Pontiac G8

Introduction to the Pontiac G8

The Pontiac G8 is a rear-wheel drive sedan produced by General Motors to be released for the 2008 model year under the Pontiac name. It is a replacement for the Pontiac Grand Prix, which ceases production after the 2008 model year with one year of overlapping. The G8 will be Pontiac's first full-size car since the Bonneville was discontinued in 2005.

The G8 is based on the GM Zeta platform which was created by Holden for the Holden VE Commodore in the Australian market. At the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, GM chairman Bob Lutz confirmed that GM intended to import Holden Commodores into North America as G8s. The news was not planned to be officially announced until the Chicago Auto Show in February. The G8 will become GM's first North American Zeta vehicle. The G8 shares much of its design with the Commodore and it is certain that it will share the Zeta platform with two (possibly three) other American cars, including the 2009 Chevrolet Impala, 2009 Chevrolet Camaro, and possibly a 2010 or later Pontiac GTO.

The G8 will be the first rear-wheel drive Pontiac sedan sold in North America since the 1986 Bonneville and Parisienne, however there are several rear-wheel drive offerings on the road already such as the Solstice and the outgoing GTO. The size of the car is marginally bigger than the size of many German large cars such as the BMW 5-Series and the Audi A6.

In the April 2007 issue of Motor Trend, reviewer Matt Stone wrote, "If the experience recalls any other car, it's the previous-generation BMW M5, which also had a six-speed stick, 400 horses, and a wonderfully communicative chassis." The G8 debuted at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show.

The G8 will be available in two trims: base and the GT. The base G8 will be available with a 261 hp (194 kW) 3.6 L DOHC VVT V6 engine, standard with a 5-speed automatic. The GT will come with a 362 hp (270 kW) 6.0 L Generation IV V8, featuring a 6-speed automatic and Active Fuel Management as standard, capable of reaching 60 mph(100 km/h) in just over 5 seconds. A 6-speed manual will be made optional on the GT. The cars will come standard with 6 airbags, including full-length side curtain airbags, 18 inch alloy wheels, sports body kit, power-adjustable front seats, cloth seats and a 7-speaker audio system, featuring a satellite radio system. An optional sports package will be available, containing 19 inch alloys with performance tires, upgraded sports suspension, 11-speaker stereo with six-stacker CD system, color display screen featuring climate control & audio functions, leather-bound steering wheel and alloy pedals. GT interiors will be available with the choice of a two-tone interior that will match black with either red or blue.

Holden chairman Denny Mooney announced that the G8 will be imported from the Australian Elizabeth plant for the life cycle of the car, but refused to comment on possible future production at GM's Oshawa, Ontario facility. At the 2007 Chicago Auto Show, GM Global Chairman Bob Lutz announced that the G8 are expected in US Pontiac dealerships in "early 2008". On July 4th, 2007 the first Pontiac G8 prototypes rolled out of the Elizabeth assembly plant in Australia. 

High Performance Models

General Motors has yet to confirm or deny the existence of a future GTP or GXP model of the upcoming G8, however high performance models direct from Australia have been spotted in Detroit before. A June 17th, 2007 posting on the website Autoblog had photographs of a Holden HSV Clubsport R8 testing in Troy, Michigan, located just outside of Detroit. The model in question is powered by a 414 BHP version of the LS2 V8 found in the Chevrolet Corvette, and can propel the car to sixty miles per hour in roughly five seconds. Similar models are also sold in the United Kingdom with a Vauxhall badge, and is known as the Vauxhall VXR8. It is unknown if the Clubsport R8 would be used as a GTP or GXP model, given that another HSV model, the GTS-R, is in the works powered by the Corvette Z06's LS7 V8, producing upwards of 500 BHP.

Source: Wikipedia