TriShield
11-23-2008, 11:32 AM
Corvette Power, Mad Max Mojo
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/spinaroundtown/09.pontiac.g8.gxp/09.pontiac.g8.gxp.act.f34.1.500.jpg http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/spinaroundtown/09.pontiac.g8.gxp/09.pontiac.g8.gxp.f34.500.jpg
A GXP doesn't look that much different from the G8 GT, but the unique front fascia with a broad air slot and isolated foglights is your first clue.
By Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing
Date posted: 11-20-2008
6.2-liter LS3 V8 415 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque - Optional six-speed manual transmission - 245/40R19 tires on forged alloy wheels
About 19 months ago, we sent operatives with a briefcase bristling with test equipment to Australia. The mission: Get an early peek at the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT by test-driving its stablemate, the then-new 2007 Holden Commodore SS.
The residual jet lag was magically wiped away by the Commodore SS's thrilling combination of rear-wheel drive, independent rear suspension, a six-speed manual transmission and a 6.0-liter V8. Or maybe it was the Mad Max flashbacks and the Vegemite.
Yet even though we loved the 2008 Pontiac G8 when it hit the streets in the U.S. eight months ago, we knew that the Aussie mojo from the Commodore SS hadn't made the trip from the Land of Oz.
Turns out that Pontiac was holding a few aces up its sleeve, and now the 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP puts them all on the table.
The Most Powerful Production Pontiac...Ever?
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/spinaroundtown/09.pontiac.g8.gxp/09.pontiac.g8.gxp.act.burn.500.jpg http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/spinaroundtown/09.pontiac.g8.gxp/09.pontiac.g8.gxp.exh.500.jpg
A 6.2-liter LS3 V8 engine with the power to light up the rear Bridgestones at will is your second clue. These reworked exhaust tips may look the same, but they're about a half-inch larger in diameter.
Ace No. 1 is the 2009 Pontiac GXP's LS3 V8, the base engine found under the hood of the 2008 Corvette. Displacing 6.2 liters (376 cubic inches), the G8 GXP version makes 415 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque, some 54 hp and 30 lb-ft more than the G8 GT's V8 engine.
The 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP is the most powerful production Pontiac built to date. Really.
You could argue that the 1970 Pontiac Trans Am could be equipped with a 400-cubic-inch Ram Air V, which was rated at 500 hp. But this special-order engine was a dealer-installed item, and it would never withstand a grocery run on 91 octane gasoline or live long enough to meet a 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and hooking one up for a 2008 smog test would be, um, futile.
Moreover, the 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP's 415-hp rating is certified as an SAE net output, which means it was produced under tightly controlled test procedures that include the presence of an independent observer.
Twisting the key brings this engine to life with a burbling idle that the 6.0-liter V8 of our 2008 Pontiac G8 GT long-term test car can't match. There's plenty of life under the throttle pedal, as the GXP responds with the kind of healthy shove to the backside you'd get if someone put a sign on the back of your jacket that said, "Kick me."
The exhaust note that comes from the GXP's low-restriction exhaust system contains just enough of that high-school rock-and-roll soundtrack to make us want to stand on the power pedal whenever possible, yet it's not offensive enough that the old guy down the street will shake his cane at us. And did we mention the off-throttle burble?
But there is a dark side. The GXP's fuel consumption figures are expected to settle near those of the ZR1 Corvette, which are 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway. Plus the Corvette gets slapped with a $1,700 gas-guzzler tax, so it's likely the GXP will, too.
Shift Change
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/spinaroundtown/09.pontiac.g8.gxp/09.pontiac.g8.gxp.act.f34.2.500.jpg http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/spinaroundtown/09.pontiac.g8.gxp/09.pontiac.g8.gxp.act.r34.1.500.jpg
Firmer FE3-specification dampers and a few rear suspension tweaks improve steering precision and turn-in, and we think the extra control improves the ride, too. Whomp on the loud pedal with the stability control turned off and the GXP gets rowdy, but never scary.
When it comes time to grab the next gear, we actually can. Ace No. 2 in Pontiac's program for the GXP is the same Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual transmission we experienced in the Holden Commodore SS. Except here the shift lever is under our right hand, where it belongs.
There is one little catch, however. In a reversal of usual practice, the same Hydra-matic six-speed automatic found in our G8 GT is the GXP's standard offering. You have to fork over $695 extra to get the six-speed manual.
At least it's a good one. The lever action is sure and the gates are well-defined. And having full command of the transmission makes the LS3 much more of a willing partner, especially when corners are thrown into the mix.
We're not as convinced about the clutch, however. The engagement point is easy enough to detect, but the pedal effort is too light. The Luk single-disc clutch and single-mass flywheel are the same found in the bell housing of the 361-hp Holden Commodore SS, but we're assured there's more than enough capacity to deal with the LS3.
The same limited-slip rear end found in the G8 GT and Commodore SS is fitted to the GXP, but with a couple of important changes. The GXP's final-drive ratio is shorter, as the Holden's 3.45:1 rear end is changed to 3.70 here when the manual transmission is in place. The automatic variant enjoys a 3.27 rear end instead of the G8 GT's 2.92 gears. And the GXP's ring-and-pinion gears are shot-peened and phosphate-coated for enhanced wear and durability, something that can't be said of the rear ends of some other high-output cars.
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/spinaroundtown/09.pontiac.g8.gxp/09.pontiac.g8.gxp.act.f34.1.500.jpg http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/spinaroundtown/09.pontiac.g8.gxp/09.pontiac.g8.gxp.f34.500.jpg
A GXP doesn't look that much different from the G8 GT, but the unique front fascia with a broad air slot and isolated foglights is your first clue.
By Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing
Date posted: 11-20-2008
6.2-liter LS3 V8 415 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque - Optional six-speed manual transmission - 245/40R19 tires on forged alloy wheels
About 19 months ago, we sent operatives with a briefcase bristling with test equipment to Australia. The mission: Get an early peek at the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT by test-driving its stablemate, the then-new 2007 Holden Commodore SS.
The residual jet lag was magically wiped away by the Commodore SS's thrilling combination of rear-wheel drive, independent rear suspension, a six-speed manual transmission and a 6.0-liter V8. Or maybe it was the Mad Max flashbacks and the Vegemite.
Yet even though we loved the 2008 Pontiac G8 when it hit the streets in the U.S. eight months ago, we knew that the Aussie mojo from the Commodore SS hadn't made the trip from the Land of Oz.
Turns out that Pontiac was holding a few aces up its sleeve, and now the 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP puts them all on the table.
The Most Powerful Production Pontiac...Ever?
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/spinaroundtown/09.pontiac.g8.gxp/09.pontiac.g8.gxp.act.burn.500.jpg http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/spinaroundtown/09.pontiac.g8.gxp/09.pontiac.g8.gxp.exh.500.jpg
A 6.2-liter LS3 V8 engine with the power to light up the rear Bridgestones at will is your second clue. These reworked exhaust tips may look the same, but they're about a half-inch larger in diameter.
Ace No. 1 is the 2009 Pontiac GXP's LS3 V8, the base engine found under the hood of the 2008 Corvette. Displacing 6.2 liters (376 cubic inches), the G8 GXP version makes 415 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque, some 54 hp and 30 lb-ft more than the G8 GT's V8 engine.
The 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP is the most powerful production Pontiac built to date. Really.
You could argue that the 1970 Pontiac Trans Am could be equipped with a 400-cubic-inch Ram Air V, which was rated at 500 hp. But this special-order engine was a dealer-installed item, and it would never withstand a grocery run on 91 octane gasoline or live long enough to meet a 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and hooking one up for a 2008 smog test would be, um, futile.
Moreover, the 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP's 415-hp rating is certified as an SAE net output, which means it was produced under tightly controlled test procedures that include the presence of an independent observer.
Twisting the key brings this engine to life with a burbling idle that the 6.0-liter V8 of our 2008 Pontiac G8 GT long-term test car can't match. There's plenty of life under the throttle pedal, as the GXP responds with the kind of healthy shove to the backside you'd get if someone put a sign on the back of your jacket that said, "Kick me."
The exhaust note that comes from the GXP's low-restriction exhaust system contains just enough of that high-school rock-and-roll soundtrack to make us want to stand on the power pedal whenever possible, yet it's not offensive enough that the old guy down the street will shake his cane at us. And did we mention the off-throttle burble?
But there is a dark side. The GXP's fuel consumption figures are expected to settle near those of the ZR1 Corvette, which are 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway. Plus the Corvette gets slapped with a $1,700 gas-guzzler tax, so it's likely the GXP will, too.
Shift Change
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/spinaroundtown/09.pontiac.g8.gxp/09.pontiac.g8.gxp.act.f34.2.500.jpg http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/spinaroundtown/09.pontiac.g8.gxp/09.pontiac.g8.gxp.act.r34.1.500.jpg
Firmer FE3-specification dampers and a few rear suspension tweaks improve steering precision and turn-in, and we think the extra control improves the ride, too. Whomp on the loud pedal with the stability control turned off and the GXP gets rowdy, but never scary.
When it comes time to grab the next gear, we actually can. Ace No. 2 in Pontiac's program for the GXP is the same Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual transmission we experienced in the Holden Commodore SS. Except here the shift lever is under our right hand, where it belongs.
There is one little catch, however. In a reversal of usual practice, the same Hydra-matic six-speed automatic found in our G8 GT is the GXP's standard offering. You have to fork over $695 extra to get the six-speed manual.
At least it's a good one. The lever action is sure and the gates are well-defined. And having full command of the transmission makes the LS3 much more of a willing partner, especially when corners are thrown into the mix.
We're not as convinced about the clutch, however. The engagement point is easy enough to detect, but the pedal effort is too light. The Luk single-disc clutch and single-mass flywheel are the same found in the bell housing of the 361-hp Holden Commodore SS, but we're assured there's more than enough capacity to deal with the LS3.
The same limited-slip rear end found in the G8 GT and Commodore SS is fitted to the GXP, but with a couple of important changes. The GXP's final-drive ratio is shorter, as the Holden's 3.45:1 rear end is changed to 3.70 here when the manual transmission is in place. The automatic variant enjoys a 3.27 rear end instead of the G8 GT's 2.92 gears. And the GXP's ring-and-pinion gears are shot-peened and phosphate-coated for enhanced wear and durability, something that can't be said of the rear ends of some other high-output cars.