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2008 Pontiac G8
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'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
thanks.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
At least one item I was hoping for...
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_0802_2008_pontiac_g8_gt_first_tes- t
Thanks to a leak by a Pontiac dealership employee — and posted on G8GT.com — we have the first indication of what engine will be under the hood of the G8 GXP. A picture of General Motors' inventory controls website reveals that the GXP version will be powered by GM's LS3 6.2L V8 — the very same engine founded in the current C6 Corvette.
Although the shot doesn't list any horsepower ratings, in C6-guise the LS3 engine makes upwards of 436 horsepower. However, look for the 6.2L V8 to be slightly detuned in the G8 GXP
Regards,
OW
Regards,
OW
I hope the d-seat will adjust enough for a guy 6'3", 300lbs and 50" thru the shoulders.
The Imp was just fine in that regard.
Pontiac G8
Deletions
Exterior color (25U) Stealth Blue Metallic
Exterior color (77U) Ignition Orange Metallic
New Features
Exterior color (17U) Maverick Silver Metallic
Exterior color (26U) Sport Red Metallic
Exterior color (39U) Stryker Blue Metallic
Exterior color (64U) Pacific Slate Metallic
(U2K) XM Satellite Radio (standard on all models)
(UWE) Bluetooth for phone, personal cell phone connectivity to vehicle audio system and HMI (Human Machine Interface) (standard on all models)
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/car_shopping/family_four_doors/200- - - - 8_pontiac_g8_gt_road_test
Maybe it's not too late for the GM Performance Division guys to find a way to improve it, so it at least SOUNDS like a V-8. They did an outstanding job of making the LS4 motor sound respectable in my new car (2008 LaCrosse Super), so there's no reason why they can't do the same with the L-76 engine's sound. And they had better not make the same mistake with the GXP's LS3 motor.
ipstax1 - If you want it to be louder, you can go to any exhaust shop and change the mufflers. Complete aftermarket systems will surely also be available.
As the previous poster said, if you want to drive a noisy car, change the mufflers out for some mufflesses.
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/pontiac/2008-pontiac-g8-test-drive-ar53326.html
The video roughly in the middle of the page entitled:
Pushing the V8 to 100MPH
.. suggests to me that you can hear the exhaust - at least a full throttle...
- Ray
Yum...
Have been reading your posts, very negative chap are you not?
Hey Ray, how's it going mate?
Getting closer now till launch for you.
The bloody car has quad outlets and you reckon it is quiet ipstax1?
Ever hear of noise regulations?
Trust me, give this car a gutfull and you will love it.
Driven heaps of them now, for a car this size, they handle great.
As for some of you having a winge on price,
you must be kidding!
We pay about 50k for them here and our $ is almost the same as yours.
You are getting them cheap.
As for power, ever hear of 3'' exhaust, cold air and a maffless tune?
Get it done and you get 300rwkw.
Why is it that you want it all spoon fed to you.
I know you guys have had to put up with absolute rubbish cars for years now.
You are finally getting a damm good one, I know it's hard to believe.
But believe it, this car is beating the crap out of Toyota here, as for Ford, not even close.
Ray, go and put your deposit down now mate, they are almost there :-)
Life is about to be even better.
http://concept.holdencampaign.com.au/
Check the vids down the page.
This car is porn on wheels ;-)
A number of the “First 888” are apparently en route to dealers.
Regarding price, I agree that ( on paper & in videos ) the $30K base makes the G8 GT a “screaming bargain” - ** IF ** the car lives up to what many have been saying in the press about the US versions.
I have not yet put my deposit down, for several reasons.
1 – I have not driven one.
While the acceleration ( now verified in several published tests ) is clearly quite good, there remain questions I need answered before I make a decision. These include:
A – One open question regards handling & ride. Is the ride \ handling trade-off right, FOR ME. It appears the G8’s FE2 suspension is near universally commended in the press – but I have somewhat different preferences in this particular realm than some. I ( for example ) had to special order my Corvette, partly because I decided that I wanted the base suspension – not the Z51 option that was on nearly every car my Dealer ordered for stock. Only a test drive can answer this question, for me. I am not expecting a Caddy ride ( whatever than means today ) but I need to be comfortable with the ride and the handling feel. The steering, particularly ‘on center’. Etc.
B - How exactly does the manumatic function in manual mode? Specifically: How quickly does it respond to manual requests for up- and down-shifts? Some testers have complained about the automatic trans behavior ( both C+D and Topspeed ) and I need to experience this & compare with the ( very similar 6L80 automatic trans ) w/paddle shift manumatic in my Corvette. “If you use the manual mode, changing gears will only get you frustrated. Even though Pontiac was thoughtful and installed a gearbox that will hold gears when you hit the rev’ limiter, and blip the throttle on down shift to bring the engine up to ’rev’. We found the gear box so slow that we completely stopped playing with it after a few miles or simply stuck it into one gear in the fear of frustration.” – Topspeed. And “And the terminally confused transmission positively neuters the 361-hp, Corvette-sourced L76 V-8—something we thought heretofore impossible.” – C+D.
Neither of these ( rather harsh ) comments leads me to cross the G8 GT off my ‘short list. But. Again, a test drive is required. Not to verify things like quarter mile acceleration ( I trust the various publications, particularly given how close the results have been – except for Automobile ), nor absolute cornering Gs. I leave those to the professional testers \ closed course. But I do need to verify that the ‘feel’ is something that I will enjoy for a while.
And it is not that I do not trust you. Just that from experience I know that my own judgment regarding things like ride & handling feel & the behavior of the automatic trans. is the only opinion that really counts. I would not buy my Corvette unless I could drive both a ‘base’ and Z51 suspension ‘Vette back-to-back. Both are fine suspensions – in my view – but only one suits me.
2 – With such a very short 2008 model year run & very limited initial supply, it is not at all clear when a G8 GT will actually be available for a test drive. Also ( related ) the actual transaction pricing is unclear. It even now appears that the first 2009 G8 will be in production before a single 2008 is actually delivered to a retail customer. Bizarre.
Although I consider the base list price of the G8 GT to be reasonably aggressive, I have already heard numerous reports that some Dealers will be trying ( much like with early GTOs ) to sell these first G8s at a premium above MSRP.
Also, this tagging process & no current way to actually order the exact combination of colors & options one wants is rather weird. European manufacturers ( BMW & Audi, for example – and even when my Daughter ordered her MINI, last year ) with a comparable ‘supply chain’ length allow, and even encourage customers to order exactly what they want.
So.
The published tests ( here on Edmunds & elsewhere ) have answered many of my questions & concerns. The rest will have to wait – quite possibly for months.
- Ray
So very, very patient . . .
As far as the supply chain issues, pricing and GM history, nothing surprises me. When I see one, I will check it out. I expect NOT to see one until July around NJ since they are coming in to CA.
Regards,
OW
link title
Regards,
OW
This typically means that they are en route.
It appears that Pontiac has started dispatching East Coast units before Left Coast.
Possibly in an attempt to sync first deliveries.
I expect to see one at a Dealer near me ( Atlanta area ) well before July.
Possibly this month.
Though ( as I said ) it could be a while before there are test drive-able units...
- Ray
Ready for my memory check...
A - The suspension is not overly hard, From what you have said about the Vette, I reckon somewhere in between the two. Remember, this is a family car.
Australian roads are fairly crap so needs bump absorbtion. The steering is beautiful, very direct and quick and on centre.
B - The gearbox is from over there, so isn't that supposed to be good ;-)
It's mainly software probs that are being sorted, get a tuner to make it the way you want it to be.
Of course, take one for a test spin, crazy not to.
2 - The factory here as you would be aware is flatout making them for Here, You,Poms,Arabs, Kiwis, Africans.
The sooner the Canadian setup is going, all the better for you guys.
Then you could custom order what you want.
That 1st shipment would be because of that they don't know exactly what individual tastes would be.
As for the dealer asking more than the cars retail price, do what I would do ,tell him to get stuffed mate!
There will be plenty more on the way.
In the meantime, why don't you give HSV a call and see what can be done via them.
With the two dollars around the same now, could be worth a shot.
Some rapper guy over there got one ages ago and I think it got Foosed as well.
Did you check out the link Ray? What did you think of the car?
This country is going nuts over it, well nuttier than we already are.
I manipulated another search link \ url that I’d saved,
changing zip codes, etc.
Not exactly something I’d recommend.
The links are 14 to 20 lines in MSWord.
But it works.
And the data is there – not really ‘hidden’.
There is also still some old \ inaccurate G8 information on their site
And that may be part of the reason they have not yet
Set up everything to allow a search . . .
- Ray
Not quite a software wizard . . .
Here's the link: http://www.gm.com/shop/
HSV has just sent a boatload of R8s to Dubai.
Left hand drive and with Chev bowties all over them.
They are selling like crazy there as Holden has a long history of exporting cars to the Middle East.
Now, if one should happen to get on the wrong boat.......
Contact HSV and see if you could get one sent to you.
Here is a link to a review of the car for you to look at.
Also Wheels magazine did an article in the Feb edition on this car.
http://www.auto-power-girl.com/cars-2008/chevrolet-specifications/chevrolet_csv_- cr8-2253
Here is a link to my current ride.
Meant to do this ages ago, this is the same color (blue) as mine but I have leather and a sunroof as well.
Also, have fitted Pacemaker Tri-Y headers, magnaflow cats and a 2 1/2" loud sports system.
Also cold air with a BigMouth pod umm sorta got under the hood as well ;-)
Getting an mafless tune and gearbox edit done soon.
Expecting around 300kw (403 hp) at the flywheel.
http://www.webwombat.com.au/motoring/news_reports/xrt-holden-vz-ss-sedan.htm
http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1346243&posted=1#post1346243-
The story says the GXP's engine is going to be a detuned LS3. I wonder if the motor will be renamed, the way the LS2 in the G8 GT was changed to L76?
Aren't they supposed to be hitting the dealerships now?
Thanks.
Twitter: @Edmunds_Test
GM needed a high-quality RWD car with excellent quality. The G8 nailed it.
However, the car came in 250 lbs too heavy. The base 6cyl lacks a stick. The performance version boasts a massive, thirsty 8cyl that is absolutely inappropriate.
Why would GM think the 8cyl would sell when Chrysler is discounting its 8cyl sedans?
The G8 could have been a Bimmer-beater for $10k less. Instead, it's a bloated car that will go the way of the last Goat, and the Dodge Magnum.
I am a GM loyalist, by the way. I drive, and will always drive, a GM product.
If you think the current GT is inappropriate, wait until you hear about the 2009 G8 GXP (with stick-shift!). Yow!
GM needed a high-quality RWD car with excellent quality. The G8 nailed it.
However, the car came in 250 lbs too heavy.”
The BMW that most closely resembles the G8 GT ( except in price ) is the 550i.
That car weighs less that the G8 GT – but by fewer than 100 pounds.
And has a list price roughly double the G8 GT’s.
( Base is just under $60K. )
- Ray
Keeping the G8 GT at the top of my shopping list, for now . . .
Still, with the accomplished and affordable G8 in its stable, Pontiac is back. Score another one for the home team as GM continues to restore its reputation in the automotive marketplace.
Home team? Pontiac? Who are you kidding? This car is about as American as a can of Fosters. The fact is that GM's Pontiac division remains an embarrasment to the American motor industry with a range of tacky cars that epitomise the phrase "all hat and no cattle."
If Pontiac really want to earn those somewhat overly generous remarks from reviewers about coming back from the precipice of mediocrity, the managers of the brand need to sit down in a closed room with a G8 and their union thug bosses and just look at the car for a couple of hours. Then they need to figure out how they can make the American range live up to what Holden and even Vauxhall pull off every day. If they can't, for Pete's sake just close the production lines and go get a job at a Toyota plant...
Great post! I know a lot of past-loyal GM'ers are really PO'ed at the audacity and blindness of this once-huge corporation. Absolute power corrupts Absolutely.
I had a '97 GP GTP that started falling apart at 70K miles...
Regards,
OW
I realize that some have already put miles on their own G8s, but these have just started arriving here near Atlanta – and the closest dealer to where I live has already sold their initial ‘batch’ ( ? ) of 2.
I drove to the dealer closest to where I work at lunch today.
I knew they did not have one that I could drive, but I wanted to examine one ‘up close’ and check out several aspects for myself, after reading all the comments on this board.
Car: 888 w/Premium Pkg – no Sport, Mag Gray
In the showroom w/$5,000 ‘mark-up’.
[ sigh ]
Initial observations:
1 – The front seats adjust over quite a wide range, particularly up & down. Just sitting, they seem supportive – and in particular, the seat bottom is long enough to support my long legs. I will have to further evaluate them, once I can test drive one. The center armrest is rather far back & low – with no provision for adjustment that I could find.
2 – The materials, fit & finish throughout the interior are acceptable. For the price, I think that they are very good, in fact. I don’t see my ( MSRP $50K-ish ) Corvette as any better, in this department.
3 – Scrolling through some of the displays for the DIC, I was impressed with the information available & the quality of the display. This will be substituting for my HUD, particularly for the “Gear Selected” information, so I was particularly interested. Looks like it will be OK.
3A – The instruments seem well placed & clear – though a drive will tell me more. The steering wheel, set well up and all the way out does not block anything I need to see. [ The new, 2008 CTS that I rented last week had a rather odd arrangement, with the instruments sunk into deep wells – leaving portions of the gauges blocked, for me, by the rims of those wells. Weird. ]
4 – The exterior fit & finish are also very good. There is orange peel on the paint, but not an obnoxious amount. To me. Anything short of a top line Lexus seems to have some orange peel, these days. The door seams, etc. seemed even & the hood & trunk lid gaps look as small as one could reasonable expect.
5 – The trunk really is huge.
6 – The back seat also has a lot of room – head room, leg room and the ( crucial, often missing ) toe room under the front seats.
They had just received a white GT w/both Sport & Premium Pkg this AM.
It was in ‘clean-up’.
I may be able to drive this one – or one at another dealer on Saturday AM.
I did walk around the white one, and I do like the 19” wheels.
I don’t happen to like the contrast between the black strips that run all along each side of the roof and the white body color. They blend much better with the Mag Gray.
More when I have driven one . . .
- Ray
Grade, so far = A.
Wanna bet this thing goes back south in 2 years? It's the mark of death, IMHO, especially in this economy. So whats that, $38,00 for the GT?
LOL...HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Regards,
OW
The Sales Manager said ( to me & the salesperson showing me the car ) that the 888 ‘markup’ would not apply to any other G8s. Including the white one I hope to drive this weekend.
I have also read elsewhere that several have already purchased 888s @ MSRP.
As I stated above, if I do buy a G8, it will almost certainly be from the ( “invoice + $49 and no additional fees of any kind” ) dealer where I bought my Grand Prix.
With the volumes available over then next several months, I doubt that trying to add markup to the 888s will have any significant effect on sales. Not all Pontiac dealers ( there are 2000 or more, I believe ) will even have one 888.
We shall see.
- Ray
Ready for my test drive . . .