From: http://www.pontiac.com/pontiacjsp/passion/news/main.jsp

It was the first true American muscle car. When the Pontiac® GTO® appeared on the scene in late 1963, heads turned and the auto world raved. The name GTO came from the Italian Grand Tourismo Omulogato racing series. But passionate enthusiasts from around the world came to praise it as "The Great One", "The GOAT", or simply as "The Legend." It was this powerful V8, rear-wheel-drive coupe that came to symbolize Pontiac performance at its best.

Today, the auto world is talking once more. The Pontiac GTO coupe is coming back.

The soul of the legendary GTO was easy to find — you had only to raise the hood. So it's fitting that under the hood of every new GTO will be an LS1 aluminum block 5.7-liter V8 engine. Add in the rear-wheel-drive chassis-an essential part of the GTO identity. Plus, add an available 6-speed manual transmission, and what do you have? A true driver's car, unleashing over 300 hp on command.

Soon, a new generation of driving enthusiasts will be introduced to the GTO. This uncompromising machine will share both the V8 heritage and brawny, muscular stance of its ancestry. And so much more. A fusion of heritage power and modern technology, the new GTO will combine legendary acceleration with precision handling and driver amenities not dreamed possible in decades past. The new GTO will truly be the modern incarnation of the classic.

Pontiac is headed in a new direction with dynamic, 21st-century designs — clean, contemporary looks with power and handling that create a total performance package. Pontiac is changing the game and leading the way with a new driving experience that can only be described in three letters: GTO.

Get ready, starting late 2003, the GTO is back.