I hope I'm wrong about this. But I was just playing around on the Holden website and decided to "price" a Commodere SS. A base price version in Australian dollars is $46,990.00. I added a sunroof, 19in wheels and floor mats. My price came to $50,617.00. Then I did an exchange rate conversion for US dollars, and the price(as of March 9th) came to $39,339.50. OK, what am I missing here? I came nowhere near adding all the options, and was still looking at a $40,000 car. There's no way GM can sell the G8 GT at these prices. And I priced a Commodore SV6, and with similiar options it came to $44,023.00(AU) and converted to $34,214.70. If the G8 comes to use with these prices, it will be doomed from the start. One other thing, is the G8 GT going to compare to the Commodore SS, or the SS-V? I'm a little worried about this pricing!!!:(

This has been talked about previously I believe. But the direct conversion will not reflect the price of the new G8. Speculation is that the V6 will have a base price of around 25K and the GT around 30K.

Take a look at other car makers list prices in Australia that have the same car here.

http://www.g8board.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=63&stc=1&d=1174207545

http://www.g8board.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64&stc=1&d=1174207929

The straight conversion of money doesn't work. Different markets = different prices.

And, Bob already admitted that one of the GTO's shortfalls was pricing. Forget any conversions. He promised a V6 G8 at around $25000 and a V8 should come in at or under $30k. Consider that there are not that many options, most everything is included. Add leather, sunroof, premium sound, sport package and choice of transmissions (later) and color and you are done. You cannot delete power windows (except cop version I expect to see) When Bob promised a Solstice at under $20k he delivered although that car and segment does not always have power stuff in the base model, and the price has crept up. But the large sedan market does not start out with strippers.

I wouldn't expect a police version, or fleet sales, they just can't supply enough cars for that.

You have to remember the Aussie prices include VAT(local taxes) which wouldn't apply to the exports.

I wouldn't expect a police version, or fleet sales, they just can't supply enough cars for that.

Okay, so the police version will have a different grill, will be built in Oshawa instead of Melbourne and will say Impala or Caprice on the side. :boink: And the G6 is growing in size in a couple of years to fill the fleet vacated when the GP production halts.

I'm with acheiftan. Once the Oshawa plant is up and running at full capacity, GM would be foolish not to try and support police fleets with this vehicle. I have seen Police Charger cars grow at an exponential rate

There is a current "police option" Impala, they do try to support, even though all I see are Crown Vics in our area (aren't C.V.'s out of production yet?) What gets me is why, especially in small-town America, the police need 400hp full-size cruisers to patrol at 35 mph. Talk about a waste of fuel. Give them all John Cooper Works Minis and watch the "blue flu" rates drop, as they start to have fun on the job. :boink:

There is a current "police option" Impala, they do try to support, even though all I see are Crown Vics in our area (aren't C.V.'s out of production yet?) What gets me is why, especially in small-town America, the police need 400hp full-size cruisers to patrol at 35 mph. Talk about a waste of fuel. Give them all John Cooper Works Minis and watch the "blue flu" rates drop, as they start to have fun on the job. :boink:

I think it's cause most cops are pretty big guys already. Add all the stuff they have to wear and space becomes an issue. Not to mention all the ancillary equipment for the car (laptop, radar gun, video equipment)....

Keep in mind not every cruiser has the largest engine option. Almost all city cops have the v6 charger. The hemi is only used in the few highway/pursuit vehicles they have

I paid $32K flat for a Lumina SS (Commodore VE) with an L98, T56, leather interior and no sunroof. I would expect the G8 to be a bit higher because of the facelift, maybe $33~35K.

I paid $32K flat for a Lumina SS (Commodore VE) with an L98, T56, leather interior and no sunroof. I would expect the G8 to be a bit higher because of the facelift, maybe $33~35K.
At today's rat eof exchange that $35k AUD is less than $28.9k USD. And do keep in mind that they will not be simply converting currency, but instead pricing for the market. Bob has said that target pricing is an equivalent Charger ($25-$30)

The price I posted was in US dollars. I really doubt they can sell the G8 GT for $30K USD and make a profit.

But GM has publicly admitted that for all intents and purposes they overpriced the GTO. They point to that as one of its shortcomings. Do you think that each and every vehicle that leaves a factory anywhere in the world makes a profit for the manufacturer? If so, and if each vehicle made the same % margin, then ,well DCX would not be looking to dump Chrysler, GM would not have sold GMAC, and Ford would be buying more car companies instead of shedding brands. Maybe, just maybe all of GM's worldwide profits come from down under and its just time to spread the wealth.

Here is Bob's thinking, since he is not here to defend or deny. Bring the car in at under a threshhold level, somewhere that will generate interest and volume. SOrt of like when the Solstice was introduced, being able to be purchased (with a willing dealer) at an MSRP under $20k. Now two years later the starting price has crept up over 10% and base MSRP is over $22k, but sales have not flagged. SO, he plans to (my interpretation) bring in the G8 with a V6 at UNDER $25k, and the V8 at UNDER $30k. With all standard items as spec'd. Now, surely, add leather, sunroof, 6 cd, nav, and any other goodies and it'll top out at about $35k, but that will be the maximum MSRP.

And so the same people that so gullibly will flock to a $29k Hyundai instead of a $49k BMW (Hyundai's TV spot) can't be convinced to shop somewhere in the middle? Or are we saying that the G8 is LESS of a car than the Azera and thus should always sell for less than that POS? I know they don't and will not compete head to head but think about where the pricing is on an Azera and truthfully say you would not spend the exact same (or even less) for a V6 G8?

possible..


About the options, the 6cd player (+MP3) is standard on the SS & SS-V. Are you sure the G8 will have an optional NAV? as It's only a featured option for the SS-V.

Very good point achieftain - your comparison with the solstice makes a lot of sense. Plus, because this is a worldwide platform with such high volume, they can probably afford to keep the price (reasonably) low for a very base model.

Granted, I'll want numerous goodies on mine, so I'm anticipating 35k, but eh

But GM has publicly admitted that for all intents and purposes they overpriced the GTO. They point to that as one of its shortcomings....

I don't think he meant the car was overpriced for what you get. What he meant was the starting point for the GTO was too high.

Most people are idiots and just can't get over the sticker shock. They'd rather see the car starting out at $20k and then tack on all the extras and be at $35k for a lesser car. The Solstice GXP is no bargain when you compare it to the price of a GTO. The Firebird comparably equipped was priced almost as much as the GTO and it was a much crappier car. The Mustang isn't that much cheaper with similar options either.

Expect the G8 with comprable features as the GTO to be within $2k of the GTO's sticker.

I'm with acheiftan. Once the Oshawa plant is up and running at full capacity, GM would be foolish not to try and support police fleets with this vehicle. I have seen Police Charger cars grow at an exponential rate

Look what I found down under.
http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/action/news?categoryID=10&articleID=1542&navCategoryId=all
and
http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/action/news?categoryID=10&articleID=1541&navCategoryId=all

Having a commodore grille in your rear-view mirrow with flashing lights is somewhere you don't want to be

The price I posted was in US dollars. I really doubt they can sell the G8 GT for $30K USD and make a profit.


your right- at first.

kep in mind that the gator will be the first zeta car released in the U.S. under a pontiac badge. ask yourself this, how many different platforms is gm producing right now? at least four or five. bobby boy plans to make the zeta platform the go to for design for at least the next ten years, could go as long as twenty, and when more cars are produced on the zeta, cost of manufacturing goes down and profits climb exponentially once you figure in sticker inflation at two to four percent per year. research every new platform released by any manufacturer and you will find that money was lost every time for the first model, if not the next as well.

case in point, saturn. i know, i know, just making a point.

when they started, it was one platform, three different models. it three years for the company to make any kind of proffit. now they are making full size suv's based on a zeta derivitive because they are held by gm.

bottom line is this. all new platforms lose money. so while there might not be a proffit, lutz needs an excuse to put everything on that plaform, and volume is the only reason he can use.

so i see the gator gt going for 30 or 31k.

btw- a lot of dealers are starting to take "reservations" on the gator which will later be turned into orders. first come first serve. going next week.:gears: