New for 2009, the Pontiac G8 GT Sedan explodes onto the scene with a massive presence. With a starting price of $28500, this is a car that is a force to be reckoned with. Exterior presence screams performance with functional ducts on the hood and a front facia that screams move it or lose it. Underneat that hood, sits a 6.0L V8 pumping out 361 very furious horses which are ready to run on command. Flex your ankle and your heart will start to race as the tachometer starts to the swing to the right and the rear tires struggle for grip. Nice thick black marks are left on the road way as you quickly hurtle yourself up to speed. The only thing left in your wake is tire smoke making even performance sedans costing twice as much envious.
Keep your foot in it and transmission shifts are met with smooth changes before engaging the next gear and the symphony of engine growl continues to chase you down the roadway. The growl that is chasing you is something akin to an American performance sedan. Not loud of obnoxious, but something smooth and deep which makes you want to dip into the performance band each and everytime you pull away from a stop light or a fancy sedan which thinks they are the baddest boy on the block.
Suspension refinement soak up bumps without overly upsetting the chassis. The firm suspension however does communication with the driver and it lets you know when something is wrong. I can only imagine that this car would be very talkative at higher speeds or traction limits. At docile roadways speeds, it is compliant enough to make driving comfortable.
The interior is nothing spectacular to write home about, but it gets the job done. Functional buttons combined with a large screen center mounted in the console make it easy to see what is being done at all times and buttons are easy to push and feel sturdy.
Our only complaint with this car is that massive engine under the hood has massive exhaust tubes which run down the center of the car and after lots of blistering runs tends to make the center mounted tunnel very 'warm'. You'll need to make sure the A/C is set to circulate air both top and bottom so your legs don't feel the heat. Well, as the saying goes, if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.
This car is a blast to drive and with plenty of room for your friends, is definitely something to be considered if you are looking for a combination of practicality and speed combined into a satisfying package.
Oh... and there is a GXP version coming out next year that will be equipped with a 450HP motor and a six speed manual transmission. If I were you, I'd start buying stock in tire companies now... cause that monster is going to roast the tires off of the best performance sedans out there.
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