G8 to Die With Pontiac Because GM Doesn't Like To Rebadge?

Not a fan of re-badging?? That's been GM's motto for ever!!! There have been examples, bad examples but this would be an example of re-badging done right. Call it a Chevy Chevelle!! I would stop looking at pictures of the Camaro and buy this Chevy!! I've also heard Buick Grand National?? Not so bad... I could do that too!!

This is what happens when you put a dipshit non car guy in charge of a car company. I thought this itiot said he would not be making decisions on what they sold when they hired him?

Its a sad day for the G8 that is a car I think would do very well for GM. The whole fit and finish was a great quality and well thought out for american standards but I wonder what they are going to do when the new FORD Taurus SHO hits the public in a year or so. GM will have nothing to compete with it. Well if you have a G8 I would hold on to it I think they will be worth a pretty penny in 40-50 years from now.

I understand your rage, but the comment was made by current and continuing CEO Fritz Henderson who has been with GM for years. Ed Whitacre is the new Chairman of the new GM. Rick Wagner was both CEO & Chairman.

The statement about rebadging is crazy b/c it came from Fritz who has been apart of the well-known GM strategy for years. Though the G8 came at a bad time, it's still been getting great overall reviews and positive comparisons with its competition.

It may be the case that the CEO is trying to deflect attention away from it while they plan a redesigned model using the G8 platform.

Face facts. American manufacturers have a dysfunctional bent against rear wheel drive sedans. Period.

GM had to be dragged kicking and screaming into bringing RWD sedans to market here.

Ford outright refuses to do it saying it costs too much and weighs to much, yet has no problem putting RWD IRS in trucks and SUV's

Chrylser only brought RWD to market because Daimler owned them and could crib existing platform bits to do it.

It is another mis-guided error of inner-think at American auto manufactuers - the kind that has brought them down.

Lets face it, the G8 never sold well. Even though it's heralded as an awesome vehicle, it never had the sales behind it. I have seen more CTS-V's wandering the streets then I have G8's. It makes sense not to rebadge something that doesn't sell. And if GM wants to make a point that the "new" gm doesn't rebadge this underachiever, then it is a fine example to set. Also, in north america rwd cars do have trouble selling compared to their fwd counterparts. Especially any where that gets snow/ice.

Better get used to more and more FWD. It just gets better fuel economy............

I think GM was insane to go almost all FWD in the 80s, and some platforms will remain, but the handwriting is on the wall.

Only premium vehicles will have RWD in the future.

The G8 won't become a Chevy for a number of reasons but mainly the St. Elizabeth plant doesn't have the capacity to build what Chevy could sell. It is most likely that the next Commodore will be rebadged as a Buick for the US market. Caddy already has the CTS in the size slot so it won't get it. Chevy will sell a less expensive FWD fullsize car in its slot. Buick can charge more for premium options than Chevrolet and will have the right sized sales numbers for the capacity of the plant.

So can we get off the "I hate GM bandwagon" for the moment and look at this logically through a business perspective?

GM is clearly not interested in keeping that car.
The only reason they've decided to import it is because they badly needed it to quickly boost Pontiac's image. Now that Pontiac is no more a concern, they don't need it anymore.

I won't join the conspiracy theory saying they don't want to offer RWD cars, I think that GM's RWD sport sedan is the CTS, and if you want a "cheap" RWD V8 car, the Camaro is there waiting for you.

This car is built in Australia by GM's Holden subsidiary, my feeling is that it's simply not cost effective for GM to bring them over here and sell them at this price.

Let us not also forget that this new CEO is BRAND NEW with NO Automotive experience. So he probably did not fully understand that this has been GM's motto for the last few decades, to rebadge everything and anything.

As was stated above the G8 design and pinnings are getting close to a new cycle in Australia so it would be likely they would wait for the new car to be made and have it become a Buick or even be presented as GMCs first sedan. They could use the new design towards the aging Impala and sell a Buick or GMC version with the added power.

Who knows, but I could see maybe they are trying to steer away from change the sheet metal and slap a badge on it mentality. Hence the demis of Pontiac and Saturn. In a market like this, why would you want to compete against yourself?

The new chairman, Whitacre, did not say the above quote about rebadging. The current CEO, Fritz H, said that.

The "car guy" that's been with GM for years said no to rebadging.

They did not market the G8 right and they did not give it a spare tire, or an optional navigation system or XM sat radio, it was at a competitive disadvantage at the start.

Ha. There is that.

It should have been a Buick

I await for the announcement that they are closing GMC then. Fritz is an assclown.

Sad, because the G8 is really the only GM I'd be interested in owning at this point........well maybe a ZR1, but I'm talking realistic here :)

Everytime I see one on the road I always think it's a great looking car that has potential to compete with european makes. They need MORE cars like this in their stable to boost their image. And I do agree with whoever above said that they did not market the G8 well.

I agree with you 100%. This is a car I see and think "Man this is a good looking car". I think it is a shame that GM would let this car go. To me this is a perfectly good time for GM to do what they do best, "REBADGE".

This is crazy, the G8 was probably the best looking can in GM's lineup.

This is crazy, the G8 was probably the best looking can in GM's lineup.

Finally, everyone knows now why the American car industry is sinking...

I do like the G8. If I bought an American sedan, it would be a G8. i am fortunate to own a 335i sedan, but I would highly consider the G8 if the government decides to give huge tax rebates on purchasing american cars.

Oh well, at least in Oz it continues to be the number one seller, and therefore will remain in production as the Commodore for some time.(Interestingly, number one seller to private sales is Mazda3 here). Holden would sell it to the US at any price - the US is a massive market for any Aussie company.

Bring back the Grand National!!!!