Pontiac G8 to start at $27,595 | Ordering Guide

[K.C.]

[Newbiewar]

Pinky: EKK GODS BRAIN! what are we going to do today?

Brain: Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering Pinky?

Pinky: Spegetti and Meatball's Brain?

Brain: No Pinky, Pontiac G8!

[pow]

Pinky: EKK GODS BRAIN! what are we going to do today?

Brain: Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering Pinky?

Pinky: Spegetti and Meatball's Brain?

Brain: No Pinky, Pontiac G8!

May I have a little bit of whatever it is you're smoking?

[Chevy Nick]

No offense Nick...

but sure you dont want some of this on your cts?

I don't understand your comment.

[Newbiewar]

I don't understand your comment.

i was implying that somehow some way driving your car hard like that skip shift is trying to eliminate, encourages your t56 troubles...

but regardless i have no experiance with the transmission.

but with that asside, i'd say we should hang out but i'm gonna be out at holoman airforce base for a while, then going to tobin wells

[Newbiewar]

May I have a little bit of whatever it is you're smoking?

what... lol when production starts tomarrow... its like chrismas eve... gotta do something to pass the time

[Chevy Nick]

i was implying that somehow some way driving your car hard like that skip shift is trying to eliminate, encourages your t56 troubles...

but regardless i have no experiance with the transmission.

The skip shift is only active if you're loafing around, above 4000rpms it doesn't activate.

But yes, I do drive my cars hard, problem is that they usually have problems before I bought 'em. I've just never been impressed the GM's T56's.

Edited October 9, 2007 by Chevy Nick

[Newbiewar]

well its made by borg warner not really GM... GM just uses them

the one thats in your z06 should only be good for 450 hp... thus a problem...

The one in the viper got a little bit stronger design due to the extra power of the v10

but from what i understand the 03-04 cobras and the Corvettes, they should be the same transmission except for different size gears...

[Ed from Texas]

Am I reading this right - only a lap belt for the rear center passenger? Is that still the norm for cars? my minivan (Odyssey) has 3 point belts for all eight seating positions, so I find it somewhat surprising to still see just a lap belt in a car like this.

[K.C.]

U.S. bound cars will have 3 point belts at all passengers.

[Diehard GrandPrix Fan]

I won't buy it, since

1. I hate the styling. Too Plain

2. I absolutely hate the interier

3. Costs too much for what it is

4. Not a pure American Pontiac

5. Lacks personality to be a Pontiac

6. It's a reason that my next car Grand Prix is dying for. I hate that.

[Chevy Nick]

I won't buy it, since

3. Costs too much for what it is

Just out of curiousity, what would you consider a better deal than the g8?

[Diehard GrandPrix Fan]

Grand Prix, which in fact I am getting in December. I know what you will say, you will probably say it's an old junk, but to me, it's the most beautiful car that I can get with $24K with all the equipments I want with the WAY better style that I like over this crap. Well, I don't care about mechanicals, nor engine power since I NEVER race my car, so....

[SuperSport623]

this is not the reason the current grand prix is dying.. the current grand prix is dying because it is on a 20 year old outdated platform... pontiacs shouldnt be front wheel drive.. correct me if im wrong, but the grand prix was strictly a two door until it became a w body....

i respect the current grand prix as a decent car, but it is NOT a pontiac... the real pontiac grand prix died in 1987

you are of course entitled to your opinion, as am i... but i belive that the G8 is the second step in the revitalization of pontiac (solstice first)... it is a RWD, performance tuned car... while it may not be styled to you taste, it is a temporary stop gap, it may be wildly different when the NA Zeta comes online... so while you may not like it, the G8 is more pontiac then the w-body grand prix EVER was

[Camino LS6]

True that.

[Diehard GrandPrix Fan]

I know, but they don't HAVE TO kill it, since, if they keep it, I can get it next year as well, saving more of my money since Grand Prix was always a car I was looking to purchase but I always ran short a few grand to get it, now finally came my opportunity, but they are killing it, which sucks. It is first intended as a Bonneville replacement as the price suggests, the Grand Prix just became a pawn because of it. getting killed at the same time(though Bonneville died first). What they should do is bring this plain looking G8(Though I always hated Holden's plain looks, look at the ill fated GTO) since they really want to, and bring back Grand Prix with the same style(well a bit updated), with the different platform if they Really want the new thing. I DON'T care if the current platform is 20 years old, or even 100 years old, all I want is the Current Pontiac Style that was DESIGNED in home in US, though the car is built in Canada. They can also go with this direction. Leave the current Grand Prix alone, and CREATE a NEW, Sportier Trim Level like Toyota did about 10 years ago with their corolla(I think), and while keeping the name Grand Prix but make it the completely different car with a bit higher price for that trim level. I just DON'T want them to KILL the current Grand Prix, the style alone and the gracious interior it has which is completely my style, Not some cheap interior like G6 has nor like the re-badged G5 trash has, I looked and sat on one of the Grand Prix in the dealer lot just recently, and I immediately fell in love with it. Hey, Chevy is keeping their Impala, so why not Pontiac? Impala is a using the same platform and everything as Grand Prix, yet they are still keeping it. Chevy is expanding it's already humongous line up, why CAN'T Pontiac enjoy some expansion as well? HUH? If chevy's are getting the new models, so should the other divisions. It's only fair. I HATE Mr. Luts for leaving the non-Chevy's in the dark, favoring ONLY his favorite.

Edited November 19, 2007 by Diehard GrandPrix Fan

[Camino LS6]

A few things here Diehard

- Lutz doesn't hate the other brands (especially not Pontiac)

- The current Impala's days are numbered as well (though it will outlive the other Ws)

- Model rollouts are not done by any executive's "favorite" they are business decisions

Just get your GP and be happy - all of us have had favorites cancelled.

[Diehard GrandPrix Fan]

Oh, yeah, I want to appogize. I think I kinda got too excited there for a moment and over-reacted. What's done is done, so I have no control over what they do or don't anyway, I just couldn't help it, since to me, it seems like my favorite GM brand, Pontiac, is like the only brand out of GM that is being treated like dirt according to what I see and hear and it seems like Chevy is the only brand that are getting new models and getting all the attention these days, so.....

I'll shut up.

Edited November 19, 2007 by Diehard GrandPrix Fan

[Camino LS6]

Oh, yeah, I want to appogize. I think I kinda got too excited there for a moment and over-reated. What's done is done, so I have no control over what they do or don't anyway, I just couldn't help it, since to me, it seems like my favorite GM brand, Pontiac, is like the only brand out of GM that is being treated like dirt according to what I see and here so.....

I'll shut up.

No problem.

And none of us are happy about the slow speed of Pontiac's turnaround.

I'll let you in on something else: Pontiac is one of my favorites as well ( I've owned a few special ones) :AH-HA_wink:

[SuperSport623]

1st the impala will be kept in name only... the w body is dead.... and im sorry you were so close to buying a grand prix, but theres always preowned..

so are you suggesting the keep building the grand prix, forever? because when its outdated its more pain then its worth.. if that were possbile, id still be begging for G bodys/A Bodys/F Body's/B bodys/XBodys/and for the hell of it, the vega too! but outdated cars need to be either scrapped or redesigned.. if the grand prix continued, it would mean a complete redesign just to remain relevent in the market place... while you may not feel its the best, the G8 is the new type of pontiac... it is better then the grand prix in performance aspects, what pontiac should be about...

when you say bring the current grand prix on the new platform, do you mean put the grand prix body on zeta? if you mean that then you obviously dont understand car construction..

for one thing.. its bob LUTZ not luts... he knows what hes doing... chevy is the volume brand....it is supposed to have the most bang for your buck, car for the masses type appeal.. pontiac will for now and hopefully its long future, will be a niche brand... it means LESS models with a specialized theme..its theme is cheap performance. if pontiac does purge FWD from its line up )which i hope to god it does) the grand prix is gone anyway

and while im at it.. im tired of hearing people complain about the damn GTO... it was brought over at the end of the model cycle... do you know why the GTO looked like it was designed in the 90s? cause the commodore it was based on was designed..um... when? the 90's!!! while it could have looked better with the updated styling, it still is a performance powerhouse... you dont like it? dont drive one... i LUST after a black LS2 6 speed, because it is again what pontiac should be... PERFORMANCE.. its styling could have been better, but it was either import it how it looked, or not at all... you might be happier if the GTO never came hear, but i know a lot of goat owners around here that love them....

mmmm goat....(+ sum love for the turbo regal in the back)

[Diehard GrandPrix Fan]

Well, I don't care if the Grand Prix gets the zeta platform or not(ONLY IF IT ISN'T AUSSIE, RE-BADGED HOLDEN, I HATE the WHOLE RE-BADGING THING. Chevy's don't do that as much as current pontiac's do), as long as the name Grand Prix returns and as long as the styling ISN'T Too different than the current one, esp. the current interior that I like, remains. I am happy, and as long as they DON'T Change the rear quarter, the coupe like styling stays the same, so..... Part of the reason that I prefer the style that GMI has for the G8 that looks WAY better since it looks more like an updated version of Grand Prix.

Now THAT, is what I call a Pontiac styling. What they have now for G8 is just plain ugly for me. If they can move down the signals from the grill to the bumber and use the current, divided signal/foglight of the above pic, that will be a GREAT Grand Prix makeover. Why can't they do that? They can bring this one as an '09 Grand Prix and bring the current G8 as is, since Grand Prix will always be lower priced than G8, that will be a magic for me.

Edited November 19, 2007 by Diehard GrandPrix Fan

[SuperSport623]

i for one wish the G8 was a tad bit agressive, but i personally find it more attractive then the GMI rendering...

about the whole rebadge thing... the G8 type rebadge isnt anything like the g5/cobalt...

for one thing, what other holden is coming to US under another brand that wont be getting a reskin?

the g8 is only a rebadge of cars sold in other countries... how many COMMON CONSUMERS will see a holden next to the g8..

to be quite honest, before joining this site last year, id never heard of holden, so i wouldnt know it was a rebadge

and to be perfectly honest, GM cant please everyone... you may want the grand prix, but most performance enthusiasts prefer the g8.

my favorite all time grand prix... just love showing some more good pontiacs..

Fugly, Underpowerd and oh-so 80's....

[Camino LS6]

Maybe underpowered and a bit gaudy, but that aerocoupe GP is already quite collectible.

[Diehard GrandPrix Fan]

my favorite all time grand prix... just love showing some more good pontiacs..

Fugly, Underpowerd and oh-so 80's....

Oh yeah, that is one of my favorite Grand Prix as well. Ah, the memories. People say they don't make cars as they used to, and to some extent, I am with them. But I still want my 08 Grand Prix. I just can't wait to lay my finger on those beaties.

[SuperSport623]

and what im trying to tell you, is how can a car last if the platform its based on is phased out? move it too a new platform?

GM is not in the market to please everyone, while it would be nice, EVERY thing is a cost benefit analysis... while sometimes go overboard, keeping a 20 year old platform on life support that exists mostly to supply fleet sales...

if the grand prix was moved to a new platform besides zeta, it would anger me even more, as it would continue the bastardization of a once great performance brand

[Camino LS6]

I really miss my Pontiacs.

HPIM0529.MPG

HPIM0530.MPG

[SuperSport623]

Maybe underpowered and a bit gaudy, but that aerocoupe GP is already quite collectible.

rarer then the monte aerocoupe i believe...

if you havent guessed, i am a sucker for a g body....

my best friend is on his 3rd monte and he got me hooked

[Diehard GrandPrix Fan]

Also, I want the FIREBIRD to be back as well. If possible, both the regular version and the one with that funky pop-up headlight unit as an option(I know, I am the only one who drool over it but.). Firebird Trans Am with the T-Top was my very first Dream Car, but by then I didn't even have license to drive, since by then, It was my early US life.

[SuperSport623]

ahh im jealous of you camino.. the gto and the 4th gen firebird are my favorite late model cars... i hope to have the money saved to buy one or the other next summer before i go to college.. and the fact that your car was a firehawk is so much cooler...

[Camino LS6]

ahh im jealous of you camino.. the gto and the 4th gen firebird are my favorite late model cars... i hope to have the money saved to buy one or the other next summer before i go to college.. and the fact that your car was a firehawk is so much cooler...

Don't be too jealous - I had to let them go.

[SuperSport623]

Also, I want the FIREBIRD to be back as well. If possible, both the regular version and the one with that funky pop-up headlight unit as an option(I know, I am the only one who drool over it but.). Firebird Trans Am with the T-Top was my very first Dream Car, but by then I didn't even have license to drive, since by then, It was my early US life.

i want one pretty badly too, but im gonna wind up getting an LS1 fourth gen...

the problem is, GM today cannot be the same as it once was... GM used to compete with itself, Camaro and Firebird for example... now, with the market so much more fierce in every segment, GM cant have the amount of overlap it used to have

[SuperSport623]

Don't be too jealous - I had to let them go.

i actually was trying to find a way to come up with the money when you had the firehawk for sale.... if i had the cash i would have been down to PA immediatly...

but as long as you had fun with the cars when you had them , thats all that matters

[Diehard GrandPrix Fan]

Then maybe Fiero, the car that no other GM had their version for, even though it was chewed upon for its week fiberglass body and the weak powerplant. I sure miss those small mid-engined sportsters. It could be great if the re-worked Fieros can return. It will be an affordable 2 seat sports car.

[Camino LS6]

Thanks for the nice comments, Supersport.

I've had a ton of cars, and hope for another ton, but those two I will always miss.

[barraxII]

Then maybe Fiero, the car that no other GM had their version for, even though it was chewed upon for its week fiberglass body and the weak powerplant. I sure miss those small mid-engined sportsters. It could be great if the re-worked Fieros can return. It will be an affordable 2 seat sports car.

The Fiero (gorgeous as it was, especially Gt with its V-6 and flying buttresses) has been replaced by the Solstice. I don't think Pontiac has room in the lineup for both and with the emphasis on platform sharing to cut engineering costs, I doubt there's a business case for a new mid engine Pontiac.

[Camino LS6]

The Fiero (gorgeous as it was, especially Gt with its V-6 and flying buttresses) has been replaced by the Solstice. I don't think Pontiac has room in the lineup for both and with the emphasis on platform sharing to cut engineering costs, I doubt there's a business case for a new mid engine Pontiac.

Unless it was at the opposite end of the market, had a different name, and wasn't Fiero-sized...

Just thinking out loud. :AH-HA_wink:

[SuperSport623]

Unless it was at the opposite end of the market, had a different name, and wasn't Fiero-sized...

Just thinking out loud. :AH-HA_wink:

Corvette sized Rear Engine Banshee?

[Camino LS6]

Corvette sized Rear Engine Banshee?

I like the way you think.

[barraxII]

I like the way you think.

As much as I'd like to see such a car on the streets, I doubt very much that there's a business case for a $50,000+ Pontiac. If you notice new car prices, the trend is going in the other direction. The G8 GT isn't starting at under $30k because GM is allergic to money. Look at how many new cars are coming to market at less than $25,000. They see that the average American doesn't have the buying power they had just afew years ago. This is not the time to gamble GM's declining market share on exotic cars without exotic pedigree's.

[Camino LS6]

Oh I'm aware of that reality, but it would make one hell of a showcar.

And...

When the timing is right...

I could think of some parameters and outside justifications to make it conceiveable as a production car.

[gm4life]

That would be the day, a great on at that but I doubt its coming.

[SuperSport623]

what about the internal politics about "noone touches the corvette" performance wise... i know its a much different time then when delorean wanted to try it, but would it have to appeal to a whole different market?

[Camino LS6]

what about the internal politics about "noone touches the corvette" performance wise... i know its a much different time then when delorean wanted to try it, but would it have to appeal to a whole different market?

It wouldn't have to challenge the Corvette (at least not directly).

[gm4life]

What about something smaller than the Corvette with say an LS4?

[Sixty8panther]

No Navigation for a $30K car?

Not everyone wants or NEEDS navigation.

[Lamar]

Not everyone wants or NEEDS navigation.

Oh, here we go...

Besides the question of whether anyone wants or needs it (apparently some do want it, as it is offered in some GM cars and almost all GM SUV/CUVs and trucks), it shows to be a bad business move on GM's part for two reasons:

1) On this side of the pond, the Grand Prix had (and still has) sat-nav as an option. For the G8 to be a new and improved replacement for the GP but not have it available, especially on the new flagship car, this is a confusing omission.

2) The Commodore from which the G8 was birthed has sat-nav available. The Vauxhall VXR8 has sat-nav available. The G8 does not. This is called either bean-counting or decontenting (or both), and it's the easiest way to get blasted by everybody if you're importing a car.

Another example of the bean-counting to get the price down on the G8 can be found if you replace sat-nav with Bluetooth connectivity.

[RBB]

Not everyone wants or NEEDS navigation.

Agreed with Lamar. As we've argued in the Malibu thread, unless *no one* wants NAV, you're just doing yourself a disservice by not offering it as an option. And there are people out there willing to spend good money to get NAV, and willing to go to other brands to get it.

-RBB

[The O.C.]

I would've liked to see $26,500 for the V6, but still not bad. The V8 price seems just right. GM just needs to hurry up with the manual transmission option. That's a deal breaker for me, and it really goes against the image Pontiac needs to build.

So.....excuse me while I make my way through the thread.....but if I read this right, the $27K G8 will have manual seats on both sides and a plastic steering wheel.....?

[The O.C.]

Also, yes you can get a Charger or 300 for $23,000, but what do you get? That's right; a $23,000 Chrysler with wheel covers, four tinny speakers, and an anemic rental car mill under the hood. For an extra five grand, I'll take superior power, styling, and a decidedly un-Dollar special feel.

Sorry if someone has already done this......

2008 Charger SE Plus - $24,515

Includes 3.5L V6, 18-inch wheels and tires (option), protection package (with side curtain bags, and smaller items like homelink, etc.), and otherwise comparable equipped to G8 V6.

That's a $3K difference.....and not insignificant....especially BEFORE incentives.....

(I'd still take the G8 myself.....)

[The O.C.]

i was implying that somehow some way driving your car hard like that skip shift is trying to eliminate, encourages your t56 troubles...

but regardless i have no experiance with the transmission.

but with that asside, i'd say we should hang out but i'm gonna be out at holoman airforce base for a while, then going to tobin wells

T56 is a rather crappy transmission.....as I encountered in my '06 Vette. There is nothing joyous about shifting it....even in a Vette. (But I'd still take a T56 over a slushbox....lol.)

The Aisin 6-speed in my V6 CTS, however, is a sweet tranny....very sweet-shifting.

Why can't GM design a sweet manual tranny that links up to a powerful V8 when BMW and Audi can do it...? (M3, RS4, V8 5-series and 6-series models)