Gil
02-04-2008, 02:48 PM
This Car is really starting to grow on me.
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/il/features/general/08.pontiac.g8.gt/08.pontiac.g8.act.f34.1.500.jpg
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/il/features/general/08.pontiac.g8.gt/08.pontiac.g8.act.f34.2.500.jpg
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/il/features/general/08.pontiac.g8.gt/08.pontiac.g8.ip.500.jpg
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
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.
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/il/features/general/08.pontiac.g8.gt/08.pontiac.g8.act.f34.1.500.jpg
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/il/features/general/08.pontiac.g8.gt/08.pontiac.g8.act.f34.2.500.jpg
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/il/features/general/08.pontiac.g8.gt/08.pontiac.g8.ip.500.jpg
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
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.