G8
http://www.michronicleonline.com/articlelive/articles/2544/1/G8/Page1.html
Marcus Amick
By Marcus Amick
Published on 03/26/2008
Not since the days of the Firebird has a Pontiac had as much road presence as the all-new 2008 Pontiac G8.
THE PONTIAC G8 features a dual port grille, vented front fenders, and twin hood scoops. - A. J. Mueller Photography
Not since the days of the Firebird has a Pontiac had as much road presence as the all-new 2008 Pontiac G8.
No, seriously. And I would know. My dad is what you’d call a modern day “Pontiac man.” Since 1986, he’s owned two Pontiac 6000 LE’s (remember those?), a Bonneville, and a Pontiac Grand Prix. And in addition to that, he’s had my brother and I ride with him to Brown Pontiac, a dealership back home in Toledo, to look at just about every other Pontiac that’s rolled off the assembly line.
There was a time you’d be hard-pressed to convince my father that there was anything else worth looking at other than a Pontiac. While I definitely appreciated the access to my dad’s wheels growing up, I’ve never been a huge fan of Pontiac sedans. My thought has always been that they were okay, but just not enough “wow” factor to buy if you had an option. Well, that was until the G8. A day with this ride will make a fan out of some of the toughest car critics.
Case-in-point: the two guys probably in their early thirties or so who I caught peeking in the G8 when it was parked outside a Detroit restaurant I’d stopped at during a recent test drive. “Nice car,” said one. “And he doesn’t even like American cars,” noted the other guy. Credit it to some obvious European influences in the styling.
The exterior of the G8, in fact, features details such as a dual port grille, vented front fenders, and twin hood scoops that are sort of reminiscent of some of the styling cues of the old Firebird. Other exterior features include big wheel flares, rear spoiler, and chromed quad exhaust tips that look as mean as they sound when you start it up.
Inside, the G8 model we tested featured a nice mix of brushed aluminum, leather seats, and leather trim on the doors, steering wheel, and shift knob. Cloth seats are standard. There’s also an available sports package that includes metallic pedals and a unique leather-wrapped steering wheel. The G8 also features optional two-tone black and red leather seats, and coordinating gauge cluster. A power sunroof is available on both G8 models.
One of the most impressive things for Dad was the room in the G8, and oh yeah, the fact that it was Liquid red (his favorite color). Heralded by the automaker as one of the best Pontiacs ever built, Pontiac officials boast that the G8 has nearly best-in-class status for rear seating and one of the largest trunk pass-throughs in the industry.
The G8 comes equipped with now GM standards like XM Satellite Radio, Onstar, and an optional 11-speaker Blaupunkt audio system with an iPod/MP3 input jack.
But the real beauty in this beast is its performance capabilities, which I quickly learned when I had a chance to drive it on some of the winding roads in the hills of San Diego during the official media launch for the vehicle.
The rear-wheel-drive sedan, built in Australia, comes in two models — the standard G8, which features a 3.6-liter V-6 with 256 horsepower and 248 lb.-ft. of torque, and the 6.0-liter GT that pushes out 361 horsepower and 385 lb.-ft. of torque.
The GT model has a top speed of 140 mph (smile) and has reportedly clocked a 0-60 time in 5.3 seconds. For comparison, the 436 horsepower ’08 Corvette, a bona fide sports car, clocks a 0-60 time of about 4.3 seconds – only a second faster than the G8. That’s impressive for a sedan in its class.
The G8’s handling is as impressive as the power, and there was hardly any body roll, even when challenged with some of Southern California’s fairly curvy roads. Performance in the sedan is enhanced by optional 19” sport performance tires (eighteens are standard), and a rock solid body frame that uses advanced-strength steel in more than 80 percent of G8’s construction.
Standard safety features on the G8 include stability control, dual-stage frontal air bags for front and rear occupants, and rear-seat latch child safety seat set-ups in all three seating positions.
The G8 also features an autostick shift mode for better performance. Price? Anywhere from $27,595 to $32,000 depending on the model and package. Only issue: real performance buffs don’t have the option of a manual. The sedan is only available in an automatic. Disappointing? Yeah, but no way a deal breaker. With the G8, there’s just way too much more to love. Dad agrees.
Marcus Amick is a national automotive writer and consultant, and co-host of MotorRocks.com, an automotive lifestyle website.
SPECS
• Sticker: $31,245
• MPG: 15 city/24 hwy
• Blaupunkt audio system
• 6.0- liter
• Optional 19” performance tires
Not since the days of the Firebird has a Pontiac had as much road presence as the all-new 2008 Pontiac G8.Yep, it’s a Pontiac…
THE PONTIAC G8 features a dual port grille, vented front fenders, and twin hood scoops. - A. J. Mueller Photography
Not since the days of the Firebird has a Pontiac had as much road presence as the all-new 2008 Pontiac G8.
No, seriously. And I would know. My dad is what you’d call a modern day “Pontiac man.” Since 1986, he’s owned two Pontiac 6000 LE’s (remember those?), a Bonneville, and a Pontiac Grand Prix. And in addition to that, he’s had my brother and I ride with him to Brown Pontiac, a dealership back home in Toledo, to look at just about every other Pontiac that’s rolled off the assembly line.
There was a time you’d be hard-pressed to convince my father that there was anything else worth looking at other than a Pontiac. While I definitely appreciated the access to my dad’s wheels growing up, I’ve never been a huge fan of Pontiac sedans. My thought has always been that they were okay, but just not enough “wow” factor to buy if you had an option. Well, that was until the G8. A day with this ride will make a fan out of some of the toughest car critics.
Case-in-point: the two guys probably in their early thirties or so who I caught peeking in the G8 when it was parked outside a Detroit restaurant I’d stopped at during a recent test drive. “Nice car,” said one. “And he doesn’t even like American cars,” noted the other guy. Credit it to some obvious European influences in the styling.
The exterior of the G8, in fact, features details such as a dual port grille, vented front fenders, and twin hood scoops that are sort of reminiscent of some of the styling cues of the old Firebird. Other exterior features include big wheel flares, rear spoiler, and chromed quad exhaust tips that look as mean as they sound when you start it up.
Inside, the G8 model we tested featured a nice mix of brushed aluminum, leather seats, and leather trim on the doors, steering wheel, and shift knob. Cloth seats are standard. There’s also an available sports package that includes metallic pedals and a unique leather-wrapped steering wheel. The G8 also features optional two-tone black and red leather seats, and coordinating gauge cluster. A power sunroof is available on both G8 models.
One of the most impressive things for Dad was the room in the G8, and oh yeah, the fact that it was Liquid red (his favorite color). Heralded by the automaker as one of the best Pontiacs ever built, Pontiac officials boast that the G8 has nearly best-in-class status for rear seating and one of the largest trunk pass-throughs in the industry.
The G8 comes equipped with now GM standards like XM Satellite Radio, Onstar, and an optional 11-speaker Blaupunkt audio system with an iPod/MP3 input jack.
But the real beauty in this beast is its performance capabilities, which I quickly learned when I had a chance to drive it on some of the winding roads in the hills of San Diego during the official media launch for the vehicle.
The rear-wheel-drive sedan, built in Australia, comes in two models — the standard G8, which features a 3.6-liter V-6 with 256 horsepower and 248 lb.-ft. of torque, and the 6.0-liter GT that pushes out 361 horsepower and 385 lb.-ft. of torque.
The GT model has a top speed of 140 mph (smile) and has reportedly clocked a 0-60 time in 5.3 seconds. For comparison, the 436 horsepower ’08 Corvette, a bona fide sports car, clocks a 0-60 time of about 4.3 seconds – only a second faster than the G8. That’s impressive for a sedan in its class.
The G8’s handling is as impressive as the power, and there was hardly any body roll, even when challenged with some of Southern California’s fairly curvy roads. Performance in the sedan is enhanced by optional 19” sport performance tires (eighteens are standard), and a rock solid body frame that uses advanced-strength steel in more than 80 percent of G8’s construction.
Standard safety features on the G8 include stability control, dual-stage frontal air bags for front and rear occupants, and rear-seat latch child safety seat set-ups in all three seating positions.
The G8 also features an autostick shift mode for better performance. Price? Anywhere from $27,595 to $32,000 depending on the model and package. Only issue: real performance buffs don’t have the option of a manual. The sedan is only available in an automatic. Disappointing? Yeah, but no way a deal breaker. With the G8, there’s just way too much more to love. Dad agrees.
Marcus Amick is a national automotive writer and consultant, and co-host of MotorRocks.com, an automotive lifestyle website.
SPECS
• Sticker: $31,245
• MPG: 15 city/24 hwy
• Blaupunkt audio system
• 6.0- liter
• Optional 19” performance tires