Plaudits for Pontiac G8 GXP

Automotive reviewers in the US have begun evaluating the Pontiac G8 GXP -- and the verdict is a qualified thumbs up. The qualification stems from the general view that this is a good car -- built by Holden at the Elizabeth plant in South Australia -- but possibly arriving too late to make much headway in the market.

With the economic downturn in the US following hard on the heels of skyrocketing fuel prices (now returned to a more reasonable level of US$2 per US gallon), the consensus among the reviewers is that the top-spec Commodore-based car may have landed at precisely the wrong time.

However, there's been pent-up demand for a G8 with a manual transmission and the GXP does finally offer that. In standard form, the GXP is fitted with a six-speed automatic, but the six-speed Tremec 6060 manual is available at extra cost. Prices have not been revealed as yet, but the word is that the car will go on sale just above US$39,000.

American automotive writers have found fault with the GXP for the lack of a couple of features, including satellite navigation, which apparently in its Aussie form doesn't meet American regulations.

The Pontiac-badged Commodore is also attracting some interest in the press for its time around the Nurburgring Nordschleife. At 8:30, the G8 GXP -- driven by Holden development engineers -- is four seconds slower than a BMW 335i coupe driven by a German motoring journalist and six seconds slower than an Audi S5 tested earlier this year, based on a list of lap times appearing in Wikipedia.

The G8 GXP is due to go on sale in February of next year.

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