In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT.

SVTKAR3 · 04-24-2008, 12:18 PM

Posted Apr 24th 2008 11:59AM by John Neff
Filed under: Garage, Sedans/Saloons, Pontiac

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT

As a tyke I staged an all-out assault on my parents' better judgment for a G.I. Joe hovercraft. Not three months had passed following their surrender when I ransomed my mischievousness for the next toy my happiness hinged upon. Oh, that hovercraft? Forgotten. The auto industry works the same way. We often convince automakers that we'll buy every cool car they'd make if they would just grow a pair and build 'em. They do their part and then... we don't. The trust is broken and we're back to buying what automakers know will sell.

After much whining from performance enthusiasts, the rear-wheel-drive 2008 Pontiac G8 GT is finally here and at first glance is packing almost everything we wanted. Will GM be made to look like the pushover parent and left paying the bill for this Aussie import while customers shift their attention on to the next big thing, or will the G8 turn out to be the toy we never tire of? Read on to find out.....

enlarge

Unlike GM's newest all stars, the Cadillac CTS and Chevy Malibu, the Pontiac G8 is not a new product developed specifically for North America. It is technically an import from Australia; a rebadged version of the rear-wheel-drive Commodore VE sedan on loan from Holden, GM's Australian division. We've been down this road before with the Holden Monaro-based GTO sold from 2004 – 2006. Enthusiasts promised GM that the GTO would be a big hit, but we didn't buy them in big numbers. Apparently all is forgiven, as GM's back again with the G8.

Forgettable styling is not an issue with the G8 as it was with the GTO. Pontiac designers took the stately form of the Commodore VE and added their own corporate face with recessed twin grilles and a split lower air intake incorporating a pair of fog lamps. The hood features sporty nostrils that are semi-functional, meaning that while they don't redirect air directly into the engine, they do allow it to pass into the engine compartment to aid cooling........ [rest of the article.....http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/24/i...pontiac-g8-gt/ ]

All photos © 2008 John Neff / Weblogs, Inc.

69Firebird400 · 04-24-2008, 12:36 PM

I just read the full article on Autoblog before I saw this post. They barely had anything negative to say about the car at all.

An excellent product from GM. I can't wait to take one of these for a spin!

maherj2 · 04-24-2008, 12:48 PM

I have 2100 miles on mine now, this is one of my favorite cars of all time....

jbernie · 04-24-2008, 01:13 PM

Some lucky person has a white G8 here in the parking lot, having seen may of the Commodores etc when I was back in Australia last year I am very much admiring it I as drive in and out of the parking lot. As much as I am not a big fan of the hood scoops it does look so very nice.

skylark68 · 04-24-2008, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maherj2

I have 2100 miles on mine now, this is one of my favorite cars of all time....

Do you have a GT? What color is it?

Nice Vista Cruiser BTW...

HotCarNut · 04-24-2008, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maherj2

I have 2100 miles on mine now, this is one of my favorite cars of all time....

and yet your profile picture is still a station wagon with faux wood siding?!?!

drew630 · 04-24-2008, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maherj2

I have 2100 miles on mine now, this is one of my favorite cars of all time....

Quote:

Originally Posted by skylark68

Do you have a GT? What color is it?

Nice Vista Cruiser BTW...

Quote:

Originally Posted by HotCarNut

and yet your profile picture is still a station wagon with faux wood siding?!?!

Yeah, We're going to need pictures.... please.

Ambalanche · 04-24-2008, 03:09 PM

Such a trusting bunch!!

I went to look at one the other week and really like it! It was a Sunday and they had left one unlocked. A GT. I liked it pretty well except the lack of quality feel on the center console. I really like the way the parking brake is integrated into the console, but when I rased it, the whole thing moved. Almost kind of a flimbsy way. Now the 'Vette's interior isn't the bashton of quality, but you don't get a flimbsy feeling either. Other than that I LOVE the car!! Just my .02

drew630 · 04-24-2008, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ambalanche

Such a trusting bunch!!

I went to look at one the other week and really like it! It was a Sunday and they had left one unlocked. A GT. I liked it pretty well except the lack of quality feel on the center console. I really like the way the parking brake is integrated into the console, but when I rased it, the whole thing moved. Almost kind of a flimbsy way. Now the 'Vette's interior isn't the bashton of quality, but you don't get a flimbsy feeling either. Other than that I LOVE the car!! Just my .02

No no no. We, well I, just like pictures. The more the merrier.

skylark68 · 04-24-2008, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HotCarNut

and yet your profile picture is still a station wagon with faux wood siding?!?!

There isn't anything at all wrong with a Vista Cruiser...you could option an Olds 455 in the thing for gosh sakes...

I would like to see the G8 though...

FenwickHockey65 · 04-24-2008, 05:16 PM

I had a dream last night that my parents gave me $30k to buy a G8 GT.
I woke up and was sorely disappointed.

Kennyboy · 04-24-2008, 05:33 PM

The interior in the pictures don't do it justice in real life. Actual interior felt okay, except for the flaux aluminum trim around the dashboard. And the red dash lights fade out in the sun. Other then that, is was okay. Not stunning, just okay.

DonDono63 · 04-24-2008, 07:13 PM

Another G8 review that gives a dig to the GTO. I like the G8 big time but I wouldn't trade my GTO 6 speed straight up for a G8. The GTO looks better outside and the GTO interior seems, well, nicer IMO. The 400 hp GTO just did it for me.

Don

AndrewGS · 04-24-2008, 07:33 PM

I love it. I went a couple of weeks ago and drove a loaded GT and it does everything right. The only thing I found annoying was the feel and sound of the door hinges, they seemed kinda cheap, but I can ignore that. If I got one I'd have to swap out the rearview mirror for an auto dimming unit from another GM model. I don't know what the hell happened there.

stevecmh · 04-24-2008, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 69Firebird400

I just read the full article on Autoblog before I saw this post. They barely had anything negative to say about the car at all.

An excellent product from GM. I can't wait to take one of these for a spin!

same here i cant wait for my friends dealer to get it .. i want to drive it bad

04-24-2008, 12:18 PM	#1 (permalink)
SVTKAR3 3.8 Liter Supercharged V6 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: South Jersey Drives: '88 Lincoln TownCar. Posts: 578	In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT. Posted Apr 24th 2008 11:59AM by John Neff Filed under: Garage, Sedans/Saloons, Pontiac Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT As a tyke I staged an all-out assault on my parents' better judgment for a G.I. Joe hovercraft. Not three months had passed following their surrender when I ransomed my mischievousness for the next toy my happiness hinged upon. Oh, that hovercraft? Forgotten. The auto industry works the same way. We often convince automakers that we'll buy every cool car they'd make if they would just grow a pair and build 'em. They do their part and then... we don't. The trust is broken and we're back to buying what automakers know will sell. After much whining from performance enthusiasts, the rear-wheel-drive 2008 Pontiac G8 GT is finally here and at first glance is packing almost everything we wanted. Will GM be made to look like the pushover parent and left paying the bill for this Aussie import while customers shift their attention on to the next big thing, or will the G8 turn out to be the toy we never tire of? Read on to find out..... enlarge Unlike GM's newest all stars, the Cadillac CTS and Chevy Malibu, the Pontiac G8 is not a new product developed specifically for North America. It is technically an import from Australia; a rebadged version of the rear-wheel-drive Commodore VE sedan on loan from Holden, GM's Australian division. We've been down this road before with the Holden Monaro-based GTO sold from 2004 – 2006. Enthusiasts promised GM that the GTO would be a big hit, but we didn't buy them in big numbers. Apparently all is forgiven, as GM's back again with the G8. Forgettable styling is not an issue with the G8 as it was with the GTO. Pontiac designers took the stately form of the Commodore VE and added their own corporate face with recessed twin grilles and a split lower air intake incorporating a pair of fog lamps. The hood features sporty nostrils that are semi-functional, meaning that while they don't redirect air directly into the engine, they do allow it to pass into the engine compartment to aid cooling........ [rest of the article.....http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/24/i...pontiac-g8-gt/ ] All photos © 2008 John Neff / Weblogs, Inc. __________________ 2008 WORLD CHAMPIONS PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES!!!

04-24-2008, 12:36 PM	#2 (permalink)
69Firebird400 7.0 Liter LS7 V8 Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Philadelphia Area Drives: 08 CTS DI RWD Nav, 08 Sienna Limited AWD Nav Posts: 5,639	Re: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT. I just read the full article on Autoblog before I saw this post. They barely had anything negative to say about the car at all. An excellent product from GM. I can't wait to take one of these for a spin! __________________ Autosavant Cars and Technology

04-24-2008, 12:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
maherj2 2.5L Iron Duke Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 23	Re: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT. I have 2100 miles on mine now, this is one of my favorite cars of all time.... __________________

04-24-2008, 01:13 PM	#4 (permalink)
jbernie 5.3 Liter Vortec V8 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Colorado, USA Drives: 2006 Saab 9-3 Aero Posts: 1,412	Re: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT. Some lucky person has a white G8 here in the parking lot, having seen may of the Commodores etc when I was back in Australia last year I am very much admiring it I as drive in and out of the parking lot. As much as I am not a big fan of the hood scoops it does look so very nice. __________________ Talk is cheap, sometimes it is on sale!

04-24-2008, 03:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
Ambalanche 5.3 Liter Vortec V8 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Pensacola, Florida Drives: '07 Corvette Z51 Posts: 1,472	Re: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT. Such a trusting bunch!! I went to look at one the other week and really like it! It was a Sunday and they had left one unlocked. A GT. I liked it pretty well except the lack of quality feel on the center console. I really like the way the parking brake is integrated into the console, but when I rased it, the whole thing moved. Almost kind of a flimbsy way. Now the 'Vette's interior isn't the bashton of quality, but you don't get a flimbsy feeling either. Other than that I LOVE the car!! Just my .02 __________________ GM better hope the Volt is a runaway success, because *all* the eggs are in that basket!

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04-24-2008, 05:16 PM	#11 (permalink)
FenwickHockey65 7.0 Liter LS7 V8 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: West Chester, OH Drives: Chevrolet Malibu LS, GMC Envoy SLE, GMC Sonoma SLS Posts: 5,493	Re: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT. I had a dream last night that my parents gave me $30k to buy a G8 GT. I woke up and was sorely disappointed. __________________ Proud to drive American. Proud to drive GM. Current Cars: 2007 Chevrolet Malibu LS: 2.2L ECOTEC I-4 2003 GMC Envoy SLE: 4.2L Vortec 4200 I-6 1998 GMC Sonoma SLS Ext. Cab: 4.3L Vortec 4300 V6 Former Cars: 1993 Saturn SW2 (1993-2006, 243,000 miles) 1989 GMC Safari SLT (1989-2003, 293,000 miles) Future Car: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT RS: 3.6L DI VVT V6

04-24-2008, 05:33 PM	#12 (permalink)
Kennyboy 6.0 Liter Vortec V8 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Long Beach, CA Drives: Caddy CTS Posts: 1,525	Re: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT. The interior in the pictures don't do it justice in real life. Actual interior felt okay, except for the flaux aluminum trim around the dashboard. And the red dash lights fade out in the sun. Other then that, is was okay. Not stunning, just okay. __________________

04-24-2008, 07:13 PM	#13 (permalink)
DonDono63 2.5L Iron Duke Join Date: Jun 2006 Drives: 2003 Saturn L300 2006 GTO Posts: 19	Re: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT. Another G8 review that gives a dig to the GTO. I like the G8 big time but I wouldn't trade my GTO 6 speed straight up for a G8. The GTO looks better outside and the GTO interior seems, well, nicer IMO. The 400 hp GTO just did it for me. Don __________________ 2003 Saturn L300 2006 GTO

04-24-2008, 07:33 PM	#14 (permalink)
AndrewGS 7.0 Liter LS7 V8 Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Spring, TX, MX (Houston) Drives: 1986 Ford RS200 EVO Posts: 6,940	Re: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT. I love it. I went a couple of weeks ago and drove a loaded GT and it does everything right. The only thing I found annoying was the feel and sound of the door hinges, they seemed kinda cheap, but I can ignore that. If I got one I'd have to swap out the rearview mirror for an auto dimming unit from another GM model. I don't know what the hell happened there. __________________ Andrew - MySpace - KD5FHW 1995 Buick Roadmaster Limited - LT1, 4L60E, 2.93 Gears, 260HP, 4,200LBS, 15.4SEC 1/4-MI, 21MPG 2005 Chevrolet Silverado C1500 LS - LM7, 4L60E, 3.73 Gears, 300HP, 4,200LBS, 15.0SEC 1/4-MI, 19.0MPG "Gas mileage is fine, but keep in mind, the first question any car buyer asks themselves is, 'Will this get me laid?'"

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