[dinopello]

Pontiac Tries High-Performance Revival

Saturday March 15, 2008 - 12:02 am ET
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP upgrades the G8 sedan with a new 6.2-liter small-block V-8 engine that's rated at 402 horsepower. Pontiac says the G8 GXP will be able to go from zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds. The GXP also has a specially tuned suspension and an optional new six-speed manual transmission. The sedan will go on sale late this year.

Pontiac will also launch the 2010 Pontiac G8 sport truck, a two-seater built on the G8 platform with a 73-inch cargo bed. The sport truck has the same 361-horsepower, 6.0-liter V-8 used in the G8 GT sedan. It's expected in dealerships in late 2009.

[The_Toecutter]

I'd actually be excited if that V8 engine were put into a GM Precept chassis(~2,600 lbs, 0.16 drag coefficient). Imagine a 6.2L 402 horsepower V8-engined midsize sedan getting 25 mpg city and 45 mpg highway, and 0-60 in under 4 seconds...

Of course, that's too big of an advancement for an industry that likes to ration out advancements as slowly as possible...


I wonder if this same 6.2 L V8 is the one that was placed in the 620 horsepower supercharged 2009 Corvette ZR1?

[Zardoz]

"Rev up" or "Irrelevent down"?

No wonder these bozos lose billions every month. Chrysler is going under because their line is full of big-engined beasts that are gathering dust on dealers' lots, yet the GM brain trust feels that what they really need is another Boy Racer sedan and pickup.

What a bunch of incompetent dweebs.

[The_Toecutter]

If they made their "boy racer sedan" an electric car or something with good fuel efficiency, they'd garner lots of sales.

But, they just aren't doing that...

May GM be swept into the dustbin of history unless they change their ways.

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('The_Toecutter', 'I')f they made their "boy racer sedan" an electric car or something with good fuel efficiency, they'd garner lots of sales.

[The_Toecutter]

GM doesn't at all appear to be trying to improve fuel economy, in spite of demand for it. If yuo want to know what can be done today, simply look at what was done in the past.

The 1982 GM TPC managed an astounding 61 mpg city, 74 mpg highway, using a lightweight aluminum body and engine; the curb weight was light at only 1,040 lbs, but the drag coefficient was an unremarkable 0.31. It used a 3-cylinder gasoline engine which only produced 38 horsepower.

In 1983, GM had upgraded its Lean Machine concept to obtain up to 200 mpg. To obtain such stunning efficiency, the vehicle needed to be as light and as aerodynamic as possible, weighing in at only 400 lbs and having a 0.15 drag coefficient. A 38 horsepower, 2-cylinder Otto cycle engine was able to rocket this machine from 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds. Top speed was limited to 80 mph.

The 1992 GM Ultralite did 0-60 mph in 7.8 seconds, topped 135 mph, weighed 1,400 lbs, had a 0.19 drag coefficient, seated 4 adults, and with its 111 horsepower 1.5L 3 cylinder gasoline engine got 81 mpg highway and 45 mpg city.

If they wanted to, they could have built the 2000 GM Precept, 80 mpg, 0-60 mph in 11 second, 85 mph capable midsize car which can seat 5 adults that runs on diesel fuel using a 100 horsepower diesel/electric hybrid drive, with a 0.16 drag coefficient and 2,593 lbs curb weight.

The 2002 Opel Eco Speedster concept was a sports car that had a 113 horsepower 4 cylinder diesel, weighed about 1,500 lbs, hasd a 0.2 drag coefficient, did 0-60 mph in 8.9 seconds, topped out at a governor limited top speed of 155 mph, and got 94 mpg US combined.

Nevermind improvements in aerodynamic efficiency that could be done by their lonesome that could dramatically increase fuel economy, as seen in the 1981 GM Aero X, 1981 Opel Tech 2000(0.21 Cd IIRC), 1982 GM Aero 2000(0.23 Cd), 1983 GM Aero 2002(0.14 Cd), 1984 Chevrolet Citation IV(0.18 Cd), 1987 Chevrolet Express, 1987 Pontiac Pursuit, 1990 GM HX3(minivan with 0.26 Cd)... All of these cars looked like relatively normal cars for their time period and type of car and didn't compromise safety, passenger space, or storage space. The amount of money needed for wind tunnel testing to get aerodynamics this good would add only a few hundred dollars to the cost of each car. Just going from an average of about 0.3 Cd today to 0.2 Cd could give us cars that got about 35 mpg average with no other changes.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')magine a EV Solstice (or Saturn Sky) to compete with the Tesla Roadster.