Feb 7, 2007

Bob Gritzinger / Autoweek

 Ronald Reagan was president the last time Pontiac sold a rear-wheel-drive Grand Prix. The spiritual successor to General Motors' performance sedan from the past was unveiled today at the Chicago auto show, in the form of the 2008 Pontiac G8.

Due in dealerships early next year, the all-new performance sedan shares underpinnings with the Holden Commodore from GM's Australian subsidiary. Commodore went on sale in Australia in August 2006.

Pontiac will sell two G8s, a base model powered by a 3.6-liter V-6, rated at 261 hp and 250 pounds-feet of torque, with a five-speed automatic, and a GT running a 6.0-liter V-8, rated at 362 hp and 391 pounds-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic.

Both transmissions will feature manual shift mode. A six-speed manual transmission will be available with the V-8 sometime after launch. The V-8 also will be equipped with cylinder deactivation technology. The GT also gets a standard limited-slip differential for improved traction.

 The Chicago show car, while representative of the production GT, offers a glimpse at some tuner touches: 20-inch chrome wheels (18s are standard, 19s are available), lowered ride height, high-performance brakes with painted calipers, custom interior trim with leather-wrapped dash, the Phantom Grey paint job and a conceptualized version of the Pontiac badge.

Some might argue GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz didn’t stray very far from his BMW past for the G8s bold styling cues -- and we'd argue most BMW styling is worth cribbing. Regardless of the inspiration, the clean muscular lines and wheels-at-the-corners stance make an impressive design statement in this latest take on the Wide Track Pontiac tradition. Inside, the G8's uncluttered twin cockpit is highlighted by large round gauges and Pontiac's signature red lighting.

Underneath, all the good stuff developed by GM's rear-drive experts at Holden carries over to this first North American application of GM's new global rear-drive architecture. The four-wheel independent suspension uses MacPherson struts up front and a four-link coil-over shock setup at the rear. Stopping power comes from four-wheel antilock disc brakes with vented rotors. GT models get 1-inch larger brake discs.

 "The rear-wheel-drive engineering team has put together a simply spectacular car that captures the essence of Pontiac," says Pontiac General Manager John Larson. "We believe that the Pontiac G8 will rival competitors costing far more."

And just how much is that? When Lutz spilled the beans on the car back in January, sources suggested pricing starting at around $25,000 -- with just 30,000 to 50,000 copies available. If G8 can succeed where GM's last Aussie import -- the pricier Monaro-based Pontiac GTO coupe -- couldn't, maybe we won't have to wait through two Bushes and a Clinton for Pontiac's next rear-drive sedan.