Pontiac G8 might become a Buick

Below average rebadged models like the G3, G5, and G6, will follow the demise of the Pontiac brand including also a nice convertible. However, the most considerable casualty that will go with the shelving of the Pontiac will be the world-class G8 sedan.

There have been appeals from several corners calling for the rebadging of the G8 as a Chevrolet or even a Cadillac just to preserve it. But there have been a shortage of encouraging words from GM which pointed out that Chevrolet has already several sedans in its lineup and it doesn’t need one more. Although there are still discussions concerning the fate of the Australian-made G8, the possibility of it having a life as a Chevrolet seems to be out of the question. To rebadge it as a Cadillac would not have business sense since GM would have to raise its interior standards to luxury level and this will result in cutting into the profits of the rebadged Holden Commodore. Having ruled out Chevrolet and Cadillac, only the Buick brand remains. Rebadging the G8 as a Buick will be beneficial to GM in the following ways.
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91z4me - 6/9/2009 11:33:08 AM

+1 Boost

It makes more sense for the G8 to become a Buick and replace the Lucerne than to become a Chevrolet. The St. Elizabeth plant just can't produce enough to supply the needs that Chevrolet would have had for the car, and the Oshawa plant doesn't have the tooling/supply network required to produce the car. BTW Holden already builds and sells the LWB version of this car as a Buick (Park Avenue) in China, so they don't even need to design a new front end for the car.

g2ok - 6/9/2009 11:51:12 AM

-1 Boost

I think the Buick brand should have been dumped before Pontiac, but GM screwed that up. Now that they are losing Opel, I think the "new" GM will fail also. Pontiac should have been kept as a niche sports line. The Holden G8 was nice but not really American.

inspirion7 - 6/9/2009 6:35:42 PM

+2 Boost

Pontiac didn't make the profit Buick makes (i.e, Enclave, La Crosse and Lucerne, plus the models in China)
Buick is more international so from a business aspect, it did make sense. Pontiac is too trendy. GM could always bring Pontiac back in to future once GM gets its legs back.

HSCenterconsole - 6/9/2009 11:52:03 AM

+4 Boost

A new Grand National?

HSCenterconsole - 6/10/2009 8:01:31 AM

+2 Boost

I can't believe we actually agree 1UAW! It would make sense bringing back the Grand National even in four door form. However, I'm not sure if the Buick demographic would appreciate it.

B7FAN - 6/9/2009 1:10:52 PM

+2 Boost

I think they should do it the G8 is a sweet A$$ ride and I think this model will put buick back to where they offer a sport modeled ride sort of like what the grand national was back in the day

phantom330 - 6/9/2009 1:51:45 PM

+1 Boost

I'll be the first to say that Pontiac is a wasted brand and GM has too many different cars under different name plates........with that being said, I don't even really care for many GM products but I think the G8 is one sexy machine. I don't like feeling that way but I can't help it......I like the styling, I like the exhaust note on them, it's the only pontiac i'd really want to own and like I said i don't even normally care for GM products. It's just sexy, I hope they do save it....I'd rather it be a Chevy than a Buick, they should have killed that brand before Pontiac.....if not their customer base is just going to die off and kill the brand within the next few years anyways.

sizquik - 6/9/2009 1:59:44 PM

-3 Boost

corvette sedan.. duh.

Joe_Limon - 6/9/2009 2:22:44 PM

+3 Boost

eww this isn't Porsche we are talking about who can disgrace their top sports car with a sedan variant.

veyron1001 - 6/9/2009 2:04:11 PM

0 Boost

It is better off just cancelled as it is just a Cadillac SDUVNFKFLDO-1A with a different body and trim pieces.

thstone - 6/9/2009 2:38:30 PM

+3 Boost

Turning the G8 into a Buick makes no sense in terms of customer preferences. There is no way that a Buick buyer wants a car like the G8.

And it doesn't make any sense for the G8 to become a Caddy either. What does Caddy do with the CTS?

The G8 should definitely become a Chevy.

thstone - 6/9/2009 2:40:05 PM

-2 Boost

GM really needs to dump both Pontiac AND Buick. The best of each brand should be re-badged as Chevy's.

XYZZ - 6/10/2009 4:49:23 AM

+1 Boost

that makes as much sense as dumping the audi nameplate, and rebadging ALL their models as VWs, including the ones that are not even based on VW underpinnings.

Buick has MUCH MORE prestige than any ordinary chevy will EVER have. (with the sole exception of the corvette of course.)

even the chevy LOGO looks cheap. and makes everything it's pasted on, look cheap too, except for the Aveo and Cobalt. which appropriately, ARE cheap.

Whelan - 6/9/2009 3:37:20 PM

+1 Boost

Pontiac may have BEEN the sports niche brand, but it surely lost that awhile back. The only sports car in it's shed recently (excluding the G8 and Solstice GXP), was the Firebird. But they cut that out of the picture quick, then you have rebadged Chevy's with no additional power. You had the Bonneville SSE and then the GXP Grand Am which did not really boost power all that much. Especially knowing that a 3800 series engine could do A LOT more in terms of power benefits. So they killed it themselves when they went the way of the thick plastic cladding years back.

Bring it as a Buick, I don't know about the Grand National since that was strictly a 2-door model. But who knows it could live on as a new niche model, Lucerne R?

Whelan - 6/9/2009 3:38:23 PM

+1 Boost

or maybe the Reatta makes a return

Denali - 6/9/2009 4:12:21 PM

+1 Boost

future impala ss????

AgentOrange - 6/9/2009 7:05:24 PM

+1 Boost

+1. And it'd make a great police car.

Joe_Limon - 6/9/2009 8:45:04 PM

+2 Boost

:O bring back the g8 st, as the new El Camino (which it should have been from the start).

BozzorTheGreat - 6/10/2009 5:26:28 AM

+1 Boost

Just a heads up to all, Buick is actually the most valuable brand GM has, simply because - for a variety of reasons - it is regarded as a prestigious, aspirational brand in China. They actually have sold more Buicks there than in the US for the past 2-3 years. The G8 will be a welcome addition: it is a large car without being unwieldy, uses good mid range technology and is pretty robust with a reasonable build quality. It is in no way a Cadillac, but it has a great future ahead of it.

fatandsassy - 6/10/2009 9:02:03 AM

+1 Boost

What is happening to the Solstice and Sky. Since Pontiac is dead and Saturn is sold. Will Chevy make an attempt to sell a version of this car

Whelan - 6/10/2009 9:48:58 AM

+1 Boost

They should sell the SKY/Solstice as a Buick or Chevy or both. They were both decent sellers in the segment. And IMO more a man roadster than the Mazda MX-5 Miata could ever be. That thing just screams chic. I could see the Solstice going to Buick because it has the flowing lines they utilize, give it the Enclave grille treatment, some nice projector lamps, and LED taillamps and some Buick side ports.

As for the SKY, keep the edginess, give it the new Malibu styled grille and keep the taillamps.

The SKY could keep the same name but make the Buick the Bengal like the Roadster they had a concept of years ago.