GM Considering G8 for Remaining Core Division

The 2010 model year is going to be a nasty one when it comes to fans of General Motors products. For Pontiac enthusiasts, the news is even worse. Pontiac will offer only one vehicle in 2010, the Pontiac Vibe, while eliminating every other model including the sporty Solstice, the full range of G6 models and the fun-to-drive G8 – I doubt many people will miss the G5, G3 or Torrent. Along with the Solstice, the G8 was finally bringing some excitement back to Pontiac thanks in large part to the Holden Commodore (which it is based off of). One bright spot in this gloomy saga is that GM is said to be considering transferring the rear-wheel drive G8 to one of its remaining core divisions, and chances are that if the G8 does remain in North America, it would become either a Buick or a Chevrolet vehicle.

Another fatality of the GM bankruptcy and reorganization is the V-8-powered Chevrolet Impala SS. While the front-wheel drive Impala sells too many units to suggest replacing it completely with the Holden-based sedan, Chevrolet could bulk up its performance credibility by offering the G8 as the Impala SS or maybe some other historic muscle car name. In foreign markets such as the Middle East, the Holden Commodore is rebadged as the Chevrolet Lumina (pictured above as the Saudi Arabian market 2009 Chevrolet Lumina SS). Moving the G8 over to its Chevrolet division would allow it to complement other performance vehicles such as the Cobalt SS, Camaro and Corvette ZR1. If GM were to offer the Holden Commodore under the Chevrolet division, it could also revive the G8 Sport Truck into Chevy’s lineup and revive the El Camino nameplate. A car-based pickup truck would not only improve fuel economy for light-duty necessities, but it would also revive some of the heritage historically associated with the Chevrolet El Camino.

On the other hand, with 15 vehicles and the Volt on the way, adding another sedan might seem like overkill for Chevrolet since it already offers two sedans that compete with the G8. Since GMC will be focusing on trucks and SUVs and Cadillac remains the luxury division, Buick would be the other candidate to receive a rebadged G8. With its own heritage dating back to the muscle car era, Buick could revive such nameplates as Gran Sport, Grand National or even the Skylark. Accenting the more luxurious nature of the Buick Lucerne and Buick LaCrosse, a Buick sport sedan could help draw customers back to dealerships that were lost as a result of Pontiac’s demise.

Whether or not GM decides to keep the Holden Commodore in the U.S., the G8 has been without a doubt one of the most impressive vehicles at Pontiac since the Firebird and Trans Am were killed off in 2002. Often compared to the BMW 5 Series, the Pontiac G8 gave GM a credible rear-wheel drive sedan that handled and performed well. Current G8 models include the base V-6 G8, the V-8-powered G8 GT and finally the 402-horsepower, sport-tuned G8 GXP.