Pontiac has made ordering a GTO ($31,795) a paragon of simplicity. After picking from a palette of seven exterior paint colors and three, properly coordinated interior trims (none of which cost extra), a buyer has but one option: a six-speed manual transmission ($695). Ironically, ordering the manual actually saves a buyer money, as the four-speed automatic carries a gas guzzler tax of $1000 that the manual avoids. Otherwise, all GTOs are identical two-door coupes powered by a 350-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 driving the rear wheels.

Consistent with the GTO's promise to be more of a driver's car than a family transporter or utilitarian commuter, comfort and convenience features are minimal, at least by today's standards. Leather upholstery is standard. It comes with power mirrors, power front seats, and power locks. The AM/FM/CD stereo features a dash-mounted six-disc changer. The leather-wrapped steering wheel tilts and telescopes. In deference to memory lapses sometimes induced by daytime running lights, headlights have an auto-on setting. And cruise control gives the driver's right leg a break on long drives. But there's no navigation system available, and shoppers wanting set-it-and-forget-it climate control will be disappointed because the HVAC is manual. Nor are there memory settings for a driver's preferred seating and mirror positions, stereo station presets, suspension stiffness, and so on. About the only item possibly falling outside the category of modern necessaries are the standard front and rear floor mats.

Much the same holds for safety gear. For occupants, three-point seatbelts and dual frontal airbags are about it. There is an alarm system, and a keyless remote, but no side airbags or head curtains. Similarly, while antilock brakes, traction control and a limited-slip differential are standard, absent is any form of electronic stability control.