I think it really should go to Chevy whether they have too many products or not. That is the original brand that carried the El Camino and the brand that I think enthusiasts will naturally go to find its successor. The only other brand I think should carry this is GMC, since they are a truck division, besides didn’t they carry a version of the El Camino at one time (I think it was called “Caballero”).

I don’t think the product is quite right for Pontiac. I think Pontiac’s future lies in an assortment of rear wheel drive sedans, coupes, convertibles, sports cars, and possibly sporty wagons. Trucks (or trucklets) should be assigned to GM’s traditional truck divisions (Chevy and GMC).

Speaking of Pontiac’s future; when are we going to see this all rear wheel drive lineup materialize? It cannot come soon enough; Pontiac is probably in the worst shape of all of GM’s brands. Its identity is essentially that of a slightly more flamboyant Chevy clone. Pontiac needs these new products soon so that it can overcome its pitiful identity crisis.

With the exchange rate, it sounds like the business case for any Holden import will be a tough sell. So WHY even think about bringing this ridiculous vehicle here? Who cares if it’s consistent with the grand scheme of some GM division’s plan. Exactly who does GM think will buy this ute?

Super redneck potential!

Who gives a **** about history of vehicle nameplates. Call it whiskeydick, slap whateve badge deemed necessary and sell it.

Cire: I’ve always seen pontiacs (Except the early GTOs) as more garish chevrolets.

Seriously, who is going to want one of these? I am really trying to see it but I just do not see a target audience for this thing.

I know people who would buy this. It wouldn’t be a huge market, but if the only imported 25,000-30,000 a year i think they would sell. However, i’m not sure if that is enough vechiles to warrant a profit or not. Also, make sure they come to Canada. The jerks never gave us the GTO.

So Lutz says that future of Pontiac’s are going to be very tightly focused, all rear-wheel drive vehicles, giving credence to the brand being GM’s performance division.
Ah okay so why the rush on the New 2009 VIBE – hey Lutz does the right hand know what the left is doing???

Aussies love this thing does that make them all rednecks?

BRING BACK THE GMC SYCLONE, GM!

GMC SYCLONE= 0-60 IN 4.6 SECONDS IN THE RAIN!!!!!

My brother has a 1976 Holden V8 Ute they last forever…..

I am really undecided on this. A pontiac version seems okay. Then again, I’d rather see a GMC version but I have been REALLY turned off by all the chops I’ve seen on the net of this car with a GMC Acadia front pasted on it. Those are just fugly

All the rednecks will want one…

YEEE-HAAAAA!!!

Where is the market opportunity here? What this car will do that GMC/Chevy pickup wont? Do they plan to snatch sales from Ford or from their own divisions?

rednecks everywhere are masturbating with excessive pleasure eh Madcapp??

autonut – this car doesn’t really have a practical place in the market. Nobody will buy it because they need its fuel efficiency and pick-up capability. Whoever buys it will do because they are either a El Camino fan or they like the look of it. Many people buy trucks and SUVs just because they look cool. This car will be picked up by plenty of 20 or 30 some years olds like me that want a sports-car truck.

That is why I think GM should go back and look over what went wrong with the SSR. Then, they can sell this as a limited edition, high-horsepower, pimped out el camino/scyclone/cabellero

I always thought the UTE should have come back. It would be something I would buy. I’m in need of something with a “truck like” bed and nothing as big as a truck. Plus that holden on their showing looks cool anyways. Even the FPV’s UTE’s are cool, with the BOSS 290(i think) and 4 pot brembo breaks.

LLN PLEASE NEVER PUT THIS PICTURE UP IN GREEN EVER AGAIN.

I want a SS version with the Corvette motor. Where do I sign.

why not just do what theyve been doing with every other model and give it to ALL THREE dammit

Foreigncarssuck, thanks for remembering the Syclone! I’d love to buy a modern version (so long as it’s not based on the current Canyon).

CTS DRIVER, you read my mind.

Ahh I remember Syclones and Typhoons wrecking havoc at the street races back in the mid 90’s… Only the fast cars coming off trailers could pull them and that was only at the top end. The GMC’s would shotgun past them at the launch so fast.

Commodore I hear your pain, to paraphrase the prez you may or may not remember, but who enlightened the nation of virtues of oral non-sex. However, GM and Ford stopped production on El-Camino and Ranchero at about the same time not because there was no room for both, but because both there was no market for anyone.
Unfortunately, perhaps for all, neither company can execute development and production of small segment vehicle or global vehicle. Honda can sell very few Accura TSX in US, a lot more of the same cars branded as Accord in Europe and even more in UK, Japan and Asia (right handed). All cars made in the same factory/production line.
As a result it either will be one year of no-sales like Aztec (ugly but decent vehicle) or none at all. My money is on none at all, because of economic austerity.

Keep hemorrhaging money, GM, keep hemorrhaging.

Instead of mopping up the problems with their base cars (midsize is poorly represented, their compact offerings are hideous), they daydream about niche products like this all day. Idiots. Maybe HOlden in Aus can pull this off since their sedans are solid, but GM N. America has a long way to go.

I don’t understand the novely of a car with a pickup bed. I think that the El Caminos are great from a historical perspective, but this seems worthless to me. We have THE truck market here. Why bring this over? It’s about as practical as a Honda Ridgeline or a Subaru Baja. Besides that, what’s the payload capacity of this? Do I dare ask if it can tow?

rompn4x, that’s exactly where the Syclone provided me the most fun – at the street races. My best 1/4 mile was 12.56, nearly stock. In 1/8 mile races it is untouchable. 1/4 mile races are a little closer. Freeway races? Well, with full-time all-wheel drive and the aerodynamics of a house, I try not to engage.

Bryce, i agree completely.

THEY SHOULD JUST BRING THE NAME TO AUTOMOTIVE MARKET AND STOP USING PONTIAC TO SELL THEIR CARS. LET PEOPLE GET AQUAINTED WITH BRAND……IT CAN BE VERY HELPFUL FOR GM.

I’ll agree with them on this one: Even if it is a loss, the Ute and Sportwagen would go a long way towards re-establishing Pontiac’s sporty image. I mean, I don’t think anyone on this forum believes the Sportwagen is bad….and nobody here can say that the Ute isn’t sporty.

If done right (bring in limited qualities of them, don’t flood the market, and bring in fewer base models and more SS-Vs and GT and whatever.

Bliss, as if GM needs another brand and the start up cost of dealer network for Holden?

Making the Ute a Pontiac makes more sense than Chevy. It just fits better with the sportier and funkier Pontiac than Chevy. Besides, if the G8 with a similar front end treatment is going to be a pontiac, it would make sense for the Ute to be marketed with it. Putting a Chevy badge on it will just be more confusing. And rednecks will finally leave all the gentlemen in the dust!

The ute is culturally foreign in the US and I dunno about its chances. Flatbed utes are everywhere in Australia but unknown here — they look like they left the factory before they were finished. This could be another SSR… a stylin’ idea that turns out to be totally impractical and mostly unloved in the US marketplace.

A Holden-derived sport wagon for Pontiac, however, would be REALLY interesting. It would make me think twice about current plans to get into a Caddy CTS wagon in 2009 or 2010.

Deanster is dead on. I recently watched a Canadian automotive show that rated 15 compact cars and guess what came dead last- the Pontiac G5. Guess what came first- ( big surprise ) Honda’s Civic.
While I suppose you could argue that someone has to create that endless supply of cheap, disposable appliances on wheels for the first time drivers, I really believe it would be in GM’s best long term interest to focus just a tad more energy on the Cobalt/G5 ( or whatever they decide to call them next time out ). Hey, GM, have you ever heard of the theory that when a buyer is satisfied with one of your products they just might buy another?

Niche vehicles are great for about the first 6 months, then they languish around dealer lots forever until finally they’re firesaled to the patient bargain hunter. Come to think of it, that’s kind of the unfortunate case with a lot of GM’s current inventory, niche vehicle or otherwise.

That’s fantastic. I have always loved the El Camino, and hope it makes a comeback in one way or another. Go for it!

ARRRRGGGGGH the green is back, a sport wagon may have potential as did the magnum, but i have a sneaky suspicion it will be way overproduced.
sharpie and commodore have good points.

I think a wagon and ute are bad for Pontiac. GM has stated they want Pontiac to be performance oriented. The problem here is that people wanting utility of a wagon or ‘Ute are not interested in performance. Someone will argue they can have both but then that is where all the marketing and brand image problems begin. It is stupid. A Ute or wagon should be badged a Chevrolet and nothing else. With the demise of the Malibu Maxx, this would be a good niche vehicle for Chevrolet. Just because Pontiac gets the G8 sedan version shouldn’t dictate the other body styles.

Hmmm, maybe I see this a little differently… This ‘might’ be a good alternative to the Honda Ridgeline, as opposed to an El Camino throwback. If they did it right, you get a 30 MPG highway cruiser with good power, and a great car like ride. Plus, it is a little wierd, which would add some snob appeal. Is it a Pontiac? I think not. But if all the other cars Holden makes are Pontiacs, then I guess it makes some sense.

Stupid, stupid idea. Way to cheapen the impact of the G8 sedan, which is incredibly sexy, by throwing in these unnecessary models, which are not.

The G8 is a straight competitor with the Dodge Charger, yet GM does not learn from Chrysler’s lesson with the poor-selling Charger-wagon Magnum? How blind are they??

And there is NO MARKET for this Ute style, except as a low-volume car for El Camino enthusiasts. They DESPERATELY want this car judging from online communities, but DON’T want it to be a Pontiac.

Either bring on the line of Pontiac rear-drive performance CARS (C-A-R-S), or stop **** teasing with it. I’m sick and tired of hearing about Pontiac’s great future when they follow up great cars like the Solstice GXP and G8 GT with the likes of the G6 GXP ricemobile and the WTF Vibe. ARGH!!!!

GM UP TO THEIR USUAL TRICKS AGAIN: PRODUCING JUNK AS PER USUAL

I went ot high-school in san idego in the 80s. This would have been the car too have. MX bike or surf brd in back only room for one hottie to ride along (no room for ugly frnd tag along). At night replace bike/board with keg and matress. Not to mention it hauls ass.

This could work as long as they only import a few thousand a year, but sell them at a premium. It will also help establish Pontiac’s image as the performance division.

The Ute should be the GMC Caballero, and the wagon should be the G8 Safari. Done.

GMC Syclone and Typhoon must come back!

LP640 – I keep asking morons like you again and again this question and they never seem to be able to answer it, so let’s see if you can:

Why did you post that comment? What is the purpose of it – I mean it says nothing of substance. All it says is “I hate General Motors…..A LOT”. You didn’t say anything about the Ute and how good the Sportwagen looks (or even try to make up some excuse why it looks bad). So WHAT IS THE POINT OF SAYING THAT?

LP640 is likely a european waste of life who has never driven an American car in his life (and no, your mom’s Vauxhall doesn’t count) yet imagines himself to be the expert on them.

I definitely wouldn’t be in the market to buy this personally, however I think if they import these in limited quantites and badge it as a Chevy El-Camino I think they’ll sell. Yeah I agree with everyone too on bringing back the Syclone and Typhoon. I just don’t know what chassis they would use to make that. The Equinox/Torrent/VUE? But yeah, they had this at the Milford Proving Grounds a couple months ago when they were prepping the G8’s, but this was in Black with red interior. Now that looked sweet as hell!

I really don’t see a big market for either configuration (wagon or ute), but I don’t see any harm in Pontiac offering them as long as they limit production quantities and can profitably import them. If the conditions listed above are not feasible, then I say forget it; GM’s time and money can be better spent elsewhere.

If I had my preferences, I would rather see a coupe and convertible spun off Zeta for Pontiac. I think these two configurations would do more to promote Pontiac’s performance image than the wagon or ute.

If I had my preferences, I would rather see a coupe and convertible spun off Zeta for Pontiac. I think these two configurations would do more to promote Pontiac’s performance image than the wagon or ute.
——-

Agreed. Heck, they might as well make a more aggressive Camaro coupe/convertible and call it the Trans Am.

I agree with the both of you. What GM really needs to do instead of this is bring back the Firebird T/A or GTO and have a RWD high performance coupe. That’s what Pontiac was all about back in the 60’s and early 70’s. The G6 Coupe and G5 just aren’t cutting it for Pontiac. However I know someone who’s family member is an Engineer for GM working on the Zeta program and they said that Pontiac is planning on bringing back the GTO in a couple or few years and it’ll be off based off of the same Zeta platform and be built in Ontario with the Comaro. Something is going to happen for sure. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Ask any guy in so cal with a surfboard on top of his jetta what he thinks of this car. After he is done ****ting his pants from desbeliefp hell ask you where he can get one at any price. And there are over 10,000 people who surf in San Diego county alone, sure its just a niche, but its a niche with people who are trend setters and young. And all the losers who wish they could spend there days at the beach looking cool will want one. So when they grow out of this they will move up to G8. If you dont live in So or Central Cali you simply cant comprehend the scenario, but it is reality here.

You poor yanks are driving sh#t and you do nothing but sh#tcan any car that is not made stateside!
Seems to me the US has NO IDEA anymore what people want and the carmakers (or the Di#kheads running them!) don’t have a clue any more what stupid badge to put on a car so they just stop making that model till they can think of another stupid name to call it.
Like it or not there WON’T be an auto industry in the US much longer if this keeps up! The Asian market and China will take over (CHRIST I HOPE NOT!) and you won’t have much choice!
Ford/GM Europe and Australia do make a good line up of cars it’s only the CEO’s in the US that would feel like there letting their own divisions down by importing OR even making the same models stateside!
Yes we do like UTES downunder and if that makes us rednecks HELL YEA!!! we also like REAR WHEEL DRIVES and sporty sedans “4 doors” (none of this 2 door sh#t i can’t get in the back seat without someone gettin out of the front seat crap!)
AND to the next DI#KHEAD that comments on the GREEN “COLOUR” (yes you can spell it that way!) UTE
THEY come in other colours too! but maybe you lot like the drab brown sh#tty shades i see on most US models
(Were all having a good laugh down here and enjoying what we drive!)

rebuttal anyone??

Should be the Pontiac El Camino. No Chevy or GMC variant.

autonut: “Honda can sell very few Accura TSX in US,”
Actually, I think the accord is about the fourth- or fifth-best seller in the nation.

Commodore: “Even if it is a loss, the Ute and Sportwagen would go a long way towards re-establishing Pontiac’s sporty image.” Well said.

johnnycanuck: you made some sense.

raiv: self-castration “might” be a good alternative to the Honda Ridgeline. Any other vehicle IS a good alternative to the Honda Ridgeline.

SwerveEarly: cool!

CA36: “Heck, they might as well make a more aggressive Camaro coupe/convertible and call it the Trans Am.”
NO!

The General should develop a new Muscle car for Pontiac ONLY!

With the pending cancellation of the Dodge Magnum, the G8 Sportwagon would help Pontiac fill a vacant market niche. Bring it on!

Arrrgghhh, get this **** off the front page. I’m sick and tired of Pontiac being a dumping ground!

Bring the wagon, but not the Ute. It just doesn’t look “right” to me, though I’ve always loved the idea of a “pickup” of that nature. I think if they do bring the Ute, it should be a GMC, and more along the lines of an efficient (read Diesel) small work/delivery truck, replacing the hopeless Canyon. Even in the pictures, it just looks better as a basic light truck.

The country needs a more efficient line of SMALL trucks IMO, not the overgrown trucks we have now. Jeez, a Tacoma or Frontier are almost as big as a full size truck from the 70’s and not any more efficient either. Bring back the LUV!!

Let it be a Chevy or GMC. Pontiac is supposed to be RWD performance CARS.

golf4me is on the money, “Bring the wagon, but not the Ute.”

I agree with the rest of you:
The wagon variant would be an excellent addition to the G8 line and Pontiac’s portfolio. The Ute looks totally ridiculous and out of place in Pontiac’s lineup; I think GM decided to give it to Pontiac to save money on developing a GMC style front end treatment for the vehicle. Although a performance trucklet won’t dilute Pontiac’s image as much as some of the other recent product additions to the brand (G5 coupe, Torrent, Vibe); it still reeks of the cowardly, bean counter, accountant-dominated methods of product allocation that has plagued GM in the past. I can accept the reason why Chevy won’t receive the Ute (product overload), but the Ute is clearly more suited to be a performance halo product for GMC. They have a history with this type of product (Caballero).

If GM wants to establish a clear brand identity for Pontiac, quit dumping inappropriate products on the brand (such as badge engineered Chevy clones and SUV/truck/crossover vehicles). Pontiac should carry a portfolio of affordable performance, rear wheel drive sedans, coupes, convertibles, hatchbacks, and wagons. GMC should provide the SUV’s, crossovers, and trucks. GM needs to stop fooling around and get serious about clearly defining their brands in the U.S.

god dammit there is the baby**** green again, i officially hate this thing now.

Cool the more different vehicles to choose from the better. Bring the UTE and the wagon.

The Ute will fail miserably. The wagon is a good idea. I have a hard time seeing the Ute as a truck though.

G8 ST?
Stoopid name.

mazdaman:
“the cowardly, bean counter, accountant-dominated methods of product allocation that has plagued GM in the past.”
You’ve been taking your reality pills!

I also like this: “Pontiac should carry a portfolio of RWD sedans, coupes, convertibles, hatchbacks, and wagons. GMC should provide the SUVs, crossovers, and trucks. GM needs to stop fooling around and get serious about clearly defining its brands in the U.S.

CTS: When i hated the packers, I’d describe their colors as “Baby**** green and cowardly yellow.”

The Ute should be a GMC Sprint or Caballero. And it should come with more than a top-line V8 if it’s going to be successful at all.

The Ute needs to start with a V6 and move up to that top-line V8.

g8st looks and sounds like gayest.

^LMAO CTS DRIVER

I dont know about you guys but I would definately purchase one of htese. Hell Ive been waiting since early ‘00 since I first saw them, to purchase one. For me it would work great. I dont need a .5 ton or even a .25 ton truck. I dont even need 4×4. I own my house so I just need a vehicle that I can move furniture, mowers, grass clippings, etc. I have a ‘92 Ranger and thats fitting the bill for now but once that Ute comes over, its mine. Hell the mpg wont even be a big deal, im getting 15/22 right now, with the power of a I-4. With the Ute Im sure I would get better then that and have at least 300hp. And if I need to carry people I have a’95 Suburban to take care of that. I think this Ute will sell well.

Hell yea, if this thing comes with an LS2, it’s for me!

I love holden! I’m glad that this is going to happen…

I think its fine that pontiac is taking it on…I wouldn’t dare have the ute as a GMC given its car like look (even if it is like a truck).

BTW I don’t care if the picture of the vehicle is green…Its still a nice car

Most likely it will use the same 261hp 3.6L V6 and 362hp 6.0L V8 that are in the sedan.

The first time I saw this thing it looked cool, but in my eyes it has gotten old quick. It look weird now. Maybe is that lime green 7up color they chose for this shot.

G8 is a stupid name, almost as stupid as G5 and G6!
Pontiac has heritage, go back to names like Catalina, Tempest, Grand Prix, Grand Am, Firebird.

That ute should be an El Camino.

Looks cool. I hope it gets a 6 speed stick and not all auto’s. If a loaded 400 horsepower 6 speed stick model can be had for $35-37K, I’m in.

6-speed manual is coming for the GT sedan mid-year 2008. Powertrain options will probably be copied over, so you’ll be able to get a 362hp 6.0L V8 with a 6-speed manual. The power output is down from the LS2 because this one is tuned to run on 87 octane.

The G8 name is a good name and I think the G8 will be a winner for Pontiac and is a good car despite being a Pontiac but this El Camino **** has to stop.
GM should be smarter than to sell this thing inthe US ………………Oh wait they are GM though lol Nevermind

OMG was that somewhat of a complement for Pontiac/GM 1115? I must say I’m surprised, but there’s hope for you yet. Who know’s, 1115 I sorta feel the same way you do about GM bringing back the El Camino to the US market as a re-badged G8 ST but who knows maybe if they offer this in limited quantities and don’t over-price it it may be a success for Pontiac.

I think as a low-volume novelty car, it could work as long as they don’t import too many. But the branding is 100% a mistake.

Props to 1115 on realizing that times may be a-changin’… I think we can all agree that the folks at GM can be friggin’ idiots! But they seem to have their focus in place these days. I hope this is a good vehicle, because I want one!

GM should have done this 10 years ago.

to automan and swerve early, how about red (automan)and some dirtbike hauling capability (swervy), then i will change my mind.

I can’t believe GM never thought of this before! A Pontiac El Camino! Just what that line needs to start conquering BMW. Seriously, though. Didn’t they stop making El Caminos for a reason? Like people stopped buying them? And started buying small pickups that were considerably cheaper? Never mind the redneck “mullet of cars” rep. If they really want to bring this thing here, it should be a. a Chevy El Camino, and b. be under 25K. Anything over that, for what is essentially a single cab pickup, seems a little ridiculous considering the choices in that price range. I don’t know a lot of swimming pool cleaners with that kind of money anyway.

On a seperate note, I’m amused that Pontiac’s reputation as GM’s “performance division” is seemingly built around a bunch of what are basically modern day imported Chevelles using a Corvette motor.

G8 is a dumb name.

Should have called it the GR8 ute – BTW when they hit the streets in the States, don’t try and drag one at the lights….They are seriously quick!

Personally, this is the type of vehicle due for a comeback in the US. As a single (non-redneck) man who owns his own home, I can see many uses for this vehicle.

Currently, I have a car for the usual work commute and daily driving and an old truck to make home improvement runs to the local Lowe’s type stores and for picking up furniture, hauling my motorcycle etc. This car would let me ditch the truck and the car and still do all the things I normally needed two vehicles to do.

As a matter of fact, I recently began restoring a 1982 Dodge Rampage for just this purpose. For those who don’t know (which would pretty much be every nay-sayer posting that they can’t understand what this car would be for), the Rampage was a four-cylinder front wheen drive that ironically lloks a lot like the Holden Ute from 1985.

And for all the people questioning payload capacity, the Rampage with its front wheel drive and 90hp four cylinder was factory rated to carry 1000 lbs. Without a doubt this car should be able to do that without breaking a sweat.

So what would I use it for? Getting sheetrock, insulation, hauling mulch, getting some gravel to fill in potholes on my dirt lane, hauling my motorcycle, getting parts for car projects, taking things like fenders and doors to the sand blasting shop etc. Yes, I can see many many uses for the Ute that are too much for a trunk but too little for a full truck. All while allowing me to eliminate one vehicle from my life and get car based fuel mileage.

So bring it on over GM! And be sure to keep the cool colors with their cool names! And whatever you do, don’t second guess Holden on this and water it down for the US market!