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48-692: The Pontiac G8 is a full-size sedan that was produced by Holden in Australia for export to the United States, where it was sold by Pontiac . The G8, a rebadged Holden Commodore , was released in early 2008 for the 2008 model year in the United States, and in 2008 for the 2009 model year in Canada. Production stopped in mid-2009, following the GM decision to suspend the Pontiac brand. While available,

96-524: A May 2007 sales volume of 12,230 units for the Grand Prix. The 2009 model year adds the GXP version powered by a 415 hp (309 kW) 6.2-liter V8 engine with a standard 6-speed automatic transmission or optional six-speed manual transmission (see above). The GXP is available in all standard G8 colors. The G8 lineup also adds standard XM Satellite Radio , with Bluetooth connectivity provided later in

144-465: A commercial based on the 1980s arcade game Spy Hunter ran nationally. In the commercial, the Pontiac G8 GT takes the place of the hero car when it is destroyed by enemies. Full-size car Full-size car —also known as large car —is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars . It is the largest size class for cars. In

192-651: A fuel economy of 15/24 mpg (city/highway). A 6-speed manual was being considered as an option on the GT model, but Pontiac decided against offering it, stating that it would instead be offered as an option on the G8 GXP. One change in 2009 was the deletion of the center stack oil pressure and voltage gauges. Midway through the 2009 model year a few changes were made to the G8 GT, including an additional pair of catalytic converters which reduced engine output to 355 hp (265 kW),

240-681: A press review that the G8 would be revived as the Chevrolet Caprice . Subsequently, Lutz retracted this statement, citing market conditions. Nevertheless, General Motors announced the Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV) in 2009, which Car and Driver described as a successor to the G8. To fill the gap left by the G8, GM announced the Chevrolet SS , a RWD V8 powered sedan for 2014 based on

288-400: A relative term, full-size cars were marketed by the same brands offering compact cars, with entry-level cars for buyers seeking the roominess of a luxury car at a lower cost. Into the 1970s, the same vehicles could transport up to six occupants comfortably (or eight in a station wagon), at the expense of high fuel consumption. The sales of full-size vehicles in the United States declined after

336-626: A seven-speaker audio system, including front center speaker, single-disc CD player, and auxiliary input jack. A "Comfort And Sound" package is available on V6 powered G8s, which upgrades the seven-speaker audio system and manual HVAC controls to the 11-speaker audio and automatic climate control found in the GT model. The "Premium" package upgrades the Sedan's cloth seats to leather seating surfaces, driver and passenger heated seats, six-way power driver seat adjuster, 6-way power front-passenger seat adjuster, rear center armrest, leather-wrapped shift lever, and

384-627: A skidpad. The GXP has an upgraded, Nürburgring -tuned FE3 suspension package, as well as larger, ventilated Brembo disc brakes. It also features a unique front bumper cover and a rear (non-functional) diffuser to differentiate it from the standard Sedan and GT models. Total sales of the Pontiac G8 GXP were 1,829 units. Only a limited production of G8 GXP were available in Canada. 10 units were shipped to Canada, however, only 4 were sold to customers. The remaining 6 were disposed of through GM's internal system. In 2014, General Motors released

432-626: Is fitted with a large portrait format touch screen in the center console, replacing the clutter of controls common in police vehicles. General Motors heavily promoted the Pontiac G8 on 31 December 2007 into 1 January 2008, by having it as the official sponsor of the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball Drop and Countdown , as well as the Rose Bowl . The G8 is the primary vehicle in the 2009 driving game, Wheelman . In March 2008,

480-526: The Chevrolet SS , which was in essence the next generation of the G8 GXP. It was based on the new VF chassis Holden Commodore , the successor to the VE chassis Commodore on which the G8 was based. Both the G8 GXP and the SS shared the same LS3 V8 engine, with the new SS sporting the engine with minor improvements. Horsepower for both remained 415, with 415 lb. ft. of torque. Following the cancellation of Pontiac brand, it

528-861: The Holden Commodore (VF) . The G8 is based on the GM Zeta platform , created by Holden for the VE Commodore in the Australian market. The G8's model number is GMX557. The G8 differs from the Commodore mainly in frontal styling and interior details. At the January 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit , GM chairman Bob Lutz confirmed that GM intended to import Holden Commodores into North America as Pontiac G8s. The news

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576-552: The Holden Ute , it was built on the same G8 platform with a 73-inch (1,900 mm) cargo bed. The ST had the same 361 hp (269 kW), 6.0-liter V8 used in the G8 GT, as well as the 3.6-liter, 256 hp (191 kW) V6. After a naming contest with more than 18,000 suggestions, the name remained the G8 ST. The G8 ST, slated for release as a 2010 model, was to be Pontiac's first coupe utility, and GM's first coupe utility in

624-580: The 1908 Ford Model T . In 1923, General Motors introduced the Chevrolet Superior , becoming the first vehicle to adopt a common chassis (the A-body ) for several brands. Compared to the cars of the 21st century, these vehicles are small in length and width. From the 1920s to the 1950s, most manufacturers produced model lines in a single size, growing in size with each model redesign. While the length and wheelbase varied between model lines, width

672-610: The 1985 model year, General Motors replaced most of its full-size rear-wheel-drive model lines with smaller front-wheel drive sedans on the H and C platforms . Only station wagons, the Chevrolet Caprice , and the Cadillac Brougham remained. Initially developed to replace the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, the 1986 Ford Taurus was produced alongside it as the Ford mid-size model line. After largely abandoning

720-531: The 2009 global economic downturn, market prices had dropped by $ 3000–5000 below GM's sticker price for the car. By July 2009, there were only 5,000 unsold G8s in inventory, with almost 30,700 sold. With the imminent demise of the Pontiac brand, a result of GM's Chapter 11 bankruptcy , the 2009 model year marked the end of all Pontiacs, including the G8. However, in July 2009, Bob Lutz made an off-hand comment during

768-656: The Chevrolet Impala was returned for the 1994 model year. The 1989 Lexus LS400 luxury sedan was the first Japanese full-size car sold in North America. Following the 1996 model year, GM ended production of large rear-wheel drive sedans. By 2000, with the sole exception of the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car, full-size cars had abandoned rear-wheel drive and body-on-frame construction. Instead of model lineage,

816-798: The EPA "large car" definition of over 120 interior cubic feet was widely used. Initially developed for the midsize Oldsmobile Aurora , the GM G-body chassis was expanded into the full-size segment for Cadillac in 2000 (for the Deville, later the DTS) and adapted by Buick (the Lucerne) in 2006. For the 2005 model year, Chrysler replaced the LH cars with the LX cars (returning to rear-wheel drive). The same year, Ford introduced

864-702: The Five Hundred, its first front-wheel drive full-size car (the first American full-size car offered with all-wheel drive); in 2008, the Five Hundred was renamed the Taurus. After the 2011 model year, Ford ended production of the Panther platform, shifting to the Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS; in 2017, the latter was replaced by the Lincoln Continental . In 2011, General Motors ended production of

912-608: The French-made 4L30E four-speed automatic light-duty gearboxes, and like them features a torque converter clutch to eliminate slipping losses in select forward ranges. It is assembled in Strasbourg, France . The 5L40/50 series was replaced in 2007 with the 6L50 six-speed. The 5L40-E was designated in either "M82" ( rear-wheel drive ) or "MX5" ( all-wheel drive ) versions for service in BMW vehicles from 1999 model year until

960-559: The G-body for several chassis (with Cadillac later shifting its largest sedans to rear-wheel drive). In 2012, the Tesla Model S became the first fully electric full-size car sold in North America. For the 2013 model year, the Chevrolet Impala became the final American-market full-size sedan sold with a front bench seat . By the mid-2010s, full-size cars began seeing a steep decline in sales in North America, with SUVs replacing much of

1008-635: The G8 ST, the Sportwagon model was never announced by General Motors. For the 2008 model year, the Pontiac G8 was initially offered in six colors: Stealth Blue, Liquid Red, Ignition Orange, White Hot, Magnetic Gray, and Panther Black. Stealth Blue was discontinued after the first batch of vehicles were shipped from Australia. First deliveries to dealerships were posted on GM's website in March 2008, with comments that initial sales were brisk. Subsequently, May 2008 monthly sales were reported at 1,832 units against

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1056-542: The G8 took the place in the Pontiac lineup of both the Pontiac Bonneville , which ceased production after the 2005 model year, and the Pontiac Grand Prix , which ceased production after the 2008 model year. By December 2008, the rear wheel drive G8 had not become the expected sales replacement for the previous front-drive models, with 11,000 unsold G8s in the inventory and just 13,000 sold. During

1104-515: The G8 was expected in US Pontiac dealerships in "early 2008". On 4 July 2007 the first Pontiac G8 prototypes rolled out of the Elizabeth assembly plant in Australia. General production began 18 December 2007. The G8 was the first rear-wheel drive four-door sedan sold under the Pontiac name since the 1986 Bonneville and Parisienne . However, at the time of the G8's release, Pontiac did offer

1152-415: The GT's standard leather-wrapped steering wheel. Both the base G8 and the GT utilize the "FE2" suspension package. The GT comes with a 361 hp (269 kW) 6.0 L (364 cu in) Generation IV V8 , featuring a 6-speed 6L80 automatic and Active Fuel Management , capable of reaching 60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.2 seconds, with quarter-mile times as low as 13.4 seconds. The G8 GT averages

1200-435: The GXP was more powerful with its LS3 V8 producing 415 hp (309 kW) and 415 lb⋅ft (563 N⋅m) of torque. The six-speed automatic was standard while a six-speed Tremec TR-6060 manual transmission was available. The GXP reached 60 mph (97 km/h) from a standstill in 4.5 seconds, a quarter-mile time of 13.0 seconds at 109.6 mph (176.4 km/h), and 0.90 g (8.8 m/s) of lateral acceleration on

1248-695: The United Kingdom, this class is referred to as the executive car , while in Europe, it is known as E-segment or F-segment . The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fuel Economy Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year (dated July 1996) includes definitions for classes of automobiles. Based on the combined passenger and cargo volume, large cars (full-size cars) are defined as having an interior volume index of more than 120 cu ft (3.4 m ) for sedan models, or 160 cu ft (4.5 m ) for station wagons. From

1296-647: The United States since the Chevrolet El Camino was discontinued in 1987. In January 2009, GM announced to Pontiac dealers that the G8 ST was cancelled due to budget cuts and restructuring. A Pontiac variant of the VE Commodore Sportwagon station wagon was considered as well, but not imported, partially due to poor sales of the market in general, especially of the Dodge Magnum as compared to its Charger sedan counterpart. Unlike

1344-581: The Ute SS V-Series Special Edition, with the choice of manual or 6-speed automatic transmissions. SS V-Series Special Edition was unveiled in 2009 Deni Ute Muster. Production version for SS V-Series Special Edition went on sale in 2009–11. In addition to the sedan, a two-seat coupé utility called the G8 ST (for Sport Truck) was shown at the New York International Auto Show in March 2008. Based on

1392-602: The addition of bluetooth and rear cup holders that pulled out from under the rear seats. In addition to the larger engine and six-speed transmission, GT models also contain additional equipment, including all of the standard Sedan features plus quad tailpipes, clear taillight lenses (as opposed to the Sedan's traditional red taillights), automatic dual-zone air conditioning, a larger center-console display screen, and an 11-speaker Blaupunkt premium audio system with 2 subwoofers, six-disc CD changer, and auxiliary input jack. Some (but not all) of these features are available as options on

1440-592: The automotive press of the outdated appearance of the red LED gauges factored heavily in their removal. The gauges were replaced with a small storage compartment. National Safety Agency Ltd., an Australian company in a joint project with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) displayed a prototype squad car based on the Pontiac G8, at the APCO 2009 Conference in Sydney in March 2009. The vehicle

1488-513: The base model. A sports package is available on the GT, adding sport metallic pedals, QS4 19" machine-faced aluminum wheels, summer performance tires and a slightly smaller diameter, leather-wrapped Sport steering wheel. A G8 GXP version was shown at the New York International Auto Show in March 2008 with a 6.2-liter 402 hp (300 kW) V8 from the Chevrolet Corvette and a six-speed manual transmission. The production version of

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1536-444: The design was superseded by (for BMW) the 6L45E and (for all others) the 6L50E series electronic automatic transmissions in 2007 . It is designed for service in vehicles up to 4000 lb (1814 kg) GVWR and in service was mated to a selection of final drive ratios 3.42:1, 3.73:1, or 3.91:1 depending on the carline. The 5L40-E had been designed for 1.8–3.6 L engines with a maximum of 250 ft·lbf (340 N·m) of torque. It

1584-528: The early 1970s fuel crisis. In response to the 1978 implementation of CAFE , American manufacturers implemented downsizing to improve fuel economy, with full-size vehicles as the first model lines to see major change. While General Motors and Ford would reduce the exterior footprint of their full-size lines to that of their intermediates, AMC withdrew its Ambassador and Matador full-size lines (to concentrate on production of mid-size vehicles). To save production costs, Chrysler repackaged its intermediates using

1632-448: The erstwhile full-size names, moving on to exiting the segment in 1981. During the 1980s, manufacturers further reduced the exterior footprint of several model lines from the full-size segment into the mid-size class to comply with more stringent CAFE standards. With the 1982 model year, Chrysler exited the full-size segment entirely, with the mid-size Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury serving as its largest sedan lines. Following

1680-625: The first time since the late 1970s. For the 1992 model year, Chrysler introduced a new front-wheel drive full-size car line, replacing the Eagle Premier/Dodge Monaco with the Chrysler LH cars (Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision, Chrysler Concorde/New Yorker/LHS). The same year, the Buick Roadmaster was introduced, becoming the first rear-wheel drive GM model line adopted outside of Chevrolet and Cadillac since 1985;

1728-550: The full-size sedan category in the United States were the Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Impala, and Chrysler 300. The large car segment has been declining in the United States accounting for 3.6% of new vehicle sales in 2021, down from 6.6% in 2016. The models in this category included the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Nissan Maxima, and Toyota Avalon. They have been discontinued after the 2023 or 2024 model years. The trend in

1776-583: The full-size segment for compact cars and minivans, Chrysler gained reentry into the full-size segment in 1988 with the Eagle Premier (also produced as the Dodge Monaco ). Developed by AMC before its acquisition by Chrysler, the Premier was a version of the front-wheel drive Renault 25 adapted for North America. The Saab 9000 took a special position at the end of the 1980s, as for a long time it

1824-477: The full-size segment. At the end of the decade, demand for sedans (of all sizes) shifted towards vehicles of other layouts, reducing or shuttering production of sedans entirely. In 2018, Ford announced the sales of all Ford-branded passenger cars (except for the Mustang ) would end in North America by 2022. General Motors announced the closure of several manufacturing facilities in the United States and Canada, with

1872-491: The introduction of the Ford Flathead V8 in the 1930s until the 1980s, most North American full-size cars were powered by V8 engines . However, V6 engines and straight-six engines have also been available on American full-size cars, especially until the 1950s, and have become increasingly common since the downsizing of full-sized cars in the 1980s. The lineage of mass-produced full-size American cars begins with

1920-491: The large car market segment in United States is toward the SUV. GM 5L40-E transmission The electronically controlled transmission is designed around a fully articulated Ravigneaux planetary gearset that is controlled by electronically timed application of several range-specific hydraulic clutches, in combination with mechanical one-way sprag clutches. The 5L40E unit's centerpiece is an automatic overdrive which supersedes

1968-778: The new Zeta platform on which the G8 is based. The base G8, referred to in Pontiac sales literature as the "G8 Sedan", is available with a 3.6-liter High Feature V6 engine , producing 256 hp (191 kW). The only transmission available is a five-speed GM 5L40-E automatic; fuel economy is officially rated at 17 mpg ‑US (14 L/100 km) city/25 mpg ‑US (9.4 L/100 km) highway. Base G8 models come standard with six airbags (including full-length side curtain airbags), traction control , electronic stability control , dual tailpipes, 18-inch alloy wheels (fitted with either all-season or summer performance tires), sports body kit, fog lights, power windows and locks, cruise control, black cloth seats and

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2016-472: The production of the Chevrolet Impala and Buick LaCrosse ending in 2020. As of 2022, full-size cars from Asian manufacturers include the Lexus LS , Genesis G80 / G90 , Nissan Maxima , and Toyota Avalon . Another car from an Asian manufacturer, the eighth-generation Hyundai Sonata , is classified by the EPA as full-size despite being marketed as a mid-size model. In 2018, the three highest-selling cars in

2064-526: The rear-wheel drive Solstice . The then recently discontinued GTO (as well as the Firebird/Trans Am before it), also utilized the rear-wheel drive layout. The GTO was another Holden product, known as the Monaro in Australia, repurposed and rebadged for U.S. consumption. Production was discontinued in 2006 due to new US safety regulations and the architecture being phased out worldwide in favor of

2112-413: The year, and four new exterior color choices: Maverick Silver Metallic, Sport Red Metallic, Stryker Blue Metallic and Pacific Slate Metallic. Meanwhile, Stealth Blue and Ignition Orange were unavailable for 2009 (Stealth Blue having already been eliminated during 2008 model year production). For 2009, the oil pressure and battery voltage gauges at the top of the center console were eliminated. Criticism among

2160-581: Was a relatively constant dimension, as the American federal government required the addition of clearance lights on a width past 80 inches. In 1960, following the introduction of compact cars (such as the Chevrolet Corvair , Ford Falcon and Plymouth Valiant ), the "full-size car" designation came into wider use. In the 1960s, the term was applied to the traditional car lines of lower-price brands, including Chevrolet, Ford, and Plymouth. As

2208-586: Was not planned to be officially announced until the Chicago Auto Show in February. Holden chairman Denny Mooney announced that the G8 is imported from the Elizabeth, South Australia plant, South Australia for the life cycle of the car, but refused to comment on possible future production at GM's Oshawa, Ontario facility. At the 2007 Chicago Auto Show, GM Global Chairman Bob Lutz announced that

2256-601: Was reported that Holden planned to sell 1,500 limited edition version of the Commodore SS V fitted with the Pontiac G8 front-end fascia and other trimmings. Unlike the G8, which was offered only as a sedan, Holden would be offering utility, sedan and wagon body variants of the G8. They would be sold in Australia in November and December, with production beginning on 2 November. Production versions were sold as VE Commodore SS V-Series Special Edition (Sedan, Sportwagon) and as

2304-425: Was the only imported car to be classified as a "large car" by the EPA. From the 1980s to the 1990s, the market share of full-size cars began to decline; along with the increased use of mid-size cars, vans, and SUVs grew in use as family vehicles. Between 1960 and 1994, the market share of full-size cars declined from 65 to only 8.3 percent. From 1990 until 1992, both GM and Ford redesigned its full-size car lines for

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