When I grew up there were GM and Ford people, and a few oddball Mopar fans. That’s just the way it was in North America.

A great looking ride, the G8 won't suffer from styling objections. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

Sure my European Dad dabbled with the imports, including a Morris Minor and then a Volkswagen Beetle, but we always had a domestic car in the driveway too. And it was almost always my mother’s ride. I unfortunately missed my Dad’s ’56 Chevy Bel Air coupe (the best year if you ask me). I was brought home from St. Paul’s Hospital in the car but don’t really remember much of the experience, although I remember Mom’s ’61 Pontiac Strato-Chief wagon well enough (especially the avocado metallic green my Dad painted it), and fell in love with her ’69 Parisienne Coupe (sister to the Catalina in the U.S. if you happen to be reading from south of the 49th) that ended its life in a six-car pileup before I was old enough to drive. So I guess we had a Pontiac in my family for most of my formative years, reason enough for me to feel strong sentiments towards the new G8 that General Motors kindly lent me.

After all, my Mom’s ’69 was fire-engine red too, and rear-wheel driven… although this particular G8 only came with the base 3.6-litre V6 mated to a five-speed

Enough power to seriously move off the line or on the highway, in V6 or V8 guise. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

automatic transmission while my mother’s had a 350, the way it was supposed to be. Then again, while the old car would no doubt spin its wheels easier than the G8, the new car is definitely no slouch. In fact, it’s a lot quicker off the line than almost anything from the ‘60s thanks to 256 at-the-wheel horsepower coming on at a relatively lofty 6,300 rpm and 248 lb-ft of torque available at 2,100 rpm, the result of sophisticated 24-valve, DOHC technology that sounds pretty sweet through its twin rear pipes as well. The easiest way to tell a V6-powered car from the more robust 361-horsepower V8, other than the GT label on its rear end, are those tailpipes; twins with the V6 and quads when a V8 has been squeezed under the long, lanky hood.

And it does look good, doesn’t it? Pontiac really nailed the design, not as heavy and bulky looking as the car that most people say inspired it, Chrysler’s 300. It doesn’t feel as heavy and bulky when behind the wheel either,

This is the same V6 that powers Cadillac's CTS, more or less. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

but surprisingly light and agile. I don’t know why, because it tips the scales at a substantial 1,762 kilos (3,885 lbs), more than a 50 kg (100 pounds) heavier than the V6-powered 300. Maybe it’s the free-revving V6 I just mentioned, or the Australian-tweaked fully-independent suspension setup? Can’t say.

The G8 feels rock steady at high-speed, capable of eating up miles like the big four-doors of yore, but with much less end-to-end bobbing and front end lift, and eons more control in the corners. I tested it out on my favourite local “tracks”, the back road that zips up to a local ski resort and a twistier segment nearby that winds its way out to a seaside village, and it performed as flawlessly as can be expected from a big sedan. The road was wet but the G8 hardly put up a fuss, content to allow a little rear end drift before its StabiliTrak stability control kicked in and brought things fully under control. The

Modern G8 is a much better car than Pontiacs of yore, despite what collectors say. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

G8 delivers a nice ride too, although Pontiac purposely set up its ride/handling bias with some sport in mind… thankfully.

Thinking back to the old ’69 Parisienne, its dark blue interior (the coat of red paint wasn’t original) featured soft-touch plastics, just like the G8, although unlike the thin film of vinyl over foam in the classic model, which tended to crack and peel off  over the years, the G8’s rubberized plastic will be more durable.

I laugh and shake my head when old car fans say that car companies don’t build cars now as well as they used to. It’s just not true. The G8 might not seem as tough as the Fisher Body-on-steel-framed Parisienne, but I can tell you which one I’d rather  be in an accident in, if I had to choose. The G8 surrounds

More advanced than its predecessors, and most of its current competitors. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

its occupants with computer designed crumple zones to absorb impacts better, not to mention dual front, side-thorax and side curtain airbags; the latter from front to rear, on all G8s. Not to mention, my mother would have never slammed into the back of an accident that had already occurred on a wet, slippery wintery afternoon if she had had the G8’s standard four-wheel discs with ABS, and I would have learned to drive in a cooler car than the ’76 Malibu Coupe that replaced it.

Neither had a decent audio system, a term that hadn’t even been coined at a time when most cars only had AM radios attached to a single six-by-nine speaker integrated into the dash-top. My G8 tester came with an eleven-speaker Blaupunkt stereo boasting AM and FM accessible via a large touch-screen 6.5-inch display, plus a six-disc in-dash CD changer, XM satellite radio, an auxiliary plug-in, and redundant controls on the steering wheel spokes; the base stereo only gets seven speakers. You’d think it had navigation available with that big screen but no, it’s not available, although OnStar’s turn-by-turn navigation can be had and some people find this works better anyway.

Other

Plenty of room in back. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

goodies include automatic multi-zone climate control instead of the DIY system of days gone by, fog lamps integrated into the fascia instead of strapped onto the bumper, power mirrors rather than the old manual remote dongles, four-way power adjustable driver and passenger seats instead of just fore and aft, and the aforementioned OnStar system to get your keys out of the car (and other things), instead of a coat hanger and patience like Job. What’s more, the G8 includes standard items that we couldn’t have even dreamed up back then, like keyless entry, a remote starter, speed-sensitive variable intermittent wipers, automatic headlamps, a tire pressure monitoring system, and 18-inch alloy wheels from the factory! Heck, we didn’t even have cargo nets back in the domestic auto industry’s glory days. They used to build cars better than they do now… give me a break! Every G8 gets a nifty rear spoiler too, plus a stainless steel exhaust system with chrome tips, cruise control, a compass, a tilt and telescopic

Get in and grab hold... this Pontiac likes to go fast. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

steering column, and a trunk pass-through for stowing longer items. I suppose that older cars came with floor mats, but then again they were often black rubber eyesores instead of the perfectly colour-matched, form-fitted carpets offered in today’s cars, the G8 included. I could go on, but I’m sure you get my point.

No, the G8 is the best Pontiac ever built. It might not be worth as much as a restored ’69 GTO Judge after driving it off the lot (it’s not even worth that much at its MSRP of $31,995 base and $40,530 fully loaded), but I’m going to go long on this one and, given our fluctuating fuel prices and market volatility, predict the G8, especially in top-tier GT and especially upcoming 402-horsepower 6.2-litre V8-powered GPX trim, will be a future collectible. It’s got the looks, performance and will probably sell in lower numbers than the General would have liked due to the realities of our times, all hallmarks of collectors’ cars. Of course, who’s to say we’ll even be able to fuel them in the future, or if gasoline will be as readily available as it is today. No, it’s better to enjoy cars like the G8 right now, while we can. And to that end Pontiac has certainly delivered a car worthy of the asking price.

Specifications (2009 Pontiac G8):

• Price Range (MSRP): $32,450 – $40,450
• Price as Tested: $36,915
• Destination Charge: $1,350
• Body Type: 4-door sedan
• Layout: front engine, RWD
• Engine: (V6) 256-hp, 248 lb-ft of torque, 3.6 L, 24-valve, DOHC V6
• Engine: (GT) 361-hp, 385 lb-ft of torque, 6.0 L, 16-valve, OHV V8
• Transmission: (V6) 5-spd auto w/manual mode
• Transmission: (GT) 6-spd auto w/manual mode
• Brakes (front/rear): disc/disc, ABS
• Curb Weight: (V6) 1762 kg (3,885 lbs)
• Curb Weight: (GT) 1,812 kg (3,995 lbs)
• Dimensions (L/W/H/WB): 4,982 / 1,899 / 1,465 / 2,915 mm (196.1 / 74.8 / 57.7 / 114.8 in)
• Tires: 245/45R18 (opt. 245/40R19)
• Cargo Volume: 496 L (17.5 cu ft)
• Fuel Economy (city/hwy): (V6) 12.2 / 8 L/100 km (GT) 14.4 / 8.4 L/100 km
• Warranty (mo/km): 36/60,000 km comprehensive - 60/160,000 km powertrain
• Competitors: Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Hyundai Genesis, Nissan Maxima, Volkswagen Passat
• Website: www.gm.ca

Interior

Exterior

Mechanical

Safety

Dimensions

Misc

(J005) Standard Gloss Paint

(1SB) Preferred Equipment Group 1SB

(1SC) Preferred Equipment Group 1SC

(1SD) Preferred Equipment Group 1SD