Not much inventory left to be had... so if you were craving a G8 GXP, now's the time to jump on one. Pontiac just posted on Twitter it's remaining stock: 16 G8 GXP, 570 G8 GT, 1500 G5, 400 Torrent, 139 Base Solstice Cpe, 160 Solstice Cpe GXP, 350 Vibe, 530 G6 GXP.

Source: Twitter

While we’re still mourning the death of the Pontiac G8 sedan, Holden has launched two special edition models of the Commodore, which the G8 was based on. The two models, based on the SS V-Series Special Edition sedan, Sportwagon and Ute, get styling treatments that are reminiscent of our beloved Pontiac G8.

The models ditch the original Australian style grille in favor of the two-part grille as seen on the Pontiac G8. Basically, the special edition models are a Pontiac G8 without the Pontiac badge.

Full press release at the source.

Source: eGMCarTech

During a live chat earlier this week, Maximum Bob Lutz said that the Pontiac G8 will be saved as a Chevrolet Caprice when GM kills the Pontiac brand at the end of this year.

“The G8 has finally been discovered by a broader percentage of the buying public. The owners are ecstatic about them, many calling it the best sedan they’ve ever driven,” said Lutz. “We consider it too good to waste. So we’re studying the feasibility of bringing it in as a Caprice for both law enforcement and the public.”

Writing over at GM’s Fast Lane Blog today, Bob Lutz said that the “G8 will not be a Caprice after all.”

“I’d mentioned it, and said we were studying it, giving it a serious look, because a car like the G8 was just too good to waste,” said Lutz. “That’s all still true. But I have to say that, with my new “marketing” hat on, upon further review and careful study, we simply cannot make a business case for such a program. Not in today’s market, in this economy, and with fuel regulations what they are and will be.”

Lutz said that the GM must be very careful as to where it allocates its budgets for the time being. He said that for now the resources must be allocated elsewhere. He reinforced that the move does not mean that GM is backing away from performance or rear-wheel-drive.

“We have a tremendous RWD team in Australia that gave us the beloved G8, a team that we will tap into at some point again in the future for its expertise and sheet metal. Just not right now.”

Source: eGMCarTech

Bob Lutz is back, and after what seems like five minutes into his job as GM's new marketing kingpin, he's doing what he does best: making headlines. Rest assured that this is a good thing, as El Generalissimo Roberto Maximo told Automobile Magazine that yes, the Pontiac G8 will live on in the United States as the Chevy Caprice. So much for Fritz "I'm not a fan of rebadging" Henderson's statement to the contrary a couple of weeks ago.

"The last time we looked at [the G8], we decided that we would continue to import it as a Chevrolet. It is kind of too good to waste," Lutz told the mag. As for the G8 being "too good to waste": Amen to that, Bob. This also makes us wonder if law enforcement-grade models will be part of the deal with Holden to continue production. Chevy Caprice police cars? That's got a very familiar ring to it. The next question is whether a U.S. Caprice would mimic the Middle East-market Caprice, which is based on the long-wheelbase Holden Caprice/Statesman, or whether it will simply be a Chevy-badged version of the standard-wheelbase Holden Commodore/Pontiac G8/Chevrolet Lumina. Frankly, as long as there's ultimately a Caprice SS that is identical to the Pontiac G8 GXP in every critical way, we don't care.

In his conversation with Automobile, Lutz also essentially confirms that next year's Cadillac CTS coupe will be joined by a V-series variant, saying that the CTS-V coupe was the car that had most of the Presidential Task Force members' tongues wagging during the product-pipeline tour they were given by GM. Lutz even hints that a CTS-V wagon is not completely out of the question. (We'll take the wagon in brown, with the stick, Bob.)

On the bad news side, in a separate blog post, Automobile reports that Lutz kind of throws dirt on the idea of an LSA-powered Camaro Z28 (though he doesn't specifically state that the program's toast). He says that for "mainstream" sports models like the Camaro, powerful sixes (like the one in the Camaro LS and LT) and turbo fours (like the one used in the now-dead Cobalt SS, HHR SS and Solstice GXP) are more indicitive of the automaker's future direction in that regard. Hmmm. Well then, how about bolting a blower to the direct-injected V6?

Welcome back, Bob. This sounds like it could get pretty fun.

Source:AutoBlog

The Pontiac brand may be on its way out the door, but that doesn't mean it can't have one last fling with a renowned tuner. Hurst Performance Vehicles, the legendary shifter company that most recently has made waves with its Hemi Challenger, announced its new H.O. program for the Pontiac G6 and G8. Few details have been released regarding the performance upgrades of the cars, but each will feature Hurst's signature black/gold or white/gold paint scheme, forged alloy Hurst wheels, an exclusive Hurst shifter, supercharged engine, suspension upgrades, and a newly trimmed interior.

To help with the development of the car, Hurst also brought on performance icon "Doc" Watson, who developed such vehicles as the Hurst Hemi-Under-Glass and the 1972 Pontiac SSJ. Only 52 Hurst H.O. Pontiacs will be built along with ten G6 convertibles used as parade and special event vehicles. More details regarding the performance upgrades will be announced on August 1st.


Source:AutoBlog

Here are some wallpapers of the last Pontiac we want to remember as well as some eye-candy to go along with it. Hit up the source to win a chance to go with Gina to an MMA event and stay at a baller hotel.

Source: MAXIM

General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson held a web chat with journalists yesterday over at the automaker's Fastlane Blog. (Full transcript available here.) Now, despite persistent rumors to the contrary, it's been reported a few times over that GM has no intention of resurrecting the Aussie-built Pontiac G8 under a different division, even though variants of the G8's Holden Commodore source material are sold in foreign markets under both the Chevrolet and Buick nameplates. This is a lamentable course of action, to say the least, because the G8 is a really good car. In particular, the G8 GT and GXP models are downright excellent. Towards the end of the web proceedings, AutoWeek's Greg Migliore went to the well one last time on behalf of enthusiasts everywhere, asking Henderson if the G8 has any future under one of the "new" GM's remaining brands.

14:45 [Comment From Greg Migliore--AutoWeek]
Does the Pontiac G8 have any kind of future within General Motors as a re-badged model? What kinds of changes would need to be made to the car for it to be sold under another brand?

14:45 Fritz Henderson: I am not a fan of rebadging.

That's a terse, disappointing, answer – especially considering that of GM's four remaining divisions, GMC is made up almost exclusively of warmed-over Chevrolets. R.I.P. Pontiac G8.

Source: AutoBlog

Do not expect the G8 GXP to live on as a Chevy G8, or Cadillac G8, or even Buick G8. CEO Fritz Henderson has made it very clear that there are no plans on keeping this baller G8 in the assembly line. Too bad that no one asked Henderson if that goes for the entire G8 range or only for the GXP.

Source: Motor Trend

As many as 35,038 2008-2009 model year Pontiac G8 sport sedan owners will be receiving recall notices soon from GM to tackle two separate electronic glitches on their cars. The first problem concerns the brake pedal position switch that could be incorrectly programmed causing the brake lamps to be continually illuminated. General Motors also noticed that some cars may have incorrect values programmed into the tire pressure monitoring system meaning that drivers will not be notified about low tire pressure. GM's dealers will reprogram both the brake position sensor and the tire pressure monitoring system on the affected vehicles free of charge.

Source: CarScoop

General Motors has begun engineering work to keep its Zeta family of sporty cars -- which includes the new Chevrolet Camaro and the Pontiac G8 sport sedan -- competitive through the architecture's planned lifecycle to 2020, an Australian publication reports.
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The vehicles were engineered in Australia, which is GM's global development center for volume-brand rear-drive cars. GM builds the G8 and Holden Commodore Zeta cars in Australia. The Camaro, and potentially other vehicles from the program, comes from the automaker's Oshawa, Ontario, plant.

The Web site www.goauto.com.auv says the second generation of vehicles from the Zeta program will debut in 2013, when a new Commodore will hit the road with more fuel-efficient engines and reduced weights.

Source: Freep

Ignoring the outlashing that fans gave SLP for the revival of the Firehawk nameplate and slapping it on a G8, a new site has been launched so you can order the new Firehawk. Performance wise, it'll have kick as it's sporting a 1900 Series TVS, high-output supercharger (black finish). This is the same technology offered in the new ZR 1 Corvette supercharger. It safely provides 7 PSI of boost, creating stump-pulling torque and neck-breaking acceleration. It increases the power and torque of the stock L76 6.0L engine at the flywheel from 361 HP to 500 HP @ 6024 RPM and 385 ft-lbs to 489 ft-lbs of torque @ 4340 RPM.

Want one? Go ahead and order it. But it's still no Firehawk.

Source: SLP Firehawk

It seems that no amount of controversy will prevent SLP (Street Legal Performance) from launching its latest Firehawk, this time based on the Pontiac G8 GT. Prior to this model, all previous Firehawk packages were fitted to the Firebird, a fact that has a number of SLP purists rather upset. Before we get to the specifications, perhaps we should remind Firebird fans that it could be worse: At least they didn't choose to revive the Firehawk name on a version of the new Camaro, right?

As for the car, it sounds like a pretty nice package. To the stock V8 engine, SLP adds a supercharger that's similar to the one featured on the jaw-dropping Corvette ZR1, a stainless exhaust system and a cold air induction system. All that's good for an impressive 500 horsepower. Other mods include new 19-inch alloys painted up in gun metal gray and a sport suspension package. The car's most striking design element will surely be the flat black-painted hood, grille surrounds and rear spoiler – an obvious nod to the factory gaudiness of muscle cars from the late '60s and early '70s.

Aside from the Firehawk name, the biggest issue that's likely to inhibit future SLP G8 ownership is surely the price. To the stocker's $32,440 base price, the SLP package adds a substantial $18,995, plus an extra $4,995 for an upgraded brake kit. For that kind of money, buyers could very nearly opt for a Cadillac CTS-V and be rewarded with its amazing supercharged 6.2L V8 engine and 556 horsepower. Still want one? Check back with your favorite local Pontiac dealer on April 1st. Full press release at the source!

Source: AutoBlog

There have been all manner of reports about General Motors’ future RWD plans over the past 12 months, with everything from the carmaker merging its Zeta and Sigma architectures for a new super platform to the introduction of a new compact RWD design to be called Alpha. According to latest reports, GM has halted its future development of its Zeta platform and any new vehicles that would have been spawned from it.

The information came directly from vice-chairman Bob Lutz, who revealed to Australian media at this week’s Detroit Auto Show that tougher fuel-economy standards and GM’s current financial crisis were the reasons behind the move. More in the jump!

“The strategy we had a few years ago of basically deriving a whole sweeping global portfolio off the Australian Zeta architecture ... frankly, we have had to abandon that dream,” Lutz said.

This means that GM will likely continuing using its ageing Sigma platform, which debuted back in 2002 in the first-generation CTS, for any future RWD large cars, reports GoAuto. However, there is also chance that GM will start to adopt more FWD designs. This is a strategy that Ford will also follow, revealing that it too has killed its future RWD ambitions.

Other vehicles affected by GM’s financial problems include a right-drive version of the Camaro as well as the Camaro convertible, which Lutz said will now arrive sometime in 2011 – two years after the launch of the coupe. As for the future of the current Zeta-based Pontiac G8, Lutz said that “it all depends on what we are going to do with the Pontiac brand,” explaining that it was one of the brands currently under review. The others being Saturn, Hummer and Saab.

Finally, Lutz hinted that he would like GM to work with its Holden subsidiary on a new compact RWD platform – Alpha – but admitted that it was “not even in the plan at this point.”

Source: Motor Authority

Hold on to your Budweiser coozies: Details are scarce at the moment, but Pickuptruck.com is reporting that Pontiac has quietly euthanized plans to introduce the 2010 Pontiac G8 ST. The muscular G8-based trucklet was to signal the re-emergence of the unibody pickup in North America, a genre once populated with vehicles like the Chevrolet El Camino and Ford Ranchero, along with smaller front-drive moppets like the Volkswagen Rabbit pickup and Dodge Rampage.

The Austrailian-built rear-drive G8 ST was to arrive with V8 power, a 74-inch cargo hold, and a 3500-pound towing capacity, making it less capable than full-size body-on-frame pickups like General Motors' own Silverado/GMC Sierra twins, with the predicted trade-off of markedly better handling and fuel economy.

The ST was to launch as a 2010 model later this year, and prices were rumored to start in the low $30k range. Although we are unsurprised to learn of the truck's cancellation (as GM is actively slimming down its portfolio and the baby muscle pickup was expected to serve as a small-volume niche model), we can't help but get a little misty-eyed at the loss of what promised to be a truly epic donut-making machine.

Source: AutoBlog

When it comes to survival, then nothing's absurd. In order for General Motors to stay afloat in these tough economic times, the U.S. automaker has to revaluate its entire strategy and make decisions that were unthinkable up until now - including the shrinkage of Pontiac which currently sells six-model (G8, G6, G5, Solstice, Vibe, and Torrent). "It might be just one model," Mark LaNeve, GM's North American sales chief, said in an interview. The firm that was supposed to build exciting cars has seen drop in sales every year since 1999. In the first 11 months of 2008, sales of the Pontiac brand are down 23 percent from a year earlier to 250,902 units.

"The one remaining Pontiac model would be sold alongside Buicks and GMCs, on a scale similar to its Corvette available in Chevrolet showrooms", LaNeve told Bloomberg. The question is, if GM decided to keep the Pontiac nameplate alive and not can the brand entirely, which car should remain?

According to John Wolkonowicz, an analyst from IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts, that model will most likely be the Holden Commodore based G8 sedan which was introduced this year in the U.S. market.

So, tell us. WTF should GM/Pontiac do?

Source: CarScoop