http://www.thegmsource.com/index.php?categoryid=3&p17_sectionid=140



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Sweet :) The only parts I don't like are the tail-lights and that silver lining on the side.

I like the Pontiac arrowhead and interor looks decent.

The airbox, Fuel rail/engine cover, and wheels have to go.

Antenna is horrible and what's up with the silver trim around the door handles......

I think the smaller "lip" spoiler makes the car look way less agressive than the SS.

I agree about the spoiler lip. I want a Holden Spoiler, those are sweet!

One thing we can tell for sure. The hood scoops are non-functional as far as cold air intake. Hey, Pontiac, are you listening? Lose the chrome or at least give me a black anodized window surround option. The chrome around the windows makes it look like an INfinity or Lexus, a look I am trying to avoid. Not my favorite wheel, either.

If you read the thread announcing that this car was going to be there you would have read that the wheels are not production. The cover for the engine is just the Holden one.... no production model has been shown yet.

I dont care for the chrome on the door handles, we'll just have to wait and see how the production version turns out.

I like the lip spoiler. The SS spoiler looks like it belongs on a Civic. The tail lights...meh. I do not think the wheels are bad. I actually think they look better than the SS wheels. Ditto on the chrome around the door handles. Overall :thumbsup:

Well – the one thing that I found most disturbing ( beyond the fact that I still dislike the styling of the tail lights – but that’s very subjective ) is seeing the console shifter & the ‘manumatic’ layout.

“+” upshift is back and “-“ downshift is forward.

Like BMW – but the opposite of all the other sport sedans I have driven with this feature . . .

Odd & annoying – to me.

Oh, well . . .

- Ray
Still gonna test drive one.

When was it there? Is it still there?

Rear spoiler is weak....

Hopefully the GXP version will be a little better.

I like the lip spoiler. The SS spoiler looks like it belongs on a Civic. The tail lights...meh. I do not think the wheels are bad. I actually think they look better than the SS wheels. Ditto on the chrome around the door handles. Overall :thumbsup:


+1 on the spoiler. The other one is a bit too garish for me.

I dig the door handles. The side marker, turn signal repeaters are cool too.

The tail lights are pretty damn ugly.

I'm alright with the spoiler...not my favorite, but not as ugly as the tail lights.

I can't wait to see the car in black.

I like the Pontiac arrowhead and interior looks decent.

The airbox, Fuel rail/engine cover, and wheels have to go.

If you read the thread announcing that this car was going to be there you would have read that the wheels are not production. The cover for the engine is just the Holden one.... no production model has been shown yet.

I dont care for the chrome on the door handles, we'll just have to wait and see how the production version turns out.

I read about the wheels not being production. You would think that the wheel manufacturers would already have wheels ready to go, hence the wheel comment. All GM had to do was put the wheels on. It's getting late in the program to not have the wheel design figured out and Pre production examples ready to go ( It's about GM not being on the ball :cursin: )

I would most likely remove the cover no matter what.

I'm hoping for the anouncement of a GXP or similar high end offering.

The wheels here ARE SS wheels, they are the 18" wheels found on both the Commodore SV6 and SS. The 19" wheels are reserved for the Commodore SS-V.
http://images.carsales.com.au/dealer/carsales/7438458.jpg
SS
http://images.carsales.com.au/dealer/carsales/5714704.jpg
SS-V

I think they got the boot spoiler wrong, this would have been a better subtle option http://images.carsales.com.au/dealer/carsales/7567632.jpg

or none
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b217/isszy/aicar3.jpg

I agree about the spoiler lip. I want a Holden Spoiler, those are sweet!

+1 on the Holden spoiler. I am gald one of the pics showed a button to disable trac control since I was wondering about that. Does anyone know if they will come with HUD?
I feel the same about the window chrome, needs to be blacked out or not on the car at all.

I agree with most of the comments, I dislike the chrome trim. Door pulls, window treatment, grill surrounds, I really don't like chrome anywhere. The wheels look OK for standard, but the wheels from the SS-V picture above are what I would want. And I like the ricer wing, it adds some aggressiveness to the car without being STi or EVO big.

rayinsw, I haven't driven many of the production automanuals out today but most sequential transmissions in the racing world use that pattern: back for upshift, forward for downshift.

I don't think the chrome ring around the doors is staying, take a close look at this actual production model.

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/07/g8prototype_002.jpg

Well GM can't please everyone because if they would make the higher spoiler the only one everyone would compain thats its too boy racer.

I kinda like the lip spoiler. The rear emblems are getting removed (except the Pontiac V). The side window moldings should be easy enough to tint if need be. The grill chrome is acceptible I think. The antenea has to changed. Paint the brake calipers red. Get the 19" SSV rims. Maybe the Oz v8 fender emblem. I can't wait to test drive one.

So it looks like the SSV with the SS 18" wheels. The interior looks the same as my SSV except for steering wheel on the other side and the Pontiac logo's.

The speaker grille on the dash is the same so my binnacle gauge kits I am selling would fit in there nicely.

Anyone interested in more information on my binnacle gauge kit please PM me....

JK :aus_flag:

Well – the one thing that I found most disturbing ( beyond the fact that I still dislike the styling of the tail lights – but that’s very subjective ) is seeing the console shifter & the ‘manumatic’ layout.

“+” upshift is back and “-“ downshift is forward.

Like BMW – but the opposite of all the other sport sedans I have driven with this feature . . .

Odd & annoying – to me.

Oh, well . . .

- Ray
Still gonna test drive one.

I actually prefer the way Holden and the local competitor Falcon has it. When you want to slow down (not always the aim when downshifting) or avoid something you naturally push away,:punch: so forward for downshift is instinctively correct. Same goes for up shifting. Want to go forward? Pull yourself ahead.:boink::gears:

Overall this G8 is a good package for the cash......

Like the lip spoiler, don't like the tails, don't like the wheels, LOVE the SS-V wheels. If we don't get something similar, I'd consider getting some shipped over.

It's been a while since I've posted here. Not much going on really with the long wait and all.

But has anyone seen the size of the driver side wiper??? Jeesh it must be a 24 inch blade at least and the passenger side looks like a tiny 12 inch blade. Maybe our Aussie owners already know this. Just looks a little strange that's all. :)

Nice pics.

For the tail lights, I kind of like the ones on the white Chevy Lumina driving around, those look plug and play, just that they have a red lens instead of the boy racer clear look / Altima look.

Here is that picture again:

http://g8gt.com/attachments/384d1185201323t-thumb800x800_800774027_6a89436ea5_o.jpg

I know those are on holdens in Aussie land, so we should be able to get OEM factory units instead of China knockoffs.

I like the Pontiac arrowhead and interor looks decent.

I on the other hand don't!

Well – the one thing that I found most disturbing ( beyond the fact that I still dislike the styling of the tail lights – but that’s very subjective ) is seeing the console shifter & the ‘manumatic’ layout.

“+” upshift is back and “-“ downshift is forward.

Like BMW – but the opposite of all the other sport sedans I have driven with this feature . . .

Odd & annoying – to me.

Oh, well . . .

- Ray
Still gonna test drive one.

What would make more sense to me would be left and right to shift up and down. I know you move it into a gate and there is no way to accidentally shift into "normal" mode or reverse while usng the manual shift option, but Chrysler's system (if they still use it) of side to side just seems more natural to me. And I do agree that in direct opposition to the way the PRNDL is laid out in the console, the tapshift works exactly opposite. I mean, if you were manually shifting (as much as you can) a normally laid out non-manumatic you would pull the shifter back towards you for the lower gears. I suppose, depending on how many wires attach to the switch in the console, it might be possible to reverse the action

I don't think the chrome ring around the doors is staying, take a close look at this actual production model.


Thats not a production model. It is just a pilot, one more step closer to production.

" “+” upshift is back and “-“ downshift is forward. "

I certainly do not mean to say ( or imply ) that this is right or wrong, just opposite what I am used to - and what most other manufacturers seems to be doing.

Even within GM, in their brand new 2008 CTS uses + \ upshift = press forward.

From the 2008 CTS Owners Manual:

“To enter the DSC mode, press the shift lever
forward to upshift or rearward to downshift.”


Again – this just seems very odd, to me.
- Ray
Wondering if production G8s will match the new CTS????

Doesn't really matter unless you have more than one car at the house with the feature. Then you would have to adjust.

If it's the only car you own with the feature then I don't think it is that big of a deal. IMO

One thing we can tell for sure. The hood scoops are non-functional as far as cold air intake.

I know you mentioned that the scoops are non-functional, but what are the black ducts under the scoops for? I know the older GXP GP's had ducts similar to those that used to divert water away.

Anyone else notice that there are no rear side red reflectors, or side maker lights on any of the photos of the cars (including the white and red versions)?

Will they add it to the inside of the rear tail lights once it goes to production? :secret:

I know that FMVSS regs require that a side rear red illuminated marker be present along with a red reflective element.

I would bet they will add it to the side of the black cylinder housing the rear parking/brake light, like Nissan does for the Altima.