You never know what the OEM’s are going to slip into the Woodward Dream Cruise. Here was one surprise. The new Pontiac G8 is what I assume to be all production ready. First thoughts…this is a really nice car. Nice looking craftsmanship and detailed design work on the interior. Way to go Holden (the G8 is a rebadged Holden). If starting price is in the low 20′s this will be a sure seller and get back to Pontiacs’ “Driving Excitement.”

Form wise there is nothing really interesting going on. This car is all about the details. Blacked out headlights, side vent, freshening of the kidneys, and the large front intake says performance. The splits fives also look fresh with the black center cap. For Pontiac this is a much needed boost to their current outdated lineup. The Solstice is new but certainly doesn’t resemble any of the styling here. If GM wants to gain sales with their sedans they will need to push further than this to stand out. But for now this will give them some more attention.

The taillights on this car seem a little small. Maybe it is because there is only one brake light? I saw a Holden version driving on the strip and the taillights were not clear like these. So I am not sure what will be lighting up for production. One nice update is the clean up of the Pontiac badge. Notice no more red. Looks like it was milled straight out of a piece of Billet.

Interior forms are basic and non offending. Painted pieces add some contrast and white faced gauges add to the sporty nature. There is a decent flow from the instrument panel through the doors. Some thought was given there which is appreciated. One area I love is the integration of the e-brake and Oh Shit handle in the center console. I don’t like the window controls in front of the cup holders. I don’t think those switches like drinking Starbucks.

The seats are nicely sculpted and look supportive. I hope this car has the performance to feel the bolsters. I am a fan of all black interiors, but some sort of contrast stitch or splash of color would be nice.

I think this car would sell well in a booming market but with sales predicting to be lower than normal (lowest sales since 1998), I am not sure if this car will make it. The G8 is certainly better than any other GM car out there, so I hope for the best. How do you think this will fare in the current slow moving market?