Pontiac G8, 2008-2010 Options

[UserDrew]

When it comes to the performance trim I am never to sure if I should be included in the voting for the model range. But here goes anyway:

Just like the late Pontiac GTO the Pontiac G8 Sedan was imported by General Motors to the United States.
An example of rebadge engineering, the G8 was originally a product of GM the brand Holden called the Commodore. It
served as Pontiac's flagship car replacing the front wheel drive Bonneville with a car based on GM's Rear
wheel drive Zeta platform.The G8 had a very short production run spanning two model years, 2008 and 2009. Like the GTO the G8
failed to meet GM's sales expectations. Through 2009 34,618 G8s were sold. These lack luster sales figures, however,
have been credited to the global economic downturn. Production of the G8 was not halted because of poor sales, but to
the restructuring of General Motors after they company filed for Chapter-11 bankruptcy in April 2009. Bob Lutz has
mentioned the G8 being rebadged and sold under the Chevy brand as a new Caprice.



The Pontiac G8 comes in 3 trim levels. The Base G8 is equipped with a 256hp 3.6 liter V6 and, for some idiotic reason,
only is available with an automatic 5-speed transmission. The G8 GT package has 6.0liter engine with a 6-speed autotragic gearbox.
It has been said to be able to reach 60 miles per hour in just over 5 seconds and having a quarter mile time in the mid 13s.
No manual gearbox was available for the GT either. The GT trim did come with GM's Active Fuel Management System giving it an estimated 5-7% increase in fuel economy. In 2008 the G8 GXP was introduced at the New York International Auto Show. Equipped with GM's 6.2L V8 LS3 block churning out 415hp annd 415ft-lbs of torque getting it to 60 from 0 in 4.5 seconds. The G8 GXP could run quarter miles in 13 seconds reaching 110mph. Available on the GXP package is a "upgrade nurburgring tuned" suspension package along with larger Brembo breaks. It was given a new front fascia and a diffuser to give it a style separate from the G8 and the G8 GT sedans.

GT trim:

[moe]

A friend of mine that lives in the States, and I keep having a debate regarding this car. He reckons they fudged up the Zeta-car looks with the Pontiac bits (we get Chevy-badged ones, which are visually identical to the Holdens). I think the Holden/Chevy Zetas were too generic-looking, and the Pontiac bits added some visual punch. In any case, this is definitely a cool car.

[KevinDiOssi]

Having driven several of these, I think they're extremely cool. The problem with the car is that it lacks character. Sure, it's a handsome automobile that's well built, but it feels detached from the driver and almost too much like it was trying to compete with the BMW.

That aside, it's a smooth driver with great performance. The GXP that I had was one of my favorite cars I have ever driven. There's something damn cool about pressing a clutch pedal in to get a 4-door sedan to start.

[Bjorn]

The website has changed now, but I think that when they first started selling the G8 here in Canada you could get the MT on the V6 cars.

Considering that for $2,000 less than my Legacy ($25,000 CAD) I could have a V6 RWD sedan which looks that good...I would have to definitely call it cool. The Legacy was the right size and had the right number of driven wheels, but there were a whole lotta cool cars I could have had for the price.

[MustangAficionad...]

Why is France uncool?

[UserDrew]

Why is France uncool?

Popular conception? Marcel Marceau?

[Razor]

Mushy brakes, horrifying interior, abysmal transmission on the GT model. However, good steering feel, lots of power and torque, and decently fun to drive for a little while, at least. Neutral.

[moe]

^ The interior is a long, long way from horrifying. What do you expect, a Bentley-grade interior?

[Synesthesia]

This car makes me go meh.

[Razor]

^ The interior is a long, long way from horrifying. What do you expect, a Bentley-grade interior?

Even a base VW Rabbit is a far nicer place to sit. You actually enjoy the feel of the seats and do not have to fear that you'll slit your wrist on some shit-cheap hard-edged plastic.

[moe]

My dad's company has a whole fleet of Middle-East market Chevy Luminas (basically a G8) and Caprices (stretched G8), so I get to sit in that interior regularly. I've seen a lot, lot worse...

Either way, I'd rather have RWD and a V8 than "well-built" interior in a Rabbit.

[Razor]

My dad's company has a whole fleet of Middle-East market Chevy Luminas (basically a G8) and Caprices (stretched G8), so I get to sit in that interior regularly. I've seen a lot, lot worse...

Either way, I'd rather have RWD and a V8 than "well-built" interior in a Rabbit.

Are you sure the ME and US market cars are the same? +1 about the RWD and V8 over the Rabbit, obviously.

[moe]

^ I think perhaps I just have a higher tolerance towards shitty build quality. My grandmother owns a 1990 Subaru J10 (which is all kinds of horrible), and my mom owns a 1994 Camaro. I don't think interior quality gets worse than those too...perhaps the Pakistani-built Suzuki my grandfather used to drive a decade ago.

[UserDrew]

I try to ignore heritage or performance when it comes to voting on car coolness. It is how a person looks or how you would feel driving it. How would a person who doesn't know much about cars rate it? The G8 is one of those cars, me thinks, that a layman would look at and say "the is a pretty cool car!" if they new it existed. It is a car that would retain it's style and class years after it ceases production. I do see class in it in spite of the boy racer vents.


Oh, I am going to have a sort of theme cool wall thing going on. You'll see it as I post more cars in the coming days/weeks.


I know there is no use trying to convince Razor of any sort of interior design/quality in a car. I think it is pretty passable. This is the GXP interior, obviously. Just imagine it without the high end seats.

[dukenukem]

Cool car. Base G8 sucks as a daily driver but the GT and the GXP are just soo much fun that no accord or camry can compare. Looks best of the bunch too.

[MustangAficionad...]

Popular conception? Marcel Marceau?

Haha, touche.
Never got it fully, tho.
Lots of good alcohol, fashion meca so lots of models, lots of revolution heritage so people take the street easily. President's wife is a fox.
I guess you need to win a war within the last few decades to be cool.

[dukenukem]

Haha, touche.
Never got it fully, tho.
Lots of good alcohol, fashion meca so lots of models, lots of revolution heritage so people take the street easily. President's wife is a fox.
I guess you need to win a war within the last few decades to be cool.

[Razor]

I guess you need to win a war to be cool.

Fixed.

[Phix]

Fixed.

Whoo! SO AWESOME GOIN' TO WAR!!! D : D:

RAzor, I guess the U.S. can count on you going to the recruitment office first thing tomorrow morning to sign up!? CAuse, shit man, how else are they going to hold on to their tag of "Ultra Mega Bad-Asses At War" if they don't somehow untie the clusterfuck of Iraq & Afghanistan!? THEY. NEED. YOU!!! Otherwise, they won't be COOL anymore!?! AHHH!!!

[Razor]

Whoo! SO AWESOME GOIN' TO WAR!!! D : D:

RAzor, I guess the U.S. can count on you going to the recruitment office first thing tomorrow morning to sign up!? CAuse, shit man, how else are they going to hold on to their tag of "Ultra Mega Bad-Asses At War" if they don't somehow untie the clusterfuck of Iraq & Afghanistan!? THEY. NEED. YOU!!! Otherwise, they won't be COOL anymore!?! AHHH!!!

I was making a play on the fact that the French don't win wars. Good work at catching onto that one, you steel trap, you.