Pontiac G8 GT: Best Value in Detroit

There were lots and lots of great cars in Detroit. But the one sleeper that surprised me most was the Pontiac G8 GT (aka Holden Commodore down under), a large rwd sedan with a 6.0 liter aluminum V8 making 355 hp for around $30k?

Built in Australia by Holden, shares a platform with the upcoming 2009 Chevy Camaro, and looks great. GM got it right. The company hasn’t received much press about it (yet) compared to Hyundai’s Genesis sedan, but it’s just as newsworthy.

The one thing it lacks is a manual transmission. But not to worry. It’s offered in Oz with a 6 speed manual, so it probably won’t be long before someone does a swap here. Plus the engine makes so much more power in other guises that it’s inevitable we’ll see 400+ hp specials.

Speaking of which, I’ll bet there’s ample opportunity for a US tuner to bring some speed parts and accessories stateside from “down under” straight from the V8 Supercars series. This had to be one of the best bargains at the show.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_G8