Guys can you not say crap like 'if your dumb enough to get stuck in a ditch, then you deserve it."
Accidents happen, and sometimes its not your fault.

 

This is way off topic, but I kinda dig all the extra heavy duty, over engineered Austrailan "rough road edition" stuff that the GTO gets.

 

It is a good idea, what I meant was the mindnumbing rebuttal arguments to this feature.

It shouldn't have a tow hook because you shouldn't get stuck!

Those types of comments

 

The rebuttal isn't "you shouldn't get stuck"

It's "If you manage to do something to get yourself stuck, suck it up like a man, and get cold, wet and dirty and make it right".

I'd rather have things like real metal doorhandles, nice brightwork in the interior, clips built into the floor for floormats, etc than some tow hooks that i 'might' need one day to save me an hour of discomfort. In all my years of driving i have never needed them yet, and that includes parking in muddy fields tailgating at many football games or drag races, as well as driving in several inches to feet of snow while living at penn state in central PA.

But if you can't handle getting cold, wet and dirty to pay for your sins, i guess i can buy that. Pretty sure there has never been an instance that a car has become permanently stuck that tow hooks under the bodywork could have saved it.

 

"If you're dumb (or unlucky) enough to get your car stuck in mud or off a road in a ditch, you DESERVE a little extra pain in getting it out."

I'm sorry I musta misunderstood that.

But I can see how floor mat clips needed to be built into the car and stuff is definitely required and certainly makes more sense than a tow hook, especially for the suck it up and be a man type. Look, everyone is going to have their own side to it all to Nth degree - and no amount of internet arguing will convince the person otherwise.

I'm getting way off track here because this thread has gone by the wayside. There's many neat ideas that I'm sure will be on this car that will surprise alot of us, hopefully all for the better.

 

Let me try it this way. I know two track promotors one the Drag Strip I worked for over 4 years, and the other Moto Cross strip I work for around 6 years. If you came to see Jermy McGrath or Ricky Carmicheal race, you will park your car in a field where you are directed by security parking cars over a 3 day event. At least one of those days, it usually rains and turns those fields to a uninvited civilian mud bogging event. I promise you it will not be an hour of discomfort but hours of aggrivation. If you are lucky to find a track tractor, or a local farmer who will charge you $10 to tow your car out of the mud who was magically ready for the expected with some chains. I dont care how good of a driver you think you are in all your years of driving (which btw you talk doesnt sound like many) you will be axle deep in your 'sins'. Sometimes people get 4-5 buddies 'sucking it' up pushing hard into sheetmetal rocking 3-3500lbs of vehicle with what was flawless fenders trunk and clear coat. Some years go better than others and sometimes the ground dries up and people dont realize how lucky they got. As someone whos watched this happen so often, Ive learned to expect it repeat year after year. This isnt how I would run a track, but it isnt mine to run.

The other track promoter is the drag strip promoter. He goes out of his way to keep as many people on the ashphalt as possible. They do use the same fields at the big shows though. If you were to get stuck a tractor could hook to your car if you find something to hook to. This is the way a track should be run but how do you know whos who? Who thinks about having to retrieve their car just to come watch a race?

There are any number of situations it would be helpful. From snow to long unpaved driveways to whatever.

Its like seat belts or airbags. You could take them out, because if you are stupid enough to get in an accident, be a man and peel yourself off the dumptruck you were stupid enough to let cut you off. The production car is not likely to get 'real' Metal door handle. Its a cost that isnt needed, as long as decent durable plastic door handles are in place that is one less thing to rust.

 

I've parked performance cars at many football tailgates in muddy fields at several locations. I've also parked in muddy fields at various car shows and drag strips over the years where rain has broke out.

I can recall one year in particular at a penn state spring game, i watched countless cars have a helluva time getting out of one lot because just about nothing short of 4wd could get up the hill. I had blown off the attendant and drove to the corner of the lot on a nice grassy spot by the road and they were way too swamped to do anything but yell "hey what are you doing"

If i was forced to park in a mudbowl, then i'd be forced to demand my money back and a clear path to the exit. it's never come down to that, because in the end, the minimum wage parking attendant really doesnt care. Think about it, what would they rather do, let you park where you want, or you to cause a traffic jam while you REFUSE to move your car into an UNSAFE location. Simple as that, no one can MAKE you do anything you don't want, and by blocking traffic, YOU have the upper hand, best they can do is kick you out, which is a lot harder in a busy lot than to simply cave and give you a nice spot, especially since they want your money,

I'm not a kid, i'm just stubborn and value myself and my own convenience over everybody elses. If you're afraid to stand up for your right to not park in a ****ty spot, then you deserve to spend a day digging your car out.


But even still, you're talking a very small percentage of people who would take their car to such a place, and even less unlucky enough to get stuck.

As i said before, i have never in my entire life heard of a car that was hopelessly stuck that only factory towhooks could save it. If 1 in 20,000 5th gen owners has to waste a day and $500 getting someone to drag him out of a jam to save us all a useless expense, so be it.

Your slippery slope about airbags and seatbelts is ridiculous, they are government mandated items. No one forces a manufacturer to spend money and engineering effort for tow hooks, and some of us believe that money could be much better used on things that make the car noticably better for everybody.

I'd say this post has gone on a tangent, except it hasn't. Some people think they're a good idea, others don't. I'm simply explaining why i think they're not NECESSARY. Of course there are times they might be useful. My point once again, they are not NECESSARY. There are a lot of things that can make or break 5th gen success, tow hooks are right below chrome air caps and dingle ***** on (most) buyer's wish lists.

 

Ironic considering you are vehemently against a device that could save you an untold amount of aggrivation and cost everyone else a few cents.

If you are so selfish, consider what you would want in that situation!

 

actually, the roadrace/open track guys would love a properly engineered and designed towhook front and rear/.... one less thing to figure out how to fit..