Unfortunately, the Bay Area seems not to love Pontiac any more. I see few G8s around here, even though we're about 10X the size of Lansing. I do see lots of 300s and Chargers, though. I get the feeling that Dodge and Chrysler are not as badly damaged as the Pontiac brand is. But the Charger and 300 have been on sale a lot longer, so I really don't have any data to go on.

I believe the lack of nav and the hood scoops don't help in an area where technology is important (and the streets are mostly not laid out logically) and where most sport sedans are quite understated.

The Pontiac dealer network is imploding around here too. We've gone from 6 Pontiac dealers to 2 in this area in the last year! There are more dealers each of Mercedes, BMW, Infiniti, and Lexus nearby than Pontiac. I'll bet that's not the case in Lansing either.

 

I can't speak for Jake but don't think he was trying to be obtuse. He might have just been saying, that's not a significant 'data point' in such a huge metro area.

I do see significant numbers of G8's in metro Detroit (I live about 35 miles from my work). But there's a key difference (both here and in Lansing)... there are tons of folks who get big three discounts in MI so we have an artificially high number of domestic cars on the roads here.

There does seem to be something about Chicago (and IL in general) about Pontiacs though. I've noticed in the past when I'm on the market for a used Pontiac like a Firebird, there are a lot over there. I bought a 1995 Formula from IL a few years back. So it would not surprise me to find a lot of G8's sold and driven there.

 

The way I see it, Holden/G8 platform = Impala SS!!

 

GM was going to do that, it would have been out this time next year. But then they decided the 0.5mpg hit that RWD would take over FWD wasn't worth it (at least that is what they say) and they switched the Impala over to the FWD Epsilon II platrom that the LaCrosse is on. Now that FWD Impala has been pushed back from 2010 to 2013.

 

Not a huge stretch there since the Australian Commodore SS is sold as the Lumina SS in the mid-east..... the Luminas prowling the streets in the mid-east bear no relation to the pedestrian Luminas Chevy sold here before releasing the Impala in 2000 beyond the name and the bowtie on the grille.

 

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/13/c...n-of-the-year/

What a difference a year makes. So many possibilities that could have changed GM's predicament.

 

That's odd. I see quite a few around the city (of all places, right? ).

The next street over a guy has a black one. I'd say at least 2 per week show up in my parking lot (San Bruno).

You are right about Chargers and 300 though...especially new Chargers (you can tell because Chrysler redid Chargers tail lights this year)! They are everywhere.

One small item I must point out.

As was discovered in the 70s, there is a point of diminishing returns in sticking engines too small for the vehicle. There is a point where a small engine has to run at a high speed and use more gas than a larger engine barely idling at the same speed (let alone the lifespan of said small engine).

Just because something has less cylinders doesn't always mean it will get better mileage in a vehicle.

See, this is what kills me about this whole Pontiac niche brand BS.

You are seeing at least 1 or 2 G8s on the road over there in Illinois. I see at least that many G8s a day here in the San Francisco bay area.

I rarely see a brand new Buick. around here.

 

Really?.....Ya think???
(and NO, these areNOT photoshops. )


http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-...e-east/530522/

 

I'll have to keep a sharper eye looking for them. If I didn't already have 4 cars, all of which I seem to be having a hard time parting with, I'd be seeing a G8 every day!

You're not interested in a '70 Cutlass Supreme Holiday Sedan -- cheap, are you Guy?

 

I prefer that styling to the G8, though the G8 still looks good to me (they're not that different).

It's almost as if the Pontiac-ization were an afterthought.

 

I understand that, but just based on the fact that a 3700lbs. 2WD Equinox can get 30mpg out of a 2.4L, I have no doubt that a G8 could get at least that.

 

I say bring over the Holden Caprice as a Chevrolet Caprice.

 

Had GM brought the Lumina coupe over as a Chevy instead of rebadging it as a GTO, I'd probably be driving one today. The point being, I love the Lumina styling and cannot for the life of me understand why GM didn't bring it to the states. Was it because it would've required a steep MSRP that wouldn't necessarily be fit for a Chevy?

http://cars.about.com/od/detoursandd...mina-Coupe.htm