According to Edmunds Inside Line, Pontiac has decided to dump their Holden Commodore-based G8 after only a ultra-limited run. If they’re right, then I’m flabbergasted. The G8 was Pontiac’s most exciting car in years, it’s on track to win the 2009 North American Car of the Year award for god’s sake. If they’re really flushing it, that just proves that the American auto industry deserves to be in the shite position it’s in right now.
Along with the elimination of the Solstice, that leaves nothing but FWD cars in Pontiac’s line-up, which is a sad state of affairs for a formerly great brand. So what happens now? I wager Pontiac will be non-existent in 5-7 years. The G8 was the savior of Pontiac, and dumping it will spell their doom. Mark my words. See you back here in 7 years.
Check out some pictures of the G8 after the jump, get a good look while it’s st
The Pontiac G8 is a rear-wheel drive sedan that was produced by Holden, the Australian General Motors (GM) subsidiary. The G8, a rebadged Holden Commodore, was released in early 2008 for the 2008 model year in the United States, and in 2008 for the 2009 model year in Canada. Production stopped in mid-2009, following the GM decision to suspend the Pontiac brand. While available, the G8 took the place in the Pontiac lineup of both the Pontiac Bonneville, which ceased production after the 2005 model year, and the Pontiac Grand Prix, which ceased production after the 2008 model year. The G8 was Pontiac's first full-size car since the Bonneville and the GTO coupe last sold in 2006.
By December 2008, the rear-drive G8 had not become the expected sales replacement for the previous front-drive models, with 11,000 unsold G8s in the inventory and just 13,000 sold. During the 2009 global economic downturn, market prices had dropped by $3000–5000 below GM's sticker price for the car. By July 2009, there were only 5,000 unsold G8s in inventory, with almost 30,700 sold.
With the imminent demise of the Pontiac brand, a result of GM's Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the 2009 model year marks the end of all Pontiacs, including the G8. However, in July 2009, Bob Lutz made an off-hand comment during a press review that the G8 would be revived as the Chevrolet Caprice. Subsequently, Lutz retracted this statement, citing market conditions.
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