Is Pontiac’s G8 really so great? Yes, it is … if its time isn’t past

Note I say “probably.” There is a very great deal to like and maybe even love about the Pontiac G8. The question is whether in an era of $4-per-gallon gas, it answers a question too few Americans still seek to answer – Wouldn’t it be great to have a big, fast, comfortable American sedan with a roaring V-8 that goes like stink at a price we plebes can afford?

The rear-wheel-drive G8 is big, though not in the same way as the old Bonneville SSE mimicked the halycon days of Wide Tracks and 421 mills with massive Holleys gulping oxygen by the yard. One of our neighbors down the street way back in the day when I was in high school always had a ragtop Bonny with the biggest, baddest engine he could order. It was great for smoking tires and making scenery disappear rearward very quickly, so long as the road was straight as an arrow.

There was also the fabled GTO of Sixties lore, of course, and before that the good ole days when Fireball Roberts and Pontiac seemed almost interchangeable terms, thanks to Smokey Yunick and his black and gold magic.

It even appeared that a revival was at hand in the early 1980s when Pontiac took the memorably crappy Chevy Celebrity platform and turned it into the 6000 STE, a seriously underpowered but thoughtful take on the European sports sedan cliche. Third-generation Firebirds were as quick as Z28s and better looking to boot.

But all of that was so long ago and in the years since, as Peter DeLorenzo so knowledgeably describes it here, Pontiac has wandered in the wilderness, often seeming without a clue as to where to go to find itself. The lamentable Aztek was only the most visible manifestation of the rot beneath the surface as the sale figures plunged towards the abyss.

As I said, there is much to like about the G8 and this renewal of the big, fast, comfortable American  V-8 sedan shows numerous features – did I mention that the power goes to the rear wheels? – that strongly suggest Pontiac is serious about returning to its roots while  producing memorable vehicles that appeal to contemporary preferences and prejudices.

For one thing, the exterior styling is crisp and aggressive without resorting to the faux excesses of the SSE era. The two fake air inlets at the front of the hood are border-line, but, otherwise the stance is right and the prominent fender flares combine nicely with clean flanks and a tallish, rounded greenhouse. Those who have spent time in Australia will quickly recognize the Holden DNA in the G8’s silhouette, but some folks who think they know a Pontiac when they see it could be fooled.

_{Looks like an Audi, doesn’t it. Pontiac is clearly getting interior cues from the German automaker.}


Inside the G8 is more evidence that GM is finally getting with it on credible ergonomics and the importance of appearance in creating an aura of quality in a vehicle’s passenger cabin. The front seats in my G8 GT  tester exceptionally comfortable and the look and feel of materials used for the instrument panel and door panels is much improved over previous Pontiac sedan efforts. I could do without that devil-red night-time gauge illumination, though.

There is a distinctively Audi-like tone to the instrument panel’s studied simplicity, perhaps even just a tad too much of the Germanic sterility that long characterized the Teutonic approach to interior design. But this is a far better baseline on which to build than, say, the old days when Pontiac seemed determined to rewrite the record books on instrument panel complexity. One oversight that should top the To Do list, though, is to put a redline indicator on the tachometer.

But enough of this, the really important questions here concern the way the G8 performs on the road. Despite weighing fully two tons, the G8 feels relatively compact and fleet of foot in the same way a 240 lb fullback can be compact and fleet of foot (Think Brandon Jacobs of the New York Giants here).

The suspension settings are just firm enough to synchronize with the optional 19-inch wheels and tires and quicker steering to give the G8 GT a moderately sporting turn-in and keep the rubber in effective contact with the road with sufficient control and poise to encourage a definitely enthusiastic driving style.

Flick off the standard traction control and, over rough roads and across road surfaces of varying pitch and camber, the G8 feels tight and easily controllable at rather elevated velocities. It is definitely a fun piece of machinery but retains a comfortable ride quality for the daily driving chores.  It isn’t yet in the M5’s league but Pontiac clearly is spending more time at the Nurburing these days.

 

Under the hood resides a 361 horsepower version of GM’s 6.0 liter V-8 and a six-speed automatic transmission. The G8 GXP that debuted last month at the New York Auto Show as a 2009 model will feature a 6.2 liter, 402 horsepower edition of the same powerplant that powers the Corvette, though with less restrictive plumbing and higher horsepower ratings. The GXP has been described as a “poor man’s BMW M5.” For once, the description is not simply marketing hype.

_{Pontiac’s G8 GXP will pack 400+ horsepower, a significantly stiffer suspension and other serious performance enhancements.}


Even with “only” 361 horses on tap, the G8 GT is quick, producing consistent low five-second 0-60 mph times. Where the 6.0 liter shines, though, is the way it flings the G8 GT forward with authority coming off low and medium speed corners. It’s a combination of great handling, proper driving position and eager power that makes you want to get in and drive it as often as possible.

So many years have passed since any Pontiac genuinely inspired such words from this former STE owner, which is why I rather like how Inside Line’s Scott Oldham described the G8:

“Unlike the most recent GTO, the Solstice or the laughable Grand Prix GXP, the G8 GT feels like a fully finished automobile. This is a car that’s actually ready for public consumption. The entire public. No double-wide trailer or Sunfire ownership required.

“This time Pontiac’s engineers cared how their car felt, not just how it performed. For the first time in a long time, they decided to sweat the details. And the result is a Pontiac without any goofy missteps, colossal blunders or overtones of trailer-park style. They even resisted the temptation to put a big silly wing on it, leaving the G8’s two hood scoops and four real exhaust pipes to state its case.”

Exactly. The G8 GT delivers what it promises – it really is a big, fast, comfortable American V-8 sedan. And the pricing is right, too, with my tester checking in at just over $31,000, with a full compliment of standard and optional equipment.

But are there still enough Americans who want what the G8 offers, even if it is priced right? Pontiac expects to bring in about 40,000 G8s in coming months. That’s sufficient to put a noticeable dent in Dodge Charger sales, but will it be enough to spark a genuine reinvention and revival of Pontiac?

I think there will be good word-of-mouth for the G8 but it’s got to have a witty and precisely targeted marketing effort to make sure everybody who ought to give it a look does so. — Mark Tapscott

What Others Say About the Pontiac G8:

“Robert Lutz became the GM product sheriff in 2001, with a directive to inject car-guy sparkle into the insipid, fluorescent-lit catalog. All car guys know that fun lives largest in rear-drivers. The first rummage in GM’s antipodean attic produced the 2004 Pontiac GTO. It bombed, but Lutz and company remain undaunted in their plan to pull Pontiac’s performance bona fides out of mothballs using the next generation of Australian-engineered-and-built rear-drivers. The agenda includes the G8 sedan and, the industry trades claim, a forthcoming sport wagon and an El Camino reboot.

“If—a prodigious ‘if’—it survives hikes in oil prices and federal fuel standards, the strategy promises Pontiac a full lineup of USDA-cut, Euro-style sports machines. That’s not available elsewhere—at least not since Dodge announced the Magnum’s demise after 2008. Will the crowds come, especially when the gas pumps are biting? We’ll know soon, as the G8 is already on sale. Meanwhile, this Pontiac is spacious, fast, and agile. It’s a looker, and it’s surprisingly affordable. It’s the best thing to happen at Pontiac since KITT the gabby Trans Am.

“The G8 lives within a narrow price band, and the optional furbelows are few. Just $27,595 puts you into the base G8, with a 256-hp, 3.6-liter four-cam V-6 and the 5L40 five-speed automatic. The GT, with its 361-hp, 6.0-liter V-8 and six-speed 6L80 Hydra-Matic, starts delivering 5.3-second barrels to 60 mph for $29,995. With all options, the GT rises to $32,745. A Hemi-equipped Dodge Charger R/T starts at $31,430 and offers more checkable boxes, including all-wheel drive.” — Aaron Robinson, Car & Driver

“How will the G8 GXP’s handling compare with the Charger SRT8’s? In our April story, Art St. Antoine found the G8 GT more nimble, with better handling than the Charger R/T’s. And you can turn off the G8’s StabiliTrak stability control, while the Charger’s system refuses to give up completely.

“Predictably, the GXP’s suspension will stiffens things up. It’s race-ready with virtually no modifications, Shipman says. The MacPherson strut front and multilink coil-over rear carry forward with a direct-acting front anti-roll bar, decoupled rear stabilizer bar and lateral ball joints on the rear for more lateral stiffness. Caster, camber, and toe are adjustable in front, and camber and toe are adjustable in the rear. P245/40R19 summer tires are standard and limit the car’s top speed to a near-autobahn-perfect 150 mph. All-season tires are among three options available on the GXP. The others are the transmission choice and a sunroof.

“Building a poor man’s M5 is a tall order, though. BMW’s ability to balance extreme handling prowess with a relatively supple ride is magic. ‘We don’t want it to be too stiff, where it’s bouncing you out of the car, but it’s also got to have some performance,’ [Pontiac’s Brian] Shipman says. “So I think it’s going to be a nice blend.'” — Todd Lassa, Motor Trend

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