It also expects 13 percent of buyers to opt for the Vibe GT, a car that does qualify for pocket rocket status. Pontiac says the Vibe GT will rocket from a standing stop to 60 mph in less than 8.5 seconds (compared to around 9 or 10 seconds for the base car and 11.5 for the Vibe AWD).
The Vibe GT's engine also displaces 1.8 liters, but has been massaged by Yamaha, which shortened the stroke but bored out its cylinders and increased the compression ratio to 11.5:1 (compared to 10.0:1 for the version in the Vibe and Vibe AWD). The Vibe GT engine needs 92-octane fuel, but the payback is 180 horsepower at 7600 rpm. (Ford's much-heralded SVT Focus has only 170 horsepower.)
Coupled to the GT's engine is a six-speed manual gearbox. Although the Vibe GT rides on the same front MacPherson strut/rear twist-beam suspension as the base Vibe, the GT gets four-wheel disc brakes, standard ABS and has its 205/55 aspect tires mounted on 16-inch cast aluminum wheels.
Rev the Vibe GT's engine to 6000 rpm and a higher-lift, longer-duration cam lobe kicks in and it feels as if a turbocharger has activated, like afterburners have been ignited. We drove the car hard and fast on canyon roads west of Los Angeles and it was quick and stable and predictable, and the GT engine emits a nice exhaust note.
This 1.8-liter is the same engine that powers Toyota's Celica GTS, but in the Vibe GT the engine is in a package that has room for people and their stuff.
The Pontiac Vibe competes with the Ford Focus, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Volkswagen Golf, Mazda Protege5 and, of course, the Toyota Matrix, which doesn't offer as much standard equipment as Pontiac does.
The Vibe's strengths are its extensive list of standard equipment in all three of its versions, its innovative cargo system, its equally innovative standard electrical outlet and its Toyota build quality.
The Vibe AWD may have appeal in the snow belt. The Vibe GT deserves consideration as a pocket rocket for those who don't have deep pockets, but who want a rocket with big pockets for their friends and cargo.
