Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Pontiac, Australia
No El Camino for you! Pontiac pickup will be named G8 ST
Mike Levine over at Pickuptruck.com has managed to scoop a tasty nugget of info about the Pontiac-branded ute that will soon be for sale in the U.S. The Aussie-import based on the same platform as the rear-wheel-drive G8 sedan will be called the G8 ST, as in "Sport Truck".
That pang of disappointment you feel is the missed opportunity of paying homage to GM's most well known car-based pickups and their colorful names: the Chevy El Camino and GMC Caballero. Rather than dubbing Pontiac's ute the "Tamale" or "El Camino Redux", we get a measly little two-letter suffix. Sigh.
Also of note is that the pickup will only be available with a 6.0L V8 and is likely to start around $31,000.
[Source: Pickuptruck.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Vetmstr 11:39AM (11/30/2007)
I am really curious how this hybrid will do in the states. I personally dont see the point of it.
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Sean Flanagan 11:42AM (11/30/2007)
I'm going to start growing a mullet because I want one for no good reason.
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USCGTO 11:53AM (11/30/2007)
It works super nice in australia.
I was there on a 3 month stint and they have tons of these "el caminos"
with slightly aggresive fenders and the HSV(holden special vehicle) editions they look and sound badass to say the least. with 6L V8s they drive pretty good too.
A Holden dealer in Brisbane told me most of the ute customers are the gusy who can buy the truck as an excuse as their work/business vehicle (plumbing /electrical/hardware) and then have almost same fun as the 2 door HSV-GTOs , and at the same time enjoying tax rebates for the work vehicle.
Nota big fan of utes, but this will look pretty hooked up with slightest appearance mods.
rave over.
vkchu 12:28PM (11/30/2007)
10/90!!!
Dustin 11:48AM (11/30/2007)
Don't worry, they'll push away enough buyers as soon as they slap their silly Pontiac grill on it.
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Ron 11:49AM (11/30/2007)
I might be in the distinct minority who doesn't think this really looks all that great. It's always appeared odd to me and I was never that enamored with the El Camino look anyhow.
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noreasony 11:51AM (11/30/2007)
I agree...i feel like this will be a fad vehicle and wont last here long. i dunno i could be wrong.
Eric Liberatore 12:05PM (11/30/2007)
I don't think you are a minority here. I think it's going to be another Aztek here in America. For some reason the original ElCamino with it's boxy lines didn't look as bad as this.
It might follow the Aus purchasing pattern. Businesses buyng these.
fm 3:21AM (12/02/2007)
Agreed. I'm sorry but this is another GTO. As much as I'm happy to see Opels here under Saturn badges, this just seems rediculous. Reminds me of Subaru's Baja. Anybody remember how that was a huge success? Well atleast the Baja had looks... toyish looks at that... but still it had looks.
The person who buys this car might aswell quit his job sell his house and move into a trailer park. Or he can just set a tent in the back of his car.
BassClef 11:50AM (11/30/2007)
GM is losing a great chance at catching the light truck market here. The smart thing to do would be to offer this truck as an El Camino/Caballero with the 2.9L I4 and 4.2L I6, both available with the Two-Mode Hybrid system, and market the Chevy as retro and the GMC as a practical work vehicle. Offering it only as a Pontiac performance vehicle is shortsighted. We don't need another SSR.
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upirons 12:12PM (11/30/2007)
Well said... I mean, everyone who knows what the El Camino was is going to call this thing an El Camino anyway. Nobody is going to say "Sport Truck". And giving it to Pontiac is just plain short-sighted all the way.
Nick 10:21PM (11/30/2007)
An I4 would have no hope in hell of propelling this thing at any reasonable rate of speed, even the V6 is strapped pretty badly. The V8 is really the only choice if you want a smooth drive without having the engine working overtime.
Oh, and I say this because it weighs 3,981 pounds.
Darian 11:52AM (3/29/2008)
I couldn't agree more that GM missed a great opportunity on this one. I understand if they want to make a High performance edition (it creates excitement), but check the parking lots... they are not full of high performance vehicles. I'm not really too thrilled about the nose either. Why do all of Pontiac cars have to look the same? I need a small truck that can haul a dirt bike and get 30 mpg.
Paul P. 11:51AM (11/30/2007)
6.1L V8? Don't you mean the 6.0L V8 that's in the G8? Is this a new engine?
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tankd0g 11:56AM (11/30/2007)
Maybe they count those extra gaps that cause piston slap as .1 of a liter now.
MK 11:52AM (11/30/2007)
The Aussies can keep that ugly thing. It has more power than the SSR ever did, and can carry a bigger payload, I'm sure. But what's the point? Why not bring over the 4-door Monaro & make it the new Impala/Caprice?
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Tyo 11:57AM (11/30/2007)
See Pontiac G8
Snark 12:08PM (11/30/2007)
Yeah! They could call it, I dunno, the G8.
tankd0g 11:54AM (11/30/2007)
All Holden cars look good as Holdens. Man the Monero was sweet. Stick on a Pontiac nose on it and it's like there are 15 different trim levels of the Grand Prix on the road.
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mooj 1:09PM (11/30/2007)
2nd that, with huge emphasis.
i want the commadore. i couldn't care less about the G8. Pontiac is too....eh....Pontiacy.