2008 Pontiac G8

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The 2008 Pontiac G8 might be just the kind of car that our friend Sir Isaac Newton could get his head around. Unveiled at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show, the 2008 Pontiac G8 has physics on its side.

Physics as in rear-wheel drive.

We never really took Isaac Newton for a Pontiac guy. The long-haired brainiac always struck us more as a dude who might drive a perpetual motion machine, or some super-low-rolling-resistance vehicle. Or maybe he'd pilot a really sweet hovercraft, his luxuriant locks flowing in the breeze.

But ol' Newt would surely appreciate Pontiac's new rear-wheel-drive sedan.

Front-wheel drive has its place, but as one of Newton's most important laws of physics points out: "Ultimately, a big, nose-heavy front-wheel-drive car with a powerful engine kind of sucks compared to an equally high-powered rear-wheel-drive vehicle." (We're paraphrasing here).

We build torque steer
Pontiac did its best with high-performance front-wheel-drive sedans, but Isaac Newton could have warned the engineers that physics has its limitations. Our recollection of the V8-powered 2005 Grand Prix GXP still resounds in our memory: "Clumsy handling, overpowering torque steer."

It turns out that putting the weight of the entire powertrain over the front wheels, then trying to get the front tires to both put all that power on the ground and tell the chassis which way to turn is just more than Sir Isaac's physics can bear.

Fortunately General Motors learned a lot from this experience, and kept alive enough of Bob Lutz's plan for the Zeta worldwide rear-wheel-drive platform so the Holden engineers in Australia could create a more affordable version.

The Pontiac G8 introduces a new vehicle platform that will also furnish the underpinnings of the upcoming 2009 Chevrolet Camaro, a return of the Pontiac GTO, a rethought Chevy Impala and possibly more. For GM, much rides on this new platform, both literally and figuratively.

But is it a widetrack?
The 2008 Pontiac G8 seems to be up to the task. How does a choice of 261-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 or a 362-hp 6.0-liter V8 strike you? What about a choice of three transmissions: a five-speed automatic, a six-speed automatic and a six-speed manual? How about a balanced 50/50 weight distribution? And what about a four-link independent rear suspension?

Of the G8's competition, only the Dodge Charger really measures up as a first-class ride. We like the Charger quite a lot, yet it carries a range of less powerful engines (aside from the SRT8's 425-hp Hemi, of course), and there's no manual transmission available. So our expectations are high for the G8.

The proportions of the G8's bodywork hint at its rear-drive configuration. The short front overhang and the relatively long distance between the center of the front wheels and the base of the A-pillar are a signature of rear-wheel drive that the design guys learn in art school.

The phalanx of twin-inlet nostril-like air intakes on the G8's front end speak to Pontiac's historic (though less than subtle) styling flourishes. The vent integrated into the front fenders is a relatively new fad, although one that's already becoming a bit of a cliché.

Showbiz, baby!
The G8's wedgelike body hunkers down over a set of 20-inch wheels finished in dark chrome. There's no mistaking the car's performance bent.

But the 20s, along with the pizza-size slotted brake rotors and painted brake calipers, are just for the auto show circuit. When the G8 goes on sale early in 2008, it'll roll on standard 18-inch aluminum wheels, with 19s optional. The ride height of the showcar is also an inch lower than that of the production model.

The 19-inch wheels will be part of an available sport package available for V8 G8s. The sport package will also be available for the V6 car, but with 18-inch wheels. A discreet rear spoiler and an interior with a leather shift knob, leather-wrapped steering wheel and alloy pedals round out the sport package upgrade.

That thing got a small-block?
The mechanical differences between the various G8 models are substantial.

The base model is powered by a DOHC 3.6-liter V6 that makes 261 hp at 6,300 rpm and 250 pound-feet of torque at 3,200 rpm, plus there's variable valve timing to extend the power curve. This engine runs on regular gasoline, yet it edges the power output of the optional 3.5-liter V6 offered in the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 by 11 horses (pending final certification).

Both the Chrysler and GM V6s make 250 lb-ft of torque, but GM's does so at lower rpm, which should make the G8 feel a little punchier around town. As with the Chrysler Group cars, the only available transmission in the standard G8 will be a five-speed automatic transmission with a manual-shift feature. We estimate that the standard G8 should be able to go from zero to 60 mph in about 7.5 seconds.

The V8 that comes in the GT model is a version of the familiar small-block Chevy motor. The aluminum-block engine (which incorporates iron cylinder liners) has 6.0 liters of displacement, just like the Corvette engine.

If GM's power estimates are unchanged when the G8 makes it to dealerships, the pushrod V8 will pump out a healthy 362 hp at 5,700 rpm and 391 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. That's 12 more hp than the most powerful Hemi (except for the hot-rod SRT version) available in the Charger. The two engines make essentially the same amount of torque.

With the standard six-speed automatic, the G8 GT should be able to sprint to 60 mph from a standstill in less than 6 seconds. With the six-speed manual, it should be able to do so even quicker. Given the limited-slip differential that comes standard with the V8, the GT model also should be able to put most of its considerable power down when exiting corners.

The V8 features a cylinder-deactivation system that can command the engine to run on four cylinders during low load conditions to improve fuel economy, so the GT model's penalty at the fuel pump should be a bit more manageable.

Where the people go
Both versions of the G8 ride on the same 114.8-inch wheelbase. Though the G8's wheelbase is 5 inches shorter than that of the Dodge Charger, Pontiac claims the G8 has essentially the same amount of interior passenger volume, 107 cubic feet. In addition, the G8's 17.5 cubic feet of trunk volume is larger than that of the Charger, even though the overall length of the Pontiac is 4 inches shorter.

The design of the G8's interior should seem familiar to anyone who's spent time in the GTO, Pontiac's current (though soon to disappear) import from Australia.

Actually, the G8 interior is all new. The instrument panel is dominated by a large tachometer and speedometer illuminated by white light, and separated by a rectangular driver information center.

Both cloth- and leather-upholstered interiors will be available. The G8 concept car's interior has a masculine color palette of black and tan, but the production car has a black interior with either red or blue accents, plus instrument faces color-matched to certain exterior color choices. It sounds kind of Pontiac to us, but we'll withhold judgment on that until we see it.

The last part of this story
All 2008 Pontiac G8s will come standard with antilock brakes, traction control and stability control. That should assuage fears about driving a powerful rear-drive vehicle in rain and snow. Also standard are side curtain airbags for front- and rear-seat passengers, as well as seat-mounted side airbags for those in the front row.

Pontiac has not announced pricing yet, but if you bring about $26,000 to a dealer early next year, you could probably drive away in a base V6 G8. A loaded G8 GT will be more like $33,000.

Newton, a known lover of force and motivation, would get the V8. Of course, he also spent a good portion of his life studying alchemy and had a nervous breakdown. So who knows? — Dan Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit