RIP Pontiac

[Kitdy]

GTO >> your ****ing face.
Yay for Oztrayleeuh!

Pontiac sucks - but yes they do have a few modernish cars that have been good, the recent GTO (I hate the old one) the G8... basically the ones that Timothy mentions below.

^well, at least there will be no more molested holdens with stupid front ends and bonnet scoops.
maybe they will be sold as chevy's, with a discreet bowtie badge, like how they're sold in the middle east.

They look sick sold as Chevys.

That's what I said earlier. Kill the Saturn brand, make everything under Chevy.

Bring back the G8 sport truck, sell it as an El Camino. Bring back the G8, sell it as a Malibu. Done.

And sell the Solstice as a Chevy. Done. With new styling of course.

The El Camino won't sell sadly even though it probably makes more practical sense than a truck; that that's probably why Pontiac didn't sell the Sport Truck. The G8 as a Malibu would be cool, but the Malibu itself is supposedly a good car and maybe they want to retain the G8 as a more sporty image rather than in Australia where it is both common trooper and extreme performer. I really really hope that the G8 survives as something under Chevy - Jalopnik mentioned it too but they said it is doomed to fail - they suggested a Camaro SS Sedan.

What can I say? I'm a sentimentalist.

Maybe most Pontiacs today aren't particularly special, but back before I was born Pontiacs were awesome and certainly not useless. GTOs, Firebirds, Grand Prix...es(?), Bonnevilles, etc. Even if Pontiac has been dying a long, slow death, today will still be marked as the day it became official, and thus today is a sad day.

Highlights of the past 30 years: the Firebird (admittedly not very distinct from the Camaro), the Fiero (has any other GM brand had a mid-engined car in the given time span?), the GTO (something for the Aussies to lord over us), the G8 (ditto), the Solstice (child of affirmed car-guy Bob Lutz)

I thought the Firebird was ugly - I'd take the Camaro any day over it but the rest are all cool and definitely good cars. Compare the amount of good cars with the amount of crap cars they made though and that's part of why they are gone. And badge engineering - that is a devil too.

[Dino Scuderia]

If the G8 were to be under the Chevy banner it should be the Impala, not Malibu....the current Malibu is doing great.

[LeonOfTheDead]

I don't understand why the G8 should be called the new "Malibu"...is it so difficult to create a new name, period?

This trend of reviving the past has lead Pontiac to digging its own grave giving fanmous name to pretty average cars.

Just call it "The Uber fast Chevy you didn't buy as a Pontiac"

it's the naming-day.

[digitalcraft]

Both Impala and Malibu are sort of a meaningless name nowadays. They just give it to whatever sedan they think might sell with it. The current Imapala might as well have a Honda badge its so bland. Same thing with the malibu. It made sense calling it a malibu back in the day because it was cool, but now it's just a random economy car. They should kill both and replace them with more conventional names that don't stain the lineage of Impala and Malibu. Call one or the other the Chevrolet Meh.

[Lets Gekiga In]

Both Impala and Malibu are sort of a meaningless name nowadays. They just give it to whatever sedan they think might sell with it. The current Imapala might as well have a Toyota badge its so bland. Same thing with the malibu. It made sense calling it a malibu back in the day because it was cool, but now it's just a random economy car. They should kill both and replace them with more conventional names that don't stain the lineage of Impala and Malibu. Call one or the other the Chevrolet Meh.

Fixed.

[clutch-monkey]

If the G8 were to be under the Chevy banner it should be the Impala

two edged sword... recognition for the name, but then criticsim for not fulfilling the name's expectations?

[Ferrer]

two edged sword... recognition for the name, but then criticsim for not fulfilling the name's expectations?

Fulfilling them less than what it is now?

[NSXType-R]

two edged sword... recognition for the name, but then criticsim for not fulfilling the name's expectations?

I'd rather them fulfill it properly than to fulfill it half-assed.

[Dino Scuderia]

two edged sword... recognition for the name, but then criticsim for not fulfilling the name's expectations?

No expectations attached to the name anymore....but the G8 would be a helluva improvement over the whole line of second generation of Impala's.

[clutch-monkey]

wait, is the current impala the FWD V8 one?
if yes, LOL and re-badge away

[The_Canuck]

wait, is the current impala the FWD V8 one?
if yes, LOL and re-badge away

Hahah well the SS anyways...the regular one has....a v6, ooooooooh.

Aussie that shit up.

[cargirl1990]

a sad day for the post gigilo.

[NSXType-R]

wait, is the current impala the FWD V8 one?
if yes, LOL and re-badge away

Yes. And the only reason why it's around is because rental car fleets and the police wouldn't know what to do with themselves if they were out of production.

[Ferrer]

Yes. And the only reason why it's around is because rental car fleets and the police wouldn't know what to do with themselves if they were out of production.

Doesn't the police use Crown Vics and Chargers?

[cmcpokey]

Doesn't the police use Crown Vics and Chargers?

yes and yes, but the Vic is out of production as of last year, and the charger is still only used in a few areas. there are many long standing contracts with either ford or chevy, and those are being filled by the leftover crown vics or the impala. neither of which are a good solution.

according to the jalopnik, LAPD has already put an order in for Commodores badged as chevys and set up for police work. i say badass, and bring the aussies on.