With so much dysfunction threatening to tear apart families these days, being born into one where like-minded individuals all share a similar passion for cars is a rare gem that helps to curb internal strife. So when Kyle Larson received his first car, a 2006 Pontiac GTO, it didn’t sweeten the deal, it was simply part of it.
The 19-year-old from Burtonsville, Md., explained that driving is not just a privilege but a rite of passage in his household. No sooner was he eligible to get behind the wheel than Larson made his way to the Motor Vehicle Administration to intercept his learner’s permit hot off the laminator. As for the car, Larson said his parents, with the financial assistance of his grandparents, helped put the GTO in the driveway.
“It was always important to them that I had a nice car as soon as I was able to drive,” Larson said.
» Engine: LS2 V8 6.0 liter
» Horsepower: 480
» Wheels: 19-inch DUB with Nitto tires
» Performance: K&N cold air intake, Borla cat-back exhaust system, DynaTech long tube headers with hi-flow cats, DiabloSport custom race tune
» Paint: Custom Real Fire Flame Paint Job
» Interior: Custom blue leather interior inserts in seats and door panels, diamond plate floor mats
» Exterior: StreetGlow neon kit and interior LED lighting, window tint
Call him lucky, call him spoiled, but from the looks of his GTO, the one thing you won’t call his wheels is boring. Known as the ugly duckling of contemporary sports cars due to the fact that the developers strayed hazardously far from the retro look many were hoping to embrace, the GTO looks like a sedan on steroids just begging for the kind of vehicle makeover the aftermarket is all too ready to accommodate.
Larson started work on his car by performing a few upgrades with his brother such as adding a cold air intake and cat-back exhaust system. The next thing was to enhance breathing from the engine to those lower pipes. He added long tube headers, meant to give his car more punch in the upper RPMs and eventually wrapped up the performance work with a custom tune to change shift points, set a desired idle, and performance fuel curve all in an effort to increase horsepower.
Under-the-hood enhancements helped manage the already 6.0-liter V8, but more needed to be done to address the lackluster exterior. Larson had his eye on a real flame paint job, a technique that gives the illusion of realistic flames as opposed to cartoon ones. Larson and his brother found Gary Best Kustumz in Waldorf, Md., where the entire car was restyled and the interior pieces were painted to match the exterior finish. Larson also had a StreetGlow underbody neon kit installed on the car that turns the pavement below the chassis into a blanket of blue light.
Under-the-hood enhancements helped manage the already 6.0-liter V8, but more needed to be done to address the lackluster exterior. Larson had his eye on a real flame paint job, a technique that gives the illusion of realistic flames as opposed to cartoon ones. Larson and his brother found Gary Best Kustumz in Waldorf, Md., where the entire car was restyled and the interior pieces were painted to match the exterior finish. Larson also had a StreetGlow underbody neon kit installed on the car that turns the pavement below the chassis into a blanket of blue light.
His final aftermarket touch was a set of 19-inch DUB chrome wheels on Nitto Racing tires. Since then, Larson and his brother have taken up videography as a hobby, and the GTO features prominently in some of their videos as Larson drives the 80 extra horsepower it gained on top of the stock motor straight into the asphalt.
When Larson first got his hands on this car, he was a lowly junior in high school. But even as a second-year college student, with money hard to come by, the challenge has always been how to find the path of least resistance between his wallet and his steering wheel. It’s a problem he’ll continue solving one modification at a time.
What do you drive?
I drive a custom 2006 Pontiac GTO.
Why do you drive it?
I drive it because it is different and out of the ordinary. I especially like it because it stands out from the more popular American muscle cars.
What makes my vehicle so special is that it was in limited production, especially the 2006 model. Many people have never even heard of or seen the new model of GTO. It also has the 6.0-liter V8 LS2 engine, which puts out 400 horsepower from the factory, which I have upgraded.
What is your most memorable driving experience?
There are three very memorable driving experiences that I have had. The first was driving my car off the lot after I bought it and the ride home. Next would be the first time that I ever raced at a drag strip. I raced my brother, who has a 2005 Mustang GT, and I beat him. Last would be my most recent escapade. I hit 132 mph on the highway.
What was the first car you owned?
The GTO is my very first car.
What music are you currently listening to in your car?
I listen to a whole bunch of stuff, anything from rap to rock to Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra and even the WWE soundtrack. I have a wide range of musical tastes.
And your first ticket? What was it for?
I have never gotten a ticket and hope to keep it that way.
