G8 Summit
Rear-drive Pontiac Grand Prix replacement spied in Australia
By BOB GRITZINGER
AutoWeek | Published 01/16/07, 9:42 am et
General Motors will draw on its Australian Holden division for a new rear-wheel-drive sedan to replace the Pontiac Grand Prix. The Holden Commodore SS will be rebadged as the 2008 Pontiac G8 when it arrives in the U.S. late this year or early next year, according to published reports.
GM vice chairman Bob Lutz spilled the beans on plans for the car at the Detroit auto show and promised that more details will be forthcoming at the Chicago show in February.
“It’s such a logical thing to do,” Lutz said. “The volume range is 30,000 to 50,000. It depends on how we price it.” Reports indicate pricing will be around $25,000.
The latest Pontiac will draw on the Holden Commodore that went on sale in Australia in August 2006. The right-hand-drive model must be re-engineered for left-hand drive for the U.S. Spy shots reveal that work is well under way, along with new sheetmetal, to distinguish it from its Aussie cousin.
G8 will come with a choice of V6 or V8 engines, including a 6.0-liter 362-hp, 390-lb-ft V8 coupled to a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.
GM previously sold a rebadged Holden Monaro as the Pontiac GTO in the United States, and despite the car’s strong appeal to enthusiasts, sales of the 2004 to 2006 models did not meet expectations.