Comments on: GM to announce Pontiac demise Monday?

By: PJ

PJ — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:11:15 +0000

I can’t remember back far enough to when I might have bought a Pontiac. After it rationalizes its brands,
it (GM) really needs to put some emhasis on styling. It doesn’t cost any more to tool-up a bad design over a good one. And, if they’re going to keep Pontiac, lose the silly-looking BMW wanna-be grille. BMW won
that race. And the big nsotrils on the souped-up G6 just look silly. I really can’t imagine what the design director was thinking when he/she signed-off on that deisgn. I think GM really needs to go out and buy
a Honda, Acura, VW, Toyota, gosh, even a Ford – and park them in the lobby of the design center, so all the engineers have to walk-by them 4 times a day (if they go out for lunch). Sure, the Mailbu is better, but the yardstick from pervious designs is rather small. So, measuring gains is easy. But, they have along way to go. The only thing that is cusious to me, is why they’ve been lagghing the rest of the world
in design, so badly. Jeez….even Hyundai’s recent designs are light years ahead of GMs.

By: carstuff

carstuff — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:38:19 +0000

Let’s keep making stodgy,spongy-riding, sloppy handling Buicks !!

Have you been in a Buick lately? A bit off in that handling opinion. Perhaps not a G8 but a heck of a long way from Buicks 10 years ago.

By: Owner

Owner — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:15:40 +0000

The thing GM may be missing on this one has been said above. To many, the demise of Pontiac IS the demise of GM, at least for the future purchase. This sentiment will be echoed throughout America by the formerly faithful. Very bad for future business when the former GM faith base is actively encouraging others to AVOID GM.

This could play out very badly.

Food for thought.

Cannot imagine GM with no Pontiac…a very bad dream…very bad management…I think I’ll go puke now….

By: Owner

Owner — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:34:17 +0000

I actually own a G8 GXP. This car is an excellent auto. I love to drive it. The car has room, style, handling, and plenty of raw power. It IS true to Pontiac’s image of “We build excitement”.

Check the sales numbers for 2008. Pontiac brand is #3 behind Chevy, and #2 GMC. For this customer preference, we the customers get spanked by GM. Who is running the show there in Detroit? Obama?

What IS certain, is that GM is once again, NOT listening to it’s customer base.

G8 sales are on the increase…let’s see…oh…let’s kill Pontiac…yeah, that will save us!!!

Let’s keep making stodgy,spongy-riding, sloppy handling Buicks !! THAT will save us for sure?????????

Is anyone AWAKE at GM HQ????

The G8 is for a fact one of GM’s best cars ever produced period.

For all of you doubters, go drive one. You’ll get it if you get behind the wheel. To Blakkarr, Look at the history of Pontiac. The Stingray Vette IS the Pontiac Banshee. Pontiac will always be the youthful, sporty division.I wonder if GM will just be “Chevrolet Corporation” in the future? IF they survive at all angering ttheir existing customers.

By: bjm01843

bjm01843 — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:41:06 +0000

Pontiac is not dying, it is going into hiatis.. WHO the heck was in charge of design at Pontiac? He(they) should have been FIRED years ago. The design never really changed at all. no wonder the sale went down. I remember when Pontiac was the leader in super cars. When you bought a Pontiac (especially the GP) it was a 1st class automobile, but the deisigner turned it into CRAP. They should have brought back some OLD SCHOOL design and mix it with the new. SMARTEN -UP, GM … I just hope that when GM gets back on it’s feet, the PONTIAC name will be reborn with some new designers and kick out the ones who messed up in the fist place…I think the indian PONTIAC himself would agree…

By: Blakkarr

Blakkarr — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 18:37:40 +0000

I don’t think I can every consider a GM, without there being a PONTIAC option, anymore.

When GM killed the Firebird, I think they really did kill PONTIAC. No other car exemplified PONTIAC like the FIREBIRD. Nothing else comes close, not the G8 and no the Solstice. The FIREBIRD was one of the most important cars in GM’s portfolio, ranking along side the CORVETTE…

We will be holding the Funeral on Tuesday…

By: adelaide_john

adelaide_john — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:19:02 +0000

To all you G8 fans

sorry that you guys will miss out on a great car, unelss GM sells it as a Chevy

Your other option is to emigrate to Australia and buy the original; a Holden Commodore !

By: TomF

TomF — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 06:29:25 +0000

The only GM car I ever owned was a Pontiac — an ‘88 Grand Am LE. Kind of clunky and ill thought out, but it held together pretty well for nearly seven years. Not my worst car ever. I’m sorry GM pinheads ran a glorious brand heritage into the mud.

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 01:57:49 +0000

Amazing that they killed Pontiac before GMC.

On the bright side… maybe I can get a good deal on a Solstice or G8.

By: S1L1SC

S1L1SC — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 01:53:09 +0000

**Sheds a tear**

If GM kills Pontiac then they are dead to me as a company. My first car was a Oldsmobile. My second car was a Pontiac. I was looking forward to buying a G8 in a year or two when i had saved enough to afford one, but…

I really do not like how the Chevy’s look and I wanted something with RWD – I guess I will have to start looking at used BMW’s & Mercedes’s. I need four doors…

By: murphy1

murphy1 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:26:52 +0000

poor vision is what this boils down to. gm divisions used to be on their own and pontiac was a powerhouse. when pontiac, buick, and olds were castrated in the mid 90’s, the writing was on the wall. buick would clearly be dead if it wasnt for the chinese market. olds is history, pontiac to follow, and gm deserves what is happening. it just sucks that it will be at the expense of thousands of jobs. ive been a big pontiac fan since 75 and have owned a dozen over the years. i have a rare 79 t/a so this news will clearly make me hold on to it. pontiacs best hope would be for toyota to aquire it. people still have a hard time seeing the toyota namplate in nascar, so what better way for toyota to be accepted by racing a true american brand. if gm is just going to let pontiac die then toyota should be able to pick it up for a bargain…

By: MasterYoda2005

MasterYoda2005 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:55:53 +0000

As a Pontiac owner I am really bummed by this. I grew up in Pontiacs now that I think about it…..but I will say this sometimes tough decisions have to be made. If a person has to lose a body part due to cancer in order to survive then they have to go ahead and lop it off. If GM has to lose ‘limbs’ in order to survive thats the big picture I am focused on. Even a greatly reduced GM will employ thosands of Americans, and thats what I want to see happen. If Pontiac has to go then so be it……

By: TomF

TomF — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:54:40 +0000

CNN is now reporting that Pontiac’s demise is a done deal, quoting a GM source.

By: gta89mike

gta89mike — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:06:44 +0000

Even the headline has a question mark on it. Today is not Monday yet. A lot of you are like weathermen – you predict all this doom and gloom and when everything is fine the next day, you never apologize or admit you made a mistake.

By: zfenderguy

zfenderguy — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:04:48 +0000

That car is the G6 GXP with the optional Ghetto Pack I believe. The G8 is a fine looking car.

By: mmmfloorpie

mmmfloorpie — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:26:40 +0000

I love how they always use that picture of the UGLIEST car ever (the G8 GTX or whatever it’s called) when they post GM stories! That is such a fugly car and a completely rediculous looking car… It doesn’t look fast, it just looks like someone stuck a really ugly spolier, cheep chrome rims, fender flares and cut hood scoops into their car! Such an ugly car!

By: oldraven

oldraven — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:26:08 +0000

Once again, too many uncertainties in this piece to pay it any mind. “unnamed source” “might” “rumours” blah, blah, blah.

By: aesir

aesir — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:25:25 +0000

Hmmm, if they officially announce this I think I might go buy a GTO.

By: TomF

TomF — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:12:56 +0000

Assuming Pontiac is dead, it’s fitting that its last new-model launch was the silly little G3 — a Pontiac T1000 for the 21st century. This is exactly the kind of numbskull product planning and brand management that made the division largely a laughingstock, sank sales rates, and got it killed.

By: hummah

hummah — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:11:58 +0000

Why does this matter? Aren’t all the cars in Pontiac’s lineup the same as the rest of Gm’s but with different names.

By: shaver

shaver — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:20:27 +0000

One more dead feather in King Richards cap!

By: Dr. Lincoln

Dr. Lincoln — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:09:16 +0000

no more oil for toyota must be the inbred brother of more oil for GM…both a couple of knuckleheads

By: davebo

davebo — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:41:26 +0000

sprokkets are you saying your girlfriends’ vagina resemble a Pontiac grill? You have my deepest sympathies. Mine’s just resembles those Georgia O’Keefe paintings.

By: jackjimturkey

jackjimturkey — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:34:49 +0000

Better dead than garish Chevrolet rebadges

I learned to drive in a Mercury Capri — I was 14

By: carstuff

carstuff — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:33:20 +0000

Who says Pontiac will be axed before Saturn / Hummer. Both those will probably be sold by June 1. Pontiac will probably ride out for awhile longer.

Why not sell Pontiac? I believe that GM will bring it back in a few years as a niche model as they wanted. I think the government saw it was not making money and told GM to cut it out.

By: idrinorbarsaku

idrinorbarsaku — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:23:29 +0000

by bye pontiac, I won’t miss you!

By: Z06ified

Z06ified — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:10:47 +0000

I think I might have to go out and buy a brand new fully loaded G8 GXP then, and shrink wrap it. If Pontiac gets killed off, I can guarantee you this car will be worth a whole lot of money 20-30 years from now, as it will have a history of not only the fastest and most powerful Pontiac ever sold, but also the last Pontiac sold.

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:21:31 +0000

….. and I thought for sure the G3 would save the day.

By: cwa107

cwa107 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:44:12 +0000

What a shame. Pontiac is one of the few GM brands that is of interest to me. Known for being slighty more upscale than Chevy and usually sporty, it was definitely a good niche that just doesn’t seem to be getting its fair shake.

I guess my question is why would GM axe Pontiac before Hummer or Saturn, the latter of which has been relegated to mostly derivative models (aside from the Astra, which hasn’t been effectively marketed).

By: zfenderguy

zfenderguy — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:31:23 +0000

G8 would make a fine new Impala, one worthy of the iconic name. A 2 door version would be cool too, and that could be called Chevelle! That’ll never happen in today’s world though, esp not with the Camaro in the lineup.

By: letsgorange

letsgorange — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:44:20 +0000

nmoft…are you kidding me i seriously hope that you do not live in this country to make such crude comments regarding the domestic comapnies….I think anyone who wants a healthy america would like to see them thrive.

By: murphy1

murphy1 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:43:11 +0000

and lets also not forget that pontiacs mid size offerings (grand am and g6) were not far off of malibu sales over the last decade, so with proper advertising the company can still sell with the best of them. it sure seems that gm is cutting off a finger just to spite itself instead of really thinking this out. of course they have done so many stupid things this will fit in perfectly. nothing like lopping off a few hundred thousand vehicle sales a year just for the heck of it. someone, maybe bmw, please step to the plate and buy this still relevent division…

By: HoosierHero

HoosierHero — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:35:18 +0000

BuyUSA – I learned to drive in a Vette…a Chevette that is! Boy talk about power with that manual!

By: murphy1

murphy1 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:03:31 +0000

it amazes how saturn, opel, even hummer, have someone about to aquire them but pontiac is just thrown out to die. good grief people, the division is SUPPOSED to be about performance and excitement. its not pontiacs fault gm (chevy) sent them over the cliff. there is no one out there interested in aquiring performance and excitement?? sad sad day…

By: No More Oil For Toyota

No More Oil For Toyota — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:42:41 +0000

ninetysixvert, NMOFGM never comments against FACTS…