Pontiac was considering naming it’s new Pontiac G8 Sport Truck, the El Camino. Luckily folks within Pontiac and Chevrolet had some discussions and decided it was just strange to toss a Chevy Brand on a Pontiac even though everything is made under the same roof. Customers have a hard enough time deciding what the heck they are going to buy with the current branding problems at General Motors, all they needed was an old vintage car name on a different branch of GM.

I do however think the El Camino brand has some juice left in the tank and I think they should bring it back. Just not under the Pontiac branch of things.

In an article just the other day we briefly discussed Pontiac’s wish to challenge BMW’s grip as what some believe to be the top sedan builder on the market. Well now they are making the fight personal with their latest commercial: Pontiac G8 GT vs BMW 550i. The first mention of such a comparison came in an Automobile Magazine article that pitted the cars against one another and actually reported favorably on the Pontiac G8 GT.

Both brands have been around long enough for drivers to build up a personal reflex to the mere image of the two auto makers grill. One instills a sense of breeding and sophistication, along with a sense for many of “I can’t afford that.” The other references to a long gone age of Excitement and a recent age of plastic interiors and average looks, or more poignantly a sense of “I’m not buying that!”

Pontiac’s new G8 GT, based off the Holden Commodore and rousing 361-hp, is GM’s attempt at a return of some of that Excitement and a reaching out for a new sense of class in cockpit styling. While it is going to take a lot of years to reverse the conditioned response of many car buyers to the Pontiac grill, the G8 GT is at least making an aggressive stab at it.

But do not rely solely on our estimation here… Check out the Pontiac commercial to follow the leap and see if they can convince you. If nothing else, enjoy the laugh as American advertisers are still able to achieve what American auto designers struggle at: Catching our Attention.

Even the “refined” tastes of the UK appear poised for the arrival of some Holden horsepower & design as the HSV W427 and its 570-hp fresh from their Melbourne debut are getting rebadged as the Vauxhall VXR8 for the UK market. Powered by the new Corvette ZO6’s LS7 7.0 liter V8 engine the HSV W427 has been stated to have 570 hp, the Holden HSV W427 is aggressively targeted at the BMW M5 and the Audi RS6. Why should they aim for less?

The Holden HSV W427 (not the easiest name to say) is priced in the area between $140,000 to $170,000 Aussie dollars and will have its rebadged Vauxhall version in the UK priced at 55,000 Pounds ($110,000 US).  The HSV W427 is certainly a brute force sedan with reclassed styling and refinement for a GM product, but at a price similar to the M5 will the Holden/Vauxall name plate win against a BMW head-to-head. Judging by Automobile Mag’s comparison of a G8 GT to a BMW 550i…. maybe.

The Pontiac G8 GT is based off the same Holden Commodore design as the HSV W427, and with its 361-hp engine it competed nicely against the 550i of BMW at nearly half the price. The only disparity was in the interior where the GM plastics, while much improved from prior attempts, were really no match for the classic elegance of the BMW’s.  However, at half the price some disparities can be forgiven. By pricing the Vauxhall VXR8 too close to the BMW M5, and despite the Corvette power, it could be a tough sell in a Euro-first market. As long as they can keep the US executives/designers hands out of the rebadging process the Vauxhall VRX8 will have a better chance.

As the Pontiac GXP Sedan receives praise for its performance and design by among the auto scribes of both print and web, Edmunds InsideLine reports that hope for the GXP Coupe version is still alive… but barely.

Immediately following the passing of the recent CAFE standards fuel mileage bill into law the mighty execs. at Pontiac and GM scrapped the ideas for their performance cars the G8 GXP Sedan, Ute and Coupe like children tossing toys when their mother says “Go to bed.” After some wrangling and since they were obviously far enough ahead on the project to have it out this year, the G8 GXP Sedan version has survived to see production. The Ute model has also been revived and is now working toward seeing the dealership showrooms, as some believe it was Bob Lutz’s affinity for the Ute that got them this far. Now the battle begins for the Coupe, and word is that right now the battle is at a stalemate.

Pontiac’s recent flirtings with the “excitement” that they feel GM and the Government is trying to deprive them are all based on designs from their Aussie GM family member Holden. The G8 is derived from the Holden Monaro and the Holden Commodore Ute, that is Monaro from the cab forward, is the bases for the G8 Ute here in the states. So too the G8 Coupe would find its design inspiration from a recently unveiled design at the Melbourne Auto Show in Australia. It is the Holden Coupe 60 (full gallery to follow) and it is the latest refashioning of the older design last known as the GTO in the states.

If you have been itching for a brand new roadster on a budget and would like to feel the wind in your hair without the fear of your hat or toupee launching into space then the 2010 Pontiac Solstice Coupe might be just the ticket. With the Solstice Coupe and its Targa top you have the enjoyment of the elements while still having a bit of coupe to catch your wind-blown possessions. The coupe also provides owners the added advantage of a foot or two of more cargo space. Weekend getaways involving luggage is not what the Solstice was built for.

Much as BMW has done by offering their Z4 in both Coupe and Roadster form (that’s right! Who is the gutsy man to compare a BMW to a Pontiac? Mu-ha-ha-ha!), Pontiac looks to expand the marketability of their roadster by bringing it out in Coupe form. However, the Pontiac completes the package with the potential for wind shear from time to time and that might just make all the difference. …Or at least enough to sell a few more Solstice’s.

Mechanically the Coupe and Roadster forms of the 2010 Pontiac Solstice are identical and are unlikely to see any further changes. Pontiac will likely ride these little Roadsters out for a while before something new and maybe exciting is designed to replace it. Since being allocated from the GM adult table over to the kiddy table it seems unlikely that Pontiac will be bringing much more “excitement” to the family banquet than they already have.    …Follow the link for the Solstice Coupe Gallery…

With more Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealerships being unified under one roof a large number of dealers have joined the chorus in calling out for a new Firebird based off the new Camaro. Considering the three auto brands they really do not have any flashy lures of the sports car variety to bring in new blood, and nothing would chum the waters like a flashy new Firebird. But the hammer has fallen and the decision (for now. for good?) from GM is No.

The popular excuses for the failure of the Firebird to reach production are the new CAFE regulations and the cost to reach production. Reaching the new fuel mileage regulations appears to be a greater priority right now. Plus, one dealer exclaimed that the cost of getting the Firebird to production would have run around $200 million. Apparently that was all it took to keep the screaming chicken retired in its coup.

According to the Automotive News and a few sources from GM the odds look good that Pontiac could be the recipient of a new Ute and Sportswagon to model along their G8. GM’s Australian company Holden received some positive attention from their release of the VE Commodore Ute; especially when they included their 362-hp V8 engine in its SS package. Pontiac will hope to make the same splash with their version of the Ute in the US.

Consideration was made about making both models GMC cars, but it was decided that the VE Commodore Ute and the Sportwagon concept would compliment the Pontiac lineup best.

With Funkmaster Flex and 50 Cents in attendance at this years SEMA to promote the cars that borrow their fame we are beginning to wonder whether the gamble pays off. Celebrity endorsements and affiliations seem to pay high dividends in other areas of the market; from clothes to sunglasses and on down to water. However do similar endorsements perform the same way in the car industry? Obviously Ford and Pontiac are hoping that they do.

As video game fans flocked to their local stores to score their copy of the new Halo 3 game for the XBOX 360 there will be one lucky(?) gamer about to win a new car. BestBuy has souped up a Pontiac G6 into a special Halo 3 GXP Street Edition coupe in tribute to one of the most financially successful games. To win the specially decal-ed G6 all you have to do is buy the Halo 3 video game and register as a contestant on this site on the release date of the game (September 25th).

From all the registrants there will be a drawing of 144 winners who will walk away with a substantial collection of Microsoft Points. From the 144 points winners one name will be drawn that will be the winner of the Halo 3 Pontiac G6 GXP Street Edition that is emblazoned with the Halo 3 graphics and interior package.

While the graphics may leave a lot to be desired for some there may be a few fans out there anxious to display their loyalty and devotion to the game. The interior received the Halo 3 treatment aswell with LCD screens in the headrests and an XBOX 360 mounted between the seats.

A suggestion for next time BestBuy wants to grab a cheap car and give it some Halo inspired alterations: go mini van. It may not be totally cool to cruise around in a mini van you can at least game in comfort and have installed larger LCD screens.

Source[IGN]

News was released today that Pontiac’s 2008 G6 GXP will carry a sticker price of $26,795 for the sedan and $26,595 for the coupe. The regular GT version of the G6 will have a price of $22,995 for either coupe or sedan. So what makes up the bulk of the difference between the two cars that would warrant an increase in price that is over $3,000? Try a sport tuned suspension, 6-speed automatic transmission, 18″ wheels and a lim 35 extra horsepower from a 3.6 liter engine (that is .1 liter larger engine than the GT).

While we should know that the G6 is not the G8 and will not have the same performance expectation (i suppose), it just seems as though we should expect more for $26,595. For that price point a Mustang GT can be had that has 48 more horsepower than the G6 GXP.