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RWD Pontiac G8 will be dead in five years

It looks like things will be getting a lot less exciting at Pontiac, as some reports indicate that the erstwhile performance brand will be losing its best performers. Despite the fact that the G8 sedan has seen nothing but positive press from the media, including your humble scribes here at Autoblog, the realities of fuel economy and the global economy appear set to kill off the rear-wheel drive performance sedan in the prime of its short life. GM will reportedly not renew the G8 after its Holden-sourced chassis architecture is redesigned following a planned five-year run. The Pontiac Solstice in both coupe and convertible forms is also unlikely to see a second generation. Unfortunately, the Solstice, Saturn Sky and their Opel spin-off don't generate enough sales to support another go-round, which could leave Pontiac with exactly zero vehicles with overtly sporting pretensions. While the G6 may be a decent car, it and a Cobalt derivative in the form of the G5 and a rebadged Aveo known as the G3 do not a BMW competitor make. What does this mean for the future of Pontiac as a brand? We'll see.
posted : 10/27/2008 @4:16:37 PM
Lights Out: GM Minivan plant closes up shop

The last aardvark inspired minivan has passed through the doors of GM's Doraville, GA assembly facility. The plant, which opened in 1947, has four developers vying to get their hands on the 165-acre parcel. About 1,500 workers have been idled due to the closing, which was a long time coming. The Doraville plant's closing is an unfortunate consequence of the old GM, and its divestiture is intended to aid General Motors as it continues clawing its way back from the brink. We can't say the U-Platform vans will be missed. Though significantly changed from its inception as the Lumina APV with its odd styling, the Uplander was a swing of the pendulum to the other side of weird. Smack dab in the middle was the normal, yet lackluster, Venture. None of the platform's iterations managed to ignite buyer passions, coming up short against the competition, and lately completely crushed by the Odyssey/Sienna 1-2 punch, with a kick in the head from the Grand Caravan for good measure.
posted : 10/3/2008 @7:54:15 PM
SLP to bring back Firehawk name on the G8 GT; Firebird Firehawk owners take exception

The Firehawk name is well known by GM performance buffs, having graced some of the highest performing Firebird models from 1991 until 2002. Built by New Jersey based SLP (Street Legal Performance), the Firehawk models received various levels of performance upgrades and could hang with the best of American muscle during its day: the later models could run 0 to 60 mph in around five seconds and passing the 1/4 mile in the mid 13's. While the Firebird wasn't revived along with the Camaro, SLP has decided to use the G8 to revive the Firehawk name with three special edition cars based on the V6 and V8 models as well as a supercharged version. The cars will be sold through Pontiac dealers and will carry a full warranty. Sound great, right? Current Firebird Firehawk owners don't think so. After hearing the news on LS1Tech.com, many of the members were outraged that the Firehawk name would be watered down on something besides a Firebird, in particular a four door sedan. In all fairness, SLP owns the Firehawk name and can use it how it wants, so we'll reserve judgment until the car is actually unveiled and we can see how it performs.
posted : 10/2/2008 @3:52:46 PM
Pontiac defends decision to sell G3 in U.S.

As you may know, Pontiac has finally decided to sell the Korean-built G3 five-door hatchback in the U.S. On sale elsewhere in the world as a Daewoo and as the Pontiac Wave in Canada and Mexico, the G3 is basically a Chevy Aveo5 with a different nose and red gauges. It's brand rebadging in the grand old GM tradition. Jim Hopson, Manager of Pontiac Communications, has recently attempted to defend the G3's insertion into Pontiac's lineup on the GM Fastlane Blog. Let's take a look... When addressing the fact that the G3 is just a rebadged Aveo5, he admits they "share a lot of components" (understatement), but that Toyota and Lexus also share components. Seriously? When Toyota and Lexus share components, the two cars are offered with entirely different exteriors, interiors, suspension and engine tuning. From what we can tell, the G3 and Aveo are identical except for their front ends, gauge clusters and wheels. Next he addresses why Pontiac needs the G3 and Vibe, but we don't think many people are asking that question. The G3 and Vibe are very different in size, capability and purpose.
posted : 10/2/2008 @2:23:40 PM
tags : aveo , breaking , g3 , pontiac , rebadge , wave , waveo
2009 Pontiac G3 Wave: Excitement has left the building

For a little while there, it looked like Pontiac was getting its mojo back. The G8 is terrific, the Solstice GXP Coupe is ready to join the roadster, and the even more awesome G8 GXP is waiting in the wings. All rear-drive. All meant to be fun. And then GM goes and does this. Behold, friends, the 2009 Pontiac G3 Wave. Yes, that's an Aveo5 with Poncho nostrils, and it reeks of product strategy that's more 1989 than 2009. Why not just call it G3 Le Mans? You know, in honor of the last Daewoo-sourced trashback that helped turn that whole "We Build Excitement" thing into a punchline. By comparison, this makes the equally distressing Pontiac G5 look like a Corvette ZR1 on the cool meter -- and trust us, this is the only scenario in which you'll ever see those two models mentioned in the same sentence again. The press release after the jump explains that, "More than ever, fuel economy is an important factor in Pontiac's formula of style and performance." In the G3 Waveo, "performance" means red gauge lighting and 106 horsepower channeled through a 5-speed manual or cutting-edge 4-speed automatic. It also gets over 30 mpg highway, so we're supposed to bust out the Veuve Clicquot and celebrate this new era of efficiency at the Pontiac division. Thanks, but we'll skip this party. The G8 and Solstice are genuinely exciting, desirable cars that had restored some luster to the Arrowhead, but this...
posted : 9/24/2008 @11:01:12 PM
Pontiac G8 GXP officially rated at 415 hp

The V8-powered Pontiac G8 GT has garnered a fair amount of respect around Autoblog HQ, with almost everyone who's spent time behind the wheel singing the praises of the Aussie-imported four-door muscle car. We're all suckers for rubber-melting torque and rear-wheel motivation, and even El Capitan Neff has thought about retiring his Alero for a shot at G8 ownership. For the rest of us, a six-speed manual would seal the deal. Next year Pontiac will finally offer a proper cog swapper on its G8 GXP, and not only do drivers get to row their own gears, but they're getting an extra 13 horses and 15 lb.-ft. of torque to boot. The SAE has finally performed its official testing on the 6.2-liter LS3 V8 and output is up to 415 horsepower and an equal amount of twist. With 19-inch HSV wheels framing 14-inch (front) and 12.76-inch (rear) discs and Brembo calipers, a standard LSD and a stiffened suspension, the additional power is just another reason to be smitten by the Pontiac G8 GXP. That, and the Tremac TR060 manual. We'll take ours in slate grey for maximum intimidation.
posted : 9/22/2008 @11:20:57 PM
Rumormill: GM kills the Kappa II platform

The ruthless pruning continues, with GM Inside News reporting that the rear-wheel-drive Kappa II platform has gone to heaven before ever touching this mortal coil. Back in 2004, a vehicle line executive said "The Kappa architecture is a great platform for sporty, driver-oriented applications around the globe." Apparently, not one for which GM could make enough different models to actually earn some money. Reasons for the sequel platform's demise are allegedly that the first hydra-formed Kappa is just too expensive to fabricate; the cars based on it use expensive, hydra-formed parts; assembly requires inordinate amounts of human labor; and GM didn't make its money back fast enough to justify the investment in a new RWD – read: thirstier – platform. The current Kappa's suspension and design geometry aren't shared with any other car;, the platform was created to accept one engine, the Ecotec 4-cylinder; and it served under only four varieties of the same car: the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, Daewoo G2X and Opel GT. It was a lot to ask such a limited platform to achieve the volume's GM needed with cars on expensive underpinnings that didn't demand expensive prices. And if the rumors are true, then your Solstice GXP could be worth more than you expected, and sooner than you expected.
posted : 9/14/2008 @5:23:06 AM
Pontiac most likely for second Volt

When the Chevy Volt goes on sale in late 2010, it may be joined shortly thereafter by other GM-branded series hybrids using the eFlex architecture. But after the General's bread-and-butter bow-tie division, which brands make the most sense to get their own Volt? We've already seen a Cadillac with underlying eFlex technology, and GM's luxury arm could charge higher prices to offset the cost of the expensive powertrain. After Cadillac, Saturn might be a good bet considering we've already seen an eFlex-based Saturn-branded FlexStream concept. Susan Docherty, GM's North American vice president of Buick, Pontiac and GMC, thinks GM's driving excitement team is a natural fit for a Volt-like hybrid. Her reason is that the Pontiac brand can attract a younger crowd that readily accepts new technology and cutting-edge design. We're not so sure. If Pontiac is supposed to build excitement, how does that jive with a heavy battery pack in a car that's engineered to save fuel rather than go fast? Then again, nothing says instant torque quite like an electric vehicle. Dealers who bought into building combined Buick, Pontiac and GMC stores will want at least one vehicle in their showrooms based on the eFlex architecture, though, and Pontiac makes more sense than Buick or GMC.
posted : 9/14/2008 @4:44:12 AM
Plans for an all-RWD Pontiac shelved?

A quick glance at Pontiac's (rumored) future product plans reveals just how much fuel prices have affected plans for an all rear-wheel drive lineup. Let's see, we've got the Solstice and the G8, and, um... that's it. Sure, we're expecting the G8 ST soon, but the El Camino-come-lively will never sell enough to keep bean counters happily sliding their abaci beads in their cubicles. The Solstice also plays to a relatively small crowd, so its future could be up in the air, as well. As for the rest of the brand's lineup, the Grand Am G6 will remain on the same front-wheel drive platform for the foreseeable future as there's just not enough funds to switch it to a rear-wheel-drive platform. Meanwhile, the G5 is tied to the Cobalt and the future Cruze from Chevrolet that uses the FWD Delta platform. The Vibe comes from Toyota and is based on the Corolla's underpinnings. Please, don't get us started on a possible Aveo-based subcompact from GM's "Performance Division". As our esteemed editor says, "So sad, G8 rules." Indeed it does, and it may be the best we'll get from Pontiac for a while.
posted : 9/13/2008 @5:12:52 AM
2010 Pontiac G8 ST may get direct-inject V6

The Pontiac G8 Sport Truck was originally supposed to be powered only by General Motors' 361-horsepower 6.0L V8, but tough fuel economy standards and customer demand for fuel efficient products have conspired to change the General's plans. Edmunds Inside Line quotes an anonymous senior engineer at the General saying that the unique sport ute will receive automaker's 3.6L V6, as well. That's good news for fuel economy, but the better news is that the 3.6L V6 of choice will be the direct injection versoin. That will likely give the G8 ST the same 300+hp as the 2010 Camaro and Cadillac CTS. That should also make the base ST more appealing to enthusiasts and the average Joe, with more power at the pedal and a healthier torque curve. The DI version of GM's 3.6L V6 will also likely be available in the base G8 sedan for the 2010 model year, as well. It makes sense that GM would go with direct injection for the G8 ST, as the General has already promised the powerful V6 for the Chevy Traverse and Camaro. Putting DI in more vehicles will help drive down the cost of producing these more high-tech engines economy of scale while also giving customers V8ish performance with V6ish fuel economy. Keep in mind, however, that though a GM engineer was quoted, none of this is official word from GM, so plans could change.
posted : 9/2/2008 @12:47:36 PM
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