Edmunds First-Drive - Pontiac G8 GT
02-01-2008, 11:07 PM
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Edmunds First-Drive - Pontiac G8 GT Is Pontiac Back?
Pontiac G8 GT will carry a base price of $29,995.
By Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor
Date posted: 01-31-2008
Now that the Grand Prix has faded into front-wheel-drive oblivion, it's up to the 2008 Pontiac G8 to restore a little legitimacy to Pontiac's performance reputation. There's a good chance it will succeed, as the G8 is a real American muscle sedan with rear-wheel drive and the power of a V8.
The G8 started out life in Australia as the Holden Commodore, but Pontiac tells us that the G8 was part of the plan all along. The transformation has done some good, as the 2008 Pontiac G8 is a far more chiseled-looking sport sedan than its Australian cousin. It uses all the traditional Pontiac design cues, but this time they look purposeful instead of merely tacked on.
Proper Power Under the Hood
Its 6.0-liter all-aluminum V8 is rated at 361 hp and 385 lb-ft of torque.
There wouldn't be much to talk about if the G8 was just another V6-powered family sedan, so Pontiac did itself a favor and made sure that a V8 is on the options list. If you order the big engine, it's called the G8 GT.
A 6.0-liter L76 V8 powers the G8 GT. It's an aluminum-block V8 shared with several of GM's full-size trucks and SUVs, although the G8 engine doesn't get variable valve timing like the trucks. This doesn't put a damper on its performance, as the G8's 6.0-liter still delivers 361 horsepower at 5,300 rpm and 385 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm.
It's hooked to GM's 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission, the same gearbox used in the Cadillac STS-V and Chevrolet Corvette. At this time there are no plans to offer a manual transmission for the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT.
Between the wide-ratio 6L80 transmission, the V8's Active Fuel Management system and the G8's tall, 2.92:1 rear-end gear, Pontiac says the GT will have EPA ratings of 15 mpg city/24 mpg highway. When you take into account its sizable 19-gallon fuel capacity, the GT will go more than 420 miles on a single tank.
Not bad, considering that Pontiac also says the G8 GT will do zero to 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds and run the quarter-mile in 13.8 seconds at 101 mph. That's quicker than the last Dodge Charger SRT8 we tested from zero to 60. Needless to say, adding a shorter rear-end gear would probably get the 3,995-pound G8 GT to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds, especially with the car's standard limited-slip differential to put down the power.
If all-out performance isn't your priority, there's a V6-powered base model, too. It gets GM's 3.6-liter LY6 V6, an engine that's also used in the Cadillac CTS and Saturn Aura. It's rated at 256 hp at 6,300 rpm and 248 at 2,100 rpm and is matched with GM's 5L40 five-speed automatic.
It may not have the burly sound of the bigger V8, but the base G8 still delivers some decent numbers, according to Pontiac. A 7.0-second 0-60-mph time isn't bad and a 15.2-second run at 91 mph in the quarter-mile keeps it competitive with most other full-size sedans. Mileage is only slightly better than the V8, with EPA estimates of 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway.
18s for Everybody
Eighteen-inch wheels and tires are standard. This car wears the optional 19-inch summer rubber.
In order to handle all that power, the 2008 Pontiac G8 features multilink independent rear suspension with progressive rate springs, while MacPherson struts are used up front. Pontiac says this is an FE2 calibration, GM-speak for a kind of midlevel, slightly sporty setup. All G8s will come with this setup as standard equipment. Pontiac says the G8 has a nearly 50 percent front/50 percent rear weight balance with a driver and two passengers in the car.
All G8s get 18-inch wheels that are 8-inches wide rims. The base model has split five-spoke cast-aluminum wheels wearing 245/45R18 all-season tires. GT's get solid five-spoke wheels with machined-aluminum faces and 245/45R18 summer performance tires. An optional Sport package for the GT adds 19-inch wheels and 245/40R19 summer performance tires.
The standard four-wheel disc brakes feature ABS, ventilated rotors and twin-piston calipers up front and single pistons in back. Oddly enough, the rear rotors are larger in diameter than the fronts. The base G8 has 11.9-inch rotors in back and 11.7-inch rotors in front. The GT gets 12.8-inch rotors in back and 12.6-inch discs in front. Traction and stability control are standard.
An American-Size Sedan
Small rear spoiler and four exhaust tips are standard on the G8 GT. V6 models get the spoiler and two pipes.
At 196.1 inches in overall length, the 2008 Pontiac G8 is about 4 inches longer than a Dodge Charger, but it rides on a 5-inch-shorter wheelbase of 114.8 inches. The two sedans are within an inch of each other in width and height.
Inside, the G8's interior is nearly as spacious as that of the Charger. There's more front legroom in the Pontiac and less than an inch of difference when it comes to rear legroom. Hip- and shoulder room are within an inch of each other, both front and rear. The G8 also features a monstrously large 17.5-cubic-foot trunk with a standard rear seat pass-through.
Bench Seat Is Not an Option
The center stack is topped by two digital gauges for volts and oil pressure.
Pontiac is positioning the G8 as a premium sport sedan, so the interior is fitted with more features than you might expect. Every G8 gets power-adjustable bucket seats for the driver and front passenger, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, full instrumentation including an oil temperature gauge, and a trip computer.
On the entertainment side, the base G8 gets a seven-speaker Blaupunkt audio system with single-disc CD changer, 5-inch multifunctional visual display and an auxiliary music player input. The upgraded system that's standard on the GT adds a six-disc CD changer and a 230-watt amplifier for its 11 speakers. An optional comfort-and-sound package for the base model adds the enhanced Blaupunkt system along with dual-zone climate control that comes standard on the GT.
There's a premium package on both the base G8 and the GT that adds leather upholstery and six-way power adjustment for the driver and front passenger seats. Pontiac also manages to get heated seats added to the premium package — an option doesn't exist on the Australian model. And in addition to the usual black-and-gray interior colors, the G8 GT offers gray with red inserts on both the cloth and leather interiors. There are six exterior colors: black, blue, gray, orange, red and white.
Is Pontiac Back?
There is no redline on the tachometer, but the V8's rev limiter is set at 6,000 rpm.
Not quite. It'll be a long time before Pontiac is considered a serious player on the performance scene again, what with the Torrent in the lineup and all. Replacing the forgettable Grand Prix with the 2008 Pontiac G8 should help earn back a little respect, however, as it appears to offer a solid rear-wheel-drive package at an attainable price.
The base G8 starts at $27,595, while the GT scrapes the $30K barrier at $29,995. Not cheap, but name another V8 sedan that will run mid-13s in the quarter-mile, return 24 mpg on the highway and swallow five suitcases for $30 grand. Yeah, Pontiac may be back after all.
Pontiac G8 GT will carry a base price of $29,995.
By Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor
Date posted: 01-31-2008
Now that the Grand Prix has faded into front-wheel-drive oblivion, it's up to the 2008 Pontiac G8 to restore a little legitimacy to Pontiac's performance reputation. There's a good chance it will succeed, as the G8 is a real American muscle sedan with rear-wheel drive and the power of a V8.
The G8 started out life in Australia as the Holden Commodore, but Pontiac tells us that the G8 was part of the plan all along. The transformation has done some good, as the 2008 Pontiac G8 is a far more chiseled-looking sport sedan than its Australian cousin. It uses all the traditional Pontiac design cues, but this time they look purposeful instead of merely tacked on.
Proper Power Under the Hood
Its 6.0-liter all-aluminum V8 is rated at 361 hp and 385 lb-ft of torque.
There wouldn't be much to talk about if the G8 was just another V6-powered family sedan, so Pontiac did itself a favor and made sure that a V8 is on the options list. If you order the big engine, it's called the G8 GT.
A 6.0-liter L76 V8 powers the G8 GT. It's an aluminum-block V8 shared with several of GM's full-size trucks and SUVs, although the G8 engine doesn't get variable valve timing like the trucks. This doesn't put a damper on its performance, as the G8's 6.0-liter still delivers 361 horsepower at 5,300 rpm and 385 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm.
It's hooked to GM's 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission, the same gearbox used in the Cadillac STS-V and Chevrolet Corvette. At this time there are no plans to offer a manual transmission for the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT.
Between the wide-ratio 6L80 transmission, the V8's Active Fuel Management system and the G8's tall, 2.92:1 rear-end gear, Pontiac says the GT will have EPA ratings of 15 mpg city/24 mpg highway. When you take into account its sizable 19-gallon fuel capacity, the GT will go more than 420 miles on a single tank.
Not bad, considering that Pontiac also says the G8 GT will do zero to 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds and run the quarter-mile in 13.8 seconds at 101 mph. That's quicker than the last Dodge Charger SRT8 we tested from zero to 60. Needless to say, adding a shorter rear-end gear would probably get the 3,995-pound G8 GT to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds, especially with the car's standard limited-slip differential to put down the power.
If all-out performance isn't your priority, there's a V6-powered base model, too. It gets GM's 3.6-liter LY6 V6, an engine that's also used in the Cadillac CTS and Saturn Aura. It's rated at 256 hp at 6,300 rpm and 248 at 2,100 rpm and is matched with GM's 5L40 five-speed automatic.
It may not have the burly sound of the bigger V8, but the base G8 still delivers some decent numbers, according to Pontiac. A 7.0-second 0-60-mph time isn't bad and a 15.2-second run at 91 mph in the quarter-mile keeps it competitive with most other full-size sedans. Mileage is only slightly better than the V8, with EPA estimates of 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway.
18s for Everybody
Eighteen-inch wheels and tires are standard. This car wears the optional 19-inch summer rubber.
In order to handle all that power, the 2008 Pontiac G8 features multilink independent rear suspension with progressive rate springs, while MacPherson struts are used up front. Pontiac says this is an FE2 calibration, GM-speak for a kind of midlevel, slightly sporty setup. All G8s will come with this setup as standard equipment. Pontiac says the G8 has a nearly 50 percent front/50 percent rear weight balance with a driver and two passengers in the car.
All G8s get 18-inch wheels that are 8-inches wide rims. The base model has split five-spoke cast-aluminum wheels wearing 245/45R18 all-season tires. GT's get solid five-spoke wheels with machined-aluminum faces and 245/45R18 summer performance tires. An optional Sport package for the GT adds 19-inch wheels and 245/40R19 summer performance tires.
The standard four-wheel disc brakes feature ABS, ventilated rotors and twin-piston calipers up front and single pistons in back. Oddly enough, the rear rotors are larger in diameter than the fronts. The base G8 has 11.9-inch rotors in back and 11.7-inch rotors in front. The GT gets 12.8-inch rotors in back and 12.6-inch discs in front. Traction and stability control are standard.
An American-Size Sedan
Small rear spoiler and four exhaust tips are standard on the G8 GT. V6 models get the spoiler and two pipes.
At 196.1 inches in overall length, the 2008 Pontiac G8 is about 4 inches longer than a Dodge Charger, but it rides on a 5-inch-shorter wheelbase of 114.8 inches. The two sedans are within an inch of each other in width and height.
Inside, the G8's interior is nearly as spacious as that of the Charger. There's more front legroom in the Pontiac and less than an inch of difference when it comes to rear legroom. Hip- and shoulder room are within an inch of each other, both front and rear. The G8 also features a monstrously large 17.5-cubic-foot trunk with a standard rear seat pass-through.
Bench Seat Is Not an Option
The center stack is topped by two digital gauges for volts and oil pressure.
Pontiac is positioning the G8 as a premium sport sedan, so the interior is fitted with more features than you might expect. Every G8 gets power-adjustable bucket seats for the driver and front passenger, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, full instrumentation including an oil temperature gauge, and a trip computer.
On the entertainment side, the base G8 gets a seven-speaker Blaupunkt audio system with single-disc CD changer, 5-inch multifunctional visual display and an auxiliary music player input. The upgraded system that's standard on the GT adds a six-disc CD changer and a 230-watt amplifier for its 11 speakers. An optional comfort-and-sound package for the base model adds the enhanced Blaupunkt system along with dual-zone climate control that comes standard on the GT.
There's a premium package on both the base G8 and the GT that adds leather upholstery and six-way power adjustment for the driver and front passenger seats. Pontiac also manages to get heated seats added to the premium package — an option doesn't exist on the Australian model. And in addition to the usual black-and-gray interior colors, the G8 GT offers gray with red inserts on both the cloth and leather interiors. There are six exterior colors: black, blue, gray, orange, red and white.
Is Pontiac Back?
There is no redline on the tachometer, but the V8's rev limiter is set at 6,000 rpm.
Not quite. It'll be a long time before Pontiac is considered a serious player on the performance scene again, what with the Torrent in the lineup and all. Replacing the forgettable Grand Prix with the 2008 Pontiac G8 should help earn back a little respect, however, as it appears to offer a solid rear-wheel-drive package at an attainable price.
The base G8 starts at $27,595, while the GT scrapes the $30K barrier at $29,995. Not cheap, but name another V8 sedan that will run mid-13s in the quarter-mile, return 24 mpg on the highway and swallow five suitcases for $30 grand. Yeah, Pontiac may be back after all.
02-01-2008, 11:08 PM
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1984 Ferrari 308 or 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
Which would you pick?
After time spent behind the wheel of this red 2008 Pontiac G8 GT I know which one I'd choose. But which would you drive home? Stupid question? Not really. A 2008 Pontiac G8 GT will soon be joining our long-term fleet, which means this tough choice will become a daily event around here.
Would you drive the 362-horsepower sedan and enjoy its modern amenities or would you take the aging exotic that's still a thrill? The Pontiac will obviously outperform the less powerful Italian but the Ferrari is never dull. Decisions. Decisions.
Which would you pick?
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
Posted by Scott Jan 28, 2008 11:07 am
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/1...hotopanel..3.*
Which would you pick?
After time spent behind the wheel of this red 2008 Pontiac G8 GT I know which one I'd choose. But which would you drive home? Stupid question? Not really. A 2008 Pontiac G8 GT will soon be joining our long-term fleet, which means this tough choice will become a daily event around here.
Would you drive the 362-horsepower sedan and enjoy its modern amenities or would you take the aging exotic that's still a thrill? The Pontiac will obviously outperform the less powerful Italian but the Ferrari is never dull. Decisions. Decisions.
Which would you pick?
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
Posted by Scott Jan 28, 2008 11:07 am
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/1...hotopanel..3.*
02-02-2008, 09:09 PM
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I do like the G8, but I think GM's making a big mistake.
The Grand Prix started off at $21k, for a near full sized sedan, and for $25k you could get the car fully loaded. The 2008 Grand Prix is rated at 18/28 mpg
The G8 V6 starts off at $27k, though it is fully loaded, gets worse milage, and is still just as fast as the 200HP Grand Prix, which also happens to cost many times less.
I like the way the G8 looks, and I love the interior, but GM should cut some options to make it cheaper...
The Grand Prix started off at $21k, for a near full sized sedan, and for $25k you could get the car fully loaded. The 2008 Grand Prix is rated at 18/28 mpg
The G8 V6 starts off at $27k, though it is fully loaded, gets worse milage, and is still just as fast as the 200HP Grand Prix, which also happens to cost many times less.
I like the way the G8 looks, and I love the interior, but GM should cut some options to make it cheaper...
02-03-2008, 12:12 AM
#7
Its supposed to be a more upscale option, not a direct replacement to the Grand Prix. Its got a much better engine and drivetrain, and far superior build quality all around. Your dreaming if you think your going to get it for less...
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02-03-2008, 06:01 AM
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Looking at the numbers, it looks like it is slower than the 05-06 goats due to more weight and less HP. It is going to need some LS3 power under the hood to get it to beat a stock LS2 GTO
I would pimp it. Hopefully the GXP version will come out shortly with the LS3 under the hood. I see a Camaro SS or GXP in the future for me.
I would pimp it. Hopefully the GXP version will come out shortly with the LS3 under the hood. I see a Camaro SS or GXP in the future for me.
.
02-05-2008, 02:29 PM
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And yes, they need to strip some of the options off of the base models and make a more exciting rear gear optional. Might take a bite out of the mpg, but I bet even a 3.23 would feel worlds better in that car. Of course if the 6 speed comes with its .50 overdrive even a 3.73 would still make the mpg on the highway.....................
02-05-2008, 09:18 PM
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If Pontiac really is the performance division... why not throw in the LSA from the 09 CTS-V, and really **** off some Euro brands? Not likely, but how kickass would that be. I believe it would also spread the cost of the LSA, which would help make the CTS-V and GXP cheaper!!
..all things considered, and being realistic, I think i'd be cool with an LS3-powered GXP, too.
..all things considered, and being realistic, I think i'd be cool with an LS3-powered GXP, too.
02-17-2008, 01:14 AM
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Looks kinda old already .Too stoogey , kinda dorky looking proportions . Something about it just don't look right . **** , the only thing interesting is the drive train & even then we're lookin at 4000 lbs. You'd think they would have at least put the tap-shifter in it . I'm sorry . This thing looks like it was penned by the same jerk who gave us that ugly little Pontiac SUV a few years back. Now what was that thing called ? The "AZTEK" ?
02-17-2008, 03:34 AM
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IIRC the auto has a manual "tip-tronic" mode anyway.
Either full auto or manual control.
In oz they are getting 460rwhp with cam only! Can you say 10 sec 1/4!
http://www.gmmotorsport.com/gm_redback.html
Either full auto or manual control.
In oz they are getting 460rwhp with cam only! Can you say 10 sec 1/4!
http://www.gmmotorsport.com/gm_redback.html
02-17-2008, 01:26 PM
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The Grand Prix started off at $21k, for a near full sized sedan, and for $25k you could get the car fully loaded. The 2008 Grand Prix is rated at 18/28 mpg
The G8 V6 starts off at $27k, though it is fully loaded, gets worse milage, and is still just as fast as the 200HP Grand Prix, which also happens to cost many times less.
The G8 V6 starts off at $27k, though it is fully loaded, gets worse milage, and is still just as fast as the 200HP Grand Prix, which also happens to cost many times less.
Something about it just don't look right . **** , the only thing interesting is the drive train & even then we're lookin at 4000 lbs. You'd think they would have at least put the tap-shifter in it . I'm sorry . This thing looks like it was penned by the same jerk who gave us that ugly little Pontiac SUV a few years back. Now what was that thing called ? The "AZTEK" ?
Tap shift is overrated. I have it in the GTP rather have an autostick...and for the Dragstrip...don't bother with Tap shift...