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.

GM Set To Whack Certain Models

The Cobalt Coupe SS has been spared from the chopping block, for now, but the sedan version of the compact Chevrolet will soon be history.

Never mind that Pontiac is a goner and that Saab, Saturn and Hummer will actually precede Pontiac as brands that have left the GM fold or are closed down.  GM will be getting rid of several models across its divisional portfolio, most of which are high output versions of their tamer brethren.

At Least Four Models Facing The Chopping Block

According to news sources, at risk are three  Chevy models — the Cobalt SS sedan, HHR SS, and Impala SS, as well as the Cadillac STS-V and the Pontiac G6 GXP. The latter will be cut a full year before Pontiac’s pending closure. The Cobalt SS coupe will continue to be produced but GM sources are indicating that its lifespan might be curtailed as well.

Much of the blame for canceling the sport models is put on slow sales although pressure from the Obama administration may be weighing in. GM has until the end of this month to announce its bankruptcy plans or, like Chrysler, be faced with bankruptcy. Obama’s team clearly wants to make sure that what is left in GM’s portfolio includes an improved mix of fuel efficient vehicles especially as the nation heads to higher corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards in coming years.

Several Performance Models Remain

Fears that other performance models may also be axed seem to be unfounded, at least for now. Given GM’s precarious state it isn’t possible to accurately predict what the automaker will look like in the months or years ahead.

At this point, we know that Chevy Camaro SS will survive, at least as long as the newest variation of the Camaro stays in place. Also, the Cadillac CTS-V has been a good seller for Cadillac, a halo model for the CTS franchise. Finally, Corvette looks as if it will be around in its many different variations including the Z06 and ZR1 high output models.

Related Reading: GM Whacks High Performance Division

Is Pontiac Excitement Dead?

Word that General Motors is about to announce the complete shut down of the Pontiac brand instead of paring it back is disappointing news to say the least.  Given that GM is in precarious financial shape explains the need for a thorough review of the brand, but a complete closure seems drastic.

For the past two decades, GM has been uniting Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealerships under one roof, with a more than 80% completion rate thus far.  That move has saved the automaker money by driving traffic to dealerships who are able to offer a wider variety of products which helps to boost sales.

GM’s Third Best Selling Brand

Last year, Chevrolet sold 1.8 million passenger vehicles in the US market while Buick, GMC and Pontiac sold a combined 781,000 vehicles.  Both those numbers were down sharply over 2007, but are still quite good.  Pontiac alone sold 267,000 vehicles, the third best selling GM brand in the states.

Pontiac was founded in 1926 by GM to complement its Oakland brand.  At that time, Oakland was slotted just above Chevrolet and below Buick and Oldsmobile.  Customers easily preferred the lighter and cheaper priced Pontiacs resulting in GM shutting down Oakland in 1931.

Living In The Shadow Of Chevrolet

Over the years, the Pontiac brand has seen many changes especially as it operates within the shadow of mighty Chevrolet. However, it was back in the early 1960s when GM began to redefine the brand bringing in more performance and style in the form of the Tempest, LeMans, GTO, Grand Prix and eventually the Firebird.  Later, Pontiac rolled out the two-seater Fiero which with the Firebird maintained Pontiac’s “driving excitement” image even as the rest of the line up switched to front wheel drive.

Today, Pontiac offers mostly badge engineered products sold by other divisions with the exception of the Australian Holden G8 sport sedan. The Fiero was yanked in 1988 and the Firebird in 2002, but the rear wheel drive G8 provides solid evidence that Pontiac performance is alive at least in this one model.

Political Considerations Will Decide Pontiac’s Fate

Pontiac’s pending demise is being fueled by the Obama administration which is insisting that GM restructure the company in advance of receiving additional federal funds. GM has until June 1st to demonstrate what the company will look like going forward which includes dumping or selling off certain brands (e.g. Saab, Saturn and Hummer) while closing down plants to realign capacity with demand.

Initially, GM said that Pontiac would continue as a niche brand, selling perhaps one or two products alongside Buick and GMC. Now, GM appears interested in going forward with just four brands: Cadillac, Buick, GMC and Chevrolet while closing down or selling off everything else.

Pontiac’s fate is probably already sealed though the announcement of its pending shut down may still be days away. Regardless, Pontiac will join Oldsmobile as two of GM’s most recent brands shuttered, ending yet another chapter in the historic, if not stormy story of General Motors.

Related Reading — Pontiac G8 Lifespan Likely Cut Short