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Which brand should General Motors keep?
Survey says...Pontiac!
Unfortunately, General Motors may be making a big mistake. According to Advertising Age, a survey recently completed by CarGurus asked potential car buyers which GM brand they would like to see survive the cuts. They chose Pontiac.
The survey had almost 1,700 respondents, with 44% naming Pontiac, 27% choosing Hummer, 20% selecting Saab and only 9% picking Saturn. Now the respondents picking Pontiac really isn't a stretch. Pontiac is known as GM's performance brand, dating back to the birth of the muscle car era in the '60s.
Now the rest of the survey results are a bit confusing. Second after Pontiac is Hummer. Maybe Sichuan Tengzhong, the Chinese company negotiating to purchase Hummer, knows something we don't. The goal, of course, is for GM to get rid of a brand that just isn't profitable anymore. The Chinese company sounds willing to put up the cash to keep Hummer afloat. This should be interesting.
Road Test: Pontiac G8 GT
G8 GT: Quiet cruiser
As I mentioned in my First Impressions of the G8 GT, this car is a true American sports sedan. After a mix of city and freeway driving, the G8 proved itself to be not only a great family car but terrific fun for a car guy like me.
Yes, for the enthusiasts out there, you can convince your significant other that the G8 will be a safe and reliable family hauler, knowing full well that during alone time behind the wheel, you'll have the performance you crave.
I've mentioned a few times now how quiet the G8 can be, both around town and highway driving. I think I was expecting this car to be "louder", but not in a bad way. The G8 GT has a 6-liter V8 with 361 horsepower. At idle, you barely hear it. I drove this car a lot but took a moment to just sit in it while the engine was running. The sound was barely perceptible. The only thing tipping you off was the subtle shake to the car as the big V8 loped along at a mere 500rpm.
The only quibble I have is the G8's interior was so serene that I noticed a slight driveline hum. Splitting hairs? Probably. Annoying? Not at all. But again, I'm a nut. And it may not be common across the model line.
G8 GT: Powerful sports sedan
So great, the G8 is quiet. You don't need to worry about any outside intrusions spoiling your favorite satellite radio station. But what about the car's performance?
It goes without saying the 6-liter is powerful, but it's muscle is truly realized with the stump-pulling 385 lb-ft of torque. The six-speed automatic has no problem putting the power down as you are being pushed back in your seat.
If you're like me, you're hankering for a six-speed manual. Patience will reward you once the G8 GXP goes on sale in 2009. Enthusiasts will also be thrilled with the GXP's 6.2-liter V8 and 400-plus horsepower.
The G8 GT's transmission, like many of today's slush-boxes, has a manual function, allowing you to shift up or down with a push or pull on the center console lever. No flappy-paddle gear boxes here. But because it's an automatic at heart, your still relying on hydraulic fluids and computers to make the gear changes for you. For enthusiasts it is, of course, lacking a little. Manual shifts take too long to complete and can be abrupt at times. But given the option, I'll take a manumatic transmission over a standard automatic any time. I drove in manual-mode most of the time, with the upside being able to hold a gear and listen to the unmistakable sound of a big American V8.
We can't get around talking about gas mileage though. The G8 GT is thirsty, getting an EPA estimated 15 miles per gallon in the city and 24 highway. I averaged close to 17mpg with a mix of highway and city driving. Admittedly, my highway driving was pretty mellow, with city driving being more aggressive. I figured I did pretty well. But be prepared to be hit in your wallet keeping this car filled up.
Family hauler
The interior of the G8 is quite roomy, with my 6-foot frame having no problem getting comfortable behind the wheel. Kids will have plenty of room in the back seat to spread out and get comfortable for long trips. Adults should find leg and head room acceptable as well. Separate air vents at the rear of the center console will help keep said kids or adults cool or warm, depending on the time of the year.
The leather seats, particular for those in front, are supportive and firm. I appreciated the aggressive side bolsters holding me in place during sport-minded driving.
And of course the car's CD-player and XM satellite radio will help on extended trips as well.
For the performance-minded family guy
This car is not your grandparents Pontiac. It is definitely geared toward performance enthusiasts who also need to move family and friends. This is a true four-door sport sedan that can compete with any other on the market. For a well-optioned G8 GT, you're looking at a little over $30,000. Pretty good, considering any European counterpart will be thousands more.
And it's an American car we can get excited about. I haven't been bashful in my support lately of the American car makers, evident in my posts about the Cadillac CTS Coupe and SRX crossover.
The G8 may not be breaking any new ground in styling as I've discussed in those previous articles, but it is breaking ground for GM as a quality vehicle, further dispensing with the myth that GM can't produce exciting cars.
2009 Pontiac G8 GT
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
There's nothing like actual seat time to form the best opinions you can about a car. It's fun to talk to your friends, especially those that know, about the cars you love. But there's no substitute for driving a car and forming your own attitudes about it. Plus, you're in a better position to win the arguments you invariably get in to about your favorites.
A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to take the new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR for a brief drive and had a blast doing it. An outstanding, high performance compact sedan that can be economical as well.
Well, I'm lucky yet again as I've taken delivery of a Pontiac G8 GT, courtesy of General Motors, for an extended, one-week test drive.
GM did the right thing with the G8 by outsourcing to their excellent Holden division in Australia. Which means they've introduced a proper sports sedan to the American market.
Let's take a moment and list a few requirements of a good American sports sedan. Rear-wheel drive? Check. Rock-solid platform? Check. Big, rumbling V8? Check. Modern day six-speed automatic? Check. To the American performance car buyer, anything else is really just eye candy.
With just a few miles under my belt, my initial impressions of the G8 is this is a rock solid car. There is no indication that it came from a mixed past of General Motors successes or miscues, whichever descriptor you prefer. The car corners flat and at 6 or 7/10s, shows no sign of losing its composure. The car is in a word, balanced.
The G8 GT has a 6.0 liter V8 with 361 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque. The V8 makes all the right sounds with a terrific growl under a heavy right foot but is very quiet at idle and highway speeds.
I look forward to wringing this car out over the next few days and getting a more complete picture of its strengths and weaknesses. I'll fill you in with the details as I go along.
Does anyone have an opinion about the G8? Maybe you've been shopping around and are considering it. Or maybe you disagree with me. I would love to hear from you. Leave your comments below and we can talk about what I think is an excellent American sports sedan.
Performance can be efficient
MINI's John Cooper Works edition bolsters our belief in small car fun
Yes, gas is expensive. One result? High-performance cars are picked on, frowned upon as unnecessary and gas-guzzling. But if you can turbo- or supercharge a four-cylinder, tuning it for horsepower and efficiency, what's the harm in that?
Hopefully none. BMW's MINI brand, since its introduction in 2001, has supported our belief that small efficient cars can be fun and fast. The new John Cooper Works version benefits from a larger version turbocharger, developing 211 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque from the base 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine. If you employ the cars Overboost system, the available torque jumps to nearly 207 lb-ft.
As passionate drivers, MINI delivers what we need now. A car that is quick and entertaining, putting a huge grin on our faces as we hit our favorite twisty back road. But when you need it to be, the MINI is efficient, sipping gas at a wallet-loving 40mpg.
And the MINI isn't the only model line available that offers performance and efficiency. There are many others, with auto makers producing small cars that are not only miserly but carry a nice punch.
- Here's a quick list of a few more cars that are fun yet easy at the pump.
- Mazda MX-5
MPG: 21 city/28 highway
0-60: 6.5 seconds - Pontiac Solstice GXP
MPG: 19 city/28 highway
0-60: 5.5 seconds - Nissan 350Z
MPG: 18 city/25 highway
0-60: 5.3 seconds - BMW 135i
MPG: 17 city/25 highway
0-60: 4.8 seconds - Lotus Elise
MPG: 20 city/26 highway
0-60: 4.6 seconds - Honda S2000
MPG: 18 city/25 highway
0-60: 5.3 seconds - Chevrolet Cobalt SS
MPG: 22 city/30 highway
0-60: 5.5 seconds
Can you think of any other quick, fun-to-drive small cars that will help you out at the pump when it needs to? Disagree with my list? Let me know. Give me your feedback. I want to hear from you.
The death of the manual
Are automatic's killing our fun?
It just recently came to light that Pontiac will not be dropping a six-speed manual into their new sports sedan, the G8 GT. If you prefer three pedals and the option of double-clutching, you'll have to opt for the high performance variant, the G8 GXP.
Now, to be fair, modern day slush-boxes are incredible pieces of engineering. Simply look to the SuperFast2 transmission in Ferrari's Scuderia. The Ferrari is, of course, a pricey example. Other auto makers such as Volkswagen and Porsche have developed dual-clutch manuals as alternatives to automatics as well. Commonly referred to as DSG, or Direct-Shift Gearbox, these are transmissions that seemingly operate as both an automatic and a manual, without a conventional clutch pedal.
With transmissions such as these, is there a growing trend in the automotive industry to move away from manual transmissions? Automatics easily outsell traditional manuals, with the reasons outlined above. Today's automatics are blurring the lines between the two, providing drivers the ease of shifting automatically to shifting manually with a paddle or lever. Why put up with that pesky clutch pedal, lurching and jerking your way through rush hour traffic?
All of the above are great examples of modern day drivetrains. But what about us traditionalists? Believe it or not, there are a group of enthusiasts that actually prefer to shift gears manually, leaving the upshifts and downshifts to our discretion. Simply put, it's more fun! We enjoy being as involved in the driving experience as much as possible.
So where does that leave us, the gear heads that like a manual five or six-speed? Safe for now. None of the auto makers has announced the death of the manual. But what can be said about the future? Current trends in the automotive world point to a future of hybrid or all-electric cars. Vehicles that won't need driver operated transmissions, with the electric motor providing a continuous flow of power. No shifting required.
As an enthusiast, this is just a bit frightening. This "electric wave" does not bode well for true drivers out there. Who wants to drive a car with so little control? What do you think? Are we on the brink of a major evolution in the automotive industry? Do you plan on keeping your manual trans car, the car that soon may be called "old school"?
Does the G8 represent a rebirth for Pontiac?
General Motors is showing signs of a rebirth not seen in many years. Of course, GM's brand has always meant trucks and SUVs, vehicles that have always sold well with the American public, with the ability to haul your stuff as well as people.
But what about their cars? When was the last time you got excited about a car from the General? The C6 Corvette is a given. When considering price, it is arguably one of the best performance cars on the planet, bar none. But an econo-box, a mini-van or the dreaded family sedan? Well, dread no more. GM has called on Holden, their division based in Australia, for the all new Pontiac G8.
Edmunds.com road tested the Holden Commodore SS, the G8's twin brother, back in May. Holden has been building the Commodore since 1978, with the fourth generation model introduced in 2006. This latest model benefitted from an expensive and thorough engineering program, one of the most extensive in Australian automotive history.
According to Edmunds, "The 2007 Holden Commodore SS is a legitimate rear-drive performance sedan that stands up well to comparisons with fine European cars. It hauls butt, rides and handles well, is a blast to drive and has killer looks." Great news for us Yanks!
The G8 essentially carries over from the Commodore untouched, aside from the cosmetic differences. The G8 rides on GM's new Zeta rear wheel drive platform, the same platform the 2009 Camaro will ride on.
The base G8 uses GM's 261 hp 3.6-liter DOHC V-6 with a five-speed automatic. The G8 GT gets a 362 hp 6.0-liter V8, with a stump-pulling 391 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed automatic will be offered when the car is introduced, with a six-speed manual available shortly thereafter.
Pricing for the base model starts at $27,595, followed by the GT at $29,995.
