GM dropping PONTIAC... any thoughts????

[rjdmmfl1]

I figured someone would have commented on this already... crazy thing about this is, Pontiacs best two vehicles aren't even real pontiacs (GTO and G8)... go figure!

[LongBeachCoupe]

Its their own fault to some extent... you cant just have a losing business and expect to carry it forever, especially when your "cash cows" arent yielding a profit!

The govt pressure is just pushing up a timeline that would normally have happened anyways imo.

[mcheddadi]

I figured someone would have commented on this already... crazy thing about this is, Pontiacs best two vehicles aren't even real pontiacs (GTO and G8)... go figure!

it's a REAL SHAME that we aren't getting the 2009 GXP G8 in Canada always wanted to try out this sexier version of the Holden's Commodore

[Mr.Coupe]

Well IMO Pontiac was never a good/reliable car to begin with. The ONLY ones I like are the FAMOUS GTO and the G8 GT. I think that the only reason GM kept Pontiac up for so long was because it has Cadillac, Chevy and GMC doing great with sales to keep its BUTT up, But now that the economy is so screwed there is no one buying as much cars from those 3 makes so the one on the bottom of the tottom pole has to be gone and GUESS WHAT its Pontiac. That's what I think of the whole cituation.

Ricky C.

[08Coupe]

it's a REAL SHAME that we aren't getting the 2009 GXP G8 in Canada always wanted to try out this sexier version of the Holden's Commodore

Holden (Au) isn't going anywere and they make the only good pontiacs

[marlin29311]

I figured someone would have commented on this already... crazy thing about this is, Pontiacs best two vehicles aren't even real pontiacs (GTO and G8)... go figure!

It's a shame that the GTO was axed so soon...I actually really liked it.

The thing is, Pontiac is useless - for the 3 cars that they have anymore, they could just rebadge and sell as a Chevy - make the G8 a Chevy and bring over the solstice, and you're pretty much set at that point. The G5 is a Cobalt and the G6 is a waste of time compared to the Malibu or Impala.

[JDRosenberg07]

Its actually all just rumors as of right now. The CEO never said they were dropping Pontiac. It is (last i heard) becomming a niché brand. So the cars like the G3, G5, G6 and Vibe i believe are all going to be dropped (most are being replaced by the Cruze in 2011 anway) and they are keeping the G8 and solstice, possibly rebadging them to keep them or keeping another performance model with them.

I hate the media though.. if they dont have any real news to report on they just make stuff up.

The Big 3 ask for a loan and they call it a "Bail-out" Nissan and Toyota ask for loans and they call them loans

[LongBeachCoupe]

JD, its just "rumors" but still... they are gonna get chopped up, and its only logical that Pontiac would be a way to cut the fat!

Theres a BIG difference btwn the big 3 and toyota and nissan... If the big 3's unionized workers were getting paid the rates that nissan and toyota are, these problems may not exist!

Im all for unions (although i never belonged to one) but at some point they need to realize they are squeezing too hard... sure no one wants to take a pay cut in an environment like we are in now, but taking a 30% pay cut is better than being unemployed in an area where your skills are essentially no longer needed...

[PHENOMenalVinyl]

i dont care i hate that car co anyway lol......so who do you guys think is nxt

[rjdmmfl1]

Its actually all just rumors as of right now. The CEO never said they were dropping Pontiac. It is (last i heard) becomming a nich� brand. So the cars like the G3, G5, G6 and Vibe i believe are all going to be dropped (most are being replaced by the Cruze in 2011 anway) and they are keeping the G8 and solstice, possibly rebadging them to keep them or keeping another performance model with them.

I hate the media though.. if they dont have any real news to report on they just make stuff up.

that is incorrect info.... it was never "just a rumor" it was info leaked by a seniorVP, but everyone was told that legit info would be released on MOnday.. well todat is Monda, and these are the headlines...

http://www.nydailynews.com/mon....html

[3ugene]

If they really get out of business, I think I'm going to buy a G8 if I could get new one for around 30k, use another 10k in boost and suspension and see how it runs against the GT-R xD.

[xeene]

i would have killed pontiac after they released aztek piece of s*** and fired everyone on design team for not speaking up against it.
Modified by xeene at 12:43 PM 4/28/2009

[NissanAltimaGuy]

i would have killed pontiac after they released aztec piece of s*** and fired everyone on design team for not speaking up against it.

lmao

[saywat]

its about time. they need to take mercury, gmc, and watever retarded redundant brands they created

[BamaCoupe]

I hate a GM product, but to be honest I've been impressed with some products Pontiac has been coming out with. IMO Pontiac is the only GM product line that has gotten up to speed with everyone else in automotive styling. The Solstice is a great looking car, the G6 Sedan and G6 coupe is also a good looking car that is much more appealing than the Malibu or Impala, the G8 is a great looking sedan with tons of power and the GTO is awesome and thank goodness they didn't go nostalgia on it's rebirth. IMO Buick was the one that needed to go, the only people that like a Buick are sixty years old and up, and not to sound harsh but there cliental is going to die off in a few years, so Buick will be another dead weight product for GM in the coming years. I do agree with what someone said about GMC needing to go as well, Chevy Truck and SUV lines offer everything GMC does, and Trucks and SUV sales is what is hurting the auto industry now anyways.

[rjdmmfl1]

I hate a GM product, but to be honest I've been impressed with some products Pontiac has been coming out with. IMO Pontiac is the only GM product line that has gotten up to speed with everyone else in automotive styling. The Solstice is a great looking car, the G6 Sedan and G6 coupe is also a good looking car that is much more appealing than the Malibu or Impala, the G8 is a great looking sedan with tons of power and the GTO is awesome and thank goodness they didn't go nostalgia on it's rebirth. IMO Buick was the one that needed to go, the only people that like a Buick are sixty years old and up, and not to sound harsh but there cliental is going to die off in a few years, so Buick will be another dead weight product for GM in the coming years. I do agree with what someone said about GMC needing to go as well, Chevy Truck and SUV lines offer everything GMC does, and Trucks and SUV sales is what is hurting the auto industry now anyways.

well, the solstice is just a re-styled Saturn Sky... thus the G6 is the only real Pontiac with distinct styling cues from the other family members... being that the G8 and GTO are NOT real pontiacs, that doesn't leave much room for what Pntiac can actually brag about...

Pontiac is suppose to be the "performance division" of GM, but even their G6 falls short in that arena compared to Honda and Nissan's comparable models (Accord and Altima) power wise ...

seriously, the way I see it is, don't let a dying dog suffer, take the motherphucker out to the backyard and shoot it in the head!!!!! and that's what we're finally doing with pontiac

[zilla19]

Buick is very popular in China and only the rich drives Buick over there, so GM is betting on the Chinese market for the Buick brand.GMC accounts for a big chunk of GM's total sales, then comes Chevy, Pontiac, and Buick. Since they don't want to cut Buick due to the emerging Chinese market, their next target is Pontiac. Even before they announced the brand elimination, GM was already gonna reduce Pontiac to only 1 or 2 niche models, so it's really a no brainer for them on which one to cut.

[08Coupe]

Buick is very popular in China and only the rich drives Buick over there, so GM is betting on the Chinese market for the Buick brand.GMC accounts for a big chunk of GM's total sales, then comes Chevy, Pontiac, and Buick. Since they don't want to cut Buick due to the emerging Chinese market, their next target is Pontiac. Even before they announced the brand elimination, GM was already gonna reduce Pontiac to only 1 or 2 niche models, so it's really a no brainer for them on which one to cut.

If you see the cars GM sells in Europe and Ford for that matter way better then the crap they sling here! Take a Pontiac G8 or a used 2004-2006 GTO for a spin and see what I mean, yes I know they are Holdens but they American Global Car divisions can make great cars when they don't have to pay thousands to retired union members for each car produced!!!

[Keyan]

The GTO looked like an overgrown Cavalier, I and many others hated the styling. Did it need to be a "throwback" like the challenger/Mustang, no, but it needed more edge than it had. It's probably the most stealthy car on the road tho, no one would look twice at one and think it had any power at all.

Just a few more edges in the design and better marketing would have made that car a huge hit.

The G8 doesn't sell b/c it lacks options people want. NAV, HID, not available, no intelligent key, which for a car in the mid 30s to 40k it should have IMO. It's not bad looking but not inspired either. And it has the Aztec nostril disorder.

Very fast tho, but I think the other problem is the car has a low WAF - it's a big sedan, but not great mileage and RWD means the Wife is not going to be a huge fan..and most guys who don't have to worry about a family aren't going to buy a big 4 door, they are going to buy sports car.

[08Coupe]

The GTO looked like an overgrown Cavalier, I and many others hated the styling. Did it need to be a "throwback" like the challenger/Mustang, no, but it needed more edge than it had. It's probably the most stealthy car on the road tho, no one would look twice at one and think it had any power at all.

Just a few more edges in the design and better marketing would have made that car a huge hit.

The G8 doesn't sell b/c it lacks options people want. NAV, HID, not available, no intelligent key, which for a car in the mid 30s to 40k it should have IMO. It's not bad looking but not inspired either. And it has the Aztec nostril disorder.

Very fast tho, but I think the other problem is the car has a low WAF - it's a big sedan, but not great mileage and RWD means the Wife is not going to be a huge fan..and most guys who don't have to worry about a family aren't going to buy a big 4 door, they are going to buy sports car.

I was talking about build quality, the GTO was a 6 year old soon to be discontinued Holden design that pontiac slapped a grand am grill on, I had a 2004 and with less then $4k put 450 rwhp to the ground and it still drove better then the Altima! Look up pics of the Holden Morono and see what it should have looked like. Reqardless the build quality of Ford and GM in Europe is on par with BMW but it don't come close in the USA, thats my point!! [IMG][/IMG]

[rjdmmfl1]

I had a 2004 and with less then $4k put 450 rwhp to the ground and it still drove better then the Altima!

and you're comparing a 400+ WHP RWD vehicle to a 230 WHP FRD vehicle because ....... I think we all here have given the GTO is due credit, its a bad a** car, and I think we all know the Altima isn't on par with it

[08Coupe]

and you're comparing a 400+ WHP RWD vehicle to a 230 WHP FRD vehicle because ....... I think we all here have given the GTO is due credit, its a bad a** car, and I think we all know the Altima isn't on par with it

Once again "BUILD QUALITY" when you race a car and beat the sh*t out of it for 3 years and it still doesn't have a rattle or squeek and you can drive the car down the road @ 80 without touching the wheel after 30K miles..Not something most American built cars can say! I'm comparing ride quality, I also payed less for the 2004 GTO ($7K rebates) then the Altima Coupe