Road Test: Pontiac G8

[BillySlone]

"This car shows that GM is back in buisness!!"

Lol.. He jynxed them... xDD

[JaayDogg010]

I'm an Aussie that loves Holden/GM, too bad they dropped the Pontiac in the US cos a combination of Holden (body) and Chev (engine) shows that GM build awesome cars that are practical, with good performance at an affordable price.

[steveloz1]

@JaayDogg010 There's one thing that is fact "When Oz and USA get together, we kick serious arse." I think your comments are very agreeable and I wish all people could leave neutral comments like yours rather than argue over who was holding the spanner at the time on a production line. I'm glad the U.S.A exists in the world of Muscle cars otherwise I would never have been influenced by the rumble of a V8, which is probably the reason that I spent my $ on cars & not messed up on drugs.-Peace

[NicholasToras01]

Here's a fun fact for all car enthusiast to know. If your looking for a used car from whatever country whether it be American, Chinese, Japanese, or Koren, the one country car you'll hardly find and if so in very few numbers are car made from Australia. Subaru, and cars like this you'll barely find in numbers above 25 or 30. So yeah, Australia made cars are awsome!!

[berhorst59]

some of u apparently did not watch or listen to the whole vid. the announcer stated specifically it DOES NOT HAVE paddle shirters. if u watched the vid, u would have noticed the absence of said paddles on the wheel. get all the facts before u complain.

[Seattlecarnut]

I'd love to have a go at this G8 Pontiac. I'd prefer it over the more expensive BMW. It is possible to get performance, handling, durability in a car without having to pay more than necessary.

[79HZGTS]

The last line "it shows that GM is back in business, and they can build world class products when they put their mind to it".

GM NA did fuck-all. Holden was building this particular model as far back as 2006, two years before it was released in the USA.

Holden was never "out of the business" of building world class cars.

[wolfwood390]

well the length is not that close... 5 inches is a decent difference, not spitting distance when it comes to specs.

[gnarly79]

Paddle shifters!!! YUCK!!!

[Mechknight73]

@gnarly79 But you don't have to use them in this car, it will let you use all three methods; a quick shift on the T-bar, letting the car shift on its own, or the sometimes annoying "flappy paddles."

[tangles01]

@Mechknight73 Why not just get a manual. Just plain better.

[Mechknight73]

@tangles01 The electronics of the auto technically should make it quicker than a manual, with the exception of the best of racing drivers. They're just as easy to drive in manual mode on the T-bar.

[tangles01]

@Mechknight73 Thats a load of tripe. Yes Modern Autos ARE EXELENT tramsisions. But you cannot phyisically have the same level of control when launching, breaking (Using compession breaking) and and rev control even fuel economy is better when driven appropriatley. Most are negligible for general road driving but so is ABS and air bags and traction control but people want those all the time. Manual Transmisions are also mechanically more sound when older.

[instinctfx]

The grill is UGLY as hell. Ruins the look

[Phildotron]

@instinctfx Look up the 'VE SS Commodore' thats what it is known as in Australia it has a better grill

[StalePhish]

@instinctfx I think it looks fantastic

[Mechknight73]

@instinctfx You just import the Commodore or Chevrolet spec grille from Holden. Either looks better

[sawyerg13]

my Aunt Millie gives good hugs

[johnstall5350]

about the last statement in the video...WHY DID YOU HAVE TO JINX IT!!

[coandcaiv]

go v8 or go home -.-

[scarb0r0]

red white and blue from the ground up? haha thats the biggest load of shit i've heard.

[bojandles01]

its really a holden ss v8

[aus2045]

And it's really a Pontiac G8 in North America. GM/Holden/Opel/Vauxhal, its all the same. Good cars all the same. Well done GM.

[vfIskullangel]

GM needs to stop bullshiting and toss in a LS7!.

[castle001]

In Australia and New Zealand you can buy it with a 500BHP LS7, search for "HSV W427"  Holden are only making around 200 though, and they cost about AUD $155,000

[whitewashed100]

could this guy sound any nerdier?

[tbirderic]

awesome, awesome car. Just wish Pontiac would give us some less flamboyant color schemes.

[meinsla]

No kidding. What is with the colors.

[scarb0r0]

its funny how he says its all red white and blue when this car is essentially australian

[darkhawk1979]

@scarb0r0 It's also funny that you missed his reference to the Australian flag being red, white and blue

[tigercrap]

Wheels are lame. All Gm can do is try to copy a proven import. And I thought the Japs were shameless at copying...Pontiacs are shitty cars in it's sad history. The interiors are cheesy. Good value? Yeah, try to say that when you try to sell it for pennies on the dollar.

[hsvdreamnofone]

someones been beaten by a g8 a few times....

[davidd2005]

Price is awesome. Quality is awesome. Wheels are awesome. Interior is awesome. Exterior is Awesome. Handling is awesome. Looks awsome. Sounds awesome. Drives awesome.

[meinsla]

What's your problem? This is an awesome car.

[skywarp1]

I WANT TO BE IN THE G8 NATION!!!

[KaseemD]

I Love this car!!!

[DTHPRF66]

Honestly, this is a fantastic vehicle with performance and the amount of power this car has for under 30k. They went after the 5series and pretty much nailed it...i dont think anybody could get tired of 6L power matched to rear drive! but for those of you who want a manual wait till the GXP comes out, you'll get a 6.2L LS7 Vette' engine pushing 402HP. SRT models should be shaking right about now, and Pontiac is back on the map again.

[stu22aus]

W427 is out now in aus with the 7.0 litre engine, quick but very expensive.

[nachospoley]

i like the look of the commadore better i just dont like the front of the pontiac

[KanzaBoom]

Think it's funny that someone stated that Holden is a Ford brand, and then dared us to look it up. Moron.

The G8 is being built on the GRWD (or 'Zeta') platform. It is Aussie developed, and that's were the Pontiac is being built. For those that are stating the G8 is a reskinned GTO, please do some research. The GTO was a rebadged Monaro, which was based upon an updated Opel platform (the same one used for the Cadillac Catera). Zeta will also underpin the new Canadian built Camaro.

[Superbee1500]

Do they go by kangaroo power or horse power in australia? lol

[TheTallMan35]

3:52...I agree, those smallish tailights have got to go. Other than that, beautiful machine!

[JohnMaverick42]

actually the Holden brand is the Australian arm of GM, not a Ford brand. Far too many people complain about how American cars are the suck, and for the most part, I agree. But think about it, you can get a plastic made Hyundai with about as much drivability as a garden tractor and even less fun. Or you can get an awesome Mercedes or BMW and drop a good 50, 60 or 70 grand on it. American cars are built cheaper so that the are accessible to lower-income people, but are viscerally fun

[rumpig300]

so do u like buying over priceds cars cause it's got a BMW bagde

[JohnMaverick42]

If I had 70 grand to blow on a car, I would get a BMW, because they are the better car since they have a much better reputation for maintenance and reliability. I would not buy it however; since I don't need a car like that and an American muscle car would be better for what I want. It has nothing to do with badges, and everything to do with quality.

[mjp556]

What are you talking about? BMW and Mercedes are way down in reliability compared to 30 years ago. Have you ever read Consumer Reports?

[JohnMaverick42]

don't really need the reports since I drive a Benz myself. Besides some damage from getting rear-ended I haven't had to do any major stuff beyond routine maintenance in 14 years. Great vehicles. Consumer reports mean nothing if someone has a chip on their shoulder. I still have loyalty to American muscle though

[Solowizard]

Imported from Australia?

Blaupunk Stereo?

Pontiac thinks their slick. This damn car is nothing more than a repackaged GTO.

It actually looks more like a cross between the GTO and a Hyundai Sonata. It has the same squarish contours of the Hyundai Sonata. Take a good look at a hyundai Sonata and you'll see what I mean.

[DaShnipa]

Everyone is entitles to their own opinion, but I personally think you'd better get your eyes checked if you even think this thing looks like a GTO. This is pretty much twice the car the GTO is, in terms of performance, interior and style. Whats wrong with the looks of the hyundai sonata? I think there good lookin cars. I think pontiac has a real car here, I dont think the dealers are gonna be able to keep em on the lots.

[Solowizard]

I think the GTO is better looking. Also, the GTO has different two tone colored leather interior packages. The Pontiac G8 is too squarish. As far as the Hyundai Sonata. Who said something was wrong with it's looks?

Only time will tell if Pontiac will have success with the G8, but with gas prices constantly goin up, I think Pontiac will have plenty on the lot.

[rumpig300]

u dumb ass, this car was designed from the ground up. it cost GMH 1 billon dollars for designing and testing. if u open ur eyes the GTO is a two door, the G8 is 4

[Solowizard]

rumpig300,

Like I said. A repackaged GTO. Biiiiaaaatch!

[22dnk]

solowizard are u an idiot or do u not understand that this is a holden VE commodore SS rebadged as a pontiac g8. not a freaking GTO which was a rebadge MONARO. commodore is 4 door, and monaro which finished production in 06 is 2 door PLUS its the new model of the commodore the VE. freaking ignorant americans.

[Solowizard]

22dnk,

Dude! Calm down! It's no BIG deal!

So the G8 is a Holden VE Commodore SS rebadged as a Pontiac G8 and not a GTO.

WELL, LODDY FREAKIN DAAA!!!

[sfpinoysk8er]

i would love to rent this car for a day and test how fast this baby go...

[fatboyslimmy]

american cars arent very good. some are not many. the pontiac is not american at all.

[fatboyslimmy]

you guys this car is not american at all . ameriacans couldnt make tihs kind of car. its actually a rebadged holden monaro cv8 from australia monaro which is just a subsidiary of ford. look it up if you wish.

[alagy]

this car first made under the name ( HOLDEN ) in australia ... than the chevy & the pontiac did the same of the car chevrolet call's that car ( LUMINA ) or ( Caprice )

[DetroitFitted]

"moving faster then free napkins at a sloppy joe cook off" danm that nicca spittin, better then lil wayne.

[cpkkrew]

damn it goes 180!!

[Memphis35]

I'm sorry, but the voice over presenter has the most annoying FUCKING voice ever!

[DetroitFitted]

i agree sound like a fuckin pbs kids car review.

[NXClass]

That's Australian engineering for you - highest quality in the world.

We didn't just make the chassis. We built the whole darn thing.

[Memphis35]

ok...

[ebroome]

yeah except the engine

[NXClass]

parts of it is Australian made.

[zookygixx]

This looks like a tissue box, I mean shit box... Fords are better.

[DaShnipa]

Typical retarded ford fanboy. It has more horses than fords flagship sports car, and its cheaper. It looks amazing, something aggressive and a real attention grabber. Does ford have anything like this? no. How can you say fords are better when this car beats anything ford can offer next to the GT500 offered by the SVT team. Do some research, post your opinions. Posting fanboy comments lets everyone know you really know nothing about what your talking about.

[peteyb1234]

if your going to compare it with ford then atleast compare it with an australian ford, the XR8 is the same price and is 290kw from only a 5.4ltr.

[derrickoman]

I say that they hit the nail right on the head pontiac really does kick ass, The G8 is refreshing. It is hard to imagine it took them this long to do it right again, it is really a simple formula good looks+big motor+good suspension=money in the bank

[fl352gator]

he said it runs a 13.8 AT 101 mph, not the top speed is 101 mph

[Wheelman286]

i have a feeling that guy that said 101 MPH really meant 161... because there's no way a car with that much hp can't do more than a hundred unless it runs out of gears which wouldnt happen either

[princedavid0]

Looks like a fantastic car, nice review video showing most the features pretty quickly

[deathbyhammer]

Australian Design, American Power: A Winning Combo

[xkimopye]

agreed

[fabiodrn]

it was not based on the latest generation 5 series as shown in the video, as it wasn't released when the ve commodore was built. it was based on the E39 BMW. The G8 has a new (uglier) bumper, clear tail lights taken from the SS model commodore, the skirting kit of the SS model, and lip tail spoiler taken from the Holden By Design option. The wheels are about the only thing differently designed. Interior is exactly the same as the australian, along with the rear and side of the car.

[zookygixx]

G8 is sooooooooooooo ugly, don't waste ya money..........

[benz4life]

fuck you

[H3rBz92]

Lack of paddle shifters ? c'mon that is a girly feature that i wouldn't want in a drivers car.

[D313370r]

I don't want paddle shifters for a failmatic transmission, I want a stick shift and a clutch on a MANual transmission.

[aaaredskin]

Hey, I'm an American and I just wanna say thanks to the Aussies for developing this great car! It's a fun car to drive, (and to be seen in) and it looks much better in person.

[benz4life]

hi i am black and white and i hate american cars pos love japan4ever

[Parlay84]

If you love japan4ever y is your screen name benz4life.....dumbass

[DetroitFitted]

zebra boy here has pop'd his top.

[Sabrina9500]

looks ok, too bad it is GM made though...

[fyrbyrd80]

yes, the car is from downunder. i would prefer it was designed and built here, but this is a damn nice car, and built well. same with the camaro, but we'll take what we get. kudos to the land of oz!

[tmaq97]

yeah i've been craving the commodore for over a year now, and its here! awesome!

[stroppytube]

Hi all you car loving Americans... Enjoy our Holden Commoder re-badged for you as the G8. This car was totally designed downunder (apart from the v8 engine), despite what anyone tells you. We're also designing the new Camaro for you. We make nice cars that Americans like because we have similar tastes and needs. So...have fun and enjoy the resurgence of GM.

[xkimopye]

if your going to tell americans about the car you should probably spell commodore right

[stroppytube]

Typo, my friend Xhimopye...everyone makes them from time to time, or are you infallibly perfect?

[xkimopye]

typo, thats cool no problems. just some people spell commodore in stupid ways, so i take it back

[stroppytube]

I'm pleased that we resolved that amicably, Xkimopye. My fingers don't work on a keyboard as well as they used to. Sorry if I sounded a bit p'd off.

[DetroitFitted]

dont you spell that p o n t i a c G 8?

[JohnMaverick42]

Well I hope that GM/Holden are creating enough jobs for the Adelaide (sp?) area. I'm not big on slave labor so I can only enjoy GM's success if they are giving something to you too. I'm all about internation allies and the "world economy" so to speak.

[prckay]

@stroppytube I wonder if Gm will bring back Pontiac in the future

[wmichswingers]

@stroppytube Just give me a V8 Interceptor

[masterjedi89]

@stroppytube at least you are not praising german cars. those are fucked up pieces of shit. I have to agree with you. Australia produces awesome stuff. The commodore and good looking women.