I've made no secret of my enthusiasm for the imminent arrival of the Aussie-sourced, rear wheel-drive Pontiac G8. Today, GM announced that they're importing the donor Holden's Ute variant as a Pontiac. Just like European Alfisti voting to christen what's now called the MI.To, you can help choose the new ute's new name (let's hope Pontiac doesn't follow Alfa's lead and ignore the result). Our spies tell us "Chevy El Camino" is not an option. And then there's the G8 GXP. To inject a little excitement into what was once called GM's excitement division, Pontiac is car is shoving the 6.2-liter V8 out of the Corvette under the G8's hood. Unfortunately, the boffins detuned the mill to 402 horsepower (from 430). Fortunately, they provided power-crazed pistonheads with a third pedal. Although prices haven't been announced, the 362-horse G8 tops out at $32,000. The GXP version can't be over 40 large. We'll have real photos of both cars from the NY Auto Show this coming week.
[Click here for Pontiac G8 Sport Truck Pixamo gallery. Click here for G8 GXP]
Oooh… actual excitement.
The first new car I’m actually considering buying. I don’t care if it doesn’t have off-road capability or a 40,909,585lb tow-rating. It has the handling (albeit tail-happy) and fuel efficiency of a car.
Party at Jalopnik!
The G8 GXP interests me more than the sport truck.
I think the uniqueness of the truck one should cause good initial sales before the niche is filled and no one buys them anymore. I bet the utes will be collectible cult cars in the future though.
I voted to call the ute version the “G8 Commodore”.
About friggen time!
If they produce a G8 ST GXP it will be my next car.
I dislike trucks (bad dynamics, bad fuel consumption, too big, overkill), love muscle cars, need to haul things on errands and love owning unique vehicles. The ST ticks all the right boxes for me.
Thank you GM for taking a chance on the Holden Ute in the US. Having driven the former VY SS Ute in Sydney I was blown away and have patiently waited for the day I could purchase one in the US.
It is not made to tow huge trailers or haul heavy loads or go off-road or on worksites. It’s built to play hard when you want to, it’s built to be comfortable when you want to, it’s built to blitz freeways, mountain roads and drag strips, it’s built to be versatile for your home or weekend errands, and above all it’s made to be unique and fun. It’s Australia’s #1 fun coupe and a muscle car, plain and simple.
My name entries for the G8 ST were UTE and SPRINT.
Also check out Holden’s excellent website for this car to see what it’s all about.
http://www.evolutionendshere.com.au/
GM could name it the Holden Ute.
Did you say “ute”?
What’s a “ute”?
Is pronouncing “Ute” like saying “Yoot”?
@nino:
Oh, excuse me your honor…
I entered “Caba”, short for “Caballero”.
I suggested Rampage…
How about “Pontiac SSR?”
Seriously, when I saw the picture, I checked the calendar to see if it’s April Fools Day. Sadly, it isn’t.
Big Baja
Well the tow rating we all know is a joke. It’s to help prevent cannibalizing truck sales (US car makers crack to the US public) to show it so low.
It is way too overpriced. Another attempt at creating hype and then trying to cash in on it. Watch dealers (thieves) mark the suckers up even more and try and say their is some waiting list.
In 3 months after launch the peak sales month will have passed. Like a Hollywood flop, they only make money because of the hype, when it has to stand on its own its a waste of time. In this case the car is overpriced. The general better just price it right or Dodge Charger I a go-go.
Wrong brand, wrong price. As a $23,000 Chevy, this could work. As a $32,000 Pontiac, watch for the tumbleweeds after the initial hype dies off. Son of GTO, with a tailgate.
Nice looking vehicle, bad timing though. $4 a gallon gas and 400 horsepower is a bad combo.
However they could name it The Pontiac Renegade
DIDN’T ROBERT PROMISE A GM DEATHWATCH RE: THE G8???
Lichtronamo :
DIDN’T ROBERT PROMISE A GM DEATHWATCH RE: THE G8???
Yes, I did. So… tomorrow.
hate to say it, but I’m actaully impressed….
So – RF, does this add even more food for thought for your DW? I bet it does.
Why on earth this thing is badged as a Pontiac, I’ll never know. Might as well make Pontiac Corvettes then.
The “Bandit” Burt Reynolds not included…. and please don’t make it 40k…cause it just doesn’t compete with the SSR..I’d hate to say that truck was a work of art for GM.
S10, Ranger, Explorer Sport Trac, Pickup variants of the Hummer; sales not so good. Overpriced GTO(in name only); you know how those sales went.
This car will go the same course. It’s not a great deal price wise. Who do they think their target market is and do they think they can afford this car?
Subaru Brat? These cars just aren’t “in style”. It’s too ugly and fugly. Australia is a strange place and they drive strange cars. GTO redux. It will be here for a time and then it won’t be.
$100,000 Corvette and the Volt is the only excitement the General has right now.
If they made it; would you buy it?
http://www.joetech.com/images_for_posts/truckvette.png
Come to think of it, this “new” G8 GXP is nothing more then a replacement for the Chevy SSR truck. GM; why bother? Maybe it costs GM nearly nothing to import vehicles. Do you have anything in Europe that would sell really well in the US?
I’m assuming they’ll make a V6 version. I’m just hoping they don’t make it a dog like the Mustang V6.
I’m beginning to think Mr. Farago has been too kind in his assessment of GM’s business acumen.
The Pontiac G8 “sport truck utility vehicle” (marketing tag line: “Get STUVed!”) is an oxymoron, and a pricey one at that. It reminds me of the observation that the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.
GM should capitalize on the El Camino’s brand value and offer a fresh version of that concept. It could be fashioned from the Malibu, G6 or Equinox; the main thing is to keep it affordable and versatile. Maybe GM could find some old engineers who once worked for AMC; they were geniuses in creating new models at minimal expense.
Thanks, Robert! Something to look forward to then. It’s nice to see a lot of weekend news this week, including the excellent POD cast (which may have some DW material too).
I guess this is what is going to take the place of the Firebird version of the new Camaro. Probably means no new Pontiac GTO, too.
Seems like another overpriced SSR, sans folding top, that no one will buy. Unfortunately, the G8 ute might actually have worked a whole lot better stylistically with a folding hardtop than the erzatz retro SSR.
And since it’s coming from Holden, unless it’s a runaway success, GM is unlikely to spend the money to create any less expensive, smaller engine variants. It’s too bad because more economical, 4.3L V6, 4.8L or 5.3L V8 versions might have had a better shot at success than the high-priced 6.2L, gas-guzzling ‘Vette engine model.
This is going to be an expensive lesson…
“This is going to be an expensive lesson…”
And it’s a lesson that I have to believe Wagoner and Lutz don’t need to learn; surely even they know how this is going to turn out. Gas it high and, seemingly universally expected to go higher, the economy is in the tank with nothing on the horizon likely to turn it around, and GM comes out with niche vehicles that burn lots of gas.
I have to wonder how much the money spent on the Camaro and the G8(s) mistakes would buy if used to engineer substantial improvements in the Cobalt and Aveo to make them truly competitive with the Civic and Fit. The Aveo is a terrible mistake that is damaging the reputation of Chevy and GM around the world. Wagoner has failed to invest in high-mileage small cars resulting in the very damaging perception that all GM stuff is inefficient; thus the Volt as a hail Mary to fix the perception problem. Increasingly the Volt looks likely to confirm it. But Wagoner is cranking up his ejection seat (that of course has a built-in platinum parachute) that I predict he’ll trigger just before the ‘turnaround’ proves to be not. Good luck Henderson.
$29,999 – $32,545 is overpriced for an excellent V8 performance car?
I guess we really are in a recession then.
I was just talking to my wife about this car wishing it would come out soon since I have been looking at trucks and I hate feeling like I am driving from a second floor window. This UTE has many problems for me though besides the fact it isn’t here now when I need it. The price being that problem, it costs more than a fullsize truck with less utility, space, towing capacity. I wish they had just taken the Sierra truck lowered it, put car-like 18″ rims, tuned the suspension and dynamics a little more sporty, made the siloette more slippery and reduced some of the heft from its shape and called it a day as a new Sport-Utility-Truck model.
wow! A remote gas cap! wow! body color foldable mirrors! definitely not a detroit iron! :)
el camino el camino el camino!!!!