Since the Pontiac G8‘s debut, it has long been rumored the 2009 model year would bring the sought-after option of a manual gearbox for buyers of the large sedan. On Friday, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz seemingly confirmed this, but today Pontiac Communication Director Debbie Frakes struck down the claims, saying only the GXP edition will get a six-speed Tremec transmission.
Last week, Mr. Lutz was quoted as saying the G8 GT — which can only be ordered with a six-speed automatic — would have a gain a stick shift on its options sheet for the coming model year. It’s not known if Mr. Lutz simply misspoke, or if he was misquoted.
Either way, PR boss Frakes made it clear in an email to Pontiac enthusiast community G8 Nation that only the GXP model will have a manual gearbox. “We currently have no plans to offer the Tremec on any other G8 model, although it might be an option we could consider in the future,” she told Leftlane.
It’s not secret the 402 horsepower GXP will have the option of a manual transmission, so we haven’t really gleaned anything new from all this, other than to say most G8 buyers will definitely be stuck with an automatic for the foreseeable future.
