Pontiac is dying, and unless it gets reincarnated as an Impala SS or Chevelle SS, the G8 is dying, too, at least in the U.S. But our long-term 2008 Pontiac G8 GT is still very much alive. Late last week it hit the 20,000-mile mark and we're late in celebrating the milestone.
One of our editors reports that the front brake rotors may be slightly out of round, so we'll have them checked out soon. Other than that, our full-size Pontiac is still incredibly satisfying to drive. The 6.0-liter V8 still moves the 4,000-pound car around with authority -- 385 pound-feet of torque will do that for you.
And I still like the chassis a lot. For a car with so much interior room, our G8 GT drives small. One other thing that hasn't changed: the G8's fussy, Aussie-market stereo controls. Couldn't I just have a tuning knob?
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 20,366 miles
g8gtnorth says:
03:23 PM, 04/28/09
It's been a while old friend.
DCuerpoJr says:
03:59 PM, 04/28/09
Sigh...I'm really going to miss this car.
carguy622 says:
04:01 PM, 04/28/09
Farewell sweet G8, we hardly knew thee. Murdered by your creator's hand.
From what I understand the G8 is not being re-badged as a Chevy. One the G8 is gone... it's gone. I wish I had the cash for a GXP.
cwc1 says:
07:22 PM, 04/28/09
It's been murdered by its creators' foolhardiness in going to the federal government with their hands out and somehow not expecting a takeover of the company. A majorly poor strategy and judgment.
This is one of the cars that really helped get enthusiasts excited about GM and its potential, and it's now been killed. And this is what we get when bureaucrats make the decisions. Why would anyone want more of things like this?
stovt001 says:
10:23 PM, 04/28/09
Well, at least you're not filling the entire internet with stupid rumors about it being rebadged as a Camaro sedan anymore. Sigh. What a spectacle.
I really wish this could go over to Chevy or Buick. It breaks my heart to see such a fine car emerge after years of poor management at GM, just to be killed off by a government led by a guy who thought having his plane buzz New York would be a great idea. Screw it, I'm moving to Australia.
By the way, I find it really interesting that you say this rather large car drives small, while the smaller Camaro is said to feel like a tank. How GM managed that screw up is beyond me. I really wish I had the money right now to buy one.
bimmerjay says:
10:45 PM, 04/28/09
No redline on the tach? I know why it's often not done - expensive to screen a second color on the dial face, especially when you have 2 different engine options. But on a "performance" car? One available with a manual transmission?
dougtheeng says:
06:09 AM, 04/29/09
I hope they're still out there in the used market in 4-5 years.
cocarguydj says:
06:12 AM, 04/29/09
bimmerjay,
The G8 GT is not offered with a manual transmission. That honor was reserved for the GXP unfortunately. As such, a redline seems a bit unnecessary in this car, even if it would be nice to have it displayed. If I remember correctly from RTFM, the redline is at 6k rpm.
As an owner of on of the "First 888" of these, I am sad to see it go so soon. I haven't had a chance to drive a GXP yet, but would like to before they all disappear off of dealer lots.
1487 says:
06:14 AM, 04/29/09
doesnt the car have steering wheel controls for the audio system? You dont even have to mess with the tuning controls on the center stack.
redwoodaggie says:
07:20 AM, 04/29/09
I have an '09 G8 GT. The steering wheel controls allow flipping through station presets, but not tuning (as with most cars I've driven). Many cars now a days do not have knobs for tuning the radio (my BMW didnt' either), so that is not really a fair complaint about this particular car. Besides, once I set the presets, the tuning rarely got used. If I'm out of town, the ASM auto selecting the 6 strongest radio stations (puts them on separate presets from the regular presets) keeps the tuning down too. That is a genius feature. I don't know how many other cars have it, but no others ones I've driven did.
I do love the knobs for the radio vs. the less useful buttons in my dearly departed BMW. That and an actual mute on the wheel is something I use all the time.
roadburner says:
07:51 AM, 04/29/09
Congratulations, Government Motors; you killed one of the GM brands that built entertaining cars. That just leaves Chevrolet(Corvette) and Cadillac(CTS-V).
vacagrande says:
08:30 AM, 04/29/09
This would be a great opportunity for Chevy... kill the rental-special Impala, the Malibu is already a better car. Bring in the G8 as the new Impala offering V6 and V8 versions. What better Impala SS than the G8 GXP? Call the NASCAR tube-frame car an Impala, actually advertise the car, and watch sales take off.
joefrompa says:
11:43 AM, 04/29/09
Erin
Please TRY THIS before you get the rotors turned:
Re-bed the brakes. Do a full re-bedding procedure.
I'm 95% sure you've just got pad deposits on the rotor that you need to burn out, and not an actual out-of-round rotor.
langjie says:
11:55 AM, 04/29/09
just because they are getting rid of the Pontiac brand doesn't mean they are getting rid of the G8. The PT cruiser started out as a Plymouth and when Chrysler was phasing Plymouth out, they changed it to a Chrysler PT Cruiser. There may be hope for you G8 fans!
roadburner says:
12:45 PM, 04/29/09
After high school I came close to buying several used Pontiacs(mostly GTOs and Trans Ams), but just about the time I was able to afford a new car the T/A was being sold with a 305 Chevy engine that could barely break into the 14s. Ugh. Two decades later I found that the 2005-2006 GTO had good power, but the suspension needed work for track use- and the styling reminded me all too much of a mutated Cavalier. I even went as far as test driving a GT, but I really wanted a manual. Still, I hate to see the Excitement Division killed off.
fuhteng says:
06:49 AM, 04/30/09
"By the way, I find it really interesting that you say this rather large car drives small, while the smaller Camaro is said to feel like a tank. How GM managed that screw up is beyond me. I really wish I had the money right now to buy one." - stovt001
I would think it is because of the visibility. My G8 has big A and C pillars, but a little head move and I can still see great. I haven't been in a Camaro, but everyone says it has the visibility of a tank, which would make me think it is bigger than it is. I drove a Charger R/T a year ago and that is one problem I had with it.