G8 Teaser

[Northstar]

That's the Torrent.

[frogger]

Well with the please look at me hood vents it won't be mistaken for earlier Bimmers anymore.

[aaaantoine]

The rear is not so much to my liking, but everything in front of the decklid is damn sexy.

[AH-HA]

Tomorrow... midnight... all will be clear. :AH-HA_wink:

[big blue]

Tomorrow... midnight... all will be clear. :AH-HA_wink:

Always there to wet our appetites and leave us hungry huh?

[gm4life]

Anyone have the link to the movie where the screen pics our from?

[Flybrian]

Anyone have the link to the movie where the screen pics our from?

Its one of those projector screen displays at the Chicago Auto Show running random montages of Pontiacs (or Buicks or whatever stand it is) in the background. Part of the display and captured running by one of the Chicago webcams.

[jbartley]

there was some talk of a tacky spoiler, but i think it's just the image of a smaller G8 inside the larger one, not a tacky spoiler...

[balthazar]

Of course you won't like it..it doesn't have Wide Track, tailfins, yards of chrome, BOF, vinyl seats, a hardtop or carburators... we know you won't like it...

Well, yeah; sure.... but -umm- besides that... :wink:

Seriously, I agree 100% with ocnblu's views above.

Well with the please look at me hood vents it won't be mistaken for earlier Bimmers anymore.

Would you prefer 'please-look-at-me' fender vents (aka: the m3) instead ??

[gm4life]

Can't wait for Wednesday when the images will be on Wieck! And offically released, I get to see it on Saturday in the flesh I am so excited! RWD V8 Pontiac Sedan! Wahoo the last one I owned was my 1977 Bonneville Sedan with a 301ci. V8!--Better start saving for the Torrent GXP or Buick Enclave CX... My wife wants and SUV but I think I want a DTS (used) Lucerne V8 (new or used) or a new G8!

[ToniCipriani]

Not liking those teaser pics at all. Without a doubt, there will be major division on this car once the official pics/in-the-steel viewings are in, IMO. Not far enough- how many even here have campaigned for a 'new Pontiac look'-- this definately isn't it; very 'G6 grilles on a GP'. I understand the 'stopgap' issue, and I hope for Pontiac's sake I am in a strict minority, but I have a strong gut feeling here....

I thought from the original ABC pics, it was shown that it's more like the GTO Ram Air 6 concept rather than the G6. IMO it actually resembles more of the Torrent rather than the G6.

[Flybrian]

Again, for those who think its not Pontiac enough, keep in mind this car is a quick fix until North American Zeta production is ramped up. As a secondary, this gives Pontiac designers time to properly and realistically gauge feedback regarding the car.

Finally, would you rather have this now and something else in a few years or wait until 2009 to see anything at all?

P.S. For those who were afraid we'd have a repeat of GTOness with the lack of a moonroof. Don't worry.

[Mr.Krinkle]

I think this was my favorite shot from the webcam.

of all the spots that need a cleaning.

[balthazar]

>>"P.S. For those who were afraid we'd have a repeat of GTOness with the lack of a moonroof. Don't worry. "<<

I find it incredible to believe the lack of a moonroof had anything to do with the level of acceptance the GTO met.

[Bimmer325]

>>"P.S. For those who were afraid we'd have a repeat of GTOness with the lack of a moonroof. Don't worry. "<<

I find it incredible to believe the lack of a moonroof had anything to do with the level of acceptance the GTO met.

I'd venture to say the lack of four-doors was a factor. The G8 will have broader market appeal than the GTO from day one.

[regfootball]

Oh of course. And i think this is the best/cheapest marketing GM can do to promote pre-show buzz on the internet.

the only more obviously outrageous thing GM could do to promote this car is 'leaking' 'adult movies' of maximum bob in indiscretionate scenes with either oprah, paris hilton, rosie o donnell, or God forbid, britney spears.

[regfootball]

Tomorrow... midnight... all will be clear. :AH-HA_wink:

ahhhhh I NEED TO BE ALONE WITH PICTURES OF THE G8........oh those wheels oh those wheels

why the GTO failed....

greedy dealers

9 c.f. trunk with gas tank in side of it

lacked moonroof (people who buy aspirational cars DEMAND moonroofs)

lacked 4 doors

whining people who think we still need to style cars like late 60's musclecars

aero went before the GTO came in

Edited February 6, 2007 by regfootball

[deanh8]

[caddycruiser]

If anyone, public or media alike, bitches that this car is too "badge-made" or nitpicks little details here and there, I will personally hurt them.

The fact that we are finally getting a vehicle of this caliber, at any price and from any brand, that we are going from the third-world (in comparison) old Bonneville and current GP to this, and that there may finally be a more mainstream domestic sedan unbeatable in just about every category, is essentially unbelievable.

But BOY is it ever going to attract the lines...unless, of course, stupidity reigns, and we get into debates of the hardness of a radio surround, lack of completely new (however unnecessary and unwanted) body lines and pieces, etc. Let's hope intelligence and desire prevails...

Edited February 6, 2007 by caddycruiser

[Dragon]

i'll reserve judgment till i see it in person, but my my initial impression is nice, but not crazy for the hood scoops, the spoiler and euro style taillights, really hate those taillights.

going simply by what i see here, I think i'll wait for the G8 v2

[Robert Hall]

>>"P.S. For those who were afraid we'd have a repeat of GTOness with the lack of a moonroof. Don't worry. "<<

I find it incredible to believe the lack of a moonroof had anything to do with the level of acceptance the GTO met.

For a $35k sports coupe not to have a sunroof as an option was absurd... small issue, but still irritating.

[Robert Hall]

If anyone, public or media alike, bitches that this car is too "badge-made" or nitpicks little details here and there, I will personally hurt them.

The fact that we are finally getting a vehicle of this caliber, at any price and from any brand, that we are going from the third-world (in comparison) old Bonneville and current GP to this, and that there may finally be a more mainstream domestic sedan unbeatable in just about every category, is essentially unbelievable.

But BOY is it ever going to attract the lines...unless, of course, stupidity reigns, and we get into debates of the hardness of a radio surround, lack of completely new (however unnecessary and unwanted) body lines and pieces, etc. Let's hope intelligence and desire prevails...

Yes..

I just hope people will be able to overcome residual prejudice for the Pontiac brand (and for many, many car shoppers Pontiac means overstyled FWD rental cars) and accept this car for what it is--a modern, world-class RWD V8 sports sedan, something that GM is NOT known for (outside of Cadillac).

Edited February 6, 2007 by moltar

[Sixty8panther]

SEX

ON

WHEELS!

I love everything from the hood scoops to the sans-dogleg rear doors.

[Robert Hall]

SEX

ON

WHEELS!

I love everything from the hood scoops to the sans-dogleg rear doors.

I'm surprised to hear you like it...after all, it doesn't have Wide Track, tailfins, yards of chrome, BOF, vinyl seats, a hardtop or carburators... I figured you'd be stuck in 1959 with Balthazar.

[balthazar]

Many of the above positive, optimistic opinions are the Exact Same Thing that was said prior to the GTO unveiling. Then the optimism (>>"finally be a more mainstream domestic sedan unbeatable in just about every category"<<) soured quickly into whining & nitpicking (>>"whaa- no NAV!!!"<<) until the Goat was basically panned. I fear the exact same scenario is falling into place. Hope I'm wrong and it sells like free sex.

moltar- those who think Pontiac only means FWD rentals will NEVER buy Pontiac- to attempt to appeal to them is pure folly, a complete waste of time. It would be like BMW trying to appeal to me.

However, there are those with disposal income that WOULD buy a tasteful homage to the the most popular era in collector cars today. Tastefully done, (aka the Mustang), a car that carries subtle design cues of an earlier generation is heritage-true. No one slams lambo for aping & raping the same design that came out in 1970- it can be done and done well (not that lambo has achieved this IMO). I love how in some instances it's 'being true to the heritage' and in others it's 'stuck in the past'.

Edited February 6, 2007 by balthazar

[jbartley]

Many of the above positive, optimistic opinions are the Exact Same Thing that was said prior to the GTO unveiling. Then the optimism (>>"finally be a more mainstream domestic sedan unbeatable in just about every category"<<) soured quickly into whining & nitpicking (>>"whaa- no NAV!!!"<<) until the Goat was basically panned. I fear the exact same scenario is falling into place. Hope I'm wrong and it sells like free sex.

Oh please. the GTO failed because it's styling was trapped in the 90's, and was an obvious rebadge. This G8 so far looks like a CURRENT vehicle, thats style fits the pontiac theme. The coupe market is already limited. And people obviously weren't ready to pay 33k(and mark-up) for a Pontiac V8 coupe (with a FOUR SPEED auto!)

[Flybrian]

I find it incredible to believe the lack of a moonroof had anything to do with the level of acceptance the GTO met.

It was symptimatic of all the problems the GTO encountered - lack of trunk space, lack of certain options, powerful but not mind-blowing powertrain at launch, dated styling - back in 2004. It was a car literally badged as a Pontiac with little effort put into making it a appealing American car. Let's be realistic here, the overstyled "third-world" SSEi in my driveway looked far more modern than the GTO despite being four years 'older.' And while the smooth aero looks may have been fine and appealing in the rest of the world (which always seems a step behind American styling anyway), it didn't fit in as a 2004 model here, especially because it looked largely like a car that was just gotten rid of the year before...

And despite it all, I can still love the GTO for the great car it is while still recognizing why it failed in the market.

In contrast, the G8 replaces the Grand Prix and Bonneville (guaranteed customer base) as a sedan (lucurative market) that was designed with North American export in mind (compromise-free) with contemporary styling (not outdated) for what promises to be a competitive price (volume coupes are V6s and priced below $30k).

[Chicagoland]

GTO was never meant to sell more than 18K a year at the most. Some expected 1968 sales #'s.

The Holden made GTO has its core fans, just that some ONLY like old cars and never will like new ones.

The G8 looks fine, and has no excuses. Again, the nay-sayers are aging Boomers who want to be 18 again, and listen to the Monkees while looking at pics of 66 Goats.

Edited February 6, 2007 by Chicagoland

[Robert Hall]

The G8 looks fine, and has no excuses. Again, the nay-sayers are aging Boomers who want to be 18 again, and listen to the Monkees while looking at pics of 66 Goats.

Yes... you can't win with the fogeys and sentimentalists, best to just ignore them and be optimistic for a successful future of this modern car..

[Drew Dowdell]

I think the people that annoyed me most were the ones that would complain <loudly> about how the GTO was not "authentic" because it was >from Australia/not bad ass enough/too expensive/etc.< while a beige Camry sits in their driveway.

[caddycruiser]

Well, as was said, this shall be on interesting launch, both because of the buzz surround the G8 and what happened with the GTO (where there was also big buzz). This car is definitely a lot more thought out and well done than the GTO, but it's still a looming question we all will wait and see.

Flybrian- Oh, and sorry for the "third world" comment. No mallice towards you or your vehicle, and I'm actually still a GP and Bonneville fan in ways, but neither of those cars have near the apparent level of performance, style, or detailing and finish quality.

[Robert Hall]

I think the people that annoyed me most were the ones that would complain <loudly> about how the GTO was not "authentic" because it was >from Australia/not bad ass enough/too expensive/etc.< while a beige Camry sits in their driveway.

Or the type that never buy new cars and always blather on about how great cars were in 1970..

[Flybrian]

Flybrian- Oh, and sorry for the "third world" comment. No mallice towards you or your vehicle, and I'm actually still a GP and Bonneville fan in ways, but neither of those cars have near the apparent level of performance, style, or detailing and finish quality.

No harm done

[evok]

I don't know why people use the term STOPE GAP is describing the G8 - A rebaged Holden was planned to come to the US with the GMX-284 program originally. The only major difference between now and then is GM got religion on reduced retail volumes for the G8 and so it is built in OZ instead of Osh.

The original GMX284 program SOP was Spring of 07. In execution, nothing really change from what was planned years out.

[Drew Dowdell]

Will it eventually move to Oshawa once W-Body production stops and Zeta production is ramped up? I think people are thinking that an MCE will be timed with such a move, hence the "stop gap" speculation.

[evok]

Will it eventually move to Oshawa once W-Body production stops and Zeta production is ramped up? I think people are thinking that an MCE will be timed with such a move, hence the "stop gap" speculation.

Last I looked into - there are no plans for a NG G8. If production moves to NA, the G8 will have to have the demand to justify it. Why tool up in NA for 30k sales a year? Real demand would at minimum have to be double that.

That article in Freep or Edmunds talking about moving production to Osh in 09 was pure BS as far as I know.

[Drew Dowdell]

Last I looked into - there are no plans for a NG G8. If production moves to NA, the G8 will have to have the demand to justify it. Why tool up in NA for 30k sales a year? Real demand would at minimum have to be double that.

That article in Freep or Edmunds talking about moving production to Osh in 09 was pure BS as far as I know.

[speculation]One issue I understood was capacity in Oz. If Holden starts selling the heck out of these new ZE based cars, there may not be enough capacity left for the NA market. Additionally, with the Impala and Lucerne most likely ending up on the Zeta platform, building a Pontiac sedan on the same platform in the same facility would make sense. [/speculation]

[Robert Hall]

[speculation]One issue I understood was capacity in Oz. If Holden starts selling the heck out of these new ZE based cars, there may not be enough capacity left for the NA market. Additionally, with the Impala and Lucerne most likely ending up on the Zeta platform, building a Pontiac sedan on the same platform in the same facility would make sense. [/speculation]

One thing I wondered..where are the Commodores built? For some reason I thought it was Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and not in Australia...

[Cory Wolfe]

The front end is the best thing about it, imo, so far. The fenders should have had the same scallop with arrowhead as the Solstice. As it is, you can purchase vents like that at Pep Boys to tack onto anything. The midsection and rear end... very tepid. The taillights are generic. Pretty much what I feared... and expected, really. I am moving toward it a tenth of an inch at a time. Next tenth: seeing official pics, then real-life pics at the Show... and finally in person.

Well, I don't know about you, but it is by far one of the sexiest sedans out there. I even like it more than the CTS.

It was symptimatic of all the problems the GTO encountered - lack of trunk space, lack of certain options, powerful but not mind-blowing powertrain at launch, dated styling - back in 2004. It was a car literally badged as a Pontiac with little effort put into making it a appealing American car. Let's be realistic here, the overstyled "third-world" SSEi in my driveway looked far more modern than the GTO despite being four years 'older.' And while the smooth aero looks may have been fine and appealing in the rest of the world (which always seems a step behind American styling anyway), it didn't fit in as a 2004 model here, especially because it looked largely like a car that was just gotten rid of the year before...

And despite it all, I can still love the GTO for the great car it is while still recognizing why it failed in the market.

In contrast, the G8 replaces the Grand Prix and Bonneville (guaranteed customer base) as a sedan (lucurative market) that was designed with North American export in mind (compromise-free) with contemporary styling (not outdated) for what promises to be a competitive price (volume coupes are V6s and priced below $30k).

I loved the GTO, but it's not hard to see why it "failed".

[evok]

[speculation]One issue I understood was capacity in Oz. If Holden starts selling the heck out of these new ZE based cars, there may not be enough capacity left for the NA market. Additionally, with the Impala and Lucerne most likely ending up on the Zeta platform, building a Pontiac sedan on the same platform in the same facility would make sense. [/speculation]

Holden is only running on two shifts. If demand for the US G8 justifies the demand along with the new Ute, Holden can turn on the third shift at the plant. GM is trying to balance their global manufacturing as a results there is little need to spend 100 - 200 million dollars or more to tool up in NA for 30 - 50k vehicles with uncertain demand. It is easier to control through put at one plant than two. Especially given the remaining life span of the ZE Holden.

The volume for the Lucerne, Cadillac and two Chevys should be enough to keep the plant busy. To throw in more complexity with an additional lower volume vehicle is not warranted.

Maybe someday the G8 will be built here. Just not soon.

[carman21]

Imagine the complaining that went on by 50 year olds in the 60s whom missed their Pontiac Fire Chiefs. Well, this car is for the upcoming generation of car buyers not the the boomers. I certainly can't wait for the G8 to hit the streets.

[Robert Hall]

Imagine the complaining that went on by 50 year olds in the 60s whom missed their Pontiac Fire Chiefs. Well, this car is for the upcoming generation of car buyers not the the boomers. I certainly can't wait for the G8 to hit the streets.

Yeah, hopefully they won't market the G8 to the boomers...aim it at my generation (Gen X thirtysomethings)...though most of my peers aren't into domestics, I'm sure some people will be open-minded enough to consider a V8 Pontiac.

Edited February 6, 2007 by moltar

[Northstar]

The GTO really didn't sell that poorly for what it was. A 2-door, V8, 4-passenger coupe that didn't get very good gas mileage and had a tiny trunk.

I'm sure some people need more trunk room than 7 cu. ft. on a regular basis. I don't, so the GTO is fine for me, but many, many people would not be okay with only having a tiny amount of room in the trunk, assuming it is their only car. The gas mileage would also be a turn off for some, though there aren't many cars that you can get the level of performance, power, and roominess as the GTO, so that is to be expected. Being a coupe also eliminates many buyers, as does being only a 4-passenger vehicle.

The bottom line is that the GTO was an amazing performance bargain, and if you could live with the few shortcomings, it was one of the better cars GM sold, and quite possibly the best aside from Cadillacs and the Corvette. I believe someone with access to sales figures on a by-trim basis said that the GTO actually sold better than SS Camaros and WS6 Trans Ams, and at a higher price, so when you take that into account, I'm not so sure it really sold that poorly.

I think the G8 will easily sell 30k. I'm guessing the GTO may have sold 30k if it had 4 doors. The G8 has 4 doors, a good trunk, more modern styling, a better interior (assuming Holden didn't take a step backwards), and it should handle better (newer chassis), and it can seat 5. All of those things will easily add up to more sales. I know many GTO owners are already considering trading their GTO's in on a G8.

[bostonspider]

Pics from Road and Track

[Northstar]

Well folks, R&T decided to break the embargo, so here ya go:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?se...article_id=4733

EDIT: Well, looks like bostonspider beat me to it by a few seconds.

[Drew Dowdell]

The G8 has 4 doors, a good trunk, more modern styling, a great interior

Fixed

[Robert Hall]

Looks great..I'm glad they left off the huge rear wing that the SS V has..

crisp. clean. modern. a minimum of add-ons. I love the wheels..not the usual 5-spokes that everyone has done to death..

[thegriffon]

One thing I wondered..where are the Commodores built? For some reason I thought it was Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and not in Australia...

Elizabeth, SA (South Australia, not South Africa).

[FAPTurbo]

Whoa...!

That looks great!

Will this make it to Canada?...

[balthazar]

Or the type that never buy new cars and always blather on about how great cars were in 1970.

I know!! they're almost as bad as those that never buy vintage and always blather on about how great modern cars are, yet have zero basis for comparison except their father's or uncle's 30-yr old stories.

I'm not going to damn the G8 until after I see it in the steel, but I am not confident in the set-up.

>>"Imagine the complaining that went on by 50 year olds in the 60s whom missed their Pontiac Fire Chiefs."<<

There wasn't any, because Pontiac innovated and progressed and was the class leader in the '60s in numerous categories. Does the G8 achieve this level of success, too? We'll see.

Tee-hee; "Fire Chief".