2006 Pontiac GTO

2006 Pontiac GTO — From Stock to Twin-Turbo Prototype When Dad's 2006 Pontiac GTO came to us, it was essentially stock and in need of some TLC. That didn't last long. Our original plan actually had nothing to do with turbochargers. With the expectation that an LSA supercharger would eventually find its way on top of the LS2, Dad purchased a cowl-style hood to provide the additional clearance and give the otherwise understated GTO a more aggressive appearance. The factory rear wing was also replaced with a spoiler from Sarona, beginning the exterior transformation.

A Change of Plans While researching the best direction to take the car, I came across Jon at HuronSpeed, who at the time was developing a new twin-turbo system specifically for the GTO. I reached out to learn more about it. That conversation changed the direction of the entire build. We became one of the early demo/prototype cars for the HuronSpeed twin-turbo kit. Jon offered us the complete system for an absolute steal, asking primarily for something valuable in return: real-world feedback. He wanted to know about the quality, performance, fitment, installation process, and any problems we encountered so that changes could be incorporated into the production version of the kit. Suddenly, the planned LSA car was becoming a twin-turbo GTO. Finding Room for Two Turbos Packaging a pair of turbochargers underneath a GTO isn't exactly an exercise in excess space. The twin turbos are positioned down low alongside the transmission bellhousing—and boy, is it a tight fit. From the compressor outlets, the charge piping travels outward and then forward, fitting tightly along the outer frame rail and inner wheel-housing area around the suspension. From there, the piping loops forward into the front-mounted intercooler before eventually feeding the engine. On the turbine side, exhaust is routed rearward, ultimately allowing the system to exit through the car's conventional factory exhaust location. It is an impressive amount of plumbing packaged underneath a relatively unassuming GTO.

Building the Rest of the Car Around It More power meant the rest of the drivetrain and chassis needed attention as well. The car uses a Monster clutch backed by an upgraded six-speed manual transmission, along with upgraded rear axles to deal with the substantially increased power. Wheel hop—something these cars aren't exactly strangers to—was addressed with the addition of rear airbags. We went considerably further with the chassis as well, installing a full Pedders suspension setup along with polyurethane bushings throughout. The result was a GTO built to do more than make a big number on a dyno.

Race Star Shoes The GTO rides on a set of Race Star wheels that we were fortunate enough to pick up directly through Race Star for a great deal. They fit the personality the car was developing perfectly: straightforward, performance-oriented, and considerably more serious than the stock GTO that started the project.

Giving the Exterior the Attention It Needed By the time the mechanical transformation was largely complete, the body was badly in need of attention of its own. Rather than changing the identity of the car with a completely different color, we brought it back to its original Torrid Red. We did, however, put our own spin on it. The lower lips and side trim were finished in black, creating some contrast against the bright red body and visually lowering the car.

One of our favorite details is considerably easier to miss. We had custom fender badges made to resemble something Pontiac could have installed at the factory. From a distance they look appropriately OEM. Get a little closer, though, and they read “Twin Turbo.” It's a subtle warning about what is hiding underneath.

A Little Red Inside, Too The original seats had also seen better days. Rather than simply recovering them in the original style, we installed red leather seat skins that better complement the red interior trim already found throughout the GTO. The change gave the cabin a much fresher appearance while tying the interior into the Torrid Red exterior.

Putting a Number on It Once everything was together, the GTO went to Jeremy Formato at Fasterproms for tuning. What had begun as a conversation with Jon about a prototype turbo system ultimately transformed Dad's formerly stock GTO into something entirely different. On the dyno, the car laid down more than 860 horsepower at the rear wheels. At the time of writing, that makes Dad's 2006 GTO the fastest car in the Quick Cars Tampa fleet. Not bad for the car that was originally supposed to get an LSA blower.