Pontiac G8 Wagon Car

Pontiac G8 Wagon: Beauty and Power in One Car

Pontiac G8 was created on an upgraded corporate rear-wheel-drive platform, the leading developer of which at General Motors is the Australian company, Holden. For Australia, New Zealand and some other countries, three models of the classic layout cars have long been assembled here:

  • Holden Commodore
  • Caprice
  • Statesman

The Pontiac G8 is practically a modified version of the Commodore VE with left-hand drive. A sufficiently high-class car implies an appropriate level of equipment and safety. In the basic configuration, the G8 has front seats with electric adjustment, upper side curtain airbags for two rows of seats, as well as a dynamic stabilization system.

Technical Features Of Pontiac G8

The base power unit for the G8 is a 3.6-liter 24-valve V6 engine with 268 hp and a hydromechanical 5-speed automatic transmission. The G8 GT sports sedan is better equipped, and one of the most powerful engines in General Motors is used here – a 6.0-liter V8 engine with a 367 hp cylinder shut-off system, similar in design to what was previously used on the Chevrolet Corvette. A hydromechanical 6-speed automatic with a manual gear selection option works with it, but a regular 6-speed manual gearbox can also be installed.

Since the power-to-weight ratio of the G8 GT reaches 200 hp per tonne of curb weight, the car is equipped with more powerful brakes, a limited-slip differential in the rear axle and has a pronounced sports surroundings. The car is equipped with a rear spoiler and a plastic body kit. Additionally, you can order upscale front seats, two-tone trim made of genuine leather.

Pontiac G8 Wagon

The Pontiac variant of the VE Commodore station wagon has long been considered by the manufacturer as a good alternative to SUVs but has not been imported, in part due to poor sales on the market of this modification of other brands.

The fact that the Pontiac G8 Wagon is not for sale in the United States makes it especially desirable. Although these powerful cars were built on the basis of the model Commodore SS V and wore the SS V emblem, they were expected to be collectibles as they opened a significant page in the history of the General Motors branch – Holden. It is noteworthy that the limited edition cars did not use Pontiac badges, but they have got all other spare parts typical for this brand.

Details included:

  • Unique hood with air vents
  • 4-hole front bumper
  • Radiator grill

That’s how Pontiac built the station wagon version of its world-famous G8 sedan, because in Australia people prefer station wagons to SUVs. Although It would be perfect for any other market.

Why Did The Public So Desire Pontiac G8 Wagon?

The 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 GT and GXP were the first muscle cars in the sedan version for the past 20 years. The G8 GXP was also the most powerful muscle car ever created by the Pontiac, and it could not appear at a more favorable time for itself. Pontiac undoubtedly needed a dose of adrenaline in his composition. With the withdrawal of Pontiac Firebird and GTO into the background, the G8 pretty well filled the void with its aggressive style and race-ready.

As in the past GTO, the G8 was obtained from his cousin Holden from Down Under. The entire Pontiac G8 line is based on the Zeta platform on which the Holden VE Commodore is built with a slightly specious appearance.

The GT certainly looks like a muscle car with its honeycomb grille. Its high-beam headlights provide the driver with stunningly clear visibility of the road during night driving. Five-spoke aluminum wheels complement the mega-cool appearance of the GT, while the wheels-at-the-corner design of the car complements the convincing look of the car. At the back there are polished stainless steel tailpipe and clear taillights.

Transmission auto has a function Driver Shift Control. This feature allows the gearbox to hold a gear longer and shift faster when more power is needed. Sport mode changes the automatic shift modes to maintain higher torque and more engine control.

For even more control of driving experiences, there are also manual shift gates that give the driver complete control. It works by not allowing the transmission to automatically shift to a higher gear on its own but also does not allow the engine to exceed the red line. Thanks to this combination, Motor Trend managed to accelerate the car to 60 in just 5.4 seconds.

The enthusiastic reception of the Pontiac G8 sedan by the public took by surprise even the most passionate car fans inside GM. And while not a single senior GM executive was ready to commit to forecasting sedan sales, some insiders often wondered if they missed out on a great opportunity when they decided not to launch the G8 station wagon as well.

According to one of the company’s top managers, the station wagon – based on the stylish station wagon Holden Commodore was part of the original Pontiac G8 product plan, but GM was unable to calculate the actual number of sales.

The fact is that no one at GM was fully convinced that the Americans were ready for the station wagon to appear on its market.

For a long time, the question remained in limbo. If the noise around the G8 continued to increase, and gas prices rose extremely, prompting consumers to look for alternatives to large SUVs, the wagon program could be easily reviewed at relatively nominal costs, as insiders have said.

Pontiac experienced many ups and downs. Due to the weakening economy and the growing threat of bankruptcy, General Motors announced on April 27, 2009, that the production of this brand would be stopped by the end of 2010. The Pontiac G8 will be his last powerful car. The brand, which in essence gave life to muscle car, will now remain only a page of history textbooks. It’s really sad, but Pontiac has left a legacy that other automakers are unlikely to be able to repeat.