2008 Pontiac G8: No Gold Diggers

Probably why I took the wing off of my SRT-4-- so that people who weren't in the know would think it's still "just a Neon."
 
Which it is.

Big wheel wells + Big motor (or perception of big motor for the posers) = Perfect for gold diggers and bling blingers.
 
It's not all that different than the clientele interested in the Chrysler 300 or Dodge Charger. The first upgrade is big wheels. I don't know how many I see with 20" and bigger wheels.

saw my first g8 on the street yesterday. if i didn't have my mustang to pay for i'd buy one...

I just have one question - when I will I see one?? I went by a Pontiac dealer last week and they had the Vibe, lots of them, but no G8.
 
As far as bling is concerned, I'm sure we'll see some blinged out versions at this year's SEMA show.

What car in so cal appeals to diggers? 911s? Ferraris? There's nothing under 90k that would get the attention of a gold digger in So Cal.

Good - keep em' away from me.

That's the sort of people you meet when you live in Southern California. As a biased Northern Californian, let me tell you that there is a frighteningly distinct line between Northern and Southern California that I've noticed coming southbound on US 101...just north of Santa Barbara...where suddenly palm trees are everywhere and the amount of chrome wheels I see increases by a couple factors of magnitude.

gold diggers start to show interest at about half that amount, if you are driving the right car. your STI may cost $40k, but that won't catch a gold diggers attention... think German. Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and Porsche are all good options, but try to avoid entry level models because they know, oh yes they know. This is my experience mostly in Orange County, at least. perhaps LA gold diggers have a higher standard, but not really from what I've seen.

As far as when you might see one, until Monday I was wondering the same thing. But I got passed on I40 in NC by a red 3.6l car. (Other than a lack of GT badge, the giveaway to the engine was the dual tailpipes, rather than quads, otherwise it looked the same as the GT)

^its why it so.cal. BMW can release something as stupid as the X6. And people buy it. Why? its got a blue/white circle infront. The southwest coast is all about shallow image, that you have to change every day to stay in the news.

"50 Cent is all up in the G8, dawg! "
 
wow.
 
"What car in so cal appeals to diggers? 911s? Ferraris? There's nothing under 90k that would get the attention of a gold digger in So Cal."
 
we got the message. People in CA are so rich and so snobby that they are not impressed by anything short of a Bentley or Ferrari or Aston. You dont have to make this point over and over again. My guess is that not everyone in SoCal travels in the same exclusive circle that you do and there are likely still a few folks in that part of the country who feel a $60k BMW or MB is a status symbol.
 
The G8 is for people who care about performance and value, not badges. I'm sure no one who is considering a BMW would even look at the G8 because of what their friends or coworkers might say about them.

The dealership in my little town in Ohio got two G8. One GT, and one V6. I test drive the GT last Friday and let me tell you it is awesome. Especially, when the salesman lets you take it down a back country road and have a little fun. It took me awhile to notice the G8 at the dealership because they had them sitting in a sea of Grand Prix. So I guess that tells you that you won't get noticed in the car, but who cares it’s a blast to drive.

considering this car is being shipped over from Australia its probably going to take a while to build up inventory. They only sold 2200 or so last month.

Yup, bmws and mercedes are fairly rare in my corner of the midwest.
 
Anything higher then that, and your really wowed.
 
real people live in the land of pick up trucks, hondas, toyotas, fords, gms' etc.

Did you take that picture with your camera phone? :P

1487 - nailed it.

People in CA are so rich and so snobby that they are not impressed by anything short of a Bentley or Ferrari or Aston
 
I make the point not because of wealth but because of the ubiquity of mislabeled luxury cars. If one can drive a BMW/Audi/CTS/Infiniti for $400 a month (which wouldn't require much negotiating skill) and everybody seems to have one, then exclusivity factor simply doesn't exist.
 
Average sale price of a car in the USA is over 30k. That's 33k out the door. Even on a high 6% auto loan at 60 months that's over $600 a month.

Expensive cars are normal in most major metropolitan areas- even here in Philadelphia. I work fairly close to the central business district (Center City) so I also see expensive cars during my lunchtime walks. When I frequented Baltimore, I'd see tons of stuff down there as well during the summer weekends.
 
Chargers are the perfect canvas for customization because they can be had for cheap. A base model Charger with the 2.7L V6 can look more expensive than an SRT-8 with a few simple additions. The G8 won't be produced in such numbers and won't be as affordable so it should be safe from such things. If I needed the size and got a G8, I'd probably get a cat-back system to really let that V8 sing.

"I make the point not because of wealth but because of the ubiquity of mislabeled luxury cars. If one can drive a BMW/Audi/CTS/Infiniti for $400 a month (which wouldn't require much negotiating skill) and everybody seems to have one, then exclusivity factor simply doesn't exist. "
 
we all know that. Like it or not, in most parts of the country (even CA) cars with a BMW, Lexus or MB badge are considered luxury cars. I'm not going to debate what constitutes a "true" luxury car but the average American is more impressed with those badges than they are by a Chevy or Toyota badge. Even in SoCal. As chavis said, expensive cars are frequently seen in every major city. I would by lying if I said a 5 series or E class turned heads in Philly. A ferrari, Ford GT or Maserati will get some attention. Same applies to Bentleys even though I see a few per month.

A diesel truck can run $60,000 but no gold digger will realize that. An MB badge on the other hand...
 
It doesn't matter if it turns heads in a city, that is not the requirement of a gold digger.
 
They know better than most about being barely able to afford a car... so, they are very well trained to asess and avoid such hazards. So, the guy dressed like crap driving a Ferrari in the ghetto is probably something to be suspicious of...

Let's don't give the shallow any pointers on how to stay that way successfully. I say a gold digger and a poorly dressed guy in an aging Ferrari or Porsche are a perfect match.

Poorly dressed and nice car indicates something? What exactly?

blueguydotcom - I wonder how much of that 30k car, is the pervious upsided down trade in.

Op, no idea. That the average and it's been creeping up for years. with full-size SUVs edging over 60k it's not hard to imagine a 30k average. How many SUVs start at or near 30k?