Pontiac G8 to be Sold in Australia

[FAPTurbo]

Not to mention that they could have sent Pontiac out with a measure of grace and dignity.

Show a little class, GM!

I'd have to say this is a very classy way to do it. Would people here have preferred Holden send all those fabricated parts to the dump, and lose money? I don't think so. Importing them to NA would simply cost way too much money that GM doesn't have. At least they'll be something of a last hurrah, and that we'll be able to at see them, something I didn't think would even happen.

Edited August 20, 2009 by TheCaptain

[SAmadei]

A lot of people are now being placed in the position Oldsmobile people have been in since 2004.

And some of us are having deja vu. While I like Pontiacs, I also deeply liked Oldsmobiles. The news of Olds was bad, but it was another straw. Pontiac is the final straw. Buicks and Chevys are OK... but they just don't generally get me in the mood to drop $15K worth of new car depreciation at a dealer.

When you brand or a car you likes goes, what do you do when what is being offered does not appeal to you or meet your needs?

According to people here: Buy a Malibu. In fact, buy whatever Malibu is on the lot, even if you hate the color. Don't care if it doesn't fit your needs... GM needs your money more than you do. Its the greatest car of all time.

According to me: Find a car that appeals to me and fits my needs. Currently that list includes a used GTO or G8. When those are exhausted, other powerful, larger coupes with manuals will become desirable. M6 or AMG? Even the G37 is growing on me. I am an GM loyalist that would have NEVER looked beyond the GM world... but GM has forced me out.

I know Oldsmobile and Pontiac are important to a lot of people here, but at least you still have a choice as to which American car you can purchase.

Almost nothing electronic is made here.

Almost nothing clothing wise is made here.

I'm glad I can still get a Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, or GMC that is still mostly made here, at least for now. Keep booing and buying used and then we may have only Toyota, Honda, Kia, and Hyundai to buy from. Because people that really don't care about what car they drive, that's what they drive. They are the majority of the customers too.

If they don't fit my needs (or my body), they can be built in my backyard and I don't care. GM has destroyed its product porfolio (CTS, Camaro excepted) to go after Toyota's most boring offerings... which GM has lost every battle so far.

It ain't going to matter where the cars are built at, as most cars built in America are built out of foreign parts. And I'm not sure that 'Built in USA' is a asset on a car... when the UAW is skimming off the top.

So two options: 1. Build cars they want to buy. 2. Try to change their minds and prove to them they need to feel something when they drive their cars.

Now, being a BUSINESS. . . which one is easier and will make you more money?

You have to build cars EVERYBODY wants to buy and at an affordable rate. This includes performance nuts, poor people with big families, rich people needing a ego extender. GM has lost the ability to keep an eye on more than one niche at a time... and overprices the niche they are working on when they need to undercut the imports to win back the public.

Edited August 21, 2009 by SAmadei

[hyperv6]

And some of us are having deja vu. While I like Pontiacs, I also deeply liked Oldsmobiles. The news of Olds was bad, but it was another straw. Pontiac is the final straw. Buicks and Chevys are OK... but they just don't generally get me in the mood to drop $15K worth of new car depreciation at a dealer.

According to people here: Buy a Malibu. In fact, buy whatever Malibu is on the lot, even if you hate the color. Don't care if it doesn't fit your needs... GM needs your money more than you do. Its the greatest car of all time.

According to me: Find a car that appeals to me and fits my needs. Currently that list includes a used GTO or G8. When those are exhausted, other powerful, larger coupes with manuals will become desirable. M6 or AMG? Even the G37 is growing on me. I am an GM loyalist that would have NEVER looked beyond the GM world... but GM has forced me out.

If they don't fit my needs (or my body), they can be built in my backyard and I don't care. GM has destroyed its product porfolio (CTS, Camaro excepted) to go after Toyota's most boring offerings... which GM has lost every battle so far.

It ain't going to matter where the cars are built at, as most cars built in America are built out of foreign parts. And I'm not sure that 'Built in USA' is a asset on a car... when the UAW is skimming off the top.

You have to build cars EVERYBODY wants to buy and at an affordable rate. This includes performance nuts, poor people with big families, rich people needing a ego extender. GM has lost the ability to keep an eye on more than one niche at a time... and overprices the niche they are working on when they need to undercut the imports to win back the public.

What color was the G8 you bought. Did you get the GT or the GXP?

[SAmadei]

What color was the G8 you bought. Did you get the GT or the GXP?

I searched the planet for a blue GXP manual... preferably without a sunroof. I would have settled for a black one. I went to three dealers trying to find one... they were not interested in finding/selling me one... the only one on a lot was a gray used GT (I hate gray). I don't have time to be jerked around by dealers.

However, by the time GM got it's ass in gear and got the GXP on dealer lots, I was out of work. _IF_ Pontiac was to have continued as a niche brand, I would have purchased one once back at work.

The G8 is/was the only thing in the recent GM stable that drug me into the dealership. I don't need a new car. I wanted a new G8 GXP. GM could have made plenty more offerings wantable by selling them cheaper... otherwise used will _always_ be a better deal.

[vonVeezelsnider]

I think I can sum this up in one sentence:

This is all kinds of wrong.

[ocnblu]

It certainly gives me fitz to read this.

[hyperv6]

Now how many people here really own a G8 or would have really bought one if they continued under Chevy. We have the fans here but few have made a pruchase.

Camaino has a pass here as he was waiting for the UTE that never came. I know for a fact he would have bougth that one.

No would of could of should of's here. Now with no excuses on options or colors as most people who really wanted the car bad enough could have found a suitable car if they truly were going to buy one.

G8 sales in 08 were just at 12,000 cars [to fair it was not on sale till March of 08 so it was not a full year.

G8 sales in 09 depending on who you read will see 30,000 once all units are sold. As of July 5,000 units were still available.

I truly think if GM was making more money on this car and sold more units we would still have it to kick around. But when I had more than one chance to buy what ever color G8 I wanted for $23K for a V6 or S27K for a V8 I ponder how much GM really made on the cars sold. Deep discounts are not good for profits. Sales this summer saved the G8 due to the lower prices after GM killed off Pontiac.

I even saw for a while the GXP was selling at a discount till the less than 1900 units were gone.

Here is some sales of the G8 compared to cars in it's price class. Most of you will consider some of these cars less of a car than the G8 but they still sold better. THe fact remains a Pontiac over $30,000 becomes a hard sell. It is hard enough to Convince folks to pay $40-50K for a well tuned Cadillac let alone a $35K Pontiac.

Not the line near the Bottom the gold one. That is the G8. Note these charts are from the G8 web site so I would expect they were fair and honest about the car they love.

Jan 08-July 09 is the time span.

I bet if that line was a little higher with more cars under it it may have remained as a Chevy. Just because you have a good car does not always make it a hit in the market place. Over $30,000 the options on what to buy are great and there are many rewarding cars. There are also lesser cars that sell on Image. That is one that is hard to beat in this price class.

Edited August 22, 2009 by hyperv6

[ShadowDog]

I'm confused about the whole Made in North America argument, since this car isn't made anywhere near North America.

Then I'm confused about the fact that a fan-base of whom supports a model isn't somewhat happy that it will still exist somewhere in the world.

Then I'm confused about the fact that people are angry at a car company that doesn't even own the car anymore.

Frankly, I don't read this as a slap in the face. Australia was building the cars in the first place, so why not exhaust the parts supply for their own market. What sense wouldn't that make? Where does anger and jealousy get anyone these days?

[Blake Noble]

You know, I've always thought that Pontiac would've had a market outside of North America in Australia and this, in a way, proves that to me. Perhaps if the last round of Pontiacs could have been set apart from their Holden cousins, as far as design goes, GM could have sold Pontiac somewhere outside of North America and Mexico. I think Australia would have been very responsive to a "niche performance division."

And it isn't like Australians haven't seen a Pontiac before now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roFmeudE6Sc...feature=related

Shaker Run was basically Australia's Smokey and the Bandit. The star car was, of course, a RHD T/A and the overall plot of the movie was the same as Smokey.

Edited August 24, 2009 by whiteknight

[z28luvr01]

Now how many people here really own a G8 or would have really bought one if they continued under Chevy. We have the fans here but few have made a pruchase.

I had been planning to get something bigger in 2010. A 2010 G8 with the 3.6L DI was right at the top of the list. Yep, you read that right - it was above the Camaro. Since Pontiac was killed, that isn't going to happen. Should the Commodore be here in 2010 as a Chevy I will get it. Should it be here in 2010 as a Buick I will get it. If I knew it was coming but not until MY2011 or 2012 I'd wait for it.

Lutz' gut is right - it's too good a car to not sell here.

[wildcat]

it's too good a car to not sell here.

Maybe they'll make it into a big Cadillac?