10 June 2010, 4:02 am

Much like the first Lingenfelter 2010 Camaro-based Trans Am conversion, theyve brilliantly managed to bring the essence of the early 1970s Trans Am into the fifth generation.  With the Pontiac nameplate having been put to rest, the odds of a production Trans Am are slim to none, but this is one way that Pontiac lovers can keep the dream alive. Under the hood youll find an LSX block sporting a very appropriate 455 cid, and an impressive 11.5:1 compression resulting in a healthy output of 655 horsepower and 610 lbs ft of torque.  This badass machine is currently running with the 2010 Hot Rod Power Tour.  See one more picture after the jump, and read more over at LSX TV.

31 December 2009, 1:00 pm

Remember the Corvette Z06 clutch-plosion? It could have been worse. This Trans Am owner nearly loses his foot trying to burn down the tires.

Unlike the Z06 owner, who appears to be the hapless victim of his own ignorance, this is at least partially the fault of the clutch itself. The carnage is pretty serious, requiring more than just clutch work. Let this be a lesson, kids.

[Streetfire]

3 November 2009, 9:38 am

Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, SEMA Show, Coupe, Performance, Pontiac

Last year in Las Vegas, graphic designer Kevin Morgan showed off the first Trans Am rebody of the new Camaro at SEMA 2008. This year he is back with T/A version 2.0 for SEMA 2009. While the original "Phoenix" T/A 1.0 had the Bandit color combo we know and love, a few of the details were off in making it a true '77-'78 Trans Am redo.

For this year's show he's rectified that situation with a new quad-headlight front fascia and a few other changes that bring it more in line with the uber Firebirds we remember from our misspent youths. Slip into one of these black and gold Trans Ams and before you know it you'll be East Bound and Down, calling for the Snowman on your CB to help you stay one step ahead of Smokey. Built in conjunction with fabricator Todd Otto, one-off versions can be ordered to spec, and a kit version will also be made available through Trans Am Depot starting in early 2010.

Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips, Weblogs, Inc.

SEMA 2009: Breaker, breaker, we got ourselves a Bandit originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2 November 2009, 3:20 pm

The Lingenfelter 455 T/A Concept has shown its unique mug on the floor of SEMA. If you take a deep breath you can almost smell meth cookin' behind the curtain and hear dogs fighting over the din of the show.

18 September 2009, 7:30 am

Pontiac says there's less than 70 (of 2000) Pontiac G8 GXPs and 375 Pontiac Solstice Coupes left in stock nationwide. Save the Pontiacs... or at least buy one now while you still can! [Pontiac via Twitter]

4 September 2009, 5:29 pm

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Chevrolet, Pontiac

Few Pontiac models will be missed by as many people as the Trans Am. From its humble origins in 1969 as an option package on the two-year-old Firebird platform through the Super Duty days and the Bandit Special Editions, right on up to the final Ram Air LS1-powered F-Bodies from 2002, Pontiac's longest-lived muscle car has always enjoyed a loyal following.

So dedicated are these Poncho fanatics that the Trans Am name seems destined to live on past the death of the brand that originally spawned it. We've taken a look at Kevin Morgan's Phoenix TA revival once already, and now the first such Camaro-based machine has been driven off the car carrier in front of a few hundred screaming chickens fans at last weekend's 25th Anniversary Trans Am Nationals in Dayton, Ohio.

Perhaps fittingly, this initial 'bird was painted up in a classic black and gold paint scheme complete with a fire-breathing hood applique and a split front beak reminiscent of the 1977 and 1978 Trans Ams. Naturally, there's a shaker scoop mounted atop the quivering hood feeding fresh air into what we assume is a stock LS3 6.2-liter V8 putting out 426 horsepower. The only things that are missing are T-Tops and a CB radio. Well, that, and a young Sally Field. Click past the break to watch the video.



[Source: Youtube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Reborn Trans Am makes fire-breathing entrance in Dayton

VIDEO: Reborn Trans Am makes fire-breathing entrance in Dayton originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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12 August 2009, 12:56 pm

Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Pontiac

So... as of January 1, 2010, Pontiac is dead. Buried. Gone forever. No more. Obviously, something as pesky as death ain't going to stop hard core Trans Am fanatics from driving an (almost) honest to goodness 2010 Pontiac Trans Am and/or Firebird. Why? If you have to ask... you bring up a good point. Especially because when you get right down to it, the Trans Am was rarely anything other than a Chevy Camaro with different sheet metal.

Keeping that in mind, Trans Am Depot will be offering body kits that will transform (lowly) Camaros into full-on screamin' chicken Trans Ams! Based off Kevin Morgan's original design(s), the Phoenix Trans Am kits will be unveiled at the 2009 Trans Am Nationals. And then you'll have the chance to own a Trans Am that costs more than a Camaro but is just as fast. Hey - just sayin'. Fully detailed press release after the jump.



[Source: Trans Am Depot | Kevin Morgan Designs via Jalopnik]

Continue reading Confirmed: "Phoenix" Trans Am conversion kit coming for Camaro

Confirmed: "Phoenix" Trans Am conversion kit coming for Camaro originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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12 August 2009, 9:30 am

The Kevin Morgan Trans Am bodykit for the new Camaro is close to reality, with Trans Am Depot committing to production of Phoenix T/A conversion kits and a real-life concept dropping later this month.

You can read the good news in the press release in the next image and scroll through some of the formative design work Kevin did on this project.

Like its mythical namesake that rose from the ashes to a new life, the Trans Am of yesteryear has been born again... the Phoenix T/A. If it is true that good things come to those who wait, then we have surely been rewarded for our patience.

Trans Am Depot is pleased to announce our partnership with designer Kevin Morgan in turning a three-year dream into reality. We, like many of you, have lusted over Kevin's retro interpretation of the '77 - '78 Trans Am based on the 2010 Camaro platform. We began early last year discussing the idea of how we might work together to bring this vision to life.

Phoenix T/A Currently, we are completing a one-off Kevin Morgan "Trans Am" Concept, which we intend to unveil at the 2009 Trans Am Nationals. The concept will be followed by the first production conversion later this year. It will vary from the concept car but will be an exact version of the conversion kits we will hope to be offering this fall. We are working closely with a Detroit auto design firm to bring this kit to market. We will be offering everything from the body conversion only to the limited Phoenix Edition. The kits will be available as an installed conversion only.

The Phoenix conversion will include:

Exterior

* 1' - 1.5' Lowering Kit w/sway bar handling upgrade
* Wheels & Tires
* Front: 20x9.5x120 CB-66.9 Gold or Silver Machined Face Snowflake Wheels. PIRELLI PZERO 275/45ZR20
* Rear: 20x11.5x120 CB-66.9 Gold or Silver Machined Face Snowflake Wheels. PIRELLI PZERO 305/35ZR20
* Hood
* Shaker Scoop
* Fender Extractors
* Exhaust Conversion w/ splitter tips
* Rear Fascia Clip w/tail lamp lenses and bulbs
* Rear Spoiler
TA Graphic Package

Interior

* Embroded Head Rest and Console Lid - KM Graphic Punch
* Turned Aluminum Door Panel
* Turned Aluminum Dash Inserts
* Turned Aluminum Instrument Cluster
* Door Panel Badges
* T/A SN Badge and Designation

[via Trans Am Depot]

24 July 2009, 8:30 am

This year's Comic Con is ongoing, and our very own Ray Wert is stalking and all manner of film cars (and stalking Seth Rogen), which has us wondering: what's your favorite movie car?

We're partial towards the A-Team van, but we're not sure how the A-Team remake will turnout and we're worried they're going to ride around in a Routan or something equally as despicable.

If we have to choose just one, we're going for an ace-in-the-hole like the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am from Smokey And The Bandit. The black-and-gold paint still looks good today (inspired by the John Player Special Lotuses, no less). Unlike many of the Bond cars, Burt Reynolds keeps the car with him throughout the film as a trustworthy companion. It's able to jump over bridges, drive through roadblocks, and outrun the police without special gadgets. Not to mention, it'll allow you to pick up a young Sally Field. Need we say more?

(QOTD is your chance to answer the day's most pressing automotive questions and experience the opinions of the insightful insiders, practicing pundits and gleeful gearheads that make up the Jalopnik commentariat. If you've got a suggestion for a good "Question Of The Day" send an email to tips at jalopnik dot com.)

10 July 2009, 7:30 am

Pontiac's Firebird has been a staple of 'Merican hoons ever since Burt Reynolds, our favorite mustachioed star, drove one in Smokey and the Bandit, but we're not the only ones fascinated with the flaming chicken.

Amid all the recent political uproar, car enthusiasts in Tehran, Iran still have something good to live for and it's not the new Mercedes-McLaren SLR 722GT Type R Chrome Edition. No, there's a unique group of individuals that have fallen in love with the Pontiac Firebird. As it turns out, cruising in any one of the various vintage 'Birds "” or any car really "” is one of the very few outlets for young men to meet women in Iran due to very strict rules regarding male/female interaction. We applaud this crew for everything they stand for because at the end of the day, vintage American muscle knows no borders. (Hat Tip To Taylor!)

[via The Atlantic]

30 June 2009, 4:00 am

Turning 21 can mean big changes "” new opportunities, more respect and the chance to strike out on your own. But as Nice Price or Crack Pipe knows, sometimes it can be hard to spread your wings.

Yesterday, you zombie-loving prom-goers gave the Pinzgauer a twenty-one Nice Price salute, with a solid 68% of you voting it prom queen. Today, we've going to ogle a 21 year-old, and she's a beauty too. But do you have what it takes to do her right?

With the Pontiac brand being yet another celebrity to shuffle off this mortal coil, dealers are beginning to sell off old stock. Most of the spawn of the Indian Chief honorific that you'll find standing on the lots are "˜09s or even a few dusty "˜08s, but it's unlikely you'll come across something old enough not to need a fake ID. Hinton Motors, in Lynden Washington, has been sitting on just such a sweet twenty-one year old, and not only is she of legal age, but is rocking the short skirts and some killer curves. She's got an athletic build, is probably good at sports, and her parent's must have been hippies, because they named her Fiero.

Now, by 1988 Pontiac was over the notion that the Fiero was a commuter car, and had gotten around to fixing many of the things that were wrong with the little two-seater. The craptacular suspension of the previous years was replaced with a racing-honed version that finally had proper geometry, and the rock-solid 2.8 liter pushrod V6 pumped out a healthy-for-the-time 140bhp, 42 more than the Iron Duke in the base models. New disk brakes and revised armstrong power steering also add to the desirability of this last-year for the American mid-enginer. "¨

There's a lot of '88 Fieros running around, what with over 26,000 built that year, but this one is different. What this car has been doing the past 21 years is a mystery, but we can tell what it wasn't doing was racking up the miles - there's only 221 on the clock. It's possible that, like many a young lass, her parents kept her in a convent or stuffy boarding school during those formative years, meaning that, now of legal age, she's ready to break free and cut loose. And you could be the one to help her out of her shell.

Of course, putting miles on a 21 year-old, 221 mile car is like taking a dump in a Ming Dynasty vase- sure you can do it, but it wreaks havoc on the resale value. So, the best thing would be to find a warm, dry spot in the garage, and make her comfortable. Every now and then go out and tell her she looks nice, and no, that spoiler doesn't make her butt look too big.

Eventually, as seals shrivel, and fluids dry up, she'll grow old, tired, and incontinent. 21 will turn to 30, and then, before you know it, 45, and she'll wonder where her life has gone. She'll pine for the freedom of the open road that, for so long, has been denied her, and will lament that she never met the right person who loved her for what she was deep down inside- a fun-loving sportscar- rather than people who only were attracted to her for her looks. Sure, she still has had only a few cranks on the odo, but there's more to life than what those numbers exemplify, and now, tires rock-hard, and ball-joints frozen, all that has passed her by. There she sits, under the incessant hum of the cold, unflattering florescent garage lights, only occasionally allowed out to stretch her legs, but never for more than a day, and then back to the dark confines of her cage, and under the smothering blindfold of her tight, confining car cover. It's not the life she had imagined for herself. Or would ever wish on even her worst enemy.

It doesn't have to be that way. $40,000 is a lot of Clamato for a twenty one year old, but not if you are in it for the long haul. This is a unique opportunity, a time capsule to make up for past mistakes, a chance to catch that one that got away. Pontiac got the Fiero right by '88, and then condemned her to the ignominy of spending the rest of her life possibly wearing poor-fitting, faux Italian fashions, or worse, and eventually a slow, painful death of junkyard violations and her plastic body warped and faded by the unrelenting sun.

But you can make her an honest woman, and give her everything she needs for a life filled with joy- an open road, a heavy right foot, and the promise always to take care of her, miles be damned. Are you ready for that kind of commitment? The challenge of a life together seems daunting, she comes from a broken home after all. But even more intimidating is that dowry - forty-large. Do you think that's a Nice Price for a life of highway hijinks with such a lithe, pretty young thing? Or do you think she's smoking the Crack Pipe if she thinks she can get you to the church for that kind of scratch?

You decide!

Nice Price or Crack Pipe: 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT for $40,000.(survey software)

Hinton Motors or go here if the ad gets found out by its oppressive parents. Hat tip to Mustang05_awesome!

Help me out with NPOCP. Click here to send a me a tip.

24 June 2009, 9:57 am

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Coupes, Pontiac

Climb into the Pontiac Solstice Coupe and there's an unsettling feeling of familiarity. We've been here before. And after driving off, it all begins to gel, although it has nothing to do with our previous stints in the drop-top variant. The Coupe feels like the unruly offspring of a night of passion between a C4 Corvette coupe and a Dodge Viper. And while the Solstice is nowhere near as large or as powerful as those two American icons, the DNA of both is undoubtedly present in this little machine - for good reason.

It's no coincidence that the history of the Solstice spans the Bob Lutz era at General Motors. After Lutz joined GM in 2001 to guide its product development, one of the first tasks he assigned the design staff was to create a new concept for the Detroit Auto Show. The Solstice was born, a stylistic hit was made and the convertible was rushed to production. Now, as Lutz is winding down his time at GM, the Solstice and the entire Pontiac brand are also fading off into the sunset. In many respects, this Solstice is symbolic of what was right and wrong with GM and Pontiac. And our time with the Solstice Coupe is a telling tale about the final new model from a vanishing brand.



Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid, Max Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Review: Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe goes quick, just don't look back

Review: Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe goes quick, just don't look back originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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16 June 2009, 6:30 am

A recent poll of 1,700 users of the automotive site CarGurus concluded the brand they'd most like GM to save (despite these) is Pontiac "” the brand GM will kill. GM just can't win, can they? [CarGurus via AdAge]

15 June 2009, 1:00 pm

Some troubled soul accosted a Pontiac Sunfire with lumber and plaster for this junkyard-bound "Lamborghini Murcielago." Believe us when we say this horror show raises the bar on fake super cars in every way imaginable. We dub thee the Flim-Flamborghini!

This tale of vehicular terror comes to us from a junkyard on Montreal, where our tipsters kids were rummaging around for God-knows what when they stumbled on this stupendous monster, where we're told:

This was spotted in a local Junkyard near Montreal Qc by my kids. It seemed like an industrious person took a Pontiac Sunfire, some plywood, lumber, a bit of imagination and a ton of plaster to make his own Lambo! I can just imagine how the little 4 banger just died under the weight or a bewildered cop sent this thing to inspection for it to end up in the junkyard. I love the custom key hack to make it work under the Lambo skin job. That thing must have been a hit with the ladies. Feel free to use any of this original material. I enjoy and I'm addicted to your site.

Gerry :)

So it began life as a first generation Pontiac Sunfire, not a vehicle known for its good anything, and was morphed into a stomach-churning homage to the Lamborghini Murcielago. This is not new territory, it's been done by countless n'er do wells across the world, but this example is special for its breathtaking half-assery. Welding metal in place to simulate those oh-so sexy Italian curves? Pah! That's for sissies, wood is the thinkin' mans structural material. Bondo to smooth things over? E-gads no, plaster will do the trick, and lay it on thick too. As a finishing touch, slather the beast in a comely shade of p***y-magnet yellow.

It's almost a shame this rolling caution against the dangers of methamphetamines ended up in a junkyard. Soon its plaster fenders will begin to melt, the wood will rot, and the world will no longer know the wonders of this magnificent disaster. (Many thanks Gerry, for this cautionary tale)

10 June 2009, 10:00 am

According to the 2010 GM Product Guide, the 2010 model year Pontiac Vibe is the only model from the doomed brand for 2010 and is, therefore, the last Pontiac. That's right, the last Pontiac is actually a Toyota.

The fact that the 2010 Pontiac Vibe is surviving until 2010 may have something to do with the join production deal GM has with Toyota to build the vehicle, along with its twin the Toyota Matrix, at the joint NUMMI production facility in Fremont, California. Every other vehicle will end at the 2009 MY with the exception of the fleet-only 2010 Pontiac G6, which may or may not become a strange collector's item for those willing to search the Alamo Rent-A-Car sales lot. [GM Product Guide, Carscoop]

14 May 2009, 9:30 am

You probably won't still be able to buy a 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP, but today we'll try to think of a single reason why you shouldn't.

Why you should buy the Pontiac G8 GXP:
You like the idea of a four-door Corvette with a gigantic backseat and a capacious trunk. Power and capability are more important to you than plush surroundings, plus when cut you bleed red, white and blue all over your pleated polyester Sansabelt slacks. You think a combination of power and practicality will attract the opposite sex and you like that the power part can at least be hidden from them if necessary. You have an eye for a performance bargain and are good-natured when it comes to living with a few little imperfections.

Why you shouldn't buy this car:
You prefer the idea of a two-door Corvette and don't mind spending several extra grand to get one. You wouldn't know power if it kicked you in the ass or handling if it failed to roll over on you in a tightening hairpin, but you can tell split-grain from full-grain leather at a glance and you know the thread count of your sheets by heart. You think that either much more expensive cars or much less threatening cars impress the opposite sex. You believe fast four-doors should be made by stoic sausage-gnashing umlaut junkies and no one can convince you otherwise.

Suitability Parameters:
Speed Merchants: Yes
Fashion Victims: No
Treehuggers: No
Mack Daddies: Yes
Tuner Crowd: No
Hairdressers: No
Penny Pinchers: No
Euro Snobs: No
Working Stiffs: No
Technogeeks: No
Poseurs: No
Soccer Moms: No
Nascar Dads: Yes
Golfing Grandparents: No
Very Serious Businessmen: Yes
Sheiklets: No

Also Consider:
"¢ BMW E39 M5
"¢ Lotus Carlton
"¢ Mercedes W124 AMG Hammer
"¢ 2009 Cadillac CTS-V
"¢ 1964 Pontiac GTO

Vitals:
"¢ Manufacturer: Pontiac
"¢ Model: G8 GXP
"¢ Model year: 2009
"¢ Base Price: $37,610
"¢ Price as Tested: $40,905
"¢ Engine type: 6.2-liter V8
"¢ Horsepower: 415 HP @ 5900 rpm
"¢ Torque: 415 Lb-Ft @4600 rpm
"¢ Transmission: 6-speed manual
"¢ Curb Weight: 4000 lbs
"¢ LxWxH: 196.1" x 74.8" x 57.7"
"¢ Wheelbase: 114.8"
"¢ Tires: 245/40R-19 94W
"¢ 0 - 60 mph: 4.7 seconds
"¢ Top Speed: 155 MPH (electronically limited)
"¢ EPA Fuel economy city/highway: 13/20 MPG
"¢ NHTSA crash test rating: N/A

Also see:
"¢ 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP: Last Drive, Part One
"¢ 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP: Last Drive, Part Two

12 May 2009, 5:00 pm

This song's about a young American male building excitement in his red Pontiac Trans Am. It may be the greatest song we've ever heard. Or the worst. We still can't tell. [via EricRosenfeld]

12 May 2009, 9:00 am

The 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP is, finally, the ultimate Pontiac "” and ultimately, the final Pontiac.

It's nothing less than a triumph, really, that a company like GM could overcome their considerable shortcomings and come out with a reasonably priced world-beating sports sedan like the Pontiac G8 GXP. Whatever their recent successes, the company has history of taking careful aim at a performance target and hitting themselves squarely in the foot, so some skepticism is only natural. Yet there's no denying the monumentally good news: for a few weeks at least, Pontiac could deliver a daily-drivable four-door Corvette for not that much more than a fully-optioned minivan.

But bad news is everywhere these days. Due to recent global events, Pontiac is dead, and the G8 GXP with it. And that, speaking strictly from my recent personal experience of driving the G8 GXP, is just not fair.

I was trying to be upbeat about my time with the LS3-equipped GXP. After all, it's the most powerful Pontiac ever and the first to be fine-tuned on the Nürburgring. Unfortunately, instead of wringing the car out in the Hudson River Valley, I had to spend quite a lot of that time at a wedding in moderately distant Baltimore, meaning I would be droning along on the New Jersey Turnpike. Well, fair enough. Brian and Karen are very dear friends for whom I would sacrifice a lot, and were well worth the minor sacrifice of driving Pontiac's four-door Corvette the way most of its buyers probably would have, had it but lived. And in these times, we take our celebrations where we can get them.

But seriously, I thought as I sized up the Lincoln Tunnel from GXP's driver's seat, it is-was? It's difficult to discuss the recently departed "” the most powerful Pontiac ever. Nothing with a flaming chicken or a superfluous tachometer on its hood ever had the 415 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque this car gets out of its aluminum 6.2-liter small-block. It's almost certainly the best handling, as well, and with the very good Tremec 6-speed my car was blessed with, potentially quite a lot of fun. Certainly worth mulling over, because right away, you can't tell.

The loud pedal isn't, really; there's a potentially magnificent eight-cylinder rumble in there, but it's less of a bang than a whisper and you have to be listening for it, especially around town. The styling is also quiet, if unspectacular; the GXP has a somewhat more aggressive nose, a small spoiler, 19-inch wheels and some understated badging to set it apart from the mere G8 GTs out there, and although both cars have the suggestive hood vents, neither one exactly screams world-shattering performance. And driving it in Manhattan traffic provided no immediate clues, because the ride is direct but supple, the steering is a bit light, the big Brembos only the slightest tad grabby, and the clutch perfectly manageable.

All of this is actually very good manners for a sports sedan, and it speaks to a high degree of well-engineered tractability and civilized behavior in what is a very powerful car. If it was this good in its youth, I would have really enjoyed seeing what it was like when it grew up.

Unfortunately, inevitably, there are still growing pains in this stillborn enfant terrible, as I noticed when I became bored with stop-and-go traffic and began puttering around the cabin. Now, General Motors earns a lot of flak for its cheap interiors, so it should be pointed out that this one at least looks pretty okay. There are four very readable dials in front of you framing a red-on-black information panel. The steering wheel is thick and nicely padded, the shifter is in exactly the right place, decent leather seats are standard, and probably most importantly for soothing my traffic-fueled temper, the Blaupunkt stereo is a truly excellent conduit for your music player.

But for the love of all that's holy, don't let anything but the steering wheel or the shifter come into contact with your skin. This cabin was designed by someone who had learned a basic sense of ergonomics and design, but the materials were evidently spec'd by someone born with no sense of touch. The dash doesn't feel so much like plastic as some sort of depressing plastic-maché. The shifter boot is made of some oily synthetic so horrendous that I had fun daring passengers to touch it. The sliding sunroof cover is obviously a piece of brittle old linoleum Kryloned flat black. Worst of all may be parking-brake lever, which wouldn't pass the quality check for a three-dollar umbrella handle. At times it was like riding in a car made of cheap bathroom tile and fungus.

But most times it simply does not matter, because it was, and perhaps always will be, the most powerful Pontiac ever. Not just that-this car, had it but lived, would have been one of the great bargains of our time. The 6.2 liter LS3 engine under the hood is not just good but magnificent, a tame avalanche, a volcano in harness, the final argument of kings. And yes, we must get our superlatives in while we can. We may not have much time.

Well, then. Simply put, anything that allows you to actually enjoy the New Jersey Turnpike, even for only a few scant minutes, is a triumph of human achievement. Rationally, the G8 GXP may be considered as only a perfectly adequate car wrapped around a Z51drivetrain. But after driving it, it's hard to consider it rationally at all, because this car is Hell's own hammer in a brown paper bag. You can pass a semi before your passengers can read the writing on the trailer. You can make them motion-sick just by going in a straight line. You can cross New Jersey so quickly, as it turns out, that you don't have time to complain about being in New Jersey. Relativity may come into play.

It had certainly came into play by the time we arrived in Baltimore, where I must admit I made my passengers ill by rodding about the city streets in a not altogether sedate fashion. It wasn't a twisty back road, but since Baltimore is one of those Eastern cities apparently laid out by generations of morons, it was just curvy enough to demonstrate how good the GXP's chassis is. Nürburgring or no, this car is so neutral, predictable, and downright pleasant-handling that in less dire circumstances it would give me great hope for the American auto industry.

And what do you know? It still does. It may have been an Australian platform with a Mexican drivetrain, a German stereo, and a lowly 4% domestic-parts content, but a solid V8 sedan is as American as it is anything. And an American company at least thought to build one. That was a good start. So maybe the GXP, as a product, is dead and gone before it could do any good, and that may turn out to be as tragic and shortsighted as taking Old Yeller out behind the barn and shooting him when he was still a puppy-Who knows? It might just have grown up to save GM from the bear market. But more importantly, the idea of the GXP, as a set of blueprints, as a testament to what the company could do when it wanted and may with a little luck do again, can't die. It was, and is, a damn fine automobile that provided a little bit of hope and a hell of a lot of fun. Long live the GXP.

11 May 2009, 5:01 pm

Filed under: Convertibles, Coupes, Plants/Manufacturing, GM, Pontiac, Saturn, Opel

General Motors' acting CEO Fritz Henderson has said the Wilmington, DE plant that currently produces the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky could be sold if a buyer was interested in producing the two roadsters. "If someone were to approach [us] with a proposal that made good sense for our people, we'd be open to it," Henderson told Autoweek. The move would ape Chrysler's plan for the Dodge Viper's production facilities, allowing another automaker to take control and continue building the niche model.

The Delaware plant also produces the Opel GT, a rebadged variant of the U.S. market Solstice and Sky, for GM's German arm, and it's obvious that as the General rushes to restructure before its June 1 deadline the automaker is looking to cut loose any and all extraneous operations. With Pontiac's future sealed, Saturn's all but assured and all three models returning little (if any) profits, the decision to nix the roadsters was obvious. Now it's time to see if someone is willing to take the reigns.



[Source: Autoweek]

Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky could live on... with different parents originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 May 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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8 May 2009, 11:29 am

Filed under: Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, GM, Pontiac

Pluto, the Roman god of Hades, is currently on a tour of the General Motors product garage and he's taking a few cars with him from the land of the living. After sending the Impala SS and the Cobalt SS to the underworld, he has just added to his collection the Cadillac STS-V and Pontiac G6 GXP - neither car will live to see next year. Truth be told, these cancellations are coming straight from the automaker's 2010 Online Order / Reference Guide for dealers, and we're only finding out about them as people dig deeper and deeper into the document.

GM banishing the STS-V makes sense, since it was underpowered and overpriced compared to the CTS-V, and your typical STS owner probably wasn't looking to get to his doctor's appointment faster than the speed of light. The G6 GXP, meanwhile, is not only hideously ugly in both two- and four-door versions, but a 252-hp coupe costing $26,595 is not a great value proposition these days. Heck, that's $3,500 more than the new V6 Camaro! While we mourn their loss of life and horsepower, we doubt many will miss the cars themselves, and we wish them well on their appointments with the boatman at the river Styx.



[Source: Motor Authority]

More GM Cuts: Cadillac STS-V and Pontiac G6 GXP both gone for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 May 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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