evok

You said it not me. I just find people a lot more honest when their hard earned money reflects their opinion. It is easy to talk. That is why focus groups are bull$hit.

Technically - Besides the 4-Door J car and SUVS/Vans - there have not been many badge-engineered Chevys/Pontiacs in the past 20 years.

Pontiac according to JD Power's study ranks at the bottom for customer retention, and is below overage on their APPEAL study. Therefore, no matter how good technically or optioned the G8 is, the brand is not on the public's radar. Beyond the GM enthusiast community, Pontiac is irrelevant. Rebadging a relatively non descript Holden will not change that. GM did not pursuade the public with the Catera and the GTO. The G8 is the same formula. Already I have heard people refer to the G8 as the Pontiac Catera. Oh and BTW - those vehicles you posted did not sell well in the US.

The GTO has already shown - the formula does not work.

or afford one!

Saturn does not have 50 years of modern design heritage and Saturn does not have the baggage of Pontiac.

There is no love it or hate. You would either spend money on it or not given the choices on the market. That seems to be ths underlying disconnect on if your someone who likes this vehicle or not. Moving out of the realm of Fantasy Island and put real people with 30k to blow on a car, the market is too tough in the entry near entry luxury price point for yet another internationally style vehicle from a brand with a piss poor reputation and a lot of baggage for non GM or Pontiac fans to consider. I for one - do not find the design compelling enough to put down my money for it. It is dull compared to the market and it sure is no CTS. This G8? might be a good vehicle but for Pontiac though it will not move the needle for those that do not have Pontiac on their radar screen. I have to suspect when this vehicle comes out, the V6 with leather will be pushing $30K as I guess becomes I am unsure of pricing. For my money I would rather spend a little more and get the Cadillac or investigate the other options on the market. This G8 is just not "cool" enough much less "cool'. Grafting on a 1985 Grand Am grill insert with some Aztek hood scoops onto a Holden just does not cut.

Beautiful - kudos

I see plenty of Nissan there.

True!but besides the tired, tack-on, after though split grill, it could fall right into Acura's, Nissan's or Mitsubishi's line-up.

No - That is the point a few of us are making, as a stand alone product it lacks Pontiac attributes.

What this car means to the greater public:

Forgetting about the business reasons for bringing this thing over as a Pontiac, I stand with you and ocn and share the same assessment of the G8.

WOW - good guess. Read my links. Days run is smoke and mirrors. I wonder what Elliot Spitzer would think?

Wow, great,... http://secfilings.nasdaq.com/filingFramese...2F2007&pdf= http://secfilings.nasdaq.com/filingFramese...2F2007&pdf= Read between the lines.

Mark LeNeve lies - Zeta was well on before the decision was made that Commodore would come to NA and it was decided that Pontiac would get a version to be built in the states. Using LaNeve's same logic, the Statesman was designed to be a NA Buick because that was scheduled to come to NA along with the orignal zeta program. He is full of it.

BV - Why do you find that so surprising? There are many people out there that are just in a perpetual FOG!

More than likely - Hell I do not even expect him to open the link much less read the good post by Jason over at camaro.

http://web.camaross.com/forums/showthread.php?t=500175Read this. This was an excellent post.

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.

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.

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.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=dw-s...ns&expire=1 Loser: Chevy HHR A bunch of women driving this car are stuck at a stoplight where a throng of shirtless men – many out of shape or old (this was apparently the funny, zany part) – can't help but turn into dancing squeegee washers? Rudy Giuliani would have rightfully hit them with jaywalking tickets. Later, GMC gave us a robot contemplating suicide after getting laid off (it turned out to be a dream). This was particularly hilarious, we're sure, to all of the recently laid off General Motors factory workers. At least Chevy spared us another rendition of John Mellencamp's "This Is Our Country" and last March's endless loop of button-down Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski trying to hawk construction grade pickup trucks. (When you think hauling steel, who doesn't think Duke hoops?) We can't imagine why Detroit is in trouble. WOW - And I thought I was the only one.