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PONTIAC G8

Gone in a Flash: Pontiac G8

May 10, 2019 by admin


Automotive models come and go, but the Pontiac G8’s two-year run is one of the shortest on record. Introduced in 2008, the full-size G8 sedan was canceled in 2009, following parent GM’s bankruptcy and restructuring that shut down the Pontiac brand. Just as quickly as the Pontiac G8 showed up and grabbed the hearts of enthusiasts, it was gone in a flash, but not apart from an interesting twist that has kept this sedan alive in a slightly different form.

Pontiac G8 Origin

General Motors tapped its Australian subsidiary, Holden, to produce a car for Pontiac. The G8 became Pontiac’s flagship sedan and was based on the Holden Commodore, a five-passenger rear-wheel-drive model.

The Holden Commodore was designed, engineered and built in Australia. Introduced in 1978, the Commodore went through multiple generational updates and was produced through 2017. Beginning in 2018, a new model was imported from Germany. The G8 was produced before the technology to prevent auto accidents rolled out, such as lane departure alert and automatic braking.

2008 Pontiac G8 Introduction

Upon introduction, the Pontiac G8 secured flagship status for the brand. This large sedan offered V6 and V8 engines with its power sent to the rear wheels. Its dramatic styling and rear-wheel-drive layout quickly endeared people to the sedan, what some have called the poor man’s BMW.

The base Pontiac G8 sedan has a 3.6-liter V-6 engine making 256 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 248 foot-pounds of torque at 2,100 rpm. It comes paired with a five-speed automatic transmission. The Pontiac G8 GT has a 6.0-liter V-8 engine making 385 horsepower at 4,400 rpm and 361 foot-pounds of torque at 5,300 rpm. Pontiac teams this engine with a six-speed automatic transmission. Its 0-to-60 mph time comes in at approximately 5.3 seconds.

Standard equipment across the Pontiac G8 line includes alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, climate control, a tilt and telescoping steering column and a premium sound system. The G8 GT supplies a Blaupunkt audio system, dual-zone climate control, summer tires, and a limited-slip differential. Safety equipment includes stability control, traction control and brake assist.

2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

For 2009, Pontiac expanded the G8’s model line to include the GXP sedan. This model has the Corvette’s 6.2-liter V-8 engine, making 415 horsepower at 4,600 rpm and 415 foot-pounds of torque at 5,900 rpm. A six-speed automatic transmission with manual shifting control comes standard. A Tremec six-speed manual transmission was also available.

The Pontiac G8 GXP has thickly bolstered sport seats, a GXP-specific sport steering wheel, rubber-trimmed alloy pedals and offers three driving modes. Incidentally, Motor Trend reported that the GXP sedan zoomed from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds.

Death of a Dream

Following years of poor financial health and a historic economic downturn that took hold in 2008, GM declared bankruptcy in June 2009. The bankruptcy move was aided by American and Canadian taxpayers who put up tens of billions of dollars to help restructure the company.

As part of GM’s restructuring, the automaker sought to sell off or close down several brands. Ultimately, GM freed itself of Saab, Saturn, Hummer and Pontiac, the latter taking the G8 sedan with it.

Chevrolet Caprice PPV and Chevrolet SS

Months after the cancellation of the Pontiac G8, GM announced that a new vehicle based on a Holden platform would be imported to the United States. That vehicle, the Chevrolet Caprice PPV, was for law enforcement fleets only. Moreover, it was based on the Holden Caprice, a slightly longer version of the Holden Commodore.

Beginning in 2013, GM introduced another variant, this one based on the VF Commodore. The Chevrolet SS, based on the latest version of the Holden, made its debut for the 2014 model year. It has the same 6.2-liter V-8 engine found in the Pontiac G8 GXP and includes a sport-tuned suspension, electronic power steering and a near perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Essentially, the Chevrolet SS took up where the Pontiac G8 left off.

Founded in 1926, the Pontiac brand shut down in 2010. Its Holden subsidiary was temporarily bereft of an American receiver until Chevrolet was tabbed to fill that void, delivering to enthusiasts its own iteration of the Pontiac G8. But Holden itself has changed as the company no longer builds any models in Australia. That’s also spelled the demise of the Chevy SS, once again leaving the U.S. market bereft of a full-size mainstream rear-wheel drive sedan from GM.


See Also — The History of the Pontiac Fiero

Photo copyright Auto Trends Magazine. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: Classics & Discontinued Models Tagged With: Australia, CHEVROLET SS, GM, HOLDEN COMMODORE, PONTIAC G8, rear-wheel drive, sedan, TREMEC

Out of the Gate: 2014 Chevrolet SS

February 19, 2013 by admin 3 Comments

Chevrolet SS
Chevrolet SS: Pace car meets its public version.

If you were a fan of the Pontiac G8, a new vehicle possessing the DNA of that short-lived Australian import will be making its debut much later this year in the guise of a 2014 Chevrolet SS. This large, rear-wheel-drive sedan is the first one offered by Chevrolet in 17 years, a vehicle that raises the bow tie brands credibility another notch.

Daytona Debut

The Chevrolet SS is the pace car for the 2013 Daytona 500, a race that will be held this weekend in Florida. Fittingly, Chevrolet has claimed five of the top six positions for this race, with Danica Patrick taking the pole position, the first time in the races history that a woman will lead off. Patrick, driving a No. 10 Godaddy Chevrolet SS, also hopes to become the first woman to win any NASCAR race.

The Chevrolet SS, like the Pontiac G8, is based on the Holden Commodore. The Pontiac is the previous generation model, the Chevrolet is the current model that follows the Holdens introduction in Australia earlier this month. Holden is a wholly owned subsidiary of the General Motors Company.

Holden Commodore

The 2014 Chevrolet SS is of unitized body structure and frame, a large five-passenger sedan that is built in Elizabeth, Australia. Under the hood is a potent 6.2-liter overhead cam V-8 engine, the same LS3 engine used in other Chevrolet models including Corvette and Camaro. This 16-valve engine is of aluminum construction and has a 10.7-to-1 compression ratio.

Estimated performance numbers should hold up when the car is released during the fourth quarter of this year. This engine is rated at 415 horsepower at 5,900 rpm and makes 415 foot-pounds of torque at 4,600 rpm. It is paired with a six-speed shiftable automatic transmission and comes with paddle shifters. Its chief competition is the Dodge Charger SRT8.

For optimum performance, premium grade gasoline is recommended, but that is not required. Chevrolet estimates that this vehicle will travel from 0 to 60 mph in about five seconds.

Sport Suspension

The Chevrolet SS is outfitted with multi-link MacPherson struts and a direct-acting stabilizer bar up from. In the rear, four-link independent suspension with a stabilizer bar is standard. This vehicle has ventilated Brembo disc brakes front and back, and rides on 19-inch polished aluminum wheels that are set within Bridgestone high-performance tires. The front track comes in at 62.6 inches to 63.3 inches in the rear.

Preliminary specifications has this car sitting on a 114.8-inch wheelbase. The Chevrolet SS is 195.6 inches long by 74.8 inches wide by 58.7 inches tall. Total weight is likely to push up toward 5,000 pounds.

Pricing has not been announced, but figure that you will pay about $40,000 for this smoker. It represents the public version of the Chevrolet Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, a model that comes with numerous amenities including some that rival key European sedans.

Technology Highlights

Technology features are numerous and include a nine-speaker premium Bose audio system, a color head-up display, Chevrolet MyLink, push button start and a navigation system with a rear view camera. This sedan also comes with multiple safety features that go above and beyond the standard spec for such vehicles including forward collision alert, lane departure warning, side blind zone alert and rear cross traffic alert. The latter feature is viewed within the rear view camera.

Automatic parking assist comes to the SS too, the first Chevrolet model so equipped. This is a hands-free self-parking feature, one that controls the steering as you seek to squeeze into a parking space.

Fall Arrival

Further details about the Chevy SS will be provided when the sedan hits showrooms Chevrolet showrooms.


See Also — Corvette Counterpart: 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS

Photo courtesy of General Motors Company.

Filed Under: Specifications Tagged With: 2014 MODELS, CHEVROLET SS, DAYTONA 500, GM, HOLDEN COMMODORE, PONTIAC G8, sedan

Australian Built Chevy Caprice Cop Car Rolls Out

July 6, 2011 by admin 1 Comment

Hot Holden model dons a Chevrolet dress.

Police departments have a new vehicle choice in crime fighting.

 

At first glance, the Chevrolet Caprice PPV looks a lot like the Impala, particularly from the rear. When dressed in its unadorned detective version, the Caprice resembles the Pontiac G8, itself an American cousin to the Australian built Holden Commodore.

On the Market

The 2012 Chevy Caprice PPV is now on the market, but is available only to governmental units, such as law enforcement departments, unless you happened to be one of the few customers who discovered a Gaithersburg, Md., Chevrolet dealership advertising 13 of these vehicles to the general public. The Caprice began its quiet arrival in Chevy showrooms this past May and Criswell Chevrolet discovered in its contract with GM that it wasn’t barred from selling the car to consumers. Website Jalopnik outed the dealership and GM promptly ordered Criswell to halt sales according to Automotive News. GM lawyers immediately amended its dealer agreements to ensure future sales were for government entities.

That restriction is, of course, a source of disappointment for fans of the rear-wheel-drive Holden model powered by a 6.0-liter V-8 engine. This car first appeared in the United States in 2008 as the Pontiac G8, but was soon pulled when GM decided to shut down Pontiac following its bankruptcy and restructuring. G8 owners quickly found themselves with an orphaned model, one that has been favorably compared with BMW’s 5 Series for its size, handling and performance, but without the BMW price.

Chevrolet Police Pursuit

Within months after canceling the Pontiac G8, GM decided to bring the Holden model back to the United States, but this time strictly as a pursuit vehicle. Chevrolet already had the front-wheel-drive Impala, but as law enforcement personnel will tell you rear-wheel-drive is the preferred choice.

Competitors Ford and Dodge have competing models, with Ford planning to end production of the big Crown Victoria at the end of this year, replacing this vehicle with an all-wheel-drive Ford Taurus. The Dodge Charger, powered by its rear wheels, has become an increasingly visible presence on America’s highways and byways. All three models will help offset the upcoming Carbon Motors E7, a built for the ground up police car that will be built in Indiana and is expected to go on sale in 2013.

Hot in Georgia

One of the first deliveries of the Chevy Caprice PPV was the Forsyth County (Ga.) sheriff’s department, which began to deploy its fleet in May. The 355 horsepower Caprice is a welcome addition and will begin to replace the department’s entire 175 units of pursuit vehicles in its entirety.

Besides raw power, the appeal of the Caprice is its class leading interior room and sculptured front seats, designed to permit officers to wear a gun belt while sitting. Numerous safety features are standard including stability control and a front seat only head curtain airbag, the latter which permits installation of a full-width prisoner partition separating the front and rear seats.

Further Reading

Chevy Caprice PPV Wins Smackdown

GM to Slash Jobs at its Holden Subsidiary

Filed Under: Automotive News Tagged With: Australia, Chevrolet Caprice PPV, CHEVROLET IMPALA, GENERAL MOTORS, GM, Holden, POLICE CAR, PONTIAC G8

R.I.P. – Pontiac’s El Camino Wannabe

January 6, 2009 by admin 1 Comment

Pontiac G8 Pickup Truck
General Motors announced that the Pontiac G8 ST, also known as the “El Camino” to car-truck diehards, will not go into production after all. The automaker canceled the project leaving the G8 sedan to soldier on alone.

When GM released the Pontiac G8 last spring, I was thrilled to see that the automaker had finally given the brand a car worthy of the Pontiac name. The G8 is a bold, strong, rear wheel driven five-passenger sedan based on the Australian Holden Commodore platform, just the sort of car needed to redefine the Pontiac name.

Along with the G8, GM had said that a car-truck version of the vehicle was going to be developed, an “El Camino” type truck that stirred the hearts of people who desired to see such a vehicle brought to market. When GM announced a contest to name the truck, the El Camino name received a strong response, but the automaker decided to go with the ST which is a rather dull abbreviation for sport truck.


See Also — The History of the Pontiac Fiero


Alas, the G8 ST will not go into production after all according to sources within and without General Motors. The company placed the project “under review” last month as part of the automaker’s review of its entire portfolio. Though GM hasn’t said whether Pontiac itself is dead, the automaker has no plans to bring the Pontiac G8 ST to market.

As far as this ST fan goes, I am personally very disappointed, though not entirely surprised by the announcement.

Originally slated to launch late this fall, the ST would have been a nice complement to the sedan. But, with GM sales tanking and the world in the grip of a worsening recession, the ST project has been canceled.

This may actually work to GM’s favor as the ST would have been a low volume vehicle in the first place. With gas prices remaining unstable, the ST’s survival would be threatened when gas prices climb as they are expected to do later this spring.

R.I.P. Pontiac G8 ST…we hardly knew ya!


See Also — Will the Ram Rumble Bee Sting the Ford Tremor?

Photo copyright General Motors Company.

Filed Under: Automotive News Tagged With: Chevrolet, EL CAMINO, GENERAL MOTORS, GM, Pontiac, PONTIAC G8, PONTIAC G8 ST, PONTIAC SPORT TRUCK

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