Before Pontiac was discontinued they were gonna announce a pick up truck version of the car called the G8 ST based on the Holden Ute which would've been the spiritual successor to the El Camino.
Here's a video of literally the only Pontiac G8 ST ever made. I don't know what they did to it but most likely it was never sold ruclips.net/video/tBuQFtgz3Ac/видео.html
@@floyd27860 Yes, it would have been very easy to sell a brand new modern day Chevy El Camino. Maybe because GM chose to brand this Holden as a Pontiac, they couldn't do a Chevy version, or maybe they could, just put a Chevy front end on it. It may have been a low production car, but GM has done that before, like the Chevy SS.
Blaupunkt is a German company that makes stereos. They mate the head unit for the g8. They make head units for German cars like Porsche. Blaupunkt is German for blue point
I bought my 2009 Pontiac G8 GT brand new in 2009! I have a little over 80,000 miles on it and love driving it today as much as the day I bought it. I have modified the 6.0 liter V8 some by removing the DOD active fuel management, adding a high performance cam, Magnuson 2300 Supercharger, dual fuel pumps, Bosch Injector Dynamics 1050 fuel injectors, Rotofab Cold Air Intake, 3 inch long tube headers with stainless steel exhaust and X-pipe, E85 fuel system conversion. It has been dyno tuned and makes 715 HP and 650 FTLB Torque on E85. I will never part with this car!
Still have mine after 170k, same color as this review. I did have to put a new new trans and struts in at 140k. Im stock minus tune and exhaust. Ill never sell mine either.
I used to sell Pontiac's back in 2008-09. The G8 GT (and Vibe GT's) were fun cars. The G8 GT had great looks and great styling. The car was a total blast to drive. GM screwed up when they killed Pontiac.
Wasn't even a Pontiac at all. so you mean they screwed up by stealing Billions in Australia tax payers money that Australian government gave to General Motors to keep GM Holden Australia going who built this Pontiac G8 and GTO Coupe and Chevy SS and the Caprice police car.
but they holden commodores, pontiac really had nothing to do the the design, maybe some input into the way the front bumper looked, thats why when the next gen commodore that was imported and u Americans tried to claim as ur design was called a chevy ss, the g8 and the chevy ss are pretty much the same car, apart from the back everything is a direct fit
Definitely an understated ride. To the uninitiated, it could easily blend into traffic with all of the 4 cylinder and V6 Camrys, Accords, Tauruses of the day and other mundane, generic FWD sedans. Especially in an inoffensive color like white or gray. Until you hit the gas pedal.
@bloxhead’s world of confusion but it’s a captive import that was BUILT and DESIGNED in Australia. Not much American about it. Hate it when the reviewer doesn’t RESEARCH.
@@TheCoolOwen yeah it annoyed the fuck outta me. Its absolutely NOT American at all. Only the front bumper is actually American. Go to Australia and these things are a dime a dozen
@@TheCoolOwen Funny enough mine in the profile pic is a first 888 which sat in a warehouse with the rest of them waiting for parts so they could be shipped across the sea.
Another cool feature is the stealth mode interior lights. Push both buttons at the same time on top of headlight switch and kills all the interior lights except spedo
This car was based on the Australian Holden Commodore which the Chevy SS was also based on. The GTO was based on the Holden Monaro which why this car reminded you of that
These came out at a bad time. It's a shame because they were good sport sedans and still have a following today. They were cut short by GM shutting down Pontiac and the recession. GM does it all the time where just when they perfect a car, they kill it. GM didn't actually want to sell the SS, as part of the contract for Holden to build the Caprice PPV they also had to import 12k SSs so they didn't bother to advertise them. There's at least one company that imports Holden ute and wagon bodies to convert these. One guy actually got his registered as a Holden Ute in his home state. The Commodore/Caprice were sold under various badges as LHD in the Middle East so that's another reason for the central window switches. Look at a Caprice PPV and you'll see the same fender bulges. The bubble-wagon Taurus and Sable were good cars. I miss my fully-loaded 4th gen sometimes. Slow, not that well put together or reliable, ugly, but comfortable and tons of room.
Still in Love with my g8 after almost 4 years of owning it now, nice review, there’s one big down fall with these cars that you didn’t mention, it’s the dod (displacement on demand) it loves to kill these engines and with out a “DOD delete kit” your kind of on the fences with it, but after you do a full dod delete you got yourself a great reliable car!
Holden Commodore from 1978 used to put the power windows there, so probably a continuation. The mirror switch has gone through a few locations over time. Early Commodores with electric mirrors had them in a panel under the steering column.
Mine was destroyed by an epic hail storm that shattered the rear and side windows when I was at work, and subsequent rain damage to the interior that destroyed my electrical system. I loved that car. I miss it. I had a red g8 gt with red interior. It was a special car.
Back in 2010 i tested this car at a dealer and fell in love with it.someone ended up buying it the next day before I had chance, couldn’t find another for many miles from me.I ended up buying a 300srt8 which I enjoyed very much but I always wanted one of these
6:28 I've driven that bubble wagon taurus in 2004. Not sure if it was a factory option, but it had "purple" paint that color changed in the light and has the touchiest accelerator I've ever used. The thing was shockingly punchy for what it was, I liked the car!
Picked one up a month ago. Excellent car but the 6.0 in the G8 is ridiculously quiet for a V8. First thing I did was install an axle-back exhaust and it really helps the car come alive.
Back up camera was a dealer option. Very rare to find a G8 with one. Also a 2 way keyless remote with small LCD screen was available as a dealer option.
Just picked up a g8 gt a couple months back and its a blast to drive. And what i love about it the most its very underrated and stands out. I didnt want to get what every person has on the road
Don't know if you did this car yet, but you should review a 2013-17 Chevy SS. Their prices stand firm today even tho it was a poor seller for a lack of identity. No one knew what it was in the states; overseas it's a Holden
I love the Pontiac G8 so much. It is a very cool car to me. If I could find one for myself, heck yeah I would so get one. But one thing that is true is that General Motors actually canceled the G8 because in 2010 they got bankrupt so that's why they canceled Pontiac. I still kinda wish that Pontiac still existed because then there would be a bunch of Pontiacs that people can see and also get a chance to have one. In my opinion I think the Pontiac G8 and the Dodge Charger are in some way similar and also competitors. I really miss the G8. Very interesting Car but very good car for a lot of stuff.
I have a GT but swapped a 6.2 LS3 in it (not by choice lol) and I still love it. Comfortable cruiser daily on the highway and a rowdy muscle sedan when you step on it. Very underrated cars in my opinion.
Center console lid has an aftermarket cover and the entire center section of the backseat does flip down and has 2 cup holders and a pass-through to the trunk..
@@11.9lsupercharged4 maybe you have a 2009.5? My 2009 doesn't have that feature and I've owned her for 8 years. I hit the button once and the ESP turns completely off.
Tap it once to turn off traction control like 80% off where you'll spin the tires and it won't kill the power until like 4k rpm . Hold the button down for 10 sec and get full t/c off and you can ring it out without the computer cutting power. That's how I think it works. Worked like that in my G8 gt and works like that in my ctsv
@@11.9lsupercharged4 hmmm... Never had an issue boiling the tires on my G8 without clicking that button once. Then again, mine hasnt been stock since 2015 (bought her in 2014). I floor it in 1st and she'll spin all the way up to and stay on the limiter @ 6800 rpm. I've held that button down for 20+ seconds. No Stabilitrak notification. Let me ask you this. Did your GT come with Bluetooth built in? If so, that explains a lot. That means it's a 2009.5. Your CTS-V has nothing to do with this since it's truly an American car and it has Stabilitrak.
This car looks better than nearly any new, current car. Just my opinion, but it stands out. Doesn't look like every single other vehicle on the road. Oh well, it is what it is 😒
I bought my Pontiac brand new in 2009 and still drive it today. I tell everyone who asks that the pedigree is Australian/New Zealand from Holden. It’s surprising how many people never heard of Holden. They kept making Holden vehicles for years after Pontiac was shut down.
Holden has nothing to do with Kiwis except Kiwis buy them as have no car manufacturing. so has no Kiwi pedigree what so ever except they like to claim a lot of Australian things are theirs.
Great review. My family owned an 09, my father sold it around 2014ish after my parents got divorced. Loved that car, still do, think its one of the best looking "affordable" sedans in the past 20 years
GM screwed over Pontiac so much when it came to this car. For one thing, the v6 in the base car was destined so it had FIFTY LESS HP than any other model fitted with that motor. The GXP was detuned compared to the Camaro and Corvette for no reason. They also didn't market the car at all. Its like they were gonna scapegoat Pontiac before the government told them too
@@jeffjackson9679 it will actually do ok. My trans shifts too hard to be driven in the snow. The G8 has a limited slip differential which helps greatly. But I don't drive mine in the snow. That's what my Silverado is for. But I do know folks that drive them in inclement weather regularly with no issues.
Knowing of Holden Australia's reputation for fast, muscle coupes and sedans, I purchased a G8 GT new in 2009. I totaled it about 5 years later, so I found an exact copy 1,800 miles away, and bought it. I loved everything about it; the speed, the incredible room, even the gas mileage (averaged 25 mpg on a cross country trip loaded down with people and luggage). Perhaps the best part of owning one of these was, it was....RARE! It was not unusual to get a 'thumbs up' from someone on the road. In fact, that happened twice during the 45 minute drive to a Kia dealer to trade it in to get my wife a new SUV. She looked really guilty when this happened, because she knew I was trading my "Baby" for her. So now, she's gone, and my baby's gone too. But I still have all the fond memories; of the G8 GT that is.🤣
To me it looks like a regular Aussie ve ss with a different front bumper.hell Aussies put the g8 front bumpers on them here even the v6 ones.but its still nice to see Aussie built muscle imports in America
It's not very basic GM at all. It's very basic Holden. Not even the engine is shared with any other GM car. The L 76 in this configuration is unique to the G8.
Only if USA got HSV GTS with LSA V8 either sedan or ute version. As in Australia we do miss our two local hero sedans, utes n wagons even Ford Territory which was base off Falcon sedan.
God that red and black center console makes me jealous never knew it was an option I have a g8 with the red and black interior and now I’m on the hunt for it
Blaupunkt… at this point… well, they had a really good ad sometime in the early 2000’s. The one with the stuffed bunny riding on the rear deck of a car with the thumping music.
GM's Aussie Holden subsidiary did not sell enough 'Commodore(s)' rebadged Pontiacs, Vauxhalls, Chevrolets using GMs Global RWD architecture due to high end pricing since all the above were imports from down under. So GM pulled the plug on Holden, Pontiac, Saab and all other brands that were not making them cash.
Reminds me of my first car, an early 2000’s Pontiac Grand Am. GM’s issue was it had an identity crisis with Pontiac. Whereas Chrysler pivoted Dodge into their sports vehicles division, Chevy half assed the same pivot. The Corvette and Camaro were kept in the Chevy family, and god forbid any of the Pontiac cars were faster than those sacred cows.
I got ro impound 1 of these 10 years ago i just thought it was a v6 fwd pontiac. Man was i wrong. I hammered it down and it blew me away. It was supercharged. I just thought it was a v6 that was scary quick
Just me being a pedant, but the G8 is a rebadged Holden Commodore from Australia (just like its successor, the Chevy SS), so all the comments about the American sedan and American trunk space are really Australian sedans and trunks. Great video though!
All the Pontiac G8 GTs were made in Australia by HOLDEN a GM company , so they were imported here for the American cat market , Australia's version was called the Manaro
Awesome video big big Pontiac fan I'm sure you've seen it but the Chevy SS is the predecessor of the G8 the Holden design continues and the G8 in this videois in awesome condition. Bravo 👏
The back seat brings back memories of your former Pontiac G6? Nice! We'd love to hear more about that, but I guess you need to keep the vids G-rated. 🤣
Blaupunkt is a German electronics company,famous for their car stereos! This car is a GM Holden,made in Australia,so it isn't American,really. Also sold as a Vauxhall VXR8 in The UK & Ireland.
Ebby Calvin LaLoosh: I got a Porsche already; a 911 with a quadrophonic Blaupunkt. Crash Davis: Christ, you don't need a quadrophonic Blaupunkt! What you need is a curveball!
The 2010-2012 Ford Fusion Sport was a much better looking and reliable car over this dated design of the same era. You need to do a review on a first gen Fusion Sport.
Halfway through, no mention of the Chevy ss which is the (not just a) facelift of the VE Commodore. The gto was there previous era Commodore, more the catera than g8.
12:31 wrong... Pontiac did not make the G8, it was actually Holden in Australia that built them and then exported them to the United states were Pontiac rebranded them.
No review of a sports car - or any for that matter probably - is complete without a segment for engine sound. Therefore, your review is not complete. Thank you for part of a video.
Before Pontiac was discontinued they were gonna announce a pick up truck version of the car called the G8 ST based on the Holden Ute which would've been the spiritual successor to the El Camino.
I'm not that big of a GM fan, but I'd seriously consider a Holden Commodore ute sold and badged as a LHD Pontiac G8 pickup.
I always said GM should have done this. Since the Chevy SS was a Holden, I thought the Holden Ute would had came also... as the Chevy El Camino!
Here's a video of literally the only Pontiac G8 ST ever made. I don't know what they did to it but most likely it was never sold
ruclips.net/video/tBuQFtgz3Ac/видео.html
I wish they lasted longer for it to come out. I wish Pontiac lasted longer in general.
@@floyd27860 Yes, it would have been very easy to sell a brand new modern day Chevy El Camino. Maybe because GM chose to brand this Holden as a Pontiac, they couldn't do a Chevy version, or maybe they could, just put a Chevy front end on it. It may have been a low production car, but GM has done that before, like the Chevy SS.
I'd take one of these over any of the mopar equivalents any day off the week.
Blaupunkt is a German company that makes stereos. They mate the head unit for the g8. They make head units for German cars like Porsche. Blaupunkt is German for blue point
The 2004-06 GTO's used Blaupunkt as well.
I never liked them. I remember them from the late 90's & Crutchfield magazine
used to be good at one time but they’re just chinese owned crap these days
I had an aftermarket Blaupunkt radio once, came with a used car I bought, but it definitely was not factory installed.
So, we've got a German radio in an Australian car sold in America. There's got to be a punchline there somewhere...
I bought my 2009 Pontiac G8 GT brand new in 2009! I have a little over 80,000 miles on it and love driving it today as much as the day I bought it. I have modified the 6.0 liter V8 some by removing the DOD active fuel management, adding a high performance cam, Magnuson 2300 Supercharger, dual fuel pumps, Bosch Injector Dynamics 1050 fuel injectors, Rotofab Cold Air Intake, 3 inch long tube headers with stainless steel exhaust and X-pipe, E85 fuel system conversion. It has been dyno tuned and makes 715 HP and 650 FTLB Torque on E85. I will never part with this car!
Still have mine after 170k, same color as this review. I did have to put a new new trans and struts in at 140k. Im stock minus tune and exhaust. Ill never sell mine either.
I used to sell Pontiac's back in 2008-09. The G8 GT (and Vibe GT's) were fun cars. The G8 GT had great looks and great styling. The car was a total blast to drive. GM screwed up when they killed Pontiac.
Agree. They need a bailout from the Government cause they gone bankrupt. That explains why they kill Pontiac.
Wasn't even a Pontiac at all. so you mean they screwed up by stealing Billions in Australia tax payers money that Australian government gave to General Motors to keep GM Holden Australia going who built this Pontiac G8 and GTO Coupe and Chevy SS and the Caprice police car.
but they holden commodores, pontiac really had nothing to do the the design, maybe some input into the way the front bumper looked, thats why when the next gen commodore that was imported and u Americans tried to claim as ur design was called a chevy ss, the g8 and the chevy ss are pretty much the same car, apart from the back everything is a direct fit
GM REALLY screwed up when they killed Holden.
Definitely an understated ride. To the uninitiated, it could easily blend into traffic with all of the 4 cylinder and V6 Camrys, Accords, Tauruses of the day and other mundane, generic FWD sedans. Especially in an inoffensive color like white or gray. Until you hit the gas pedal.
Agreed
"American sedan" Bruh you insult me as an Australian Holden fanatic.
Super clean G8. The owner should be proud. Glad you were finally able to review one.
Every time Zac says “American” when it’s an Aussie car 💀
@bloxhead’s world of confusion but it’s a captive import that was BUILT and DESIGNED in Australia. Not much American about it. Hate it when the reviewer doesn’t RESEARCH.
Yeah, Holden Monaro exported under the Pontiac brand...
@@TheCoolOwen to be fair he didn’t know what blaupunkt was either
@@TheCoolOwen yeah it annoyed the fuck outta me. Its absolutely NOT American at all. Only the front bumper is actually American. Go to Australia and these things are a dime a dozen
@@TheCoolOwen Funny enough mine in the profile pic is a first 888 which sat in a warehouse with the rest of them waiting for parts so they could be shipped across the sea.
Another cool feature is the stealth mode interior lights. Push both buttons at the same time on top of headlight switch and kills all the interior lights except spedo
This car was based on the Australian Holden Commodore which the Chevy SS was also based on. The GTO was based on the Holden Monaro which why this car reminded you of that
These came out at a bad time. It's a shame because they were good sport sedans and still have a following today. They were cut short by GM shutting down Pontiac and the recession. GM does it all the time where just when they perfect a car, they kill it. GM didn't actually want to sell the SS, as part of the contract for Holden to build the Caprice PPV they also had to import 12k SSs so they didn't bother to advertise them. There's at least one company that imports Holden ute and wagon bodies to convert these. One guy actually got his registered as a Holden Ute in his home state. The Commodore/Caprice were sold under various badges as LHD in the Middle East so that's another reason for the central window switches. Look at a Caprice PPV and you'll see the same fender bulges.
The bubble-wagon Taurus and Sable were good cars. I miss my fully-loaded 4th gen sometimes. Slow, not that well put together or reliable, ugly, but comfortable and tons of room.
Still in Love with my g8 after almost 4 years of owning it now, nice review, there’s one big down fall with these cars that you didn’t mention, it’s the dod (displacement on demand) it loves to kill these engines and with out a “DOD delete kit” your kind of on the fences with it, but after you do a full dod delete you got yourself a great reliable car!
Cylinder deactivation? How would it kill the engine?
Holden Commodore, Vauxhall VXR8, Pontiac G8
FINALLY A TRUE REVEIW ON THIS CAR! Really wish we had a driving clip
Holden Commodore from 1978 used to put the power windows there, so probably a continuation. The mirror switch has gone through a few locations over time. Early Commodores with electric mirrors had them in a panel under the steering column.
I love the fail musical note💜🎵
I have a 08 G6 gxp street edition and it's amazing I love this car and I hope to get my hands on a G8 gxp some day
Blaupunkt is the company that made the audio system for this car
I used to have a Hyundai with an aftermarket Blaupunkt stereo in it.
Mine was destroyed by an epic hail storm that shattered the rear and side windows when I was at work, and subsequent rain damage to the interior that destroyed my electrical system. I loved that car. I miss it. I had a red g8 gt with red interior. It was a special car.
Back in 2010 i tested this car at a dealer and fell in love with it.someone ended up buying it the next day before I had chance, couldn’t find another for many miles from me.I ended up buying a 300srt8 which I enjoyed very much but I always wanted one of these
6:28 I've driven that bubble wagon taurus in 2004. Not sure if it was a factory option, but it had "purple" paint that color changed in the light and has the touchiest accelerator I've ever used.
The thing was shockingly punchy for what it was, I liked the car!
The last great car pontiac made? Pontiac never made them in the first place as they were made by Holden in Australia.
Man I can not believe this Millenal doesn’t know what Blupaunkt systems are.
LMAO
Picked one up a month ago. Excellent car but the 6.0 in the G8 is ridiculously quiet for a V8. First thing I did was install an axle-back exhaust and it really helps the car come alive.
14-17 Stock Chevy SS Mufflers too
Back up camera was a dealer option. Very rare to find a G8 with one. Also a 2 way keyless remote with small LCD screen was available as a dealer option.
Excellent review! remote start and heated seats are a real life saver in the cold 🥶
Just picked up a g8 gt a couple months back and its a blast to drive. And what i love about it the most its very underrated and stands out. I didnt want to get what every person has on the road
The fact that it comes with a Blaupunkt radio it makes me want to Buy One right now
Fun fact: the V6 base version has red taillights. V8 versions have the clear ones like this
“American sedans, American Sedans” and it’s a captive import from Australia rebadge Holden Commodore.
Gone but not forgotten
That gauge screen still looks better than the one I have in my 2020 Jetta GLI S, and this one even tells the tire pressure.
Don't know if you did this car yet, but you should review a 2013-17 Chevy SS. Their prices stand firm today even tho it was a poor seller for a lack of identity.
No one knew what it was in the states; overseas it's a Holden
He has reviewed on here. It even had the holden badges
@@celsovera91 Daaaang, now that you said this... I remember that!
Thx
I love the Pontiac G8 so much. It is a very cool car to me. If I could find one for myself, heck yeah I would so get one. But one thing that is true is that General Motors actually canceled the G8 because in 2010 they got bankrupt so that's why they canceled Pontiac. I still kinda wish that Pontiac still existed because then there would be a bunch of Pontiacs that people can see and also get a chance to have one. In my opinion I think the Pontiac G8 and the Dodge Charger are in some way similar and also competitors. I really miss the G8. Very interesting Car but very good car for a lot of stuff.
love Pontiac so much
My current daily is a 09 Liquid Red GT with a 6.2 LS3, full bolt on and TSP Cam. I love the car
Lol the “this is actually an Australian car” comments got me dying
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THE HOLDEN COMMODORE!?! WHAT DID YOU DO!?!
Wished i knew it had center window switches, I would've bought one. The saturn had them, and I actually liked them.
Hey Millenial, that is a made in Australia sedan. They just imported it and put Pontiac or Chevy name on it.
I have a GT but swapped a 6.2 LS3 in it (not by choice lol) and I still love it. Comfortable cruiser daily on the highway and a rowdy muscle sedan when you step on it. Very underrated cars in my opinion.
bro i have never seen the stock stereo set up only all aftermarket smh that stock system is where it’s at its beautiful
Center console lid has an aftermarket cover and the entire center section of the backseat does flip down and has 2 cup holders and a pass-through to the trunk..
The red leather option wasn't very rare. The red leather on the center arm rest is aftermarket.
The center console... Push the button at the top and the whole middle section folds down. Has a cup holder that might pass the BFC test.
Gotta hold down the traction control button for 10 sec to get that full stabilitrack off. That with sport shift wakes her up a lil
Ummm... That 10 second hold down does nothing. I own one. I don't remember that ever working.
@@jaydubb71 mine worked
@@11.9lsupercharged4 maybe you have a 2009.5? My 2009 doesn't have that feature and I've owned her for 8 years. I hit the button once and the ESP turns completely off.
Tap it once to turn off traction control like 80% off where you'll spin the tires and it won't kill the power until like 4k rpm . Hold the button down for 10 sec and get full t/c off and you can ring it out without the computer cutting power. That's how I think it works. Worked like that in my G8 gt and works like that in my ctsv
@@11.9lsupercharged4 hmmm... Never had an issue boiling the tires on my G8 without clicking that button once. Then again, mine hasnt been stock since 2015 (bought her in 2014). I floor it in 1st and she'll spin all the way up to and stay on the limiter @ 6800 rpm. I've held that button down for 20+ seconds. No Stabilitrak notification. Let me ask you this. Did your GT come with Bluetooth built in? If so, that explains a lot. That means it's a 2009.5. Your CTS-V has nothing to do with this since it's truly an American car and it has Stabilitrak.
It's not American, it's Australian and prior that it's an Opel
Was never an Opel, just an Australian Commodore. No one mentions the 3.0 litre versions.
@@perpetualgrin5804 Yep, sorry, tis one new Australian Zeta platform, previous Commodore was Opel
There was also an aussie as chief designer in opel around the same time we used stretched out opels and prior he was a holden designer
G8 REVIEW BY ZACK?! Yes. Yes! Another one with V6 version just because?? Yes!!!
One of my dream cars too get only time will tell🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 messed with the vid heavy🤙🏽
one of my favorite cars
This car looks better than nearly any new, current car. Just my opinion, but it stands out. Doesn't look like every single other vehicle on the road. Oh well, it is what it is 😒
I bought my Pontiac brand new in 2009 and still drive it today. I tell everyone who asks that the pedigree is Australian/New Zealand from Holden. It’s surprising how many people never heard of Holden. They kept making Holden vehicles for years after Pontiac was shut down.
Holden has nothing to do with Kiwis except Kiwis buy them as have no car manufacturing. so has no Kiwi pedigree what so ever except they like to claim a lot of Australian things are theirs.
@nedkelly9688
Haha OK funny man from the West Island we only claim the Aussie's born in New Zealand and that includes Pavalova and Pharlap 😁
Great review. My family owned an 09, my father sold it around 2014ish after my parents got divorced. Loved that car, still do, think its one of the best looking "affordable" sedans in the past 20 years
GM screwed over Pontiac so much when it came to this car. For one thing, the v6 in the base car was destined so it had FIFTY LESS HP than any other model fitted with that motor. The GXP was detuned compared to the Camaro and Corvette for no reason. They also didn't market the car at all. Its like they were gonna scapegoat Pontiac before the government told them too
I own a 2009 G8 GT. Slightly modified. Cam, headers, exhaust, etc. I love it.
Just curious, how does it handle in snowy/icy roads? I live up north and want a G8 or maybe a SS, but driving them in the winter scares me a bit.
@@jeffjackson9679 it will actually do ok. My trans shifts too hard to be driven in the snow. The G8 has a limited slip differential which helps greatly. But I don't drive mine in the snow. That's what my Silverado is for. But I do know folks that drive them in inclement weather regularly with no issues.
@@jaydubb71 Thanks. I here switching to real snow tires helps a lot too.
@@jeffjackson9679 I wouldn't know. I drove mine in the snow once. The car shifted to second and that was enough for me...
Knowing of Holden Australia's reputation for fast, muscle coupes and sedans, I purchased a G8 GT new in 2009. I totaled it about 5 years later, so I found an exact copy 1,800 miles away, and bought it. I loved everything about it; the speed, the incredible room, even the gas mileage (averaged 25 mpg on a cross country trip loaded down with people and luggage). Perhaps the best part of owning one of these was, it was....RARE! It was not unusual to get a 'thumbs up' from someone on the road. In fact, that happened twice during the 45 minute drive to a Kia dealer to trade it in to get my wife a new SUV. She looked really guilty when this happened, because she knew I was trading my "Baby" for her. So now, she's gone, and my baby's gone too. But I still have all the fond memories; of the G8 GT that is.🤣
Thank you to Holden of Australia for this car. But we are begging for the UTE also. What a car/truck.
unfortunately GM killed Holden a few years ago, so they aren't making any utes anymore
My cousin has one of these and my other cousin just bought a Charger SRT8. And here I am being the only import guy with a WRX
The G8 is also an import. It's imported from Australia.
To me it looks like a regular Aussie ve ss with a different front bumper.hell Aussies put the g8 front bumpers on them here even the v6 ones.but its still nice to see Aussie built muscle imports in America
8:10 I got a Lincoln town car, and we measure its capacity in bodies not cubic feet😆.
Also this looks like a really fun car.
That red console is not a factory option.
Still want one of these!
It was a great Australian car, VE Commodore 2006 -2012.
I really like my G8 GT. I’m currently gathering parts for a cam swap
This is my dream car The GT with a sunroof
My buddy has a magnetic grey one. Its a beautiful car. I have a 2005 Phantom Black GTO
It's not very basic GM at all. It's very basic Holden. Not even the engine is shared with any other GM car. The L 76 in this configuration is unique to the G8.
Ya , it's a Frankenstein, Ls2 with an Ls3 top end
While you comment about the trunk being large for an American car, it is a Australian car. 100% made in Australia.
Only if USA got HSV GTS with LSA V8 either sedan or ute version. As in Australia we do miss our two local hero sedans, utes n wagons even Ford Territory which was base off Falcon sedan.
Chevy SS is not a spiritual successor to G8, the SS is the same car with different brand badge and updated front/rear facia.
Not exactly but yes. Whole new platform...
both cars are just a rebadged Holden Commodore anyway
God that red and black center console makes me jealous never knew it was an option I have a g8 with the red and black interior and now I’m on the hunt for it
That center console is an after market leather cover.
Blaupunkt… at this point… well, they had a really good ad sometime in the early 2000’s. The one with the stuffed bunny riding on the rear deck of a car with the thumping music.
Not a TRUE Pontiac. But still a great car for sure.
GM's Aussie Holden subsidiary did not sell enough 'Commodore(s)' rebadged Pontiacs, Vauxhalls, Chevrolets using GMs Global RWD architecture due to high end pricing since all the above were imports from down under.
So GM pulled the plug on Holden, Pontiac, Saab and all other brands that were not making them cash.
I always wanted this car, but the ISF came out in 2012 and that changed my mind by a long shot
I think I’d rather have the G8
My man’s tire pressures are all over the map 36psi in front right and 42 in back left! Would be interesting to see his wear pattern on them??!
This car is proof us Australians do know what we’re doing.
Reminds me of my first car, an early 2000’s Pontiac Grand Am. GM’s issue was it had an identity crisis with Pontiac. Whereas Chrysler pivoted Dodge into their sports vehicles division, Chevy half assed the same pivot. The Corvette and Camaro were kept in the Chevy family, and god forbid any of the Pontiac cars were faster than those sacred cows.
Waaaaaaayyyy more than a Grand Am. I used to own a 1998 GTP at one time also.
I got ro impound 1 of these 10 years ago i just thought it was a v6 fwd pontiac. Man was i wrong. I hammered it down and it blew me away. It was supercharged. I just thought it was a v6 that was scary quick
Just me being a pedant, but the G8 is a rebadged Holden Commodore from Australia (just like its successor, the Chevy SS), so all the comments about the American sedan and American trunk space are really Australian sedans and trunks. Great video though!
All the Pontiac G8 GTs were made in Australia by HOLDEN a GM company , so they were imported here for the American cat market , Australia's version was called the Manaro
No the Monaro is the GTO, the Australian version of the G8 is the Holden Commodore
Awesome video big big Pontiac fan I'm sure you've seen it but the Chevy SS is the predecessor of the G8 the Holden design continues and the G8 in this videois in awesome condition. Bravo 👏
You wete incorrect about the Dual Zone Climate. It was an available option on the base V6. Mine has it.
Didn't hear holden once in this video. If you know you know I guess.
The back seat brings back memories of your former Pontiac G6? Nice! We'd love to hear more about that, but I guess you need to keep the vids G-rated. 🤣
Blaupunkt is a German electronics company,famous for their car stereos! This car is a GM Holden,made in Australia,so it isn't American,really. Also sold as a Vauxhall VXR8 in The UK & Ireland.
Ebby Calvin LaLoosh: I got a Porsche already; a 911 with a quadrophonic Blaupunkt. Crash Davis: Christ, you don't need a quadrophonic Blaupunkt! What you need is a curveball!
One thing I can say is u missed one thing the back seat cup holder / table
People didn’t buy it. So GM cancelled it and Pontiac. They bet on Buick because they sell a boatload of those in China.
Love my g8, red is definitely the best color
The 2010-2012 Ford Fusion Sport was a much better looking and reliable car over this dated design of the same era. You need to do a review on a first gen Fusion Sport.
Halfway through, no mention of the Chevy ss which is the (not just a) facelift of the VE Commodore. The gto was there previous era Commodore, more the catera than g8.
I was debating on the GXP or the Cadillac CTS-V3 for a while. Got the CTS-V3 but I still want that GXP🤾♂️
12:31 wrong... Pontiac did not make the G8, it was actually Holden in Australia that built them and then exported them to the United states were Pontiac rebranded them.
I own one, daily drive it, feels like no matter how many times I drive it, I’ll always get looks or comments about it🙏
6.0 v8 - my European mind cannot comprehend!
No review of a sports car - or any for that matter probably - is complete without a segment for engine sound. Therefore, your review is not complete. Thank you for part of a video.
Can tell he has no history of radio brands . The blaupunkt is a stereo brand of a very high-end radio back in the days it must still be very respected