Pontiac G8 GXP - Did it compete with the M5 of it's day?

"Voice of C. Montgomery Burns" (voiceofcmb)
12/04/2014 at 10:13 • Filed to: None

Hey there. I've always had a genuine respect for the ill-fated Pontiac G8, and to a lesser extent, the Pontiac brand as a whole. Every time I see a G8 GT or GXP on the road I nod my head and appreciate it's muscular stance and classic saloon lines.

Car and Driver once called the first G8 GXP they reviewed as the "American M5", which is pretty nice praise for a affordable American carmaker.

So, the question in my headline: To those who have owned one, or test drove one, would you agree with Car and Driver's opinion? Furthermore, to interested secondhand buyers, how's the reliablity / overall ownership experience been?

DISCUSSION (20)

My citroen won't start > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
12/04/2014 at 10:16

We never got the G8 here, but we did get the Omega and that is an incredible car.

Kinja'd!!!

Victorious Secret > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
12/04/2014 at 10:17

It was as much an American M5 as my Hyundai was an Italian Ferrari.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > Victorious Secret
12/04/2014 at 10:19

Did you drive it? Why do you think C&D is so off on their initial opinion of the G8 GXP?

FKA-RacecaR > My citroen won't start
12/04/2014 at 10:20

That looks like a G8 with a Malibu front end on it.

FKA-RacecaR > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
12/04/2014 at 10:20

I am considering a G8 GT as my next daily. I have not yet test driven one, but every time I see one, I fall in love with it a little more. They are just so sexy.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
12/04/2014 at 10:21

Not even close. It was a good car, but its not even fair to compare it to the M5, they're two different cars.

My citroen won't start > FKA-RacecaR
12/04/2014 at 10:22

It it basically a Holden with a Chevrolet badge on it, the car the G8 was based on.

Margin Of Error > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
12/04/2014 at 10:22

No.

It just obliterated the M5.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
12/04/2014 at 10:26

Oh, I agree the segments and buyers are different, one is a luxury car and one is not. However, multiple automotive outlets frequently compared the cars handling, performance, overall dynamics to the Germans (not just the C&D article).

djmt1 > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
12/04/2014 at 10:27

The E60 M5 was head and shoulders above everything else during that era of super saloon. So no it isn't the American M5, it is however the Australian M5 since the only thing American on it is the badge. Same for the Vauxhall VXR8, I will admit. The advantage the G8/VXR8/Commodore was that it costs the same as a base 5 series but offered similar performance. Around Ł30,000 here in England which was an amazing deal.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > djmt1
12/04/2014 at 10:30

Thanks, you're right, it was a Holden product first. However, regardless of whether it was Holden/Vauxhall/Pontiac, it was a GM car.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
12/04/2014 at 10:31

The G8 was actually quite the handling package, especially compared to what it should have been, but it was rather lacking in the refinement department. Also, for whatever it's worth, the G8 GXP rounded the 'Ring in 8:30, while a contemporary M5 did it in 8:13.

Conan > FKA-RacecaR
12/04/2014 at 10:46

They're a positive test drive experience.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
12/04/2014 at 10:47

The G8 GXP didn't compete with the V10 M5......but a LOT of the press praised it as a continuation of the old E39 M5. They even had the "8 vs. 5" ad campaign that compared the GXP on price vs. the lesser trims of the 5 series.

The Transporter > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
12/04/2014 at 10:55

I hate to say it, but you're not going to get an honest answer to this question because of fanboyism.

JustWaitingForAMate > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
12/04/2014 at 16:24

Nowhere near.

I've owned 3 VE model V8s, (6.0L vs the 6.2L that was exported) and they fall short in all regions; power, handling and design.

I wouldn't expect anything different, since the M5 (at least here) is 4 times the price.

This coming from a Holden fanboy.

PS : Holden car, not GM. Designed, built and funded entirely by Holden Australia.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > JustWaitingForAMate
12/04/2014 at 17:27

I stand corrected, I thought since GM owns Holden it would logically be sound to call it a "GM" car.

JustWaitingForAMate > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
12/04/2014 at 17:29

GM is the parent company, and Holden is its local Australian subsidiary, but it's pretty much an independent company...though they did shovel hundreds of millions of dollars back to GM when the GFC hit to help try keep it afloat.

Stuff > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
07/14/2016 at 00:12

The concept car was supposed to look like this. However, the G8 ended up as trash, and so does the current Chevy SS.

Stuff > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
07/14/2016 at 00:15

The concept car was supposed to look like this. However, the G8 ended up as trash, and so does the current Chevy SS.

Kinja'd!!!