I looked at G8 GT on local dealer's lot, and I love its size. Its comparable to my A6. If only I were in the market for a brand new car

 

Now that I'm a family man the G8 is on my radar instead of the Camaro. However, I want great handling but don't need the beefier gas guzzler V8, base V8 is good enough. Later I might add a supercharger to get even more performance without killing freeway fuel economy.

But can we get the G8 GT with the GXP's FE3 suspension/steering along with a manual tranny. If not, GM isn't building anything I want to buy besides the full hybrid Malibu or Volt (wife's next car).

 

The G8 GT has AFM on the engine, which would be lost with a manual transmission. At that point if you want the suspension and steering options, you're going to pay extra. Enough so that you'd probably end up just getting the GXP.

I just want the v6 with a stick. My supercharged grand prix is still plenty fast for a DD with 240hp, so 260hp is plenty (espicially as its on regular gas versus the premium my gtp gets)

 

Also low, even though it's part of the BMW DNA. Mercedes has tried to sell sticks.

Some companies make a stick available just so they don't have to hear about no stick being available from the magazines, etc.


You're not being punished. You're being offered an option, that because the take rate is so low, is expensive to provide.

 

More weight = more breakage.
More HP = more breakage.
More HP to overcome more weight = more breakage.

A lot of the drag racing equation is certainly power-to-weight - but that's not the end all be all. And of course, the caveat "it runs good, for its weight" will get thrown around too.

 

In my book any car that can run 13's box stock runs good....period!

 

Kinda looks like they are to me.


Putting the money into the great product to get these kinda results getting impartial reveiws like this is good is much better than umpteen billion ads of someone trying to sell me their product with great ads. An Ad it could be good or crap.

Its about time!

 

The Camaro LS and LT can be ordered with a stick or slushbox.
The Commodore SV6 (3.6L) can be ordered with a 6spd or an auto (but for $1000 more).

Is the Commodore 6spd take rate THAT much higher down there versus here to make the manual standard and the automatic is the rare cost adder? No. Its not an instance of a rare or difficult option. Its a case of GMNA management saying "If you want a stick, you're going to pay out the nose" because they still believe up here for some reason that nobody wants a manual transmission.

You cannot even get a G8 V6 with a stick in the states, where I bet you would pick up extra sales from it that would justify the expense of getting it here. If you cant, then the G8 is a flop pure and simple.

 

The Camaro is a sports car, not a sedan.

Certification costs are higher here. Plus there is a higher percentage of manuals sold in Australia than here.

So your hypothesis is that GM just wants to punish people who like sticks and will gladly sacrifice profit to do so? Seems a little far-fetched to me.

Toyota has at times offered manuals with their V6 Camrys. Such an option has rarely lasted more than a year, because no one bought them. It's just not a popular option. Why is that so hard to accept?

 

I'm an enthusiast and an engineer. I'm fully aware of the business case of manual vs. automatic transmissions.

I'm also a capitalist and wonder what the final cost would be to cover the certification for a few manual G8 GT's. This is after all, GM's "BMW" for cheaper. Something tells me it would be much less than the cost of the GXP model and something I might be willing to spend.

While I'm a realist it doesn't stop me from being frustrated with a buying public that wants a sporty sedan but none of the "work" that could come with it. This car is made for a manual transmission! (refer to "Friggen slushbox fanatics!!!!" comment)

#1 I didn't say I wanted a performance car with IRS

#2 I think of the Camaro as a performance car and a G8 as a fantastic DD.

I hate mass but I'm fully aware of the situation facing the automotive industry these days. While I'd prefer a lighter G8 the added mass will improve ride, safety, and not take away from it's job of getting me to the office day to day. It will simply suck more fuel. The new Camaro would make more sense if it had a couple more doors and less gaudy styling... oh wait.

A massive performance car? Nothing more needs to be said than already has a million times here. I wouldn't plan on taking the G8 to tracks or modifying it, it's kind of pointless on a big, fat, easy to live with car.

#3 I think the Corvette does pretty good with performance, IRS, and mass.

 

BLAH! Who cares?!?! Just paid $1.71 for premium in Denver. The gas crunch paranoids are still afraid of the $4 gas that has long passed.

 

Keep livin' for the moment, man

 

Off topic. Buttercup, where in Chicago are you?

 

You can't shift faster than the automatic. I understand the whole thing about "being connected" with the car and all that, but the flappy paddles and the slap sticks are in the general ball park when it comes to that for 90% of population. The automatics tend to be faster these days, and you'll put down more consistent times with them. The term "slushbox" is outdated and irrelevant with today's automatics.

 

I like my stalled automatic.