What If: 2020s Pontiac (GTO, Aztek, Firebird)
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- čas přidán 2. 07. 2024
- Welcome to What If cars! In this series we are going to make alternative universe cars, based on my own fantasies or your request!
In this episode, what if American Pontiac was still alive? What would their lineup look like? What would a 2020s version of the Aztek, Firebird and GTO look like?
Remember to like, subscribe and share if you want more of this!
You can follow me on Instagram: / edsautorevi. .
You can always email me at:
edsautoreviews@gmail.com
Enjoy! - Auta a dopravní prostředky
These are great designs to see what a "new" Pontiac would look like today. You should do a video on what Mercury vehicles would look like in the 2020s.
I could definitely see a modern Mercury Mountaineer (the upscale version of the Explorer) or a Mercury Mariner (upscale version of the Escape) the fun one to design would be an an Expedition/Navigator based full size SUV that starts at the top of the Expedition price point for the base model, and tops out just below the base model of the Navigator.
@@digitalrailroader Same here, also a Mercury muscle car like the cougar
@@reavisjeff Don't forget the Mercury Grand Marquis as well as the Mercury Marauder. Also a Mercury version of the Ford F150 called the Mercury M150 as well.
@@digitalrailroader That Mercury Fullsize SUV would've been called the Mercury Adventurer.
@@CJColvin unfortunately they tried the luxury truck thing twice with Lincoln, (the Blackwood and the Mark LT) and they were both massive commercial flops.
One day there's gonna be a design competition for what-if cars
Yeah thats the concept stage of car production
if you think Ed's designs are good (don't get me wrong, he's not making bad cars), then you're gonna be amazed what the Automation community can do with the designer
Unibody versions of popular full-size trucks
Holy crap, you actually did the Aztek, I'm so happy.
Asstek what Ed says (lol)
I love my 2003 Aztek!
Yoooooooooo Mr. White!
@@Mahoromatic We have to cook
This ripped a hole into my heart...I miss Pontiac so much 😢
Same . Old Pontiac's are my favorite
Same here my brother
S'true. A midnight blue 1963 Pontiac Grand Prix was the most beautiful car my dad ever owned.
wrong kid died
When I turned 17 my first car was a 1964 Pontiac Catalina with 396 four barrel.
What's next? What if 2020s Plymouth
Saturn and Mercury as well PLEASE
I'd love to see a modern Saab lineup, or even just a modern Saab Sonett, absolutely love the What If series, I think you nailed the Pontiac lineup, i think the only difference I'd change is make the GTO a bit more similar to the 04 GTO/Monaro and build it off the direction that that model went in, absolutely loved the video no doubt can't wait to see more
edit: I'm seeing other people say it and I agree I'd LOVE to see your take on a modern fiero
That's a great idea, what would a modern SAAB look like
I second this. Big saab fan and I'd love to see that.
Hard agree with the Saab comment! The GTO is hard, as I can see your point, Jojo, but also I agree with Ed's thinking about the 4 door GTO. I'm super conflicted with that 😅
I suppose that NEVS is the new, updated SAAB, ins some ways.
@@nibs7252 I suppose so but man I'd love to see a properly new styled 900/9-3 hatchback, NEVS doesn't have the same spirit, even when Saab was owned by GM it still had that lingering quirky Saab spirit to it
The Gto and Firebird rear ends look like they're from the Genesis brand but overall they're actually cool
Personally, i really like the Aztek. It just has a certain charm that appeals to me.
I agree. The AZTEK just has a.. *personality.*
It's the car that knocks.
Breaking Bad certainly revamped the Aztek. Early 2000's they were sold well below MSRP. And yes, I like the interior with the built in cooler.
The show car Aztek was killer. It didn’t translate very well to production.
I grew onto it, it happens with a lot of cars. You find them ugly at the start, but give it some time and you start to think about the complete package. It's like the fiat multipla, which though still hideous, like a pug...you also can't avoid the fact that it still has some charm and a uniqueness you won't find anywhere else.
That GTO rendering is nice. You're on to something with that concept. If it was available today I would certainly give it a hard look.
Should be a two-door in my book. Same with the Charger.
It should be a Bonneville.
GM was originally planning a retro-1966 version of the GTO as a replacement for the re-badged Holden before GM dumped Pontiac.
@DTD110865 I know and its a shame really.
I’d love to see more Pontiac, like the fierro and solstice
Right, like the new Solstice becomes a factory V8 powered roaster with the 455 HP 6.2L LT1 V8 or the 495 HP 6.2L LT2 V8 (thats out of the C8 Corvette Stingray) and the Fiero becomes Pontiac's altimate Mid-engine Super Car with the same 5.5L DOHC 32V Flat Plane V8 that's in the C8 Z06 Corvette or the Twin Turbo 5.5L DOHC 32V Flat Plane V8 that's in the upcoming C8 ZR1 Corvette as well.
The Fierro was a great idea and look. It was just manufactured so cheaply. They came and went fast because none lasted very long.
I want more of these “What Ifs”, these were so cool to look at and think about! Pontiac would’ve probably done great this time around
Suggestions:
1. 2022 Opel GT
2. Hondas, if they had never discovered origami (2022 prelude, CRX)
3. 2022 Toyota Celica (based on the original fastback)
4. 2022 Hudson Hornet
5. 2022 Studebaker president
That outta keep you busy for at least a day.
Honestly, Ed, you're a genius. These "Pontiacs" are amazing.
The Aztek was definitely ahead of it’s time and I didn’t find it ugly at all, great imagination!
Basically, I like the direction this channel is taking. On the GTO, I would have the split grill slightly wider at the top to place the Pontiac badge onto it. This is because we had a 1956, 1964, 1968, and 1978 Pontiac's, and that is how I remember most of them. Other than that, put up a longer video, like you recent one, and show your builds with commentary. I love to hear your reasonings for making certain design decisions. BTW, we had a Dodge Polara in 1961, but neither of my parents liked it, especially as the push-button transmission conked out once when my Mother was driving me to a doctor's appointment. After that was fixed, my Mother was once again taking me to the SAME doctor, when we were passing a snow plow and that driver started to change lanes and put his plow directly behind me and tore the car apart. The city paid for that repair, but we traded it in as soon as we could and went back to Pontiac.
Pontiac has always been my favorite badge - a G6 was the first car that I worked to buy with my own money. It really is a shame Pontiac didn't live on (even as some kind of performance sub-brand of Chevy). I might be willing to kill to be able to buy a 2023 GTO.
Great design and thought of the buying public. Bring back Pontiac. Keep those videos coming Ed.
How about a “what if” for Mopar guys-revive some old Plymouth names like Barracuda, GTX or Roadrunner (or even a Super Bee for Dodge)?
Ah, yes. It’s always a great day when a new Ed’s Auto Review video debuts 😁❤️ Love your work!
Another reason buick wasnt killed was because it was gms first brand. Buick and oldsmobile merged to become gm.
Buick only exists today because the sell very well in China. Super sad to see Pontiac and Olds gone.
@@spooley there was a press release back in 2010 or 2009 back when they were intalks to discontinue a brand that was an argument, was buicks standing as the 1st brand along with oldsmobile(defunct at that time merged in 1908 after buick motor company was taken over by william durant), gmc was also on the chopping block before buick. And yes olds is probably the most sad due to it being the oldest brand in the usa(founded in aug of 1897) and was still out selling units in compared to mercury when ford canned it. GM should have cut pontiacs modles back to just 3 a full sized sporty sedan a mid sized and a coupe. Used olds to as originally planned in the 1980s, let it be the sporty euro fighter(see motor weeks quad four prototypes, think 270hp turbo 4 in the late 80s olds touring sedan with a stick)made buick the soft chrysler lexus lincoln competitor. And cadillac pushed it up market to tackle the big dogs, this is exclusivly talking starting in the 80s. No saturn- i would have used that waste to improve development for the old brands. Gm major sin that killed the company was saturn
@@ScrotieJohnson Exactly mate
They should have done away with all of the brands and just kept a model from each under a rebranded GM badge.....
GM Trans Am
GM Cutlass
GM Riviera
GM Corvette
Also the Buick name was used to sell rebadged Opel models with zero development cost.
Top trimlevel for that Aztec is the Heisenberg package 😈
only available in ice blue.
Hopefully with a fresh and hot pizza on the roof.
And the “Blue Sky” First Editions (limited to 1,600 vehicles) have an RV shaped plaque on the dashboard with the signatures of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman and the vehicle’s sequence number (xxx of 1,600)
Good designs, although, in a better world, GM would have used the Caddy CTS platform, made a Chevrolet Caprice sedan in the states and done a bit of badge engineering and made a Pontiac Bonneville to fight the Chargers and M5s. The GTO works better as a 2 door coupe, but the Firebird already occupied that spot. I probably would have given the bird cues of the early 2nd gen cars, myself.
The 4 door GTO surprised me at first. But I think his reasoning for changing it to a 4 door, was the Dodge Charger. The original Dodge Charger from the 1960's and 70's was a 2 door. But when it was brought back in the late 2000's, it was changed to a 4 door. Based on consumer demand. People preferred 4 door cars at the time. I think EAR reasoned that, if the Charger can become successful as a 4 door, then the GTO could be as well. And a 2020 4-door GTO would most likely be direct competition to the 2020 Charger.
@@99gagtx There for Ford needs to make the 4 door Torino to compete with the Charger.
Happy to have another "What If" video, Ed! Brilliant series!
I'm very glad you touched on the Firebird body kit conversion you can buy for modern Camaros. It's such a weird thing to see.
I looked all in the comments to see if it was a true thing I'ma buy a Camaro now just for that
I really like your Firebird and GTO designs, but I like the Firebird styling the best! It looks just the right size and the top looks like it has Plenty of head room for REAL PEOPLE!
Thank you SO much for reaching into my brain and pulling out about 92% of what I was thinking. My exceptions to your theory are as follows:
"Chevrolet Inspired" is part of the reason why Pontiac doesn't exist! So is the notion that a Pontiac could even hold a candle to a BMW in anything else but speed and possibly performance. And, a "twin kidney grille," and any reference to the "Aztek," are the last things I would have ever done; a rebirth of this brand doesn't need such severely negative history attached to such sexy products! No, I'm thinking more like this:
Base ALL vehicles on Cadillac's CT5 Chassis. Then....
"Pecos" or "Tempest" (Murock)
Offer BOTH a naturally aspirated and a Hybrid-powered 3.6 V6 and the same 670 horsepower, 5.5 liter flat-plane-crank V8 as the forthcoming Z06! Manual or automatic across the board!
"Vibe" (Aztek)
Take one of the most successful names in Pontiac history and reimagine it as a compact CUV. Use the same, iconic "split grille" of the 1960 and 70s. NO V8 here, so as not to impact Cadillac XT4/XT5 sales.
"Firebird" (Excellent choice!)
The ONLY thing I would change about your rendering would be the front end. If you bring back the 'bird, it must have a beak! (See "Pecos/Tempest" for engine/transmission choices)🐦! (---\/---)
"Phoenix" or "LeMans" (GTO) If Dodge can resurrect the Charger with some people remembering the "Omni 024" based ones of the 80s, then Pontiac can certainly shake the X-Car dirt off of this inspiring name or the absolute Daewoo filth of the 80s subcompact. Think 1973-1975 Grand Am with modern lighting for front-end styling (see "Pecos/Tempest" for engine/transmission choices)
You still did a kick-ass job! And yes, Pontiac would probably be more successful than Buick here, but the Chinese LOVE Buick, so....😔.
🐰
Really loving this series. I like to come up with classic car designs in sketches and one of my more recent ideas was what if Cadillac decided to revive the V16 name and engine in the late 80s/early 90s on a lengthened Corvette body with styling inspired by the Allante and the '92 Eldorado. They had some wild revival concepts drawn up in the 60s IIRC, and by the 80s they were trying to attract more and new buyers, hence this would be an interesting top end sports luxury pseudo supercar hybrid. Would be a great concept for you to explore in a future video ;)
I like your Aztek render! It gives off real CTS-V vibes.
damn you made the aztek look good, hat’s off to that
You do a great job on these. My favorite old school car (and first car), The Chrysler New Yorker. What would it look like today?
If GM cared what anyone outside of the boardroom thought they'd hire you. These mockups are not just sexy, they're utterly feasible. Congrats Ed, well done.
Very good. You put some thought into this and it shows. I enjoyed the video. I would like to see Pontiac Bonneville and Oldsmobile with the 98,88,Cutlass and Toronado and Custom Cruiser. You have the right idea as the direction Pontiac should have taken.
Yes
LFG Pontiac, Thank U Ed for this video hopefully u can do a Saab car too
What If? Oldsmobile somehow survived thanks to the Aurora being a massive hit. Also the Cutlass Supreme survived into the 2000s
Or GM allowed Oldsmobile to pursue their turbo aspirations grounded in the Aerotech, which would have given them a huge advantage in the market today, or even further develop their skateboard concept as the basis of their EV offerings.
The redesign of the Aurora had the highest sales numbers of the model, right before GM announced the closure of Oldsmobile.
Olds got done dirty.
Also what would've modern day 442 look like had Oldsmobile survived.
@@quintessenceSL Saturn would have been the perfect brand for EVs
Oldsmobile could have been more geared towards European styling amd luxury on higher end models. Sort of what Cadillac went for. Cadillac should have gone upmarket and distinctively American af instead.
@@CJColvin 442 could have been Camaro based or Commodore based like the would-be Trans Am or G8 GXP, respectively
@@TheZProtocol Right
Nice job, Ed! You definitely captured the essence of what could likely be a modern Pontiac lineup!!!! Very creative!!!
The Trans Am kits for the Camaro I've seen on the road and well, it looked like a bloated 1977 Trans Am. Didn't out right hate it but real Pontaics even near the end did not have a chunky jelly bean look to them. Still fun to see their memory carried on. Thanks Ed, another entertaining what if episode.
I think your Firebird is (sadly) spot on; what Pontiac 2022 would do with a Camaro. What WOULD be cool is a retro reimagining of the 4th gen Firebird with the coke-bottle styling and pointy snout. 2022 is almost the 30th anniversary of that shape and would be a welcome diversion from all the square edges. Also: there'd DEFINITELY be a Screaming Chicken decal option for the hood.
Your Charger-killer GTO makes sense, but in the year 2022 Dodge has that segment pretty much dominated with like six different Charger variants. Suggest instead a rebadging to Bonneville or Safari and turn that GTO into a wagon. We're due for a full-size wagon renaissance! Also, I seem to remember Holden making wagons so it'd be a trivial/cheap experiment. If Stellantis responds by resurrecting the Magnum then even better: wagon wars.
The Charger, and it's Challenger and 300 platform mates, are also dying after '23. Big sedans aren't selling right now, so the "GTO" would probably be better served as a taller CUV thing as far as sales. Just give it a different name.
Your designs are very much in keeping with classic Pontiac design language, and certainly not hideous; I wish such cars were in production. Since 2010 GM has had a hole in their mid-price sporty/performance lineup, and as Buick continues to lose relevance in the US I would not be surprised to learn GM is now discussing bringing Pontiac back.
I think they might have tried to take the nostalgia a bit further with the Firebird. Maybe given the Trans Am a shaker hood scoop and an HD badge with the full hood chicken. Maybe even brought back T-Tops.
Out of the 4 Pontiac you imagined, the Aztec is my vote for the most successful in today's market. You fixed the weird issue of the 99' body lines not lining up with the rest of the car's features, and would certainly fit back into GMs lineup as if it never left. Great job!
Sir, i was REALLY intrigued by your 2 "What If" videos that it got me curious for other model "What ifs". Such as the Chevrolets Corvair, Chevette, and Vegas in 2020's. Also the Ford Probe, Aspire, and Pinto in 2020s. 1 final comment on the Pontiacs 2020, instead of the name Murock, I would've named it the El Camino. (IDK, it's just me)
Or better name for the Pontiac Ute should've been Lemans.
Nice work, loved the last GTO even if it was a rebadged Aussie model. You should do the Buick Grand National or GNX
I quite like that Murock. That is the one for me. Nice job on the AssCrack, er Aztek. Actually way better than the original. Keep up the great work!
Perfect and thanks for bring back every single one of these models you are spot on sir.
I'm so happy I subbed your channel. This episode is a reason why! More, please.
I'd love to see a modern interpretation of the AMX Javelin.
Good god I love this channel. Ed, please never stop. The automotive side of CZcams just wouldn't be as fun without you.
Love them Ed, thank you
GM or another one of the big 3 should hire you! You make American cars exciting and interesting.
Big 2 now.
Looks good! I especially like the details on the Firebird, but thinking outside the box, I would call it "Phoenix" instead. And to round out Pontiac's performance focus, I would resurrect the Fiero and Solstice.
You nailed it dude
Thanks Edward.
Another cool video
That’s what the Aztek should’ve looked like.
Actually you did an excellent job on the Aztec. I actually thought the original Aztec looked pretty ugly. But you're right that it was ahead of it's time. Now that vehicle would fit right in. It's the same thing with the Isuzu VehiCross. That vehicle was ugly then but now it definitely would fit in. I like your version of a 2020's Aztec and with a V8. When can I buy one?
This is a great lineup!
Can't wait for the next one!
Okay, you sir, have earned my sub. Came from the Chromemobile video, stayed for your humor, your thoughts, and your wonderful style of videos.
They all look awesome, you did a great job with the designs of the cars Ed! Maybe team up with someone like TheSketchMonkey to talk about this what-if series in the future, it'd be a cool video if it happened!
All of these were pretty cool I must say! Although I would love to see a “what if” if the Pontiac revived the Fiero; in my opinion maybe the car could be Pontiac’s new supercar like Chevrolet’s Corvette C8, but I could be wrong.
I really enjoy these!
Those all look sharp you nailed it
Someone requested this in another episode. Could you do an episode covering an alternate timeline where the Thunderbird is not only still in production but stayed true to it's orginal purpose of being a Corvette competitor?
Ford did it in 2005, using a Jaguar Type S chassis and powertrain. I owned one, it was a POS, although it looked great. It lasted 62,000 miles. Fortunately, there won't ever be another Ford or GM ICE car in our future.
Ever. :((
Ed, My Wife and I really enjoy your videos. I like all the 2022 Pontiac's. Especially the Firebird and the GTO. What if Studebaker did not go out of business and what would the Champion look like today?
I really like what you came up with Ed!
I absolutely love this guy and his videos
Ed, you mad genius. The Leyland P76 is a very interesting australian V8 passenger car that would be perfect for this type of treatment.
Those Pontiacs, especially the fronts and GTO overall, remind me a lot of BMWs. It's kind of like the modern beemer style but instead making the grill longer it's wider.
This was awesome! I want the GTO!!!
I imagine that if GM executives seen this video. They would be flying to the Netherlands, and asking you to help bring back the Pontiac brand.
Also, it would be interesting to see what if Oldsmobile or Packard vehicles would be like if they were still around today.
The Aztec was so ahead of everyone. Few years later you see crossovers everywhere. Unfortunate for Pontiac there were too many cooks making the soup.
You should really do more of these multi car designs with brands!
These are fantastic
I have been waiting for the day Ed uses automation. this is the start of a new age!
Murock would sell terrible but also great st the same time. A ton of people would buy them, assuming they were correctly priced, but at the same time not many would buy it. A super cool idea though, and would be amazing to see another one in America again
I would love to see the brand revived possibly as an all electric sport line (because it would have to be electric) with a model called a Phoenix, a very fitting name.
Excellent job, Ed. I love the Firebird and GTO models. Makes me wish I could buy one today
I love this video concept amd wish to see more in the future!!
This is great! Pontiac really got left behind. I would LOVE to see what you'd do with some of the long gone brands. Lets start with AMC.
You get a thumbs up from me. Ouch - AMC now there's a real heartbreaker. A true underdog but when you get bought by Chrysler.....well.......🥵
I think GM should hire you because of this, but that’s just my opinion
These are beautiful
Really impressive video. I can tell you put a lot of thought into this. I would love to see a video on a retro truck, a stylish stepside with today's technogy. Keep up the great work 👍
Would love to see one for other defunct brands like Saturn, Saab, Eagle, Geo, etc.
They are all defunct brands.....
Chevy, Dodge, and Ford too.
Ugly, boring cars with no style.
@@my1vice So... every car post-2010?
@@Infomaniac_Moment
I'd say most cars since 2005.
Quality and style has been replace with cheap gizmos.
@@my1vice What about American cars from the 50s, 60s, and early 70s?
@@CJColvin
What about them? That's when we were actually building good cars.
They are great looking cars, Ed. Many of us miss the Pontiac brand. I personally would like to see an modern version of the 1958 Oldsmobile, my favourite car of all time.
You have good taste....sadly Ed does not like late 50s American cars....he is a weirdo.
@@fortheloveofnoise9298 I just love the 58 Olds and 58 Buicks.. and the 57 and 58 Mercury Turnpike Cruisers, the ultimate in American Gorp-o-Matic automobiles from an era never to be seen again.
Good episode Ed. I think if Pontiac was here they would have a Firebird, but everything else would be a suv version of what the other divisions already have today.
That was really well done 👍
Speaking of dead GM brands; I would love to see a modern take on the Saturn line, hell i'd even love to see a modernized GM EV-1.
All the re-designs look great, Ed- especially the Murock and the Firebird. The Aztec never looked that bad...I think a lot of people were just confused by the "tent" thing. The GTO as a sedan is an interesting idea. Not crazy about the chrome divider between widows, though.
That was my only criticism, as well; the B pillars need to be narrowed. Well, rather, the door frames at the B pillars need to be made smaller.
I'd definitely took a challenge of doing a redesign of your cars and give them little more "oomph." Otherwise nice builds, it makes me happy seeing you having fun in Automation.
My first car was a 1975 Grand Prix. 400 cubic inches, 185 hp. It was a smooth riding automobile!
If Pontiac was still around then Pontiac would've not only become GM's Mopar (like the GTO compete with the Charger and the Trans-AM compete with the Challenger) but also become America's BMW as well (like the G6 compete with the M3/M4, the G8 compete with the M5/M6, and the Solstice compete with the BMW roadster) and all would have LS based DOHC 32V V8s with the same displacement as the original Pontiac V8s.
Had me a '99 Sunfire GT. Not bad. Great video. Please do more of these "what if" videos.
I need to see more of these
"...GTO, you be the judge." Love it!
Thank you thank you thank you for talking about Pontiac. It's my favorite brand and i also truly believe it would be a massive success in todays automotive culture. I do wish people understood how good Pontiac really was
Exactly mate, not only Pontiac was GM's Mopar but also America's BMW as well.
Love all of these. I own a beautiful 1972 GTO. I would seriously consider buying the "new" GTO if it existed.
Love your reimagined Aztek! I drove a 2002 Aztek for 17 years and loved it - even had the tent and camped in it many times. It might have been ugly, but it could carry a full-size dryer in the back. Keep up with the snazzy videos!
A lot of work went into this video, and it shows! Very cool idea. Would love to see more dead brands reimagined this way.
Hey Ed I just watched your malaise videos and it reminded me of a story.
My papa (grandad on mom's side) always wanted a Cadillac, and in 1976 he finally got one.... And hated it from the day he drove it home.
Within about 6 months he replaced it with a 1976 Ford F-150 XLT Ranger pickup. And I think that shows something, the Malaise era is responsible for the "every house has a pickup truck" era we're in now. Trucks in the Malaise era weren't fast sure, but then again up until recently trucks never were. Much like cars trucks started getting more luxurious, riding softer, and had more room, and they had more utility for the average suburban dad than the Cadillac he always wanted (using my example). Which leads me to this: I have an idea for a multipart series of your auto history series. The history of the pickup truck, and it's rise to popularity among normal people instead of just being a tool for a farm or the oil company
THIS IS SICKKKKKKKKKKKKK
Bruh I knew I wasn’t the only one who made up what if scenarios for cars bro, it’s so fun!
Great ideas.