UNVEILED: 2008 Pontiac G8

[ragingfish]

Official pictures leaked by Road & Track!Quote, originally posted by Left Lane News »General Motors has revealed the 2008 Pontiac G8 sports sedan. Based on the Commodore from GM's Holden subsidiary in Australia, the G8 will serve as a replacement to the aging Grand Prix.The base model features a 261 horsepower 3.6-liter V6 with 250 pound-feet of torque. A more powerful G8 GT delivers 362 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque thanks to a 6.0-liter V8.The basic G8 features a five-speed automatic with manual mode, while the GT version is offered with either a six-speed automatic or six-speed manual gearbox.Curb weight for the V6 model is 3,885 lbs, while the GT weighs just five pounds shy of 4,000. 18-inch wheels come standard, while 19-inch alloys can be ordered with the GT model.The sedan rides on GM's new Zeta rear-wheel-drive platform, which underpins the 2009 Camaro and the next-generation Impala, in addition to several other planned vehicles.G8 deliveries are expected to begin in August — a relatively short lead time made possible by some very effective badge engineering.Source: http://www.leftlanenews.com/20...c-g8/

[new05vibeowner]

I want one!

[ragingfish]

Quote, originally posted by new05vibeowner »I want one!I'll beat you down to be the first in line!

[drunkenmaxx]

very nice! looks a bit inspired by mazda, but that's ok.

[new05vibeowner]

The same pics are on Pontiac's website now.

[GrayFox]

reminds me of a beamer those rims are...well... different but overall it looks pretty awesome

[BlueCrush]

Looks good!V's gonna want those rims. lol.

[redlava]

Looks really good. There is a little bit of every car in it. Pontiac front end. Mazda tail lights. BMW front panels. Acura rear panels. And of course Australian influence.My only beef is that Pontiac is seeming to rely on Holden for most an increasing number of their cars. Are the Pontiac designers not very good or what? Well I guess they did give us the Aztec. So I guess I answered my own question.

[scherry2]

I hope they build it in Oshawa Canada.

[coldmm803]

i like it, other than the gold interior. 2 weeks ago i saw some race in australia on tv it saw some ford model vs the holden commodore. they looked pretty sweet and were mad fast but i guess that happens when its a race car

[4X4CHICHI]

That front view is awesome

[KNINE]

That front end would look sweet on the new Vibe.

[coldmm803]

Quote, originally posted by K-NINE »That front end would look sweet on the new Vibe.that would b awesome especially if they keep the hood

[GrayFox]

haha forget the front & hood...just give us the 6.0

[KNINE]

I really like the hood

[VforVIBE]

Quote, originally posted by BlueCrush »V's gonna want those rims. lol.they knocked off my wheels I like the ones for the Vibe better, more styling to it.EDIT: btw THAT IS A PONTIAC!!!!!!!!!!

[Mavrik]

WOW I'd so go for a GT of those if I didn't have my heart set on an awd Subaru STi.

[Atomb]

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »WOW I'd so go for a GT of those if I didn't have my heart set on an awd Subaru STi.i didn't know you wanted an "awd Subaru STi"...geez that came outta left field!! looks pretty good...nice to see some 'worldly design' coming into the pontiac line-up.any prices??

[Dans_03Vibe]

[WaveAction]

damn ya..that looks amazing...thank god i work at a gm dealership and get discounts on these bad boys

[NascarXprt]

Mmmmmm that G8 is Sick i love those rims! the tail lights remind me of those ricer altezza lights though. but other than that that is one sweet Pontiac. now i really cant wait till they unveile the 2008-9 vibe.

[kostby]

Too bad the badge-engineers quit before they finished the back end!If this 'G8' sells as well as the Holden 'GTO', just wait a year, and they'll be almost giving them away, trying to get rid of them!

[kmvibe]

VERY NICE!!! The rims remind me of the ones on the Nissan Altima SE-R. Kenny

[josholiver1]

RWD...great for performance...not for michigan winters...but thats what GM is doing PONTIAC=RWD which is good that they are actually making them "the performance" division..

[POLO]

MARVELOUS

[GrayFox]

I wonder how many new pontiacs will get the new emblem?

[KNINE]

Love the new emblem.9 days to what?!?

[GrayFox]

it's a link to the Florida Meet thread I knew they were doing a bit of badge engineering but redesigning the badge? lol

[josholiver1]

Whoa! Thats hot...(lol paris h.)

[WaveAction]

not liking the badge much..they shoulda just kept it the same..look at ford..same damn logo for 100+ years now

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »WOW I'd so go for a GT of those if I didn't have my heart set on an awd Subaru STi.Aw, Mav! You can always have a change of heart. After all, your know what they say, there's no replacement for displacement!I really dig this car, not bad for a rebadge! Gold plus siver don't look all that great though. I can't imagine what I would do with 391 pounds of twist, yowsers! I hope that for the G8's sake though, that the fuel consumption is a wee bit less excessive than it was on the GTO.

[VforVIBE]

Quote, originally posted by ANO_Vibe »I wonder how many new pontiacs will get the new emblem?I want to put that on the Vibe!!BTW The G8 already has its own forum http://www.G8Board.comEDIT: I got some Videos:http://youtube.com/watch?v=hKXjLBcPCV4h ... el...04184

[savedbyzero]

Not too bad. Still would have liked to have seen a completely fresh design.I feel like I need to see one in person to really get the feel of the proportions and such. The color is amazing, though!

[VforVIBE]

Quote, originally posted by savedbyzero »Not too bad. Still would have liked to have seen a completely fresh design.It is a fresh design, you won't find another car in America that looks like the G8.

[savedbyzero]

I'm referring to an overall new design. They got lazy and put some new plastic on a Holden. Not saying it doesn't look good, just saying it's a pretty typical thing for car company's (especially Pontiac) to do today. Cost efficient, yes. Creative, no.

[VforVIBE]

Quote, originally posted by savedbyzero »I'm referring to an overall new design. They got lazy and put some new plastic on a Holden. Not saying it doesn't look good, just saying it's a pretty typical thing for car company's (especially Pontiac) to do today. Cost efficient, yes. Creative, no.I don't see how it matters if these cars look the same or not, if it looks good, that would be enough. Let me ask you a question: what do you think the Vibe is?--It's a Matrix-- How can you own a Vibe then condemn Pontiac for redesigning existing car from another country?The G8 is not the GTO, the G8 doesn't have a past like the GTO... the G8 WILL sell better then the GTO, I bet my Vibe on it.

[ColonelPanic]

Badge engineering when you have very similar cars and they're all sold in the same market, well - that's a disaster. J-cars like Sunbird/Cavalier/Cimarron/Skyhawk/Firenza and the A-cars such as Celebrity/Century/Cutlass Ciera, 6000 of the 80's come to mind.I think in this case, badge engineering isn't really the end of it all. While this car will be old news to those elsewhere in the world, it's going to be new and unique to us. It's not like we're seeing the car that the G8 was spawned from on a daily basis.

[savedbyzero]

wow, a lot of people around here don't like when people disagree with their opinions. I thought I was being easy and giving constructive criticism. Sorry if I got to anyone.Yes, the Vibe is a Matrix. The GTO is a Holden. The G8 is a Holden. I'm simply stating the fact that Pontiac has been slipping in the design arena lately. You don't need to take it so personal or make it personal. They took a chance on the Solstice and it went well (even though it's underpowered and also shares the platform.) It turned out as a neat, fresh little package.

[GrayFox]

I read on the rsportscars site that the new emblem is a concept being used to gauge peoples intrest so it's probly not permanent

[VforVIBE]

Quote, originally posted by savedbyzero »wow, a lot of people around here don't like when people disagree with their opinions. I thought I was being easy and giving constructive criticism. Sorry if I got to anyone.Yes, the Vibe is a Matrix. The GTO is a Holden. The G8 is a Holden. I'm simply stating the fact that Pontiac has been slipping in the design arena lately. You don't need to take it so personal or make it personal. They took a chance on the Solstice and it went well (even though it's underpowered and also shares the platform.) It turned out as a neat, fresh little package.I don't know what your talking about, haven't you ever argued a point with someone before? There is nothing personal here.BTW, for most every car, you will be able to find a counterpart for it.

[DopeVibeGT]

::Drools:: Only if it was a 2 door, it would be better. But I'll take one. V8 6 speed, please.

[Atomb]

Interesting article: (it's coming to Oshawa!!)Quote »G8’s Mission: Appeal to Enthusiasts, Import IntendersBy Scott AndersonWardsAuto.com, Feb 9, 2007 9:24 AM CHICAGO – With introduction of the new Pontiac G8 this time next year, General Motors Corp. will try to satisfy two key consumer blocs that often aren’t in perfect agreement.Pontiac executives believe the Australian-built, rear-wheel-drive sedan is tailor-made for power enthusiasts, many of whom have long been lobbying for such a vehicle on Internet blogs.A second, but no less significant market, is the family sedan seeker who wants something more powerful than the Saturn Aura but not quite as upscale as a Cadillac CTS.Pontiac-Buick-GMC General Manager John Larson says the planned V-6 (and optional V-8) sedan is a “crossover” in terms of its potential buyer audience.“It’s real competitive with a lot of sedans in that segment, a lot of high-end premium sedans,” he says here on the sidelines of the Chicago auto show. “We’re going after the core midsize car buyer who needs a package that truly offers you a backseat that’s 100% usable.”This puts both the RWD Dodge Charger and Acura’s TL sedan clearly in the G8’s sights.Larson says he’s been following blogger reaction to the G8. Some already dismiss the car as a BMW 5-Series dressed up with an Acura interior, and not an industry changing sedan, he says. However, other bloggers correctly note a front-wheel-drive Acura can’t move from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in under 5.5 seconds the way the V-8 G8 can.Bob Lutz, vice chairman-global product development, says it’s nearly impossible to know how consumers will comparison shop the G8.“Up to now, you could argue that maybe our high performance sedans did not, in styling and interior execution, appeal to import intenders,” he says. “I think (the G8) does, because it’s essentially a very international looking car.”Lutz says about 30,000 units will be imported initially from Australia’s GM Holden Ltd., which is adapting the G8 from its iconic Holden Commodore. They are built on GM’s new Global RWD Architecture (Zeta), which will yield a multitude of vehicles for all markets.Lutz expects the majority of the imports to be V-6 models to keep pricing competitive with the Dodge Charger, which stickers between $22,475 and $36,595.Importing G8s from Australia is a “transitional phase,” until the G8 can be built in North America, Lutz says. The Camaro will be the first Zeta model assembled in North America, at GM’s Oshawa, ON, Canada, plant.Jon Lauckner, GM vice president-global program management, is quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald as saying G8 production could be moved to Oshawa within a couple of years.The Oshawa plant is being converted to build a number of Zeta-based vehicles expected to include the next-generation Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo.Oshawa’s C$740 million ($662 million) conversion will be completed in 2008, with Camaro production slated to begin later that year.When the Oshawa conversion is finished, GM will want that plant to be operating at full capacity, Lauckner tells the Australian newspaper.“Then we will either move (the G8), or potentially it will be time to talk about what comes after a G8,” he says.GM officials have said they also plan to build Zeta products at a U.S. plant in the future.The ’08 G8 is expected to replace the Grand Prix, which ends its run in 2008. Asked if the G8 name will inspire consumer demand in the same way the Chevrolet Camaro Concept did after the 2006 North American International Auto Show, Lutz says the Camaro name has “positive equity.”“You drop names when there is negative equity, when you tell yourself you’re better off starting over,” he says, citing the Pontiac G6, which traded in its Grand Am badge.“You have to fight a lack of awareness for awhile, because what your old, worn-out name has is great awareness but probably negative baggage,” he adds. “I’m somewhat amazed that a name like the (Ford) Taurus has achieved that warm glow of traditional nostalgia in only about 18 months since dropping it.”GM’s also is building Zeta products in China, where it is preparing to launch a long-wheelbase Buick, based on the Commodore Statesman, later this year.GM will not bring that model to North America because it is roughly the same size as the current Buick Lucerne, Lutz says. A spokeswoman says a name for the Chinese version has still to be determined.

[ragingfish]

Check out the unveiling of the G8 at chicago press days...http://gmtv.feedroom.com/ifr_m...89995

[djb383]

11 lbs./HP......now we're talkin'.

[binary]

g8boards.com = squatter cash parked siteg8board.com = G8 ForumsMind your 'S'es This would give the BMW 3 series drivers something to pay attention to. Mmmm 6L + 6 speed... it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.

[damronjr]

I want one NOW!

[pvt num 11]

If Pontiac can expend all of that effort for teh Grand Prix, Grand Am, Sunfire (G8, G6 and G5), then they can bring back a GT-class 2+2 two-door hatchback car with a long-hood short-trunk design...The Firebird. Just as long as it doens't look like all the other recent Pontiac offerings, and especially if it doesn't look like the new Camaro.

[Toasted7]

That is sick!

[tangerine]

Front end looks yucky with that hood, other than that not a bad looking car...but that weight...wowzer

[ragingfish]

Quote, originally posted by pvt num 11 »If Pontiac can expend all of that effort for teh Grand Prix, Grand Am, Sunfire (G8, G6 and G5), then they can bring back a GT-class 2+2 two-door hatchback car with a long-hood short-trunk design...The Firebird. Just as long as it doens't look like all the other recent Pontiac offerings, and especially if it doesn't look like the new Camaro.don't hold your breath.lutz seems adamant that the firebird will NOT be resurrected.