Lyla Lindsey
The Pontiac G8 is a full-size rear-wheel-drive sedan produced by Holden in Australia for export to the United States. It was released in 2008 and its production stopped in 2009. The G8 was built on top of an older platform used in Europe for Opel and Vauxhall, in Australia for the Holden Commodore, and in the U.S. for the G8. The Holden Commodore has a large and passionate fan base in Australia, and some Australian car enthusiasts have modified their cars to make them look like the Pontiac G8.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Holden |
| Origin | Australia |
| Imported from | Elizabeth, South Australia |
| Type | Full-size sedan |
| Drive | Rear-wheel |
| Engine | 3.6-liter V6, 6.0-liter V8 |
| Transmission | 6-speed automatic |
| Body variants | Utility, sedan, wagon |
| Colors | Maverick Silver Metallic, Sport Red Metallic, Stryker Blue Metallic, Pacific Slate Metallic |
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What You'll Learn
The Pontiac G8 was a full-size rear-wheel-drive sedan
The G8 was essentially a rebadged Holden Commodore, a popular car with a large and passionate fan base in Australia. The G8 featured an aggressive front bumper with a wide air dam and a Pontiac-specific upper grille. The hood sported two louvers that emphasised the car's performance-inspired character. The interior included high-bolstered front bucket seats separated by a tall centre console, and the dashboard featured a similar design to the Commodore's, with a rounded visor above the instrument cluster.
The G8 was offered with a 3.6-litre V6 or a 6.0-litre V8 engine, the latter of which offered impressive performance. A more powerful version, the GXP, was introduced later and featured a Corvette engine. The G8 was also available with a manual or automatic transmission, providing drivers with a sporty driving experience.
Despite its positive attributes, the G8 struggled to find success due to the economic downturn in 2008 and 2009, which made performance cars less appealing to consumers. Production of the G8 ceased in mid-2009, along with the discontinuation of the Pontiac brand.
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It was built in Australia by Holden
The Pontiac G8 was built in Australia by Holden. It was a full-size rear-wheel-drive sedan that was produced by Holden in Australia for export to the United States, where it was sold by Pontiac. The G8 was a rebadged Holden Commodore, released in early 2008 for the 2008 model year in the United States and in 2008 for the 2009 model year in Canada. The first Pontiac G8 prototypes rolled out of the Elizabeth assembly plant in South Australia.
The G8 was built on top of an older platform used in Europe for Opel and Vauxhall, in Australia for the Holden Commodore, and in the U.S. for the G8. It was a brand-engineering product. The car's exterior had an aggressive bumper with a wide air dam at the bottom, and the upper grille was designed in Pontiac-specific styling. The hood sported two louvers that emphasised the car's performance-inspired character.
Holden installed high-bolstered front bucket seats separated by a tall center console. The G8 featured an infotainment unit with a touch-screen mounted on the center stack, and the dashboard featured a similar design to the Commodore's. At the back, there was room for two passengers. The G8 came equipped with a 6.0L V8 engine, but a more powerful version named GXP, with a Corvette engine, was also introduced.
Following the cancellation of the Pontiac brand, Holden planned to sell 1,500 limited-edition versions of the Commodore SS V fitted with the Pontiac G8 front-end fascia and other trimmings. This "Pontiac G8 Edition" Commodore proved popular in Australia, with some customers even buying parts to make their Holdens look like Pontiacs.
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It was based on the Holden Commodore
The Pontiac G8 was a full-size rear-wheel-drive sedan produced by Holden in Australia for export to the United States. It was sold by Pontiac and was released in early 2008 for the 2008 model year in the US and in 2008 for the 2009 model year in Canada. The G8 was based on an Australian-market GM platform and was essentially a rebadged Holden Commodore.
The G8 was built on top of an older platform used in Australia for the Holden Commodore, and in the US for the G8. The Holden Commodore has a large and passionate fan base in Australia. The G8 was equipped with a potent 6.0L V8 engine, but some owners have upgraded to a fully built LSX 427 with upgraded internals and a supercharger.
The interior of the G8 was similar to the Commodore, with high-bolstered front bucket seats separated by a tall center console. The dashboard featured a similar design to the Commodore, with a rounded visor above the instrument cluster. The G8 also featured an infotainment unit with a touchscreen mounted on the center stack.
Following the cancellation of the Pontiac brand, Holden planned to sell 1,500 limited-edition versions of the Commodore SS V fitted with the Pontiac G8 front-end fascia and other trimmings. These special editions proved popular, and Holden decided to continue building them indefinitely.
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The G8 was released in early 2008
The Pontiac G8 is an Australian-American car. It was first released in the United States in early 2008 for the 2008 model year, and in Canada in 2008 for the 2009 model year. The G8 was built in Australia by Holden and exported to the United States, where it was sold by Pontiac. The car was unveiled at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show, with GM Global Chairman Bob Lutz announcing its expected arrival in US dealerships in early 2008.
The G8 is a full-size, rear-wheel-drive sedan, based on the Australian-market GM platform. It is essentially a rebadged Holden Commodore, with a sporty, aggressive look. The G8 was the first rear-wheel-drive four-door sedan sold under the Pontiac name since the 1986 Bonneville and Parisienne. It was designed as a family-friendly car, with room for four passengers, but also offered a powerful driving experience, with a 6.0-litre V8 engine that could "smoke the tires".
The G8's exterior featured a distinctive front fascia with an aggressive bumper and a wide air dam, split by a vertical slat. The hood sported two louvers, emphasising the car's performance-inspired character. The interior included high-bolstered front bucket seats and, depending on the options, an infotainment unit with a touchscreen. The dashboard featured a similar design to the Commodore, with a rounded visor above the instrument cluster.
The G8 was short-lived, with production stopping in mid-2009 after GM decided to discontinue the Pontiac brand. The car's sales suffered due to the 2008 global recession, which made performance cars unpopular. Despite its limited run, the G8 gained a passionate fan base, particularly in Australia, where Holden Commodore enthusiasts embraced the unique, powerful Pontiac model.
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Production stopped in 2009
The Pontiac G8 was a full-size rear-wheel-drive sedan produced by Holden in Australia for export to the United States. It was first released in the US in 2008 for the 2008 model year and in Canada in 2008 for the 2009 model year. The G8 was a rebadged Holden Commodore, built on top of an older platform used in Europe for Opel and Vauxhall, and in Australia for the Holden Commodore.
Production of the Pontiac G8 stopped in mid-2009 following the decision by GM to discontinue the Pontiac brand. The 2008 global recession made performance cars like the G8 unpopular, and GM's subsequent bankruptcy led to the discontinuation of the G8 and the Pontiac brand as a whole midway through the 2009 model year. By December 2008, the G8 had not become the expected sales replacement for previous front-drive models, with 11,000 unsold G8s in inventory and just 13,000 sold. During the 2009 global economic downturn, market prices dropped by $3000–5000 below GM's sticker price for the car.
Following the cancellation of the Pontiac brand, Holden planned to sell 1,500 limited-edition versions of the Commodore SS V fitted with the Pontiac G8 front-end fascia and other trimmings. Production began on November 2, 2009, and these production versions were sold as VE Commodore SS V-Series Special Editions (Sedan and Sportwagon) and as the Ute SS V-Series Special Edition. Unlike the G8, which was only offered as a sedan, Holden offered utility, sedan, and wagon body variants of the G8.
In November 2009, Holden introduced a special edition of its high-performance SS-V sedan with the twin-vent bonnet and sportier front bumper and grille used on the now-defunct Pontiac G8 export program. This limited run of Commodores proved so popular that Holden decided to continue building them indefinitely.
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Frequently asked questions
The Pontiac G8 was a full-size rear-wheel-drive sedan that was produced by Holden in Australia for export to the United States. It was essentially a rebadged Holden Commodore.
The Holden Commodore is a popular car in Australia that served as the base for the Pontiac G8. The Commodore has a large and passionate fan base in Australia.
The Pontiac G8 was offered only as a sedan, while the Holden Commodore was available in utility, sedan, and wagon body variants. The G8 also featured an aggressive bumper, a wide air dam, and a Pontiac-specific upper grille.
Holden produced the Pontiac G8 to be exported to the United States and sold by Pontiac. The G8 took the place of the Pontiac Bonneville and the Pontiac Grand Prix in the Pontiac lineup.
