Pontiac G8 GT Sports Sedan Excitement!

Pontiac has had mixed success over the years living up to its mainstream performance car billing, as parent General Motors has allocated more money and resources to Chevrolet than for its sporty brand. That neglect has been evident down through the years as fast cars such as the GTO and Firebird have come and gone, leaving Pontiac with a handful of copycat models that are sold and badged elsewhere across the company’s many other brands.

In an effort to revive Pontiac’s image, GM has turned to its quintessential Australian brand, Holden, to produce a modern sports sedan, one not completely specific to the automaker, but certainly unique to the American driver. Based on the Holden VE Commodore, the Pontiac G8 GT (Grand Touring) is acknowledged by most automotive experts to be one of the best Pontiacs ever built, a car that competes effectively with the BMW 5-Series, but for thousands of dollars less.

Rear Wheel Drive For Exceptional Handling

At the heart of the G8 GT is its rear wheel drive platform, a once common denominator for all large American cars, but replaced in varying degrees in favor of front wheel drive which yields more cabin room while sacrificing handling. To be truly successful as a performance sedan, only rear wheel drive can adequately navigate tight curves and, thanks to stability control and a sport tuned suspension, the problem of rear tail swagger has been eliminated.

Certainly not a lightweight, the five-passenger two ton G8 GT offers a solid street presence and is powered by a 6.0L V8 engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. Producing 361 horsepower and a robust 385 lb.-ft. of torque, the Pontiac still manages to achieve an EPA projected 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway. V6 power is available with the base G8 sedan while the top of the line G8 GXP is powered by a slightly detuned version of the 6.2L LS3 V8 engine found in the Chevrolet Corvette.

Finely Crafted Interior

Inside, the G8 cabin has one of the best designed interiors found on any GM model this side of Cadillac. The front passengers are treated to sculpted cloth bucket seats (leather is optional), crafted to hold occupants in place while navigating tight turns and especially comfortable for those long road trips. All controls are within easy reach and the gauges are visible and clear through the steering wheel. Rear seating is comfortable, even bearable for a shorter, middle seating passenger, with plenty of maneuverability for tall occupants.

An AM/FM stereo with 6-disc in-dash CD changer and MP3 playback, 6.5″ color LCD and Blaupunkt premium 11-speaker system is standard equipment along with dual-zone climate control with individual settings for both the driver and the front passenger. Various sound package upgrades are available.

Outside, the sport appearance of the G8 is emphasized thanks to its chiseled lines, dual hood scoops, machine faced alloy wheels, quad chrome exhaust tips, and clear lens tail lights. The front air dam and rear spoiler complete the G8’s fast track look, giving the sedan a powerful road presence.

Safety Is Standard Equipment

Safety is the name of the game for today’s motorists and the Pontiac meets that challenge. Anti-lock brakes are standard as is brake assist, with traction and stability control included to keep your G8 on the road under the worst of conditions. Front, rear and side head and body air bags offer crash protection while GM’s OnStar navigation and emergency unit can signal help if the airbags are deployed.

The G8 is most fully appreciated when taken out on the open road and given the chance to push all eight cylinders to their limit. From a dead stop to sixty miles per hour, the G8 hits that number in a respectable 5.3 seconds, a phenomenal speed when you consider the amount of weight being pushed. Passing a slow moving minivan is a snap as just a slight touch of the accelerator and couple of flicks of the steering wheel will put the family hauler in your rear view mirror within moments.

Just don’t expect to hear an aggressive growl from the rear as the exhaust note is surprisingly subdued, not matching the capabilities of the car. A minor disappointment, one that I would like to see Pontiac correct along with including paddle shifters and, if we dare to dream, an optional manual transmission.

Sedan V. Minivan: No Contest There!

For growing families desiring to upgrade to a larger vehicle, considering a minivan such as the Honda Odyssey is usually one option, but with the Odyssey EX and G8 GT being similarly priced and equipped (low 30s before discounts are applied) and with both vehicles getting 25 mpg on the highway, the fun driving belongs solely to the G8 driver. Unless, of course, you need additional cabin space and storage room, then you’ll have to work extra hard to sell the idea of a sport sedan to your spouse.

Thanks to Holden of Australia, Pontiac has a true world class performance sedan in the G8, one that is priced competitively while offering substantial savings over more costly European competition.