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Imagine if someone took a GTO in 2004 and made a kit to convert it into a Camaro. A lot of people would be excited to see Camaros rolling around because that GTO was a great car, but a lot of other people wouldn't want the Camaro to be an aftermarket kit. I think that a lot of muscle car guys are purists about names. That's why we have all of that concern about a GM Z28. Nobody wants to consider some aftermarket Z28 because any company could designed a package, and not every package will live up to the name.
This Firehawk is a great package. It really reflects style and performance that we would all want from a Firehawk.
I don't want to see something like this become more desirable than a GM-produced kit. For a lot of Pontiac enthusiasts, this is going to be a great way to get back to some of their roots. For Pontiac executives, this could mean one of two things. The first potential interpretation is that enthusiasts want their classics back. The second interpretation is that Pontiac enthusiasts will stick with Pontiac regardless of whether the cars that made a love affair out of drivers and machines come back. I don't want, as a consumer, to send the second message to GM. I'm worried about recent priority shifts—releasing the G3, focussing on small engines, CAFE—and how those shifts will permanently change the company. I'm worried that market demand for these functional cars will cause GM to forget some of the flare that made companies, like Pontiac, interesting to buyers.
I like this kit. I'm just worried that it might give Pontiac an excuse not to make its own Firehawk.
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