Holden coming to North America
 

well, sort of.... under the name Pontiac G8

- LeftLaneNews.com

Nice! So basically it will be new versions of the GTO under a different name? But will they still be RWD and have a Vette engine?

No, the Monaro has been discontinued for the second time. This is the VE Commodore, which is a new family car powered by a banal V6. The SS has a V8, though, and is more sports orientated, although not exactly a sports car per se. It has optional special leather seats and all sorts of luxury stuff. It's received rave reviews in Australia.

This is good news for the industry, especially since rising fuel prices have made large family cars unpopular amongst buyers. Good to see Holden exporting to America.

Yes and the G8 is a small family car.

The rumours out of gm are a move to a line of rwd cars. The GTO will be back too..

Nice idea!

But seeing how the GTO turned out who knows whats gonna happen :bah:

The real question is, will they change enough panels to make it a Pontiac? Or will it be just rebadged rebumpered Holden?

AS bad as you all say the GTO turned out, they only ever planned a max of 20000 a year. They missed their target considerablly, but I wouldnt call it a complete flop. The screwed the start by telling everyone the 2005 would be better then the 2004 (and bland styling), but they sold 11000 this year out of something like 13000 produced. That isn't a horrible showing.

Nor did people bad mouth it, other than the fact that it wasn't a GTO...

It'll get lots of kudos points for being RWD. It'll handle a lot better than its rivals and will have more power than Nissan Maxima, Toyota Abalone, etc...

For us, the Commodore is a large car. :P Only in America would it be considered small.

For a domestic car thats about normal. Only the 2004's were rediculous in that respect.. 32000 dollar cars going for 20000. What didnt they expect when they told people the car would have 80 more hp in the following year.

The Commodore is indeed a large car! But a very nice one!

How big is that Aussie Ford compard to it?

Actually the 5.7L has 350HP and the 6.0 has 400, so it’s a difference of 50HP. And like Top Gear pointed out the 5.7 is actually the better of the two cars because it has stiffer suspension and does not have the fuel tank right over the rear axel.

The 5.7 GTO is so cool. It may not have sold well but its going to be one of those cars people will try to get used for years to come. Especially people that like to tune cars, we all know how you can tweak the hell out of those Vette engines. I my self might consider getting a used 2004 GTO.

ummm.. The 6.0 is a vette engine as well. I was ball parking the hp.. The point is no one is going to buy the lower hp car this year for the same price as the new one.

As for suspension and gas tank.. Last I checked top gear didnt test the GTO. They tested the same body but just like the have slighlty different design cues the suspension is designed slightly differently for states to UK. In other words it may or may not hold true here.

Well then you missed some episodes. They tested both the 5.7 and the 6.0 but not in the same episode. Clarkson flat out said they both were brilliant but the 5.7 was better. He said the 6.0's back end gets too light a whippy when you get low on gas and it fells a lot softer and more wobbly than the 5.7. But he said both were fantastic and you can drift in them like no other. I think one of his closing quotes about the GTO was something to the effect of “if anyone is buying any car other than this one in this price range they are either stupid or boring!”.

^^^They don't sell the GTO in the UK man.. Clarkson has not tested it. They sell the Monoro. Same car with some visual changes and suspension changes. I haven't missed any episodes, I have everyone for the last 7+ years. Hell they have a 500 hp version of the Monoro now according to top gear magazine.. There is no such gto.

Man its even worse then that I see.. They dont sell a 5.7 l gto in the US, haven't since 2005. They still sell Manaros with ls1s. IT is a great engine, I have one afterall, but whether the 5.7 l 2003 cars can compete with the 6.0 2004 cars that cost the same exact price in the US.. is not proved by a british magazine with different engine/suspension combinations.