Filed under: Convertibles, Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Pontiac
RWD Pontiac G8 will be dead in five years
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
It looks like things will be getting a lot less exciting at Pontiac, as some reports indicate that the erstwhile performance brand will be losing its best performers. Despite the fact that the G8 sedan has seen nothing but positive press from the media, including your humble scribes here at Autoblog, the realities of fuel economy and the global economy appear set to kill off the rear-wheel drive performance sedan in the prime of its short life. GM will reportedly not renew the G8 after its Holden-sourced chassis architecture is redesigned following a planned five-year run.
The Pontiac Solstice in both coupe and convertible forms is also unlikely to see a second generation. Unfortunately, the Solstice, Saturn Sky and their Opel spin-off don't generate enough sales to support another go-round, which could leave Pontiac with exactly zero vehicles with overtly sporting pretensions. While the G6 may be a decent car, it and a Cobalt derivative in the form of the G5 and a rebadged Aveo known as the G3 do not a BMW competitor make. What does this mean for the future of Pontiac as a brand? We'll see.
[Source: Inside Line]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Avinash machado 10:15AM (10/23/2008)
Could this be a sign that they are phasing out the Pontiac division?
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Flashpoint 10:20AM (10/23/2008)
I'd like to think that GM will keep Pontiac around. I've seen one of these on the road and they look very sharp.
However, in the interest of fuel economy (until GM's entire line of passenger cars is alternative energy) I think RWD on these is a waste. The best selling cars such as Accord, Camry and Altima have FWD, cost less (even loaded) and sell in greater numbers. GM should limit RWD to Cadillacs, Chevy's and Saab's.
I could be wrong depending upon what market analysis shows but its obvious GM needs to drop some marques and make cutbacks.
Gabagool 10:40AM (10/23/2008)
Flash, the death of Pontiac would be in the name only. GM can still sell these cars under Chevy, that will probably make them more popular.
The only loser will be G3.....which is AVEO. LOL
Icon149 11:00AM (10/23/2008)
@Flash
actually flash, RWD should be left to Pontiac and cadillac, Chevy and buick should stick to FWD and AWD as they are the volume sellers, Pontiac needs to be a nitch Performance Brand. even if it is electric or hybrid performance, sacrificing some MPG in the pontiac cars for more MPH would be an acceptable trade off. you can't make that sacrifice with chevy as it is your volume brand.
what a shame, GM is trying to fail, and they will succeed if they kill off the only interesting cars they build.
why not make the G8 smaller and RWD, why not make the next G5 on the same platiform as the RWD solstice, small car decent MPG and actually fun to drive? you know performance.
McLovin 3:07PM (10/23/2008)
Definitely. GM is talking with Chrysler to buy them out. Maybe they will platform share Dodge cars with Pontiac. Imagine a Pontiac 300, a Pontiac Charger and a Pontiac Challenger. Hell why not a Pontiac Viper???
All of these sound better than Pontiac G6.
Acefighter 1:14AM (10/26/2008)
Mclovin, the Dodge Charger or Dodge Challenger are classic. Getting rid of Dodge and putting something else in front just doesn't work. It's like a Ferrari Murciélago or an Aston Martin Elise - no. If Dodge were to go bye bye, then the cars need to also. Don't change the name.
Robert 10:16AM (10/23/2008)
Well, they might as well not even bother to bring over the G8 sport truck now. By the time it actually comes out, it'll only have maybe 2 years before it's killed off, along with the regular G8. They won't even generate enough sales to make it worthwhile. Stop throwing good money after bad, GM! Yeesh!
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BigMcLargeHuge 10:38AM (10/23/2008)
I'm probably one of five people in the US that news actually disappoints.
I'd really like an Aussie-style Ute here in the US... perhaps it is not to be.
RG 10:16AM (10/23/2008)
In my mind, if GM is unwilling to commit to a sporty, RWD setup for Pontiac, then they are not committed to the Pontiac brand. If they are not willing to keep Pontiac different, and it might not make any sense to, then they should kill Pontiac. The last thing GM needs is another in-house brand to compete with Chevy.
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JZeke 10:18AM (10/23/2008)
Agreed.
Then again killing Pontiac might be exactly what GM is intending.
Nightcrawler 12:50PM (10/23/2008)
It's easy to say that Pontiac should commit to sporty, RWDs. But will the market support it?
GM isn't in a position to produce limited volume sporty cars for Pontiac unless they are profitable.
BTW, the original article talked about what would be left without the G8 and Sky, but didn't mention the Vibe. Is the Vibe going to remain in production? I guess that would still be selling well these days. (Relatively speaking at least)
kfm423 10:23AM (10/23/2008)
My GTO says, "See Dad, they didn't want you either"
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Ligor 10:24AM (10/23/2008)
I think th're making a mistake.
they now have a good car that needs very little structural changes for hte next 10 years adn all they'd have to do is bring out a shorter version for a G6 and we have a $25k RWD sedan from Pontiac
- make AWD available and we have a Subaru competitor
- the CTS people woudl not even bother to look at Pontiac as they wnt he luxury, so there is no issues here
of course a small G4 of f hte solstice platform woudl complete the Pontiac line-up.
that's it, simple 3 cars, from small to medium to large and all they need is to make sure price is low. those of us wnating RWD will take the 1mpg hit anyday to dirve something exciting rather than the camcordtimabu crap.
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BoxerFanatic 10:50AM (10/23/2008)
Couldn't agree more.
If GM is going to kybosh the RWD cars, they are kyboshing their sales.
They have SOOO many brands. Possibly too many, but if they cancel all their RWD performance car options, save Camaro, and Corvette, what will they have for an enthusiast to buy?
BTW, will the Zeta-chassis Camaro get cancelled if it doesn't continue to sell like crazy after the initial hype, (if we can call it 'initial' at this point) since it will be the sole Zeta car in North America after the G8 goes away?
They have shelved Corvette development, now are talking about turning Pontiac into a truly "also-ran" category, with MORE redundant FWD cars. They are talking about selling of Hummer, while Jeep may also be in question...
If this all goes down, what will be left of the American car industry?
I like my sport sedan, and I would seriously consider getting a G8 GT, or GXP, used, once I have the need for a newer car. I don't need a newer car right now, and I can't afford a brand new car, either. I would probably have to buy lightly used. That makes fiscal sense for me, and it is going to affect a lot more people who were depending on easy credit, now that they can't get it so easily anymore.
It also is foolish to keep turning over new cars every two years, and keep eating high depreciation in perpetuity. People are going to have to amortize their cars longer than that, which means a longer buying cycle for consumers, and less sales turn-over for dealers. Just an effect of economics.
But if GM picks up all its interesting marbles, and goes home, they will lose out more than they already are.
Because, at some point, people will be looking for used cars, and if there are none, they'll buy a different brand. That affects resale, which has an effect on the new car market, too. And those who can afford to buy new, if there aren't options from GM, they'll buy something else.
I am not planning on buying another FWD car for myself to drive, ever, unless we end up in some sort of neo-communist state, and everyone only has the option of the Trabant II, or walking. I might take up walking.
If GM wants to CONTINUE to lose marketshare to the East, and to Europe, by all means... cut variety some more. Think only of the bottom line, and don't make money by selling CARS, just sell some sort of car to try to make MONEY. You won't make my money.
This country still has some vestiges of the remains of a free market economy, at least for the moment, and I can still choose what I want to buy. That isn't a FWD car. Regardless of whether I want to support an american company, the product matters more to me than a fleeting feeling of superficial patriotism to hold up a dying organization.
I understand the economics of thinning the herd, so that new upstarts can refresh the market, as inefficient business models die out. I am starting to think, on a somewhat more subjective basis, that it is time for the big 3 as they are, to bow, and exit stage left.
They have shown no ability or willingness to LEARN how to adapt. I can understand difficulty with adaptation, but they seem unwilling to even try. The same old "We threw them a little bone, and it didn't work in less than a year, so now we are going to throw a tantrum, and stomp off the scene."
This year has SUCKED for everything economic. Maybe they need to stick it out, get leaner and meaner, business-wise, and see if the market recovers, and when customers start coming back to the dealers looking for value, and enthusiasts look for performance value, they'll still find it. Instead, they are going to cancel it, and drive loyal, knowledgeable, enthusiast customers away.
Smart move, MORONS. Sayonara.
carlbolt 11:52AM (10/23/2008)
I think GM has done the right thing. Sports car in American's mind is: has a sporty stance,regardless of FWD or RWD, put in an big old engine to make 0 - 60 time shorter, that's all, they don't know what a handling is and they don't drive to explore the handling of a car, they only know how drive a straight line. so any RWD car for American is a waste. GM has learnt it the hard way.
TKE 10:30AM (10/23/2008)
Love the G8, but it's not selling. And while it's hard to judge a car's sales performance in times like these, a brand new heavily marketed hot car needs to do a lot better than be doubled up by the G5 in September, about 600 units behind the Corvette. Early in the life-cycle, the G8 needed huge numbers. Pontiac ain't getting it. (http://goodcarbadcar.blogspot.com/2008/10/pontiacs-g8-wont-be-replaced-allegedly.html)
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Chase 11:40AM (10/23/2008)
Its not important if its not selling. The reason it isn't selling is because every Pontiac before the Solstice was at very best a patriot-mobile.
If GM can't see that the G8 is completely changing people's opinions about Pontiacs, they are idiots, and are doomed to go bankrupt.
jg 11:48AM (10/23/2008)
'If GM can't see that the G8 is completely changing people's opinions about Pontiacs, they are idiots, and are doomed to go bankrupt.'
What evidence are they missing? No one I know coud even say what a G8 was nevermind how much it's causing them to rethink their opinion of Pontiac.
Gabagool 1:55PM (10/23/2008)
Chase you are right. I personally was the one who kept pointing out that G8 is a HUGE loser in terms of sales, but as a car it is pretty good, from all the reviews that i saw.
But the bigger question is not what will happen to Pontiac, the bigger question is why did you spend billion to revitalize it and in just a few months announce G3 is coming out and G8 will be killed.
tekd 3:32AM (10/24/2008)
I have no idea why everyone thinks the G8 can change people's minds about Pontiac when the vast majority of people never even see these around because NOBODY BUYS THEM. I've maybe seen two G8's on the street, and I live in a city WITH A GM PLANT NEXT TO IT. Do you know how unbelievably sad that is?
And when I do see them, why would I suddenly think of Pontiac as performance? All I see is a hideous car with a ridiculous looking hood scoop and uninspired design. Nobody except Pontiac fans who constantly read reviews of the G8 will ever, ever, ever, want this car based on seeing it on the streets. I've seen this thing cut in half, seen it in on a spinning pedestal, seen it on the street, and there was never a reason to just assume it was a high performance sports sedan.
I hate how everyone tries to blame the G8's failure on fuel economy, or the regular economy. The G8 failed because it's an ugly and uninspired car, and it didn't sell even when the economy was doing well. In fact, this entire thing reminds me of the Pontiac GTO which couldn't sell even when the economy was doing well AND fuel was super cheap.
They need to stop making Pontiac the brand of terrible design, because right now what people think of when they think Pontiac is still plastic body cladding. Yeah it looked good in '93, but this isn't '93 so quit it.