2008 New York Auto Show: 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP
- Competes with: Chrysler 300 SRT8, Dodge Charger SRT8
- Looks like: A meaner G8
- Drivetrain: 402-hp, 6.2-liter V-8 with six-speed manual or automatic
- Hits dealerships: Late 2008
Every car really should have a Corvette engine wedged into it. Imagine your daily driver, whatever it is, with the vroom-vroom of a 402-hp V-8. Pontiac’s engineers live in this world; they’ve taken the V-8 engine that graced the 2007 Chevy Corvette — the ‘08 ‘Vette gets 430 hp — and dropped it into the newly on-sale Pontiac G8 sedan.
Dubbed the 2009 G8 GXP, this rear-wheel-drive sedan comes with either a manual or an automatic transmission, and GM says it’ll hit 60 mph in “about” 4.7 seconds. Or, as we like to say, fast.
There’s more, of course: 14-inch Brembo brakes rest behind some nice-looking 19-inch wheels. GM also says the suspension has been revised to offer better grip.
The GXP’s looks aren’t too over-the-top; it has the customary lowered stance, extra body cladding and interior touches. The big news is that you can finally get the wheels that were on the original G8 GT concept car.
The currently top-of-the-line G8 GT, with a 361-hp V-8, starts at $29,310. We’d expect the GXP to have a considerable “upgrade” cost. We’ll have to wait for a test drive before we decide if it’s worth it. More photos below.
