Pontiac G8: two exclusive novelties from Holden

While in the USA sales Pontiac G8, in many respects obliged by the birth Holden, stop, in Australia there are fresh special versions …

New Holden VE Commodore SS V-Series Special Edition in an image of a sedan and the versatile person has got rid from company radiator lattices, having received in exchange two thoroughbred nostrils, splitter on a front bumper and air intakes on a cowl. Actually, we observe before ourselves Pontiac G8 GT, only without necessary shild. As well as Pontiac, Commodore is equipped three-litre V6, plus to it Holden offers a weighty set of additional delights in cost of 7500 (Australian) dollars. Among them – a leather inner trim, and also 18-inch light-alloy disks.

2009 Pontiac G8 Review

The 2009 Pontiac G8 is at the core of Pontiac's recent resurgence. This powerful yet refined rear-wheel-drive performance sedan is unlike anything Pontiac has offered in recent memory -- and we mean that as a sincere compliment.

The Pontiac G8 is a mechanical twin of the Commodore sedan from Holden, GM's Australian subsidiary. That's a good thing, as the Commodore has garnered accolades Down Under for providing affordable full-size functionality in a swift and agile package. Thankfully, Pontiac stylists resisted the urge to outfit the American version with the brand's traditional assortment of scoops, vents and spoilers, and the car looks muscular and purposeful from most angles.

The G8's mechanical merits are impressive, from its range of energetic engines to its impressive combination of sharp handling and supple composure over broken pavement. The new 2009 GXP model raises the performance bar even higher with a 402-horsepower version of the iconic Corvette's 6.2-liter V8. One of our few complaints about the G8 has been the lack of a manual transmission, so we're pleased to report that you can get one on the GXP (though still not on lesser G8 models). In any guise, the G8's BMW-like MacPherson front strut layout and multilink rear suspension yields a sophisticated driving character that's more typical of European sport sedans than large domestic rear-drivers.

The G8 also impresses inside, especially considering the plastic depths to which Pontiac interiors had previously sunk. There are still too many hard surfaces, but the center stack -- save for a couple cheesy Atari-grade digital readouts at the top -- is more than a little reminiscent of Audi's industry-leading efforts. Passenger room is plentiful, particularly in back, where all but the largest riders will have space to spare. The rear center seat isn't so hospitable, however, as the wide center tunnel necessitated by the G8's rear-drive layout essentially eliminates legroom there.

At the G8's moderate price point, the Dodge Charger/Chrysler 300 twins are the only other roomy, rear-wheel-drive, full-size performance sedans available. The Chrysler siblings are certainly competent, but the G8's sporting character sets it apart. We're not fans of the G8's lackluster fuel economy, but then, the Charger/300 duo aren't likely to win any efficiency awards from the EPA either. Bottom line: If you want a large sedan with American attitude and Continental manners, the 2009 Pontiac G8 is in a class of its own.

© Source: edmunds
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2010 Pontiac sports truck - New York '08 Preview

After more than two decades, the ghost of the El Camino has finally risen from the grave, at least for U.S. drivers. It never actually went away in Australia. Now that the Pontiac G8 has ushered in a new era of affordable rear-wheel-drive performance at General Motors, the car-based pickup truck, or Ute as they are called Down Under, is coming back. Rumors have been flying for months about a G8 Ute and GM even showed the GMC Denali XT concept at the Chicago Auto Show last month – a four-door ute with a two-mode hybrid power-train that may or may not see production.

What we will definitely see in showrooms late next year is the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck. The G8 Ute gets a 6-foot 2-inch long cargo bed behind its two-passenger cab. Compared to the sedan, the pickup has a four-inch longer wheelbase plus two more inches hanging behind the rear axle. The box that's unified with the passenger compartment comes with a color matched soft tonneau cover to enclose the 42.7 cubic feet contained within the composite bed. That's nearly double the volume of the late and unlamented Chevy SSR. The G8 can haul almost 1,100 lbs and tow 3,500 lbs, that latter figure also 1,000 lbs more than the SSR.

© Source: autoblog
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PontiacG8 Definitely Not Lost in Translation

We’re still waiting for some seat time in the much-anticipated, rear-wheel-drive Pontiac G8 sport sedan, but the details continue to trickle in regarding exactly how the G8 differs from Australia’s home-grown muscle car, the Holden Commodore SS, which the G8 will be assembled alongside.

Fortunately, it’s sounding like what’s soon arriving to Pontiac dealerships is remarkably similar mechanically to Australia’s muscle car icon.According to Pontiac’s marketing director, Craig Bierly, there are relatively few chassis differences between the Commodore SS and the sporty G8 GT model. Bierly verified that the so-called FE2 suspension, standard on the G8 GT and optional on the G8 V6, is identical to that used in the Aussie Commodore SS. On the other hand, the FE1 suspension, standard on the V6 model, is a U.S.-exclusive tune.

Prices and equipment for the G8 were announced last year. The G8 V6, with a 256-hp, 3.6-liter V-6, will start at $27,595, while the G8 GT, with a 361-hp, 6.0-liter V-8, teases at $29,995 — both significantly lower than the Commodore’s translated sticker price.

One thing that the U.S.-market Commodore..ehem, G8 GT…will have on the big 6.0-liter V-8 that the Down Under car doesn’t is Active Fuel Management, which brings the V-8’s EPA highway estimate up to 24 mpg. The 25-mpg figure for the V-6 model isn’t much better, and is significantly lower than that of the Grand Prix, which the G8 is replacing. Performance is a strength though for both models; the V-8 can get to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, and the car has a near-ideal weight distribution.

GM’s Australian division, Holden, also built the GTO coupe, which was sold in the U.S. through the 2006 model year. It was closely related to the Australian-market Holden Monaro and was eventually discontinued due to slow sales. GM had been hoping to sell 20,000 GTOs per year, but sales struggled to reach that rate in any of its model years; the company is hoping to move about 50 percent more than the original GTO target, according to Bierly, or about 30,000 G8s annually.

The first 888 G8s to be sold in the U.S. will be brought over as a group and given a special instrument-panel plaque featuring a VIN-related number sequence from 001 to 888. There are well over twice that number of Pontiac dealerships in the U.S.

© Source: thecarconnection
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