A Pontiac to get excited about

It’s not often that I run into someone who is shopping for a new Pontiac. Determined to help Pontiac avoid the fate of brands like Plymouth and Oldsmobile, or wallflowers like Buick and Mercury, General Motors has vowed to rebuild the once mighty division. Pontiac seems to do best when its cars are young, powerful and fast — not with products like Sunfire, Montana, Torrent and the dreaded Aztek.

When will Pontiac learn that it cannot attach a different grille to the front of a Chevrolet and call it a Pontiac? And how about all the wildly cladded Pontiacs that only served to help choke the life out of the brand?

So a few years back, 2003 to be exact, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz started the renaissance by reviving the legendary Pontiac GTO muscle car, importing the Holden Monaro coupe from GM’s Australia operation. But the new “Goat” didn’t look at all like it could have evolved from its beloved forebear, as did new versions of the Mustang, Mini Cooper or VW Beetle. It didn’t even have hood scoops at introduction, and after fewer than 50,000 units sold in just two model years, it got the axe.

Soon after, another Lutz inspiration, the two-seat Solstice roadster, was introduced and was sold out for months in advance. Sales have since cooled considerably, struggling to reach 10,000 units annually.

Now comes the much-heralded 2008 Pontiac G8, the replacement vehicle for the discontinued four-door Grand Prix. Like the GTO, it is built in Australia by GM’s Holden division. Trust me on this; it’s surprisingly good.

The look is Pontiac performance. It has American-size interior room, rear-wheel drive and is loaded with power. On sale since March, the G8 is offered in a base V-6 model that delivers 256 horsepower and is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission ($27,595), and a GT version with a huge 6.0-liter V-8 with 361 horsepower and a six-speed automatic transmission ($29,995). GM says it’s the most powerful sedan available in the U.S. under $30,000.

I drove the GT version, which launches from zero to 60 miles per hour in just 5.3 seconds. That’s quick, even besting the hemi-powered Dodge Charger R/T by a full half second, according to both Dodge and Pontiac.

Because it’s rear-wheel drive, there’s no annoying torque steer under full acceleration and, thanks to traction control, there isn’t any tire spin on takeoff. What is annoying is the overly boosted gas pedal that snapped my head back with even the lightest touch of the pedal.

The GT rides on 18-inch aluminum wheels (19-inch are optional) and offers an almost perfect 51/49, front/rear balance of the vehicle’s 3995-pound curb weight. Sharp corners are handled almost flat with no noticeable lean or body roll.

Outside, the looks are aggressive, featuring the traditional Pontiac split honeycomb grille and air dam. Non-functional twin hood scoops are for looks only, but the chrome quad exhaust tips and rear spoiler are the real deal. The GT has an understated visual presence that didn’t stand out from other vehicles enough to turn but a few heads.

Inside, the GT is exceptionally roomy with a backseat big enough for three adults — except that GM doesn’t provide a head restraint for the middle passenger. The front buckets are American size comfortable with side bolsters to help keep you planted during sharp handling maneuvers. All control switches, power windows, locks and mirrors are located on the center console between the gearshift and cup holders.

The dash isn’t overly exciting, but rather plain and reminiscent of what BMW does with its 3 and 5 Series. It’s soft touch with brushed aluminum trim crossing the center of the dash, and repeating on the steering wheel, door handles and center console trim. And the gauges are illuminated in Pontiac red-orange.

A few things I didn’t like were the brightly glowing red-orange battery and oil gauges on the top of the center of the dash, and the bright amber “passenger air bag on” light fixed in the inside rearview mirror. Both are very distracting and out of place. I also found the multi-function all-black key fob with teeny-tiny icons extremely difficult to use.

Safety gear includes a full complement of airbags (dual front, side, and head-curtain), anti-lock brakes, stability and traction control and remote vehicle start.

Things I liked were the standard Blaupunkt premium audio system, tilt and telescoping steering column, console-mounted emergency brake handle, lighted vanity mirrors and the remote trunk-release button in the glove box.

Conversely, I find it odd that neither navigation nor satellite radio is offered. However, GM says satellite will be available later in the year.

If you’re looking for even more power, Pontiac has announced that an even higher performance model, the G8 GXP, will join the lineup this fall, and will be powered by the same 6.2-liter 402 horsepower engine used in the Corvette. Pontiac estimates the GXP will reach 60 miles per hour in 4.7 seconds, 0.6 seconds quicker than the GT. Pricing has not been announced.

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