World Auto News & Reviews

We kind of have the Aussies to thank for it, so we guess it’s all right that they get to keep it… but we can still be jealous. Four months ago General Motors’ Down-Under division unveiled the Holden VE Commodore SS V-Series Special Edition, essentially a Commodore with the front end from the late Pontiac G8, minus the Pontiac badges.

You didn’t think that ‘Trans Am Depot’ was the only tuner trying to make a screaming chicken out of the new Chevy Camaro Coupe, did you? Get ready to give a big warm mullet welcome to Lingenfelter’s Pontiac Trans Am concept model at next month’s SEMA gathering in Las Vegas. Based on the 2010 Camaro, the 455 TA is stylistically inspired by the 1971 Pontiac Trans Am and comes equipped with a 455 cubic inch (that’s 7.5-liters) V8 pushing out a hefty 655 horsepower and 610 lb-ft of peak torque.

The death of the Pontiac G8 is arguably one of the saddest automotive demises in recent years, but a new report suggests the G8 nameplate will live on. However, the G8 won’t be rebadged as a Chevrolet or even sold in the United States. Instead, Holden will sell a limited run of Pontiac G8s in Australia.

After announcing plans to eliminate the Pontiac brand earlier this year, GM has released new details about the death of a once prestigious nameplate.

In an interview with Automotive News, Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson stated GM would stop production of the 2010 Pontiac Vibe in August. Although he hinted production could be extended to build up Vibe inventories for the Canadian market, any such move would only be temporary. This effectively means Pontiac’s last model is a badge-engineered Toyota Matrix which is likely destined for America’s northern neighbor.

As you all know, the Pontiac era is scheduled to end by late 2010 so it comes to no surprise that the only model offered for retail sale in General Motors’ 2010 Product Guide for the United States is the Vibe – most probably because of the fact that it is produced by GM’s joint venture with Toyota called NUMMI. The compact crossover continues in the new model year with a few minor upgrades.