is an understatement.

[@RobertSmith-le8wp]

Man it sucks, during the 2008/2009 recession I remember my local Pontiac dealer had a bunch of G8’s for absolute steals. i even had the money for one outright but i was too worried about losing my job at the time. Oh well, coulda, woulda, shoulda right

[@Reinbold1500]

I could sit and listen to Mr. Regular talk while driving this car for hours on end. Unrivaled enthusiasm

[@joeym7291]

I don’t need it.. I don’t need it.. I DEFINITELY don’t need it…

[@charlesjames1442]

How about a nice coffee cup … ?

[@vitaliyurchanka5322]

That "over 80mph" beep gave me shivers. Used to own 2005 blue-on-blue 6mt. Not without its faults is still a great machine. Thank you RCR for this

[@copano2012]

You can program that. My G8 is set to 100.

[@WeerdBeard]

Amazing car! I prefer the 2004 model that had the flat hood and the dual exhaust had both tips on the right hand side! SO SLEEPY! I also loved the G8, as it was a reliable BMW M5! You could drive stupid fast with a child seat in the back! Family muscle!

[@EricMossy]

Just bought an 06 6 speed GTO a couple months back and it is awesome!

[@andyg806]

The car review I didn't know I needed! Fantastic car! I remember seeing these in the UK for the first time as a kid, badged as a Vauxhall Monaro VXR. One day... maybe!

[@wizardmix]

"I can't do an accent." Says the guy whose geographic homeland I'd recognize if I were blind and could only hear out of one ear.

[@flameazaleas]

my dad had one of these, and he loved it. riding in the backseat was cramped but thrilling. he ended up selling it to help my older sister finish college, and still talks about it.

[@vanwiseman]

Got mine in 2013; still loving this car. Mr. Regular, thanks for appreciating the body styling, and its cornering ability (it's a GT car!). I'll add that mine's pretty reliable being flogged daily and occasionally tracked - when something needs attention it's not bad to work on.

[@ultrablue2]

I never understood the dislike (or maybe indifference) that the 2004-06 GTO received when it came out. I know part of it came from the comparisons to the retro ‘05 Mustang that came out immediately after, which stole some of its thunder. However, the GTO was universally panned by critics, mostly for its styling, and this was always a bit confusing. It was said it looked anonymous and bland; but look back to 1964 when the first GTO came out and tell me just how exciting and wild it looked compared to its contemporaries. It was a Tempest with a few pieces of visual flare; it even came standard with hubcaps. The real draw was what lived under the hood. Each year afterwards the styling got more and more aggressive. The new GTO was much the same- the draw was under the skin, and not just the motor, but the entire package. Here you had a V8, legitimate 4-seat car with a fully independent suspension and modern engineering and electronics, yet everyone looked at the skin and balked at buying one. And since the styling was muted, you could fly under the radar and blend in with traffic. I always thought that the following G8 sedan should have spawned a GTO coupe with the same styling; just imagine it as a pillarless 2-door. It would have been perfection.