The automotive industry may be in a pickle right now, but the current recession has made for an incredible buyer's market, particularly for anyone who wants a bargain on a performance car. We've seen some pretty amazing deals, like $18,995 for a brand new Mustang GT, and now both General Motors and Chrysler are offering enticing incentives for the Pontiac G8 GXP and Dodge Charger SRT8, respectively. The G8 GXP, already a steal at $37,610, is available with $3,000 cash back in some areas. With a $1,700 gas guzzler tax, the total comes to just $36,310. The Charger SRT8 is an even better deal with its $41,120 MSRP (including gas guzzler tax and destination) dropped all the way to $34,516 after Employee Pricing and $3,000 in cash-back bonuses. Of course, many of the cash-back deals are regional and some are only for brand loyalists or require you use the automaker's financial service for your loan, so not all dealers may be offering these prices, but we're guessing they'll still do just about anything they can to sell you a car.




[Source: Kicking Tires]

Pricing for the 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP has leaked out and your budget E39 M5 fantasies can be fulfilled for the princely sum of $39,995. That price includes the $1,700 gas-guzzler charge and the $685 destination fee on the base automatic-equipped model. The six-speed manual will set you back an additional $695 (just do it) and the sunroof can be yours for another $900. As expected, fuel economy is far from stellar at 13 mpg city and 20 mpg on the highway, but judging by Jonathan's review, the additional fuel costs are well worth the pavement-punishing fun you'll have in the most powerful production Pontiac to date. Pontiac's brief press release is posted after the break.

There's a Looney Tunes cartoon where Bugs Bunny is in charge of Yosemite Sam's inheritance, and every time Yosemite Sam loses his temper at something Bugs has done, the rabbit subtracts money. By the time Yosemite gets his act together... he's out of money. Substitute GM for Yosemite Sam and the buying public for Bugs Bunny, throw in a little credit crisis, and all we can say is that it would be a shame if the Pontiac G8 GXP fell victim to this scenario: GM running out of money just when it gets its act together. Because we're here to tell you – and you can quote us on this – the Pontiac G8 GXP is @#$%&*! Awesome.


All photos copyright ©2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

General Motors has been the perpetrator of several fortunate and unfortunate badge engineering jobs over the years, and the G8 -- based off the Holden Commodore -- is the most recent example. The Aussie sedan was partially developed with American sales in mind and because of that, it doesn't take much to give your spiffy new G8 a nose job inspired by the Land Down Under. Australian firm JHP Vehicle Enhancements will sell you an entire body kit to change your G8 into a Holden for a mere, um, $4,000 if you choose to go all out in an attempt to replicate the HSV model. That's a sizable chunk of change, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Since we're less concerned with appearances, we'd just put the extra scratch towards upgrading to the GXP.

[Source: JHP Vehicle Enhancements via Autofiends]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Pontiac G8 Street Concept

We couldn't help but listen to the comments of other onlookers as we closely inspected the G8 GXP Street Concept in the G8 booth. Every reaction was overwhelmingly positive, from the overall design to the motor. After all, what's not to like? For starters, the standard 6.2L V8 has been replaced with an LSX454 crate motor that uses the LSX Bowtie block, six-bolt LSX cylinder heads and a forged rotating assembly. In total, the 7.4L V8 pushes out a massive 638 horsepower and 600 lb-ft torque that's directed through a 6-speed automatic transmission. The exterior gets a makeover with new front and rear fascias, rocker panels, custom upper and lower grilles and black chrome trim. Inside, the G8 GXP Street Concept also gets custom leather trimmed seats, a new gauge cluster and more black chrome. Yeah, it's basically a four-door ZR1. You can look at all the details of the car in the gallery of live high-res photos below.

Click above for a high resolution image

One of the best parts about SEMA is getting to see the manufacturers build cars they might not otherwise. Take this G8 GXP Street Concept, for example. Sure, the 415-horsepower 6.2L V8 in the standard G8 GXP is plenty good enough, but why not stuff the new LSX454 crate engine from GM Performance Parts underneath the hood? The 7.4L V8 is good for a ZR1-matching 638 horsepower and 600 lb-ft torque, allowing this G8 to unashamedly call itself a true muscle car. Other features include stiffer springs and the brake package from the CTS-V as well as 20-inch black chrome wheels. The exterior has been given an aggressive makeover with a new front fascia with unique upper and lower grilles and a rear fascia that incorporates a diffuser and performance exhaust system. Inside are custom leather seats and a new gauge cluster. More details and plenty of photos are soon to come when we hit the show floor next week. Thanks for the tip, Jonathon!

[Source: GMInsideNews.com]

Pontiac hopes to clear things up with a post on Pontiac blog regarding the future of its current products, namely the G8 and Solstice. It was just the other day that rumors of the brand's two rear-wheel drive vehicles possible being canceled hit the interwebs, and we dutifully reported on the story as we always do. According to Pontiac, though, those rumors are nothing more than speculation and should not be taken as gospel unless you hear it from the horse's (or Mr. Lutz's) mouth, which we have not. Still, the rumor in question indicates that the G8 will live on at least another five years, assuming it continues to sell that long, but would not be replaced after that. This could still be the case. Likewise, the Solstice has not been canceled, but it's replacement in GM's lineup still seems unlikely given the low volume of sales the vehicle attracts. In short, nobody can predict the future, but sometimes the handwriting on the wall isn't that tough to read.


[Source: Pontiac Underground]

The V8-powered Pontiac G8 GT has garnered a fair amount of respect around Autoblog HQ, with almost everyone who's spent time behind the wheel singing the praises of the Aussie-imported four-door muscle car. We're all suckers for rubber-melting torque and rear-wheel motivation, and even El Capitan Neff has thought about retiring his Alero for a shot at G8 ownership. For the rest of us, a six-speed manual would seal the deal.

Next year Pontiac will finally offer a proper cog swapper on its G8 GXP, and not only do drivers get to row their own gears, but they're getting an extra 13 horses and 15 lb.-ft. of torque to boot. The SAE has finally performed its official testing on the 6.2-liter LS3 V8 and output is up to 415 horsepower and an equal amount of twist.

With 19-inch HSV wheels framing 14-inch (front) and 12.76-inch (rear) discs and Brembo calipers, a standard LSD and a stiffened suspension, the additional power is just another reason to be smitten by the Pontiac G8 GXP. That, and the Tremac TR060 manual. We'll take ours in slate grey for maximum intimidation. Thanks for the tip, Torrent!


[Source: GMI]

Click above for more spy shots of the G8 GXP from G8 Nation

Although we thoroughly enjoyed the fleeting time we spent with the Pontiac G8 GT, what whith its 361 horsepower and 385 pound-feet of torque and all, it's the upcoming GXP model that truly looks to catapult the Australian-bred sedan back into musclecar territory. We, along with just about every other gearhead, are especially looking forward to the six-speed stick and clutch pedal with which the 6.2-liter LS3 V8 making 402 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque will be paired. Of course, the rest of the car needs to be up to snuff too, so we are happy to take a gander at these spy photos of a pre-production prototype in Australia that indicate the nineteen-inch GXP-specific wheels and big Brembo disc brakes are present and accounted for. A slightly revised front fascia with a lower splitter combine with the rear diffuser to further signify that this is the high-zoot version of Pontiac's sport sedan.


[Source: LS1.com.au via G8 Nation]

Coupes seem to be somewhat resurgent lately, and the stupendously awesome Pontiac G8 GXP might be set to lose a pair of doors. While that would make it essentially a repeat of what came here as a revived GTO not too long ago, the name is not likely to return. The basic idea has been outlined in the Holden Coupe 60, itself starting out as an updated GTO, but turning out much cooler. The neo-ponycar wars will require the fitment of the 400 horsepower LS3 to run with the Shelby GT500KR, Challenger, and cousin Camaro.

The newly unveiled G8 GXP serves as the benchmark for what this coupe will likely come equipped with. That means big 19-inch wheels, uprated suspension, a meaner fascia and, most importantly, an available Tremec six-speed manual transmission. There should be a GT version, too, with "only" 361 horsepower, which should still offer a significant kick in the pants for less cash. The biggest impediment to the G8 Coupe actually seeing the light of day are looming new CAFE regulations, but we don't see how selling a bulk of these cars with the still-excellent 3.6 liter V6 to less performance-addled customers would be a bad thing. It'd hopefully prevent Pontiac from running afoul of the fuel economy rules while getting another car out there that enthusiasts can embrace in a variety of flavors. Thanks for the tip, Matthew!

[Source: Inside Line, Photo illustration by Nick Wilcox, Inside Line]