How Much Horsepower Does A 2006 Pontiac GTO 6.0 Have?

Just because a car brand goes the way of the dinosaur doesn't mean that it can't be fondly remembered for years after. Take, for instance, Pontiac, which rose to prominence throughout the 20th century under the General Motors umbrella after starting out under Oakland Motor Car in the 1920s. It came to light in 2009 that GM was retiring the brand, shifting focus primarily to Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. With that, Pontiac was a thing of the past by 2010. Nevertheless, there are a few classic Pontiac cars we'd like to see make a comeback someday, with the Pontiac GTO deservedly among them. 

These trend-setting luxury cars first hit the streets in the early 1960s, with 2004-2006 serving as the final years of the GTO — technically a tweaked version of a Holden Monaro at that point. The 2005 and 2006 models packed a 6.0L LS2 V8 engine with tons of grunt. In the horsepower department, the Pontiac GTO 6.0 engine doesn't disappoint: it clocks in at 400 horsepower, with 400 lb-ft of torque to boot. With this engine, the '06 GTO has been known to go 0-60 mph in under five seconds.

All of that is to say the 6.0 could give some of the most powerful Pontiac engines ever built a run for their money in terms of sheer power. However, how did it stack up against its direct predecessor, the 2004 GTO?

The Pontiac GTO became recognized as the car that launched the 1960s muscle car boom, but it changed a lot by the time its final year of sales rolled around. The fifth generation, which kicked off in 2004 — a whopping 30 years after the fourth unceremoniously wrapped up its run — took on a more modern design sensibility. It has a smoother, less angular body and resembles more of a sedan than a muscle car. It may not be among the coolest looking Pontiac models ever made, but don't let the look of this GTO fool you. It displayed progress under the hood, with the 2004 GTO boasting an impressive engine that just falls short of that of the 2005 and 2006 model.

The GTO's big comeback in 2004 was powered by a 5.7L LS1 V8 engine, which features some pretty respectable stats. This engine has 350 horsepower in addition to 365 lb-ft of torque. It has been recorded as going from 0-60 mph in just 5.3 seconds, according to MotorTrend. Evidently, these numbers pale in comparison to those put up by the 6.0 engine, but it does deserve some amount of credit. It laid the groundwork for the superior engine of future GTO models, paving the way for the car's farewell.

Though it may not be the most impressive or powerful car Pontiac ever released, the 2006 Pontiac GTO more than has its merits. It's marks the end of an era, sending the GTO name riding off into the sunset at great speed with its impressive LS2 V8 engine.

[Featured image by Jason Lawrence through Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]