Driving the New Pontiac G8

I'll probably go test drive the G8 when it arrives in showrooms but probably not purchase. As everyone knows, this is a rebadged Holden Commodore from Australia, which is an attractive car but somehow Pontiac has managed to "uglify" the car by modifying the grill etc. They seem reluctant to let the existing attractive design remain and are determined to place the Pontiac family style on it, which only diminishes the car. (Note, they did exactly the same thing with the Holden Monaro, released as a Pontiac GTO.) Holden just released their Coupe 60 concept vehicle which looks fantastic. If it were released in the US, looking exactly as it currently does, I'd trade my BMW 540i in a heartbeat. But I fear the Pontiac designers will get their dirty little hands on it and spoil everything. Please, Bob Lutz, prevent them doing this again!! Perhaps they could simply replace the Holden badge with a small Chevy badge. That would be perfection!!

I love the new G8. The styling is fresh and modern, but with a V8 hammer under the hood. Awesome. It isn't without its quirks, though. No navi system? When it comes with a nice screen in the V8 model? Seems like an easy fix to me, but it's still not available? What gives?

Indeed, this car is going to raise the expectations of what a Pontiac is really about. If this car holds with enthusiasts and journalists alike, expect for Pontiac's sales to grow in tandem. I really am looking out for one myself when I get the chance. Just come out quicker with the manual option already and I'll be set!

Like the GTO before it, GM couldn't be bothered selling the G8 in Canada. The only rear drive GM sells in Canada [Cadillac] are priced tens of thousands above US pricing.
Could GM try any harder to loose market share in this country?

Great work indeed Pontiac. Now bring the 2 door version of it (Holden Coupe 60) over and you're all set. Seriously. Do it.

Adam,

I Love this car and strongly believe in it!!

Now Pontiac NEEDS a HOT halo G8 coupe V8 and its name is Holden Coupe 60

Build it and we will come!!

Your article didn't post the price or the fuel mileage. Two very important points in derterming the affordability now days.

Some might say that whoever buys this vehicle can afford the fuel, but we can get a larger audience of potential buyers if those two items are in line.

Peter S. wrote: No navi system?

The G8 does have OnStar which features Turn-by-Turn Navigation. No nav screen though.

Adam Denison
GM Social Media Comms

Carl wrote: Your article didn't post the price or the fuel mileage. Two very important points in derterming the affordability now days.

The V6 G8 runs for $26,595 (plus $685 destination and freight charge) and the the V8 version starts at $29,995.

In regards to fuel economy. The V6 gets 17 city and 25 hwy. The V8 (GT version) gets 15 city and 24 hwy.

Adam Denison
GM Social Media

I hope there are serious plans to drop in a 6-speed manual, just as you're offering with the CTS-V. And the 2-dr Coupe 60 from Holden is stunning. Can we have that please, with a manual tranny and AWD?

Nice article for a nubee to the car. Many of us have been waiting for this car to make an appearance for over a year. We know all about it and can hardly wait for someone other than the press and GM types to get their hands on it! Too bad GM can find G8s to drive big shots around in, but can't find enough to get them out to ALL the dealers out there where the CUSTOMERS await them! Get your act together GM, don't make this another GTO release!

I'm hoping that GM didn't concentrate on de-contenting as much as they could to keep the price cheap. If you guys would for once put your money into the product and build a great car, and stop trying to cut corners so much, you might just have a winner. You focus far too much on buy it cheap, make it cheap. And guess what you get - a cheap car that nobody wants to buy - at any price. Yeah yeah, I know, the Malibu - well I'm here to say it's still a cheap POS.

What exactly is wrong with your engineers, and product planners? Don't they have any say at all to the beancounters?

The G8 reviews, from Edmunds to Motor Trend, have been excellent. There is high praise for this car. The comparison tests have done a lot in its favor. I read one with the Dodge Charger R/T and another with the BMW 550i. The Pontiac outperformed the Dodge handily and came barely behind the Bimmer in test numbers.

I chuckled when I read dazed's comment about Pontiac needing a G8 coupe. GM did have a Holden coupe here--it was called the GTO. In the 2004 trim, the GTO had the understated looks and 350 hp under the hood. Hood vents and fifty more ponies were added the next year.

It's finny to see how a flop idea can transform into a hit.

John said: Too bad GM can find G8s to drive big shots around in, but can't find enough to get them out to ALL the dealers out there where the CUSTOMERS await them!

The G8s should be in dealerships starting this week and next. Now you can go test drive one yourself!

Adam Denison
GM Social Media

Earl Jones wrote: If you guys would for once put your money into the product and build a great car, and stop trying to cut corners so much, you might just have a winner. You focus far too much on buy it cheap, make it cheap.

Wow, that's a pretty blanket statement from someone who hasn't even driven the G8 yet! Go give it a test drive and then let us know what you think.

Adam Denison
GM Social Media

Richard can relax. The 2009 G8 will be sold in Canada - as this blogger understands it the car was too late for 2008 bumper testing up north but meets all qualifications as a 2009, and since the 09 model year is starting shortly for this vehicle he may even see an 09 G8 in Canada before the balance of the US sees all the 08s. Now, due to weird Canadian rules (see SOlstice) he might see a RPO for spoiler delete......

"Yeah yeah, I know, the Malibu - well I'm here to say it's still a cheap POS."
-- Earl Jones

Need I remind you it is Car of the Year ? The same year a fully redesigned Accord came out ?? Your comments only reveal your ignorance and your lack of social graces.

The G8 is a beautiful car that's not overdone...I had the chance to see one in person and it was all I expected it to be. Personally, I like the "Pontiac" look versus the Holden.

As for the Holden Coupe 60, that car needs to be green-lighted ASAP. It is WAY more attractive than the Camaro. Call it a Firebird; call it a GTO; call it a G7....I don't care! Just get it here, now!

Give Pontiac a RWD G6, G8, G7 (?) and the Solstice and call it a day. No other GM division will resemble Pontiac...all the needless product overlap will be gone.

Adam~

Your statement of cars at dealers this week is true for as far as it goes. Unfortunately, as I stated, not "ALL" the dealers will even get "A" car, let alone enough to have some to "test drive". Nice try, but no sale here! GET THE CARS OUT TO THE CUSTOMERS! We've certainly been waiting long enough! Now find me a G8 to drive within 50 miles!

15mpg city?

Good grief.

My Corolla's rated at 32mpg city and due to stop and go commuting in L.A.'s ridiculous traffic, I'm getting about 22-25 mpg.

That means I'd get 10-12mpg commuting in a G8, or more to the point, the new Camaro.

Sorry GM, until I can afford a weekend car, or until the Volt becomes reality, (or until GM makes a really decent high MPG small car, but that will happen shortly after hell opens a skating rink), I'm going to stick with my Toyota.

John wrote: as I stated, not "ALL" the dealers will even get "A" car, let alone enough to have some to "test drive".

Have you checked with your local dealers yet to see if they're getting any?

Adam,
Thanks for your immediate feed back on the different comments/questions that have been made about the G8. I am a longtime GM Muscle Car enthusaist and I'm looking forward to test driving my dream car. I currently own a 99 camaro SS and a 03 Audi A6 4.2. I believe the G8 will merge my muscle car love with the german driving dynamics that I need in my family car.

Question: Will the G8 offer the sport steering wheel with the Red hot inserts as an accessory (Holden Commodore accessory) and can we get the G8 without the chrome trim/door handle surrounds in a sport package (i.e. like BMW sport packages have no chrome trim)

My local dealers are not well versed on the G8 of yet. I am hoping the things I asked will be offered in the 2009 model.

Thanks,

I think Bob Lutz was the best thing that's ever happened to GM (an Alpha jet included, as a retired USAF loadmaster, I'd love a ride on something faster than a C-141) he's ushered in some long overdue products, but there are still to many product overlaps. With the consolidation of dealerships, why not fold Saturn into the Buick/Pontiac/GMC lineup. Drop the Outlook and G6. Chevy can stand alone with it's lineup with the new Camaro and a RWD Impala(a straight Holden Commadore with a Bowtie as the middle east gets). The new Zeta platform based cars as well as the Astra should be built here or in Mexico because the value of the dollar has taken such a beating. I always wondered at the time I was in Germany that Opels always looked better than the small US Chevy's. The Manta coupes as well as the first Astra coupes were styled much better. The new Holdens follows that same theme. Leave Sigma to Caddilac, drop the DTS and combine the two on the long wheelbase Sigma built in China. Other than the cheap interior I'm injoying a cruise today in my new Soltice GXP. Thanks MR Bob

"My Corolla's rated at 32mpg city and due to stop and go commuting in L.A.'s ridiculous traffic, I'm getting about 22-25 mpg."

your corolla is far smaller and slower than the G8 GT. give us all a break and compare apples ot apples if you can. The G8 has nothing to do with a Corolla. If the corolla had 361hp, RWD, a huge trunk, 19" wheels and decent styling and got 32mpg in the city then I would be impressed. Furthermore, the corolla is rated at 27/35 or something similar under 2008 standards with the small engine. With the 2.4L engine the Corolla is rated at a mediocre 23/30 I believe. Under the old standards the G8 would probably be rated at 17/27. If you cant afford the gas the g8 is likely not the car for you.

Adam~ Was at my "local" dealer today as a matter of fact, and talked directly with the Fleet Manager. He has not received a "tagging" allocation yet and has no idea when he will. Maybe you would be so kind as to let me know what dealerships in the south Puget Sound area even have a G8. I know we're not one of Mr. Lutz's "smile states", but there are plenty of customers here looking into the G8!

Adam Denison said: "So congratulations to Pontiac for a building an amazing car that is sure to be the brand’s flagship performance sedan. Great work Pontiac!"

Mr Denison,

Aren't your congratulations misplaced? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the G8 only a rebadged Holden Commodore SS? Isn't it a bit of a stretch to congratulate Pontiac for an amazing car when there role was little more than to put different badges on it and move the steering wheel to the left side?

Shouldn't the congratulations go to the Holden team who actually conceived and designed the car?

It's a smart idea to bring the best models from GM's overseas partners to the U.S., but credit for the design should go where it's due. Wouldn't you agree?

Regards,

Gary Dikkers

The G8, for reviews, sounds great, but why is it the 6.0 is derated to 361 hp? The 6.0 in the GTO cranked out 400, so why couldnt the G8 get the same amount? Im sure its only a computer tune away, so is it something you have to special order? Or for the more mechanically saavy, I bet a cam swap and a tune would bump that easily over 450. People are gaining over 90 hp with a cam swap on the 5.3. Anyways, there will be some people who say its gonna flop like the GTO when it came from down under. Its mainly ego people who want people to know they have a v-8 rwd car, and to them, the GTO was looked too much like a Grand Prix. So instead they will buy a Mustang and think the 300 hp is enough. Me, I'd rather drive around in car people though was a Grand Prix, pull up to the Mustang, and blow his doors off. Maybe Im just one of the few cars guys left in this world...

While I like the G8, I think that GM needs to take the Holden Coupe 60 Concept and make it both a new Monaro for Australia and bring it over to North America as a new GTO (V8 model) and sell the V6 model as a G8 Coupe (G8C?). Pontiac needs a performance coupe and this is the easiest way to get Pontiac one. There are some car-buyers out there who will not buy a sedan but will buy a Coupe. Congratulations on the G8's ariving at dealers.

Cool Will said: Question: Will the G8 offer the sport steering wheel with the Red hot inserts as an accessory (Holden Commodore accessory) and can we get the G8 without the chrome trim/door handle surrounds in a sport package (i.e. like BMW sport packages have no chrome trim)

Happy to respond with the answers I have! In regards to your question, I asked my colleague over at Pontiac and he told me there are currently no plans for these features. He said that if there's enough demand it may be something Pontiac considers in the future. Thanks!

Adam Denison
GM Social Media

I think the car (G8) is great, but the CAR (advertising) is extremely lame. "How long has it been since you really felt the passion of CAR". Excuse me?? Why is your ad agency trying to reinvent the meaning of the word "car"? Aren't there enough words already in the English language to get the point across? You finally have something good here at Pontiac - maybe even great. PLEASE don't screw it up by trying some cutesy play on a word.

I laughed when I read the final sentence in the ad copy: "No car has ever been so CAR".

No ad has ever been so lame.

Whoever approved this at Pontiac should be fired.

Congratulations to GM and Bob Lutz for bringing over the Holden Commodore as the Pontiac G8, the car is exactly what GM needs, and fills a hole in their product offerings, a properly sized 4 door sedan with the right amount of style and performance to offer America a $30k alternative to high priced German and up-scale Japanese cars (i.e. Lexus GS and Infinity M sedans) and far surpassing the Dodge/Chrysler products. Performance and handling are reportedly spot on in comparison to higher priced competition, and exceed that of comparable cars from Dodge/Chrysler. While materials may not fully be on par to Audi, they are relatively close and have magazines and web reviewers making direct comparisons to Audi for the interior, a very commendable feat in a $30k sedan. Based on the reviews, the G8 has pulled together many things to combat foreign higher priced competition, and while the G8 may not be perfect to all, it has very minor things that experts have picked on and those naysayers need to take the G8 for its face value, an affordable $30k car that competently competes with cars $20 to $30 thousand more, all coming from GM and its divisions. Again, hats off to GM for bringing it here and to Holden’s designers, engineers, and workers on the manufacturing line for making such a great product in the GM family. BTW – until the G8, I would have never thought I would speak about a GM car this way, and the G8 will be my first domestic car purchase, with a few decades of foreign car buying under my belt.

Rick Rohde said: "I think Bob Lutz was the best thing that's ever happened to GM(an Alpha jet included, as a retired USAF loadmaster, I'd love a ride on something faster than a C-141)..."

Rick,

Mr Lutz's jet is a Czech-built L-39 Albatross, not an Alpha Jet. And you may be surprised to learn the C-141's you served on were faster than the L-39.

The L-39 has nearly straight wings and is probably most comparable to the U.S. Air Force T-37 "Tweet," or the Navy's T-2 "Buckeye."

The Starlifter had sweptback wings and speed comparable to jet airliners. It was quite fast for a heavy transport.

The maximum speed of the L-39 is listed as 400 KIAS (or 470 mph). The maximum speed of the C-141 is listed as 493 KIAS (or 567 mph.)

If you are looking for a fast ride, you'd be better off in the C-141. Mr Lutz and his L-39 would quickly fall behind a Starlifter were he to race one.

Best,

Gary Dikkers
Former Phantom Flier

I really like this car. I once owned a Pontiac Firebird. I loved it, but it was a primitive and poorly engineered vehicle. The G8 is a new generation of GM. However, I have a few comments that could perhaps improve the G8 even more.

1.It needs XM or Sirius Satellite radio.

2.It should offer a navigation system.

3.The passenger air bag disabled message readout in the rear view mirror needs to be moved to the dash.

Other than that, I think the G8 is good.

Bob-

I'm 46 years old, and got the Pontiac bug in the 1960's with Coke-bottle styling, stacked headlamps, hidden tailamp treatments, nice interiors, long hooded/short decked Grand Prixes, and attitude.

I lost all of it in the 1990's-2000's when the Grand Prix became a joke, the Firebird and Bonneville died and I started driving Chevys.

That G8 is great, Bob! Nice job! What an awesome car!

Please keep doing these kinds of cars or Pontiac!

By the way, the "Pontiac is CAR" advertising is lame...

The people in the ad agency should take a look at the 1960's ads "Wide Track", "little GTO", Jim Wanger's stuff..Or the 1980's "We build Excitement"

Pontiac is Car?

Who approved that???

anyone find it amusing you get charged for destination and freight? They kind of have to ship them from the factory if they want to sell in mass quantity. I've been able to agrue that at dealership before and got it taken off the price. anyone else have luck with that? also, Pontiac is Car, kind of like Fit is Go. Both people need to be smacked.

Thank for the report on the G8, I look forward to seeing the 09's on Canadian roads soon. Transport Canada must really be giving manufacturers fits with these bizarre rules... Pontiac enthusiast's here have really taken it to the gut lately with the absence of the 2004-2006 GTO and now the 2008 G8.

I also would like to encourage GM to build the Coupe 60 and bring it to North America as a Pontiac model... Please?! A car that beautiful, how could you not build it?

Hey John.... relative to your comments

"My Corolla's rated at 32mpg city and due to stop and go commuting in L.A.'s ridiculous traffic, I'm getting about 22-25 mpg."

Very creative FE data, according to the official data the 2008 Corolla is rated at 29 mpg city with the 5MT and 26 mpg city with the old 4AT....and we all know you never match those city numbers in real driving with your ac running.

No problem with owning a vehicle that fits your life style and situation, that is why all OEMs offer a wide range of vehilce types.

I have spent much time in southern Cal so I know small cars rule...but really, what does that have to do with discussing how the art forms and performance of the new G8 affect your "sensor receptors"?

It is truly a psycitsofrenic (sp?) place on the left coast, all OEMs have design studios there to test advanced design concepts but when the concepts are put on the road the same social group can't bring themselves to even acknowlege the beatiful styling they themselve contributed to creating.... WOW.... we humans are an odd bunch.

I wish GM had left the Holden as is. The Pontiac grill and hood are a lot uglier than the original.

Both GM and Ford have suffered from this same knee-jerk reaction where they can't leave well enough alone.

Yeah it'll come to Canada, but at a 25%+ premium, exactly when our dollar is at par or more to the yankee greenback...what an gosh darn rip off!

proof: g6 gxp
us msrp: 27,595 (from pontiac.com)
Can msrp: 35,975 (from gmcanada.com)

Please tell me when the money is at par (actually CAD has been above USD for several months now) the msrp is not?

anyone wanna explain that to me or is it that we Canadians are just so stooopid?

Would love to buy one (really) but not if you are gonna rip me off...for that money i should buy japanese for the better quality.

Please, i sound like i might be preaching to the choir here,

Bring the Holden Coupe concept here as the new GTO, please for the love of god, that car looks stunning and would kick some serious butt. C'mon guys, as they say git'r done

Hope some of the higher-ups are reading this

"My Corolla's rated at 32mpg city and due to stop and go commuting in L.A.'s ridiculous traffic, I'm getting about 22-25 mpg"

John,

I'm a fan of Japanese cars but you're blowing smoke out of your ass.

One doesn't buy a V6 or a V8 for fuel economy.

I drive a Japanese V6 (Nissan 350Z), and it doesn't exactly sip gas, its roughly on par with equivalent displacement GMs, fuel consumption wise.

Wow, I love this car and cant wait to see one for real. I bought a G6 GTP last year and am very happy with her. I wonder if I should have waited? Well, anyways, good luck with sales of it. and the new Holden Coupe is great...she should be a GTO (call the 6-cyl version a Tempest).

Eric

I went to see the G8 GT today.
The dealer had one in Magnetic
Gray Metallic. I have one question. Why doesn't the paint on the bumper covers match the paint on the rest of the car?

Any chance the G8 GT will be available in silver with the 09 model?

Anyone know when the crash test results for the G8 will be available. I have not seen any goverment ratings or the IIHS ratings.

Love the new G8, I was going to replace my wife's 300M with one until I went into two dealers in Houston. Both have a MARKET ADJUSTMENT of over $5,000 to the sticker price! Your dealers are going to kill this launch, just like Ford dealers did with the T-Bird.

I guess we'll buy the CTS since it's in the same price point now!

I think GM was smart to bring this car over to North America. Please bring the Coupe 60 aswell! I hope it comes soon to Canada(does anyone know what month it might come to Canada).

What is the suspension and the grip at the rear tyres like?

Is the hood the same for the sedan model and the GT?

Good job Holden on the design of the car and thank you GM for bringing it to North America.

I have the G-8 GT metalic grey... awesome! Finally, GM got it right. Looks great, rides great and priced great. I had a hard time finding, but purchased on sight... not many available, but this will sell (Should sell) next year when in full production. I think it looks much better than the BMW 5 series