“Every few months, it seems that another rumor hits the Internet that Pontiac is throwing in the towel. Given the craziness that is the automotive industry right now, we guess it’s not surprising that some folks want to write us off, but that doesn’t make it true.

The latest is that we’re cancelling the G8. Interesting idea…just launch what most people think is one of the best cars we’ve ever built, bring two more models (G8 GXP and G8 ST) to the market over the next year…then cancel it.

Can you say, “Not gonna happen?”

Here’s the straight scoop. The G8 is a solid part of the Pontiac portfolio…period. We’ve just started building the G8 GXP in Australia and the first cars should be here right around the end of the year. The G8 ST is still on target to start production about mid-summer 2009 and arrive in North America in the fall. And, even in this dismal automotive market, the G8 sedan and G8 GT keeps right on selling

Interestingly, the Solstice was the target of the “cancellation” rumor here a couple of months ago, yet the Solstice Coupe starts production in January. Sense a pattern here?

Look, we all know that the auto industry is under a lot of pressure right now and we’ll admit to a certain degree of nervousness about the future ourselves. But, we are a car company, pure and simple, so our plan is to keep building great cars, like the G8 and Solstice, today, tomorrow, and the next day.

We’ll leave the predictions for the future to the folks at the Psychic Friends Network.”

Cadillacs/Corvettes are to expensive and I don’t want to drive the same Camaro everyone else is bound to end up wiith. Same reason why I don’t want to drive a Mustang – There are just way too many of them.

1c3dog, the reason FWD does equal fuel economy is because a RWD vehicle is much bigger then a FWD car with the same interior space. The RWD drivetrain takes up a lot of space. I am not, however, trying to defend FWD because I hate it.

Good to see you in here, man. And keep on preaching.

Though I don’t agree with you. Say what you will about fuel economy, but the G8 and the Solstice are the FIRST Pontiac vehicles to get this kind of massive public support and approval since………. well, I can’t remember the last time you’d have heard a domestic dissenter say ‘Damn, that Pontiac’s killer! I want one!”. The public is pricking up their ears whenever the G8 or Solstice is even mentioned, and these people are putting a good face to Pontiac for the first time in their lives. Now listen to what people are saying about the cars they plan to bring them into the future, like the G3/Wave, G5/Pursuit, or any other badge engineered Pontiac. They’re saying “Screw you, Pontiac! You let us down! This is what got you into trouble in the first place.”

What do you think GM needs more of right now? Build cars that people can go get cheaper at the Chevy dealer, making the other brand obsolete and bringing the public perception death cloud back to the giant, or build cars that people desire and connect with, ignoring CAFE? I think they should do as BMW does and just pay the damn bill. Besides, an LNF G8, built in Canada, I mean North America, with a true manual or a GM wide Dual-clutch auto (they achieve the same milage as a manual does nowadays) would be the bread and butter seller for a lot less than they’re selling them for now, and will bring them a lot closer to CAFE anyway.

Toyota is a $150 Billion cash cow selling just “3″ brands Toyota, Scion, Lexus. GM should wake up and realize it only needs Chevy,Cadillac, and Saturn.

The New Challenger really isn’t all that great to tell the truth, In the Car & Diver Vol.54 No5 the 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS bet the Challenger at the Track Meat along with the Mitsubishi Lancer, BMW 135i, Lexus IS F, Audi S5, Honda S2000 CR, and many other just read the copy for yourself. The fact that the Chevy Cobalt SS was capable of beating all of these cars makes it a real contender and has had an undeserved reputation for quite sometime.

Then there’s the environmental aspect. Again, whether you believe in global warming or not (I live in eastern Canada, where it is currently about 45 degrees – I say “BRING IT ON”), the fact is that oil pollutes. Every aspect of oil pollutes, from taking it out of the ground, through transporting it, through refining it, through using it. “Green” is now becoming chic. People are now paying premiums for hybrids that will never pay themselves off, just to feel good about themselves (and to impress their neighbours, much the same reason those same people were driving a Suburban last year). Small and efficient is in. Larger, powerful vehicles that were once envied are now looked upon with disdain.

No, Pontiac does not need the G8. Pontiac, and GM in general, needs small, efficient, but high quality and stylish vehicles that can go toe to toe with the Civic, Yaris, Fit, Fiesta, and the rest. Pontiac needs a Malibu-based car that’s as good as the Malibu (not that G6 POS). A few years ago, when Chrysler unleashed the 300/CHarger/Magnum, the classic RWD “American” sedan was a good idea. Now… notsomuch. GM (and Ford) missed that boat. Well, only Ford REALLY missed it – GM jumped on just as it was sailing into the sunset. The next boat has docked, and that boat is small.

…is it “righty tighty – lefty loosey” in Australia, too?

(es un chiste – it’s a joke)