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Two posts on the home page really caught our attention here at Pontiacpedia.org – the first being an excellent summer Drive In movie shoot with a ’68 GTO out in Ohio’s beautiful farmland. The second post, much sadder, shows off a totaled 1969 GTO Judge. What a waste. Enjoy cruising these photos and their website, we are sure you will!

via ultimategto.com

It may be too much proclaiming these 3rd-Gen Trans Ams were “the golden age of Fire Bird” – but for a child of the ’80′s, this vehicle encompasses my youth better than sandlot baseball, Pacman, and OJ Simpson (before he killed two people) combined.

Pontiac completely redesigned their Fire Bird Trans Am for 1982, and offered it in three separate engine varieties. Fire Bird also shared about 60% of parts with another General Motors classic car, the Chevy Camaro. Trans Am buyers received a “Turbo Bulge” hood, styled loosely after the earlier Turbo Trans Am. This “bulge” remained beyond this generation’s 10 year run, and was made functional for the Crossfire-injected 305.

GM’s muscle car era may have been over by then, but that doesn’t mean Trans Am had to be slow. 1985′s model reached over 210 horse power, and was available with new hood vents and a redesign of the old-school Fire Bird decal. Trans Am received a great honor in ’89, being chosen for the pace car during the Indianapolis 500.

We have all missed the Trams Am, and since its demise fans world wide have customized their Pontiacs, raced them, and ever showed them off at local car events. But any true Trans Am fan who was around during the 3rd-Gen era should follow in the footsteps of these countless enthusiasts – who have completely turned their 80′s Fired Birds into KITT replicas!

At first glance the Pontiac G8 looks like the G6 (a favorite of the Hertz rental car company) had a baby with the depressing current remake of the GTO. But the performance is all there, with 6200 RPM’s and swift handling steering, brakes with good response time as well, which is always nice. 60 mph in 4.7 seconds is also decent timing for an American automobile.

If General Motors brought a finished, production ready 2009 G8 GXP V8 to Congress when asking for bailout money, every senator and speaker would have emptied their wallets on the House floor to fund construction of this vehicle – as long as Oprah gave one away to all Americans with a driver’s license.

Inside, the G8 GXP is…well it’s a Pontiac. Seating is ample for five, with enough cushioning so your ass cheeks won’t fall asleep after 2 hours of driving. But you shouldn’t travel cross country without an extra butt pad. Again, steering is decent even at high speeds, and with the acceleration factor you’ll want to test this engine out on an open US Interstate (but you didn’t hear that from us).

In all the vehicle, one of the few rear wheeled car lefts in America, and the last car to be made by Pontiac (or so it seems) is a good bargain. It is reliable, fast, not overly abusive on fuel economy for a V6 of V8, and has that sleeper body styling that may keep the highway patrol off your back. Too bad that 2009′s Pontiac G8 GWP seems to little…to late.

Thanks to Motor Trend & Jalopnik for these great pics!

The Official Pontiac Press Release:

Pontiac Rolls Out Enhanced G6 Family – New Powertrain Options, Refreshed Exterior/Interior Available in January 2009

Pontiac G6 Enhancements at a Glance

* Availability of four-cylinder, 33 mpg G6 coupe; E85-capable V6 available
* Sportier front & rear fascias inspired by Pontiac G8
* Refreshed instrument panel with new radio, HVAC controls, gauge cluster
* Arrive in dealerships in January 2009

Pontiac has announced that it is ringing in the new year with a fresh look for its best-selling line of G6 mid-size vehicles. Additional fuel-saving powertrain options, more aggressive exterior styling, and a sleek new instrument panel highlight the 2009.5 model G6, which will begin arriving in Pontiac dealerships in January.

“The G6 has always been one of our most important vehicles and has been Pontiac’s number-one seller since it was launched in 2004,” said Susan Docherty, vice president of Buick-Pontiac-GMC. “As the most complete family of mid-size vehicles available in the marketplace, the new enhancements for 2009 will further solidify the G6′s reputation for sporty style and handling without sacrificing value and fuel efficiency.” All G6 models, including sedans, coupes and convertibles, receive the interior upgrades. The uniquely styled G6 GXP models will not be affected by the exterior or powertrain changes.

New Powertrain Options

For the first time, the G6 coupe will be available with GM’s fuel sipping, 164-horsepower 2.4L four-cylinder Ecotec engine. Linked to a six-speed automatic transmission, the coupe’s new powertrain combo is capable of the same 33 miles per gallon fuel efficiency as the current G6 sedan and also incorporates a new TAPshift manual shift system with steering wheel-mounted paddle controls.

In those areas where E85 ethanol-based fuel is readily available, a FlexFuel version of the 219-horsepower 3.5L V6 will be available as a no-cost alternative to the standard 3.5L engine on all body styles. The optional 222-horsepower 3.9L V6 for the G6 convertible remains unchanged, as does the standard 252-horsepower 3.6L V6 in all GXP models.

Sportier Exterior

Inspired by the sporty front end styling of the new G8 performance sedan, the new G6 front fascia features chrome surrounds for the signature Pontiac dual port honeycomb grille. This same grille pattern is carried to an updated lower air dam. Also new are a revised headlight design with clear park/turn lenses and amber lamps, body color mirrors and painted rockers on the sedan and coupe. An updated spoiler is available for base model sedans and is standard on the GT models.

New rear fascias unique to the sedan and coupe/convertible accommodate both single and dual exhaust, as well as larger diameter exhaust tips. 17-inch chrome wheel covers are now standard equipped on all four-cylinder, six-speed automatic sedans and coupes. An updated 17-inch wheel will be standard as a part of the popular Sun-and-Sound package.

Refreshed Interior

A revised center stack is the most obvious interior enhancement of the 2009.5 model G6, sporting all new HVAC controls and an updated AM/FM/CD/MP3 radio with auxiliary audio input jack. The driver information center has moved to the gauge cluster, which has also been enhanced with new graphics and lighting.

The 2009.5 G6 will also benefit from the integrated info-tainment opportunities in GM’s optional MY LINK enhanced communication package. MY LINK integrates audio system, Bluetooth telephone, XM satellite radio and OnStar navigation functions in one simple package. It includes an upgraded USB-equipped radio system, allowing for direct control of various portable music players, plus provides a full year of both XM radio and OnStar Directions and Connections services.

Other interior changes include new dark satin nickel trim accents on the steering wheel, door panels, and shifter plate. New two-tone seats in an ebony-light taupe color combination are available in either cloth or leather for all models, offering an option to the standard ebony seats. A new optional ebony-titanium color leather seating package is also available on all GT and GXP models.

Pricing

Pricing for the new G6 coupe with the four-cylinder, six-speed automatic powertrain combo starts at $22,890, including $670 destination and freight charges (DFC). A comparably equipped G6 sedan starts at $23,875. The E85-capable FlexFuel 3.5L equipped G6 sedan starts at $24,125, with the GT coupe starting at $25,280. The 2009.5 G6 retractable hardtop convertible starts at $32,970. A special value-priced G6 base sedan with a standard equipment package will start at $19,945. All G6 models are covered by GM’s five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and three-year, 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Let’s face it; small, inexpensive vehicles like the Chevrolet Cobalt or Pontiac’s G5 are far from darlings of the reviews board on any automotive website or magazine. It doesn’t help that these vehicles are domestic, already garnishing some points off their final score. But do a little research, and you’ll find while The G5 receives average-at-best ratings from major car reviewers it excels thanks to consumer and driver reviews. Sometimes, you have to put the vehicle in it’s place – it’s not a luxury BMW or Mercedes. But for a base price ranging from $12,000 to upwards of $17,000 you can’t beat the look, feel and performance of this sporty Pontiac.

Overall, those who own either a Pontiac G5 or Cobalt tend to like the speed and exterior looks of this automobile. Those who trash it expect it to be another Honda or Toyota. But many have explained they have over 50 or 60k miles on either car and still have only minor maintenance issues, as with any car. Inside, the vehicle is roomy and fun to drive. Take a G5 on the Turnpike or Trans-Canada Highway and kick it up to 65 MPH (or approx. 100 KPH). You’ll have a blast.

The Pontiac Vibe gets back into the trend of popular hatchbacks with its complete makeover for the 2009 model year. More stylish and a better overall compact sport wagon, the Vibe is available in either front- or all-wheel-drive for both trim levels.The two different trim levels for the Pontiac Vibe are base and GT. The base sport wagon includes 16-inch wheels, a tilt/telescoping steering column and a four-speaker audio system. The 1SB package adds a better engine, cargo organizer and fold-flat front seat. The GT upgrades to 18-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, full power accessories, keyless entry, cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather/cloth sport seats and an upgraded 320-watt audio system with MP3 playback.

The interior of the Vibe can seat up to five people with a 60/40-split backseat. Fabric is incorporated in the seats of the Vibe, but for GT models there are leather accents. The trunk has 20.1 cubic feet of cargo room which increases to 49.4 cubic feet when the seats are folded.

Six airbags are on all Vibes, as well as antilock brakes and an electronic stability system. Side-impact airbags for the front seats, active head restraints for the front seats and side curtain airbags also come standard.

What’s worth checking out this year in terms of mid-size crossovers is the Pontiac Torrent. Introducing the GXP trim with a powerful V6 engine, the roomy Torrent scored high in crash test ratings. Mostly for on the road, the 2008 Pontiac Torrent’s all-season tires don’t slack during foul weather, especially on the enhanced GXP.

This midsize crossover SUV is available in two trim levels—base and GXP—each seating five passengers available in front- or all-wheel-drive. The base Torrent has 16-inch alloy wheels, full power accessories, air-conditioning, cruise control, OnStar and a CD/MP3 player with an auxiliary audio jack. The GXP gets 18-inch wheels, more power, unique hood and body-color bumpers, performance-tuned suspension, dual exhaust outlets, remote vehicle start, privacy glass and a power driver seat. A sport instrument panel, steering-wheel audio controls, auto-dimming rearview mirror and front sport seats with multilevel heating are also included for the GXP.

The base trim is equipped with a 3.4-liter V6 engine that produces 185-horsepower from its five-speed automatic transmission. A much more impressive 264-horsepower is produced by the GXPs 3.6-liter V6 engine. The GXP comes with the six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control.

Standard for both trims are electronic stability system and antilock brakes. The Electronic Trailer Sway Control is a new feature that detects trailer sway and maintains control when there is improper weight balance or excessive vehicle speed.

Undoubtedly, the Pontiac Solstice will make you beam a lot of the time; but not 24/7. Several cool features are now standard for 2008 including a CD stereo with an MP3 player input and OnStar.For 2008, the Solstice comes in base and high-performance GXP trims. Standard for both are 18-inch wheels, a tilt steering wheel, OnStar telematics, a manual soft top, trip computer and an audio system with satellite radio, and a CD/MP3 player. The high-performance GXP additionally includes a turbocharged engine, dual exhaust outlets, full power accessories, a limited-slip differential, foglamps, cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and keyless entry.

The Pontiac Solstice accommodates two. There is minimal space for the trunk, only earning 5.4 cubic feet of volume when the top is up.

The base Solstice achieves 173-horsepower from its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. The GXP’s turbocharged engine produces 260-horsepower as a 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Five-speed automatic is optional for both trims, but the five-speed manual transmission is standard.

Standard safety equipment for both trims includes a tire pressure monitoring system and four-wheel disc brakes. The GXP also has ABS and stability control, which are optional for the standard Solstice.

Seemingly close to the end of its life, the 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix receives minor changes this year. While some features, like General Motors’ OnStar communication system become standard, Grand Prix has dropped the midlevel GT trim this year.

Now there are only two trim levels to choose from for the Grand Prix: base and GXP. The base is equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, keyless entry, OnStar, full power accessories and a CD player. The GXP upgrades to 18-inch alloy wheels with performance tires, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, more advanced stereo system, leather upholstery and a head-up display. Both trims levels offer a Sun and Sound package which features a sunroof and a nine-speaker Monsoon stereo with an in-dash six-disc CD player. A navigation system and satellite radio is also optional.

Powered by a 3.8-liter V-6 engine, the base sedan produces 200-horsepower. The GXP upgrades to a 5.3-liter V8 engine at 303-horsepower. Both engines drive a four-speed automatic transmission.

A tire-pressure monitor is standard on both trims. Although they come standard on the GXP, antilock brakes and traction control are optional on the base sedan. Full-length side curtain airbags are optional on both models.

Developed by GM’s Holden division in Australia, the Pontiac G8 doesn’t hinder from its shared platform with Chevrolet’s upcoming Camaro. A new full-size sport sedan for Pontiac, the G8 sets new standards for other platforms alike.

The G8 is available in two trims: base or GT. Base sedans have 180inch alloy wheels, four-way power front seats, air-conditioning, a rear spoiler and a seven-speaker CD sound system. The Pontiac G8 GTs add dual-zone clkt sound system with a six-CD/MP3 changer.

The base sedan’s Comfort and Sound Package includes some equipment on the GT. Available for the GT is a Sport Package which upgrades to 19-inch alloy wheels and a sport steering wheel. The Premium Package with leather upholstery is available for both trims.
A five-speed automatic with manual mode for the base engine has GM’s 3.6-liter V-6 engine. This engine generates 261-horsepower. The GT excels to 362-horsepower, powered by its 6.0-liter V-8 engine.

OnStar comes standard with both models. Base and GT also come with antilock disc brakes with brake assist, full-length side curtain airbags, front seat airbags, stability control and traction control.