Pontiac Blog
Lutz: No Beat for the U.S., smaller CUVs on the way, Insignia stalledFiled under: Concept Cars, Economy, Sedans/Saloons, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossovers/CUVs, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, HUMMER, Pontiac, Saturn, Opel, Vauxhall  General Motor's car czar, Bob Lutz, sat down with the little people of the blogosphere after GM's announcement that it would be reducing white collar expenditures by 20-percent, cutting truck production and eliminating retired health care for salaried workers over 65, all in an effort to boost its liquidity by $15 billion by the end of 2009.
Maximum Bob addressed questions about GM's entire brand portfolio, saying, "Pontiac will be nourished with products" and confirming that GM is in talks with financial institutions about HUMMER, and that, "If we could sell the brand, we'd be interested in doing that."
Predictably, much of the conversation centered on fuel efficiency and the General's plans to address the growing demand for miserly transport in the U.S. Lutz made it clear that "as fuel costs in the U.S. begin to resemble those in the rest of the world" it will be easier for GM to realign its products on a global scale.
[Photo: David McNew/Getty]Continue reading Lutz: No Beat for the U.S., smaller CUVs on the way, Insignia stalled Permalink | Email this | Comments
V6 could join Pontiac Sport Truck lineupFiled under: Trucks/Pickups, Pontiac 
Click on the image above for our high-res live gallery of the 2010 Pontiac G8 ST
Even the most die-hard enthusiast, dreaming about the 361-hp 6.0-liter V8 under the hood of the upcoming Pontiac G8 Sport Truck, must be having second thoughts about the cost of feeding that thirsty powerplant. With fuel prices rising significantly in just the last few months, the folks at Pontiac are rumored to be considering a six-cylinder option for the G8 ST. The engine, if it finds its way under the hood, would be the same 256-hp 3.6-liter V6 found in the entry-level Pontiac G8 sedan. Not due until the 2010 model year, the V6-powered G8 ST would share the sedan's EPA fuel economy ratings of 17/25, making the sport truck a more feasible for buyers that want to jettison their daily-driven pickups for something with better fuel economy and a bit of utility.
[Source: G8Nation] Permalink | Email this | Comments
Correction: Pontiac G8 GT will NOT have an optional 6-speed stickFiled under: Sedans/Saloons, Etc., GM, Pontiac 
Last week, we linked to a CarDomain piece about a lunch that gang had with GM's Bob Lutz. One of their topics of conversation with the product czar was manual transmissions, and it was reported that the '09 Pontiac G8 GT would be offered with an optional Tremec 6-speed manual transmission. This was certainly welcome news, both to us and readers. Unfortunately, it turns out that this information was, in fact, too good to be true. Pontiac's Jim Hopson dropped us a note this morning to clarify. In it, he writes, "We currently have no plans to offer the Tremec on any other G8 model (including the GT mentioned in the article), although it might be an option we could consider in the future." That's a bummer, and there you have it: The only way you'll be able to get a manual in the Pontiac G8 is if you pony up for the über-caliente GXP performance variant when it arrives later this year. Jim's email, in its entirety, is pasted after the jump.
[Source: Pontiac]Continue reading Correction: Pontiac G8 GT will NOT have an optional 6-speed stick Permalink | Email this | Comments
GM launching zero-percent financing sale, raises prices by 3.5 percentFiled under: Car Buying, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Pontiac, Saturn  During a dealer teleconference today, General Motors announced it would be launching a zero-percent financing sale beginning tomorrow, while simultaneously raising the prices of its 2009 vehicles.
The "72-hour sale" will run from June 24th through the 30th, and will offer customers 0-percent interest rates for 72 months on most Chevys, Buicks, Pontiacs and GMC vehicles. So far, there's no word on whether the offer will extend to Cadillac and Saturn. GM will also offer $500 in "bonus cash" to buyers who opt to purchase GM products outright rather than leasing them.
At the same time, the General is going to be raising the prices of 2009 models by an average of 3.5-percent "across the board," something that was bound to happen, according to Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of vehicles sales, service and marketing.
On the production front, GM will be adding a third shift to its Lordstown, Ohio plant to increase production of the Pontiac G5 and Chevy Cobalt, while at the same time boosting production of the Pontiac G6, Chevy Malibu and Saturn Aura through the use of maximum overtime. Also of note: GM has hired Citibank to investigate the future of the HUMMER brand, which comes in the wake of GM's CEO, Rick Wagoner's announcement that "all options" are on the table regarding GM's faltering off-road brand.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Rumormill: GMC brand getting the axe?Filed under: Buick, Cadillac, GM, GMC, HUMMER, Pontiac, Saab, Rumormill  This has been a big year for GM's organization alignment, with President Fritz Henderson opening up about the brand issue snafu and the appointment of four brand czars. HUMMER was meant to join forces with Cadillac and Saab in a premium channel, but while HUMMER is still in the family, it's apparently been put out on the lawn. GM Inside News (GMI) reports that GM is treating HUMMER as a goner, saying that the H4 program is on life support for handover to the next buyer, and the H3 GMT-700 program is kaput.
The bigger hearsay is that GM's board is considering euthanizing GMC or Pontiac. Those two brands were to be aligned in a brand channel with Buick (PBG). Getting rid of GMC could make some kind of sense, since it's entirely brand-engineered vehicles with some of the worst mileage numbers in the fleet. Shunning Pontiac would be a surprise to us since the Solstice and G8 have given it a nice brand awareness boost and it's got some products in the pipeline. If GMC or Pontiac did go, the GM board would consider folding Saturn into the PBG channel to maintain sales volume. In corporate-speak, we believe this is called GM's "gloves off" phase. Thanks for the tip, Dan!
[Source: GM Inside News] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Lutz: '09 Pontiac G8 GT gets optional Tremec 6-speed stickFiled under: Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, GM, Pontiac 
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
CarDomain recently sat for lunch with GM car czar Bob Lutz, and one of the topics that came up was the ever-vanishing manual transmission. Lutz explained that modern automatics are no longer the less efficient option by default, and with CAFE dictating so much nowadays, carmakers can actually improve their fleet average fuel economy more by going with automatics that can be programmed to deliver maximum efficiency (as far as the EPA is concerned, at least). He then went on to state that there will be manuals available in both the Camaro and the 2009 Pontiac G8 GT, which gets a 6-speed unit from Tremec. So if you waited on Poncho's new muscle sedan, your patience will be rewarded. Of course, your patience will also got you a price increase too, but at least those dopey digital auxiliary gauges will be gone, as well.
[Source: CarDomain] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Pontiac G8 GT: No longer most powerful car under $30KFiled under: Car Buying, Sedans/Saloons, Pontiac 
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
If you like horsepower, speed and a usable back seat, the Pontiac G8 GT was a great deal with an MSRP of $29,995. In fact, Pontiac advertised the 2008 model as just such a bargain: "Most powerful car starting under $30K," which is riding the line pretty close.
But the company will have to ditch that ad campaign with the 2009 model as prices for a G8 GT will now begin at $31,360, or some $1,365 more than the previous year. Some of the cost is due to more standard luxuries like XM Radio, but at least part of the increase can be blamed on those familiar culprits of a weak U.S. dollar and rise in material costs. Still, we would've thought some of the car's cost was trimmed by ditching the oversized auxiliary gauges for the car's battery charge and oil pressure. Guess not.
[Source: GM Inside News via Motor Authority] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
eBay Find of the Day: Original KITT... with flaps!Filed under: Time Warp, Auction Action, Supercars, Pontiac, Celebrities 
Click above for gallery of KITT from his eBay listing
If news of Knight Rider's return has you feeling giddy as a schoolgirl (along with dozens of other viewers), maybe you're upset that they swapped the original Pontiac Trans Ams for a Shelby GT500KR in the new series. Whatever your stand, we have something that might interest you. While perusing eBay's listings, a reader stumbled upon one of the original Trans Ams used in the 1980's chapter of the Knight Rider saga. Up for auction is one 1984 Pontiac Trans Am, black and tan, with a distinctive red light bar in the nose. Yep, one genuine KITT.
Not only was this one of the featured cars in seasons three and four, but it is one of the rare 300-mph "Super Pursuit Mode" T/As with additional aero devices designed to, well, make the car look like it could go faster. Actually, the eBay description tells us the Super Pursuit Mode KITT was designed "to give KITT a 40% increase in speed through the assistance of retractable airfoils and jet boosters." Considering that this Trans Am still features a 5.0L V8 and automatic transmission, we would guess that half of that top speed is actually a stretch for this old Pontiac.
Still, with a starting price of just $26,000, the winning bidder can own a true piece of small-screen history. Kustomized by legendary Kar stylist George Barris, this particular car was also used in the 2006 flick, The Benchwarmers. In one notable scene, John Lovitz confesses that he has yet to master the peel out as he drove it across a curb outside the Pizza Hut. Ouch. Hopefully that buffed right out. Check out eBay for the complete description and place your bid. Thanks for the tip, Vivan!
[Source: eBay] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Useless Pontiac G8 auxiliary gauges going away for 2009Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Etc., Pontiac 
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
 We became HUGE fans of the 2008 Pontiac G8 after having one spend a week with us in the Autoblog Garage. We could find little about which to quibble, but one element of the G8 GT model we reviewed annoyed us the most. It was the giant pair of digital gauges atop the center stack that relay to the driver those oh-so-important stats of battery charge and oil pressure. Sure, that information might be handy at some point, but certainly doesn't deserve such a prime piece of dash real estate. Motor Trend's Edward Loh recently had lunch with GM's global rear-drive chief engineer, Al Oppenheiser, who revealed that the gauges would be gone for 2009. Loh correctly followed up by asking with what GM's thinking about replacing them. Oppenheiser would like to see a three-pack of performance-oriented analog gauges take their place, but it could become just another storage compartment. Then again, the center console could be redesigned to accept a full navigation system, the absence of which many first time buyers and the media have been questioning. Regardless of what gets put there, it will be better than what's there now.
[Source: Motor Trend] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
That's a Solstice? Breckland unveils Kappa-based Beira V8Filed under: Convertibles, GM, Pontiac, UK 
Click above for high-res gallery of the Breckland Technology Beira V8
 UK-based Breckland Technology is no stranger to building fast cars, as the low-volume producer of niche sports cars includes Mosler as one of its clients. For the first vehicle branded with its own name, however, the company has introduced the Beira V8 soft-top roadster. The Beira is built on General Motors' Kappa platform, the same one that underpins the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roadsters, but uses a 6.0L LS V8 producing 400bhp for go duties instead of an Ecotec four-cylinder. Weighing a bit over 3,000 lbs., the conservative though elegantly styled Beira will get to 62 mph in just under five seconds according to Brecklands. It's back by a Tremec six-speed manual transmission, HiSpec braking hardware at all four corners and 18-inch or 19-inch wheels that are 9.5-inches wide in the rear and 8.5 up front.
Brecklands claims that it only developed the Beira where it needed to in order to save development cost and time, but it did completely revamp the Solstice suspension with help from KW suspension, and as you can see, the interior is (thankfully) completely different from the Solstice and Sky and can be built to order. The Beira will cost around £55,000, which would be a dear price to pay for a Solstice or Sky, but the Beira V8 is clearly much more than those vehicles. The closest thing you can get to one in the U.S. is something like a Mallet Solstice V8, but we don't see why Breckland couldn't export the Beira to the U.S. considering the platform and engine its using already meet U.S. safety and emissions standards. Check out Brecklands' official press release with more details and specs after the jump while perusing the Beira's design in our gallery below.
[Source: Brecklands Technology]Continue reading That's a Solstice? Breckland unveils Kappa-based Beira V8 Permalink | Email this | Comments
Sigh. Pontiac G3 may be headed for U.S.Filed under: Car Buying, Trends, Economy, Green, Pontiac, Canada, Rumormill 
Looks like badge engineering is alive and well at General Motors. After decades of the practice damaging its brands, GM may sell the Pontiac G3 in the U.S. The G3 is nothing more than a rebadged version of what we know as the Chevy Aveo that's sold in Canada as the Wave. It's rebadged and sold elsewhere in the world under various brands, but we don't see those here in the U.S. The new subcompact would supposedly bolster the offerings at combined Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealers by adding a new fuel-efficient vehicle to the mix. Oddly enough, however, the G3 only achieves marginally better fuel economy than the already-available Pontiac Vibe, itself a slightly redesigned version of the Toyota Matrix, thanks to its diminutive four-banger and old-school four speed automatic tranny. Curiously enough, you can already EPA numbers for the G3 sedan and hatchback at the government's fuel economy website, which could be further support for the notion that it will be sold in the U.S. soon, or may indicate that it's sold in a U.S. territory like Puerto Rico.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Spy Shots: Pontiac G6 gets minor nose jobFiled under: Spy Photos, Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Pontiac 
Click above for high-res gallery of refreshed Pontiac G6 spy shots
The Pontiac G6 is one of those alright-looking cars that isn't begging for a total redesign, so General Motors is planning a mid-cycle refreshening of the car's nose instead. The updated design was recently photographed by spies, actual spies, around Detroit, and the changes to the G6 schnoz are clear. Pontiac designers will be adding some creases to the new front end giving it some angularity that's lacking on the current model, while the twin air intakes of the current car that mirror the grille shape will be replaced with one central lower air intake flanked by two smaller ones and requisite fog lamps. There may be some tweaks to the rear taillamps as well, but we're told those will be minor. Thankfully, the 2009 G6 comes available with GM's new six-speed transmission for the first time, making the overall package much more enticing. Some minor plastic surgery should only sweeten the deal for this very competent car in Pontiac's lineup.
[Source: KGP Photography] Permalink | Email this | Comments
VIDEO: Making of Pontiac G8 "Spy Hunter" commercialFiled under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Pontiac 
 We're sure you remember the Pontiac G8 "Spy Hunter" commercial that we posted on in mid-March. Arguably the best car commercial, ummm... EVAR, the spot drops Pontiac's new rear-wheel-drive sport sedan smack dab in the midst of our favorite top-down, 2D driving game from 1983. The visuals are so impressive that we were actually shocked to learn from the video after the jump that everything you see in the commercial is entirely computer generated, including the Pontiac G8 itself. The "Making of Spy Hunter - Pontiac G8 GT" pulls back the curtain on a small team of computeristas who are responsible for the ad and apparently had way too much fun making it. They somehow acquired a vintage Spy Hunter sit-down arcade machine from the Reagan era and drew inspiration for the project from a mysterious cat that pokes it head out of holes in the ceiling. Just watch the video...Continue reading VIDEO: Making of Pontiac G8 "Spy Hunter" commercial Permalink | Email this | Comments
Spy Shots: Pontiac G8 Sport Truck snapped in AustraliaFiled under: Car Buying, Spy Photos, Trucks/Pickups, Pontiac, Australia 
Click on image above for more spy shots at G8Nation.
Two 2010 Pontiac G8 Sport Trucks were recently spied in Australia loaded on the back of a transporter. Although seemingly dipped in camouflage decals, the profile of this not-going-to-be-named-El-Camino is easily distinguishable, even without a clear shot of the obvious Pontiac grill. Previewed at the 2008 New York Auto Show, the G8-based Sport Truck will be powered by a 6.0-liter V-8 rated at 361 horsepower. It should scoot to 60 mph in just over five seconds. Those of us in North America can expect this cargo-bedded Aussie import to arrive on our shores in late 2009.
[Source: G8Nation]
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VIDEO: Another Pontiac G8 ad that goes after our childhoodFiled under: Car Buying, Time Warp, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Pontiac 
Click above to view the video after the jump.
If the ad campaign is any indication, those of us born in the late 1970s are the demographic Pontiac's aiming at with the G8. First, there was the Spy Hunter themed TV spot, and now this one, which pays homage to the seminal car-guy experience of zooming around on a carpet in 1/64 scale. Hey, we're cool with that. The G8 GT does induce heart palpitations in many of us who still cling to our battle-scarred collection of now-vintage Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars with our initials etched into the underside. Like many of the other tiny cars we racked up miles on, a miniature G8 would have made us wish for either a shrink-ray, or a personal fortune by the time we hit 16 so we could buy a real one. Video embedded after the jump.
[Source: AdGabber]Continue reading VIDEO: Another Pontiac G8 ad that goes after our childhood Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Two real muscle cars destroyed for art's sake... Art is madFiled under: Time Warp, Etc., GM, Pontiac, Lifestyle  Jonathan Schipper started grinding models of muscle cars into each other like tectonic plates as a way to express the "slow, inevitable death of American Muscle," and he's progressed to using two actual cars at an installation at Chicago's NEXT Art fair.
Well, let us tell you, Jonathan: American muscle is alive and well. Taken a look at horsepower ratings lately? How about some recent Nurburgring lap times from GM products? Time and technology have marched on from the Firebird and Camaro of the Foghat era, so there's no need to give two examples a slow ride into each other's sheetmetal just to point out that there's hardly any around. Cars are a commodity, so by nature, old cars will "die off" through crashes, rusting away, or being recycled for parts and then sold for scrap. It could be that we just don't get it, but really, maybe Schipper could learn how to paint like Von Dutch if he wants to do art with cars. This particular piece makes Piss Christ look like the Mona Lisa. Time-lapse video after the jump - thanks for the tip, Joe!
[Source: Hemmings, Photo: Art Addict]Continue reading Two real muscle cars destroyed for art's sake... Art is mad Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
APS builds 557 hp twin-turbo setup for Pontiac G8 GTFiled under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Sedans/Saloons, Pontiac, Holden, HSV 
Click above for a gallery of the turbocharged APS HSV Commodore.
APS is in the business of making power and that's exactly what they've done for the new Pontiac G8 GT and its Aussie-spec sibling, the Holden Commodore HSV. The tuner's Stealth Intercooled turbocharger setup uses two water-cooled turbos mounted deep into the engine bay, just ahead of the transmission, to ensure underhood temps are kept in check - road debris be damned. According to APS, the system is a straightforward, bolt-in affair, utilizing a right-sized, aluminum, air-to-air intercooler, seven pounds of boost and a pair of TIAL 38mm external wastegates to bleed off exhaust gases and optimize throttle response. While APS hasn't installed the system on a Pontiac G8 GT yet, they've strapped its own blown HSV (with a three-inch cat-back exhaust) onto the rollers of a Dyno Dynamics dyno and produced 557 hp and 583 lb.-ft. of torque while running 93-octane. Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but considering how impressed we were with the standard G8 GT, this setup has the potential to redefine the bang-for-the-buck quotient in the segment.
[Source: APS via FreshTarmac] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
VW Rabbit gets a carrot from Consumer ReportsFiled under: Hatchbacks, Chevrolet, Dodge, Mazda, Pontiac, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen 
If Consumer Reports is right, Volkswagen is well on its way to attaining its dream of outselling Toyota by 2015. In the magazine's June 2008 issue, CR threw a handful of hatchbacks into the ring and the VW Rabbit hopped out the winner. The magazine cited the Rabbit's "very well finished" interior for its class, agility, braking and transmission as reasons to choose it over a growing field of small hatchbacks. CR also expects the Rabbit to have an "above average" reliability record.
The biggest negative the staff found in the VW was "mediocre" fuel economy for a car its size, though many SUV drivers looking to downsize will love seeing its 24 mpg figure. Staffers also complained about the large C-pillars blocking their view and engine lag after stops.
Consumer Reports has routinely praised the Mazda3 as one of its favorite hatches, but in overall scoring, the car now comes in third, slightly behind the Toyota Prius Touring. Rounding out the top five are the Subaru Impreza Outback Sport and the newly redesigned Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe twins. At the bottom of the list are the Dodge Caliber and the Chevrolet HHR.
[Source: Consumer Reports] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Pontiac El Cami-"NO"Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Etc., GM, Pontiac 
It comes as little surprise, but Cars.com has all but confirmed that the "El Camino" moniker has been nixed as a potential name of the new G8 Sport Truck. The site reports from a recent media event that a Pontiac spokesperson said that there was internal strife regarding use of the Chevy-associated nameplate on a Pontiac vehicle. Frankly, we agree with this decision. If GM wanted a legit El Camino, it would have simply handed the Ute to the Chevy division. GM has mismanaged its vehicle naming process enough as is -- one needn't look any further than Pontiac, where it's nuthin' but a "G" thang, baby... unless you're talking Vibe or Solstice. Way to be consistent, guys. Like everyone else, we're curious to learn what the badge applied to the G8 truck's tailgate will read, and it sounds like we should hear something fairly soon. Now, can we have another contest to give the G8 sedan a real name, too? Bonneville sounds nice to us...
[Source: Cars.com] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Why hasn't anyone created a 2.0L DI turbo Fiero?Filed under: Tuners, Coupes, Pontiac 
 It's hard to believe that it's been two decades since the Pontiac Fiero went away. The Fiero was a project that began with great promise and ultimately dissolved into the pre-Lutz era corporate politics that was General Motors in the late '80s. Early spy photos showed a hot looking little two-seat mid-engine sports car. Rumors early on had it powered by an aluminum block 2.9L turbo V6. Unfortunately, the prospect of a mid-engine Pontiac that would out run a contemporary Corvette did not sit well with the bow-tie boys. The result was the first production iterations of the Fiero being neutered to within an inch of their lives.
By the time Pontiac fixed what was wrong with the early models, its reputation was so bad that no one would touch it any more. Over time, surviving Fieros have undergone all manner of visual and mechanical transformations coming out looking like faux Lamborghinis and Ferraris. They have even been stuffed with heavily boosted small block V8s. The one missing project that we haven't seen is probably the one closest to the original vision for the car.
Take an original four-cylinder Fiero body. Add the upgraded suspension from the last '88 GTs. Then insert the 2.0L turbo direct-injected engine used in the Solstice GXP and other cars mated to a six speed gearbox. That engine is now available in front-wheel-drive form in the Chevy HHR SS, so it should be doable. A Fiero with 260 hp and 260 lb-ft peaking at 2,000 rpm, what a deal! Any takers? Permalink | Email this | Comments
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