Autoblog: "Pontiac El Cami-'NO'"

[Blake Noble]

Autoblog: "Pontiac El Cami-'NO'"
The obvious has been stated

Link to original Article @ Autoblog

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...

[Sixty8panther]

Agreed the alphanumerics MUST stop asap.

G6: lame name, "eh" product

G5: lame name, well suited for a half-assed rebadge attempt

G8: lame name, kickass product

CTS: lame name, AWESOME product

XLR: lame name, cool product

EXT: well... you get the point.

[Croc]

I'm all for resurrecting Bonneville, but generally I like the alphanumerics. They emphasize the brand more. Good move for Cadillac, bad move for Pontiac.

[Dragon]

alphanumerics are fine IMO, as long as its kept consistent, which it hasn't been.

as for the name El camino, I agree that if it isnt' a Chevy, it ain't a Camino. Leave it at G8 ST

[hyperv6]

The El Camino name was never in the running. THe last thing Pontiac wants to due is be compared with Chevy while shanging their image.

As for the name the CTS has proved a great car will sell no matter what you call it. It is the product not the name that makes the car. The name is only frosting on the cake.

Slapping the old Pontiac names on these cars will make very little differance. Most younger people could care less about names like Bonniville.

I am not a fan of the G names but I do not support slapping old names to new cars either. It is time to make new Ledgends.

Thank God Bunkie changed names in the late 50's to change Pontiac's image. I would have hated the BOnniville then to be a Silver Streak or Super Chief.

[balthazar]

>>"I would have hated the BOnniville then to be a Silver Streak or Super Chief."<<

Of course, those names co-existed....

>>"...there was internal strife regarding use of the Chevy-associated nameplate on a Pontiac vehicle..."<<

Impossible- we've had numerous running commentaries right here assuring the rest of us than GM cars can be flipped and flopped between divisions with a simple stick-on badge change and 'it won't matter'. What are these GM guys talking about?

[CARBIZ]

This flip-flopping of names - is it a symptom of the RenCen's lack of direction, or just another example of the internet providing a forum for fools?

I agree on all the acronyms, numbering, etc. I would rather drive an 'Eldorado' than a 'CTS' any day. This is one area where the Americans should stop trying to copy the competition. Just because Stuttgart has no imagination, does not mean we should follow suit.

[Intrepidation]

I prefer real names because they give the car an identity verses a couple of letters and/or numbers. It works with Cadillac, if only because every other luxury brand does it that way, but not so much for Pontiac. Then again it must make creating names for the cars really easy.