Pontiac has announced prices for the Australian imported Commodore G8 sedan, and they're exemplary. The rear wheel-drive sedan with a 260 horsepower V6 and a five-speed automatic will run $27,595. Upgrading to the 360 horsepower 6.0-liter V8 and a six-speed auto will cost you roughly another two-and-a-half grand ($29,995). That's $1600 cheaper than the Hemi-propelled Charger R/T. While the dope Dodge still makes you go on a dealer inventory expedition to find cars equipped with the optional side airbags, all G8s pack six standard airbags, Stabilitrak and the Onstar Big Brother tracking system. And the V8 model has… wait for it…. a limited slip differential. Two complaints. First, the G8 should have had the 300 hp direct injection V6 and the 400 hp version of the 6.0-liter V8. Second, GM is not offering the anticipated six-speed manual transmission. Nevertheless, this is a slick, desirable car; the betting on dealer gouging starts now. I'm setting the under-over at $5k over sticker. Any advances?
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Seriously, if this car is any good everybody in America should be required to get one. Federal mandate or something. That price is just ridiculous, I don’t see how they can afford to keep it there for very long without going out of business altogether. Given the fact that it’s an import with our declining American dollar, it just seems impossible. We’ll see if they bothered to include seats and a steering wheel for that price…
Double-check your sources, manual will be a late availability as Lutz said in the intro. Expect a 400+hp LS3 in a GXP version. Gotta leave some room to expand.
Also this bodes well for the smaller platform mate the Camaro to be priced inline with the Mustang except it won’t be hampered by a solid rear axle.
mmmmmmmm…lsd….
Nothing like being able to lay down two strips of rubber on the asphalt…
…provided they let you completely disable the traction control.
GM is losing money on every car it imports from overseas for sale in the states. How are they going to make up the difference? Volume!
Saturn no-haggling dealer gouging?
Sounds interesting!
hmm http://www.pontiac.com/g8 shows that there will be a leather option pkg, sunroof option, 19″ wheel sport pkg. I wonder if loaded it will be 34995 with the V8?
Wow! Automatic transmission… Awesome!
Wow, $30 grand for the V8; what a steal. When is someone going to make an American-style car that I want to buy again? It’s been about 20 years now, and people are sitting around in Silverados, F150s and Ram’s waiting. Give me an affordable REAR-DRIVE CAR($15k or less base MSRP), with coupe and sedan versions both available with a big V8, an OK V6 or an economical 4. A/C and power locks optional.
Honestly, it’s not that difficult. People are crying for good reason because the Crown Vic is being phased out. At this point I could care less who makes it, someone PLEASE just make an American car again! The G8 is a glance in the right direction.
I might be a taker on this ride….only after the dealers de-gouge themselves from the first few buyers wallets.
“J.B.” I bet $1500 to $3000 over sticker (for the V-8 G8) will be the norm for a few months after launch. This is Pontiac we’re talking about here. They’re dealers are hungry again since Soltice sales are slow to nonexistant (at least in mid-Missouri) and they have little else to peddle. G5 G6 anyone???
DT
Steve_K…
Who makes a rear driver for under $15k new?
No one does, that’s my point. All the RWD cars on the market now are expensive performance cars, and it’s just annoying.
I’ve been waiting so long for a car like this.
We’re getting a new car soon, and since were importing from the states it limited my choices somewhat since not all mfg’s support warranties cross-border.
Honestly, this car to me seems worth waiting for,
How reliable are Holden’s by the way?
Unbelievable pricing. This car might be the deal for the money this year.
According to G8 fansites a six-speed manual will be offered after the car launches this Spring. An LS3 GXP variant is also rumored in the works when HSV adopts that engine Down Under.
This car is very high on my list.
New Flash:
99% of people in the market for a 27g to 30g sedan HATE fake hood scoops. Those things look silly and will be a deal breaker for enough that they just make this sedan a failure like the GTO coupe.
Those hood scoops are indicative of why GM is in the sorry position it is in today. The reason the imports were able to capture so much market share in the USA is because people like serious and or simple cars as opposed to silly boy-racer designs.
Don’t get me wrong the overall shape of the G8 is on point, but those GM details are going to hurt it badly. Stop designing cars for teenage boys already!
So now the General has two rear wheel drive sedans in the 30+ grand range. Unless the G8 feels like crap on the inside why on earth would I pay more for the non-v8 CTS?
Somehow with all of that capacity GM still manages to produce vehicles that have other GM vehicles as there closest competitors.
whatdoiknow1 – speak for yourself. People like me who love muscle cars love design cues like scoops and it stands out.
There are plenty of blander sedans on the market you can pick from or you could pay more for a CTS with a smooth hood.
Holden also offers this car with black racing stripes over the top and a huge rear spoiler. It also comes in bright purple and orange.
This sedan is built for those who enjoy putting rear tires up in smoke, leaving a pair of black trails on the pavement and hooning in general.
Make mine bright orange.
The first question I asked myself when I looked at the picture was, “Are the scoops real?”
If they’re fakes, well, dummy scoops are just an aerodynamic distraction. I’d rather have the lower Cx.
Well, I take that back, scoops and a spoiler are probably two cues that the cops still key on, so I expect they’re a liability unless they do some real good somewhere.
Didn’t everyone who wanted a car like this buy a 300/Charger already? Just another rear drive V8 sedan that only a small minority were asking for in the first place. This one doesn’t even have the distinctive styling; it looks like a 4-door GTO.
The only thing wrong with the GTO was it’s name, and hence, it had to live up to the the legacy in styling and brutish power. It wouldn’t have recieved the criticism it did Pontiac called it the G8 coupe, which brings forth the interesting paradox. The GTO didn’t have scoops and people said it was boring. Add scoops and now people say it’s comedic. Pontiac can’t win for losing, it seems.
I thought the GTO did have scoops after the revision when it got the 400 horse engine. Your theory on the scoops makes sense to me. The GTO was a stale looking car. You can throw scoops on something and it isn’t boring anymore, but then the cheese factor goes through the roof. The idea is to make something that looks hot from the beginning.
TriShield :
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:35 pm
whatdoiknow1 – speak for yourself. People like me who love muscle cars love design cues like scoops and it stands out.
And here in lies the reason that you muscle cars fans get so few enjoyable cars out of Detroit. “Muscle” was performance packages added on to existing bread and butter cars. Detroit never set out to make muscle cars. They made real cars and added muscle to them. The amount of people that want a hood scooped, winged up car, with a stripe run down the length are minimal a best. There is a reason that even with all the popularity around those “fast and furious” cars the Japanese makers (for the most part)are content to let the aftermarket add those items that are of questioned taste.
When you keep the design clean it appeals to far more potential customers. Hood scoops are “Rice”, just like big wings and coffee can exhausts. They project a image that too many folks feel they can do without, kinda like those “screaming chickens” of days past. Now dont assume that the folks that are turned off by these styling ques do not like cars or driving. They just prefer not to look like boy racer or rice racer!
Now Dodge is going to have to slash the price on the Charger a few thousand. Or, they could improve it and keep the price constant.
either way works for me.
GM dealer gouging might help the Charger for awhile though.
The amount of people that want a hood scooped, winged up car, with a stripe run down the length are minimal a best.
Except, it’s not minimal. If it were true, plenty of folks would be ripping the wings off of their Evo’s and STI’s. Instead the newer versions are critized for the mature styling, with Mitsubishi being accused of doing to the Evo what they did to the Eclipse when it was redesigned in 2000 and Subaru accused of being in cahoots with Toyota to dumb down the WRX.
You people who passed on the GTO for it’s styling (or alleged lack thereof) have missed one heckuva ride! Criticize the scoops (on the LS2-equipped Goats) if you will, but otherwise, I have had 21k totally-trouble-free miles in a year and a half of ownership. Heck, I still smile when behind the wheel.
After spending a couple days in a rental (of course!) Grand Prix, the difference in quality is striking. Holden is light-years ahead of Pontiac in build quality and grade of materials (except for the HVAC controls). If GM could build all of it’s cars as well as Holden seems to, TTAC wouldn’t have much to write about :-).
If the LS3 variant comes out, I just might bite the bullet and trade the Goat in on one. The LS2 is a brutal beast. Can’t imagine what 12 extra cubes and 30 more HP might be like!
In short, await the G8 and then buy. Be grateful that someone is willing to build a car like this that doesn’t command Bimmer prices!
@FunkyD:
In short, await the G8 and then buy. Be grateful that someone is willing to build a car like this that doesn’t command Bimmer prices!
Right on. This is a damn lot of car for the money.
As for how it is to drive, how it performs, etc, we’ll just have to sit down and wait a few months until they start rolling into showrooms – ready for dealers to mark mark mark them up.
Long time reader, first time poster.
@FunkyD
I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of the GTO. Most people don’t know what they’re missing. The Monaro was a great car. It’s ironic that I grew up in Australia wanting one desperately, only to end up in the U.S. buying one as a GTO. The 6.0 “nostrils” detracted from the look of the car, though that was a GM mandate that made it onto the RHD Australian production examples by default also. Pontiac would have been better served by adopting the HSV body kit, which I imported to fit to my own. The IRS needs tweaking to avoid axle tramp though.
@Justin
I am quite surprised at the price, and you are right; this is a lot of car for the money. I drove a VE SS Commodore recently, and was extremely impressed. Light years ahead of the VT series I owned, which in itself was more than comparable to many U.S. produced vehicles I have driven. I posit that my VT Calais V8 was more refined and overall a much better drive than even a current Cadillac CTS. If consumers are not impressed by this vehicle upon its release, at the given price point, then I feel they are unable to be satisfied at any price, or are brand snobs. The badge will deter some, for sure. When I purchase mine I will promptly replace the nose with an SS Commodore nose.
I am not a professional car reviewer by any stretch. Alas my opinion of the G8 based on the 1000 or so kilometers I drove in it, is that it more than equates to BMW 550 series V8 perfomance, interior acoutrements are at least 90% the quality of the BMW, in a package 50% of the price. The G8 is value for money, and most certainly a drivers car. For those interested, google “Billion Dollar Baby” – a documentary on the behind the scenes development of the VE Commodore.
EDIT: Nationalism aside, I support the product due to the fact Holdens are well made cars, with driving dynamics many readers of TTAC hold dear. I also realise mentioning changing the nose piece post purchase may seem at odds with my comment about ‘brand snobs’ – don’t get me wrong. They could badge it Saturn or Oldsmobile; I’d still be interested in buying one. My reasons for suggesting that are purely aesthetic – holden nose is simply more attractive, putting Pontiac nostrils on it for Pontiac’s sake has only made GM’s task of getting money back on their arbitrage adventure just that little bit harder. Now, if only Ford would import the BF Falcon XR6 Turbo or FPV Hurricane, it would make my buying decision extremely difficult…
@antipodean:
Now if they’d just bring the Holden Statesman over as a Buick…
@Justin:
Don’t even get me started on Buick “dealers”….
No manual? No thanks.
Gotta love that Aztekian nose!If this thing’s for little boys,then I must be a 50-something little boy.
If I had the money for a new car I’d get the v-6 in orange. Gas ain’t getting any cheaper, I’m an old fart who doesn’t need the excess hp, and 1500 bucks would buy a lot of fuel.
Hey, if they offered a turbo 4 in this thing, I’d go for it. They ought to consider a de-contented version–called the Catalina–and offer just the v-6 or a turbo 4. Of course the 4 would need a manual transmission. I’m old but I’m not so old that I’d be satisfied with a slushbox 4’s performance.
I like it, but there is virtually no point in getting the base model – at that price, you can get a loaded V6 Accord in either coupe or sedan (no coupe for G8) and with a 6-speed manual for the coupe (not available for G8 now either). The Accord coupe will run you about as much as a V6 G8 ($28.3K vs $27.6), and an Accord sedan will actually cost you about a grand and a half less.
@LamborginiZ
Bob Lutz is one of a number of GM representatives on record noting a delayed / Spring 08 release of the 6 speed manual. Patience Grasshopper. There will be a run of stick shift LHD VE G8’s running down the lines in Elizabeth sometime in April.
This one looks like it could be a winner, providing the dealers don’t drive everyone away with massive overcharges. I suspect that once it has been on the market for 12 months or so you will be able to get one at sticker or less.
I wonder what production costs in Australia are compared to the US at current exchange rates. Does anyone know?
Question: Would it not have been smarter to put the scoops on an optional package? Is the cost of two different parts an issue here?
The price is ridiculous – $30K for a Pontiac. For another 2 Gs I can get a Caddy. No wonder GM is in trouble.
@FunkyD :
Another GTO owner here (’06 model). I’ve had it a little over 1.5 years and the car has been absolutely trouble free too. One comment you made; the crappy HVAC controls were a Pontiac bean-counter mandate – the Holdens get a better electronically-controlled system (which, alas, cannot be retrofitted to our cars).
I would also consider trading the GTO a few years down the road for a GXP type G8 if they’re built to the same standards.
G8 and Charger have two major differences.
1. VE platform handles like a dream.
2. VE interior is made of really high quality materials, and has serious european premium-like feel to it.
Another car GM makes overseas without UAW help. This is the future of GM
Finally, a REAL Grand Prix!
Unfortunately, the Australian version of this car starts at around $40,000 AUD for the V6 and $56,000 AUD for the V-8.
Massive loss per unit is all I can figure.
Yay, A Holden that will be available in Canada. I know a couple of people that have been seriously looking at this car for a while, but were wondering if, like the GTO, it wouldn’t meet our bumper safety standards. Looks like the G8 is coming though.
I guarantee that any excessive ADP on G8’s will engender a major delay on the offending dealers’ parts and/or advertising accounts. Cash-flow is the name of the game for the modern auto dealership, and to interrupt a large source of said $$$$ will be a sufficient incentive to the egregious offenders. But always remember, we car aficionados are a tiny percentage of the car buying public, but they value our input because we’re vocal in our opinions, and tend to share said opinions with our less passionate fellow drivers. I hope that the car is a home run for GM. I laud them for trying so damn hard.
Saaa-Weeeet! I echo those that have said, bring on-eth the stick-eth.
If they do, put me down for an order w/sport package.
I also heard a 6-speed/400 hp version is in the works.
Get rid of those silly nostrils and you might have a passable vehicle.