Pontiac G6 News **GXP Specs (page 9)**
03-23-2005, 10:37 AM
#163
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Originally Posted by titan
Don't get me wrong. It's nice, but pales in comparison to the concept.
04-06-2005, 04:59 PM
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An American Idle: G6 a sales flop
RUMBLE SEAT / DAN NEIL
An American idle
The Pontiac G6 is a sales flop. At General Motors, let the impeachment proceedings begin.
By Dan Neil, Times Staff Writer
At the moment the news broke, I had written two words of a review of the Pontiac G6: "Dump Lutz."
On Monday morning, the news came that General Motors North America Chairman Robert Lutz and Group Vice President Gary Cowger were "relinquishing" their duties with GM North America to assume unspecified roles in GM's global product development and manufacturing efforts — compared with the high-profile role Lutz has occupied, this is like "extraordinary rendition" to Pakistan.
Although GM's chairman and chief executive is Rick Wagoner, Bob Lutz — also known as "Maximum Bob" — has been the point man for GM policy and future product design, the Great White-Haired Father, the Man with the Golden Gut, the auto industry's most quotable and charismatic executive in a town where charisma is scarcer than banana trees.
In his 3 1/2 -year tenure, GM has lost something like 3 percentage points of market share. I was about to make the case that, given GM's current China syndrome — North American market share dropping to its lowest point in decades, and market analysts, sensing no real momentum for reform within the company, downgrading the company's bond ratings to near-junk status — someone's head ought to roll, and the most likely candidate would be the numinous white noggin of Lutz.
Cashiering Lutz, I would have argued, would be a positive sign for the street's analysts that the company is serious about accountability. Indeed, it had to be Lutz, for symbolic reasons that go beyond the car business. Of course, the responsibility is not solely his, but the culture of executive exoneration has to end somewhere, and it's not going to be in Washington, D.C.
However, given recent events, I have to revise my story. To wit: Dump Wagoner.
It was Lutz, after all, who candidly averred at a Morgan Stanley meeting last month that GM might have to phase out some of its product lines, even using the word "damaged" to describe Pontiac and Buick. In the ensuing furor, Lutz claimed his remarks were taken out of context and over-hyped by the sensationalist media, like that scandal rag Automotive News.
Wagoner memo to Lutz: Stop making sense.
GM is a morass of a business case, but one thing seems clear enough, and Lutz's mistake was to state the obvious and then recant: The company's multiplicity of divisions and models is turning into a circular firing squad. How can four nearly identical minivans — one each for Pontiac, Buick, Chevrolet and Saturn — be anything but a waste of resources? Ditto the Four Horsemen of Suburbia, the Buick Rainier, Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy and Saab 9-7X. How does the Pontiac Montana minivan square with Pontiac as the "Excitement" division? Why, exactly, is GMC on this Earth?
For a company so utterly devoted to each of its 11 brands — counting offshore badges such as Opel, Holden, Vauxhall — the overarching strategy seems to be to flatten the distinctiveness out of all of them in the name of global efficiencies. Take Saab, poor Saab. The new 9-3s will be built in Russelsheim, Germany, alongside Opel Vectras. The 9-2X is a badge-engineered Subaru WRX. The 9-7X is a Chevy Trailblazer built in the Nordic enclave of Moraine, Ohio.
Other recent Wagoner miscues:
GM utterly missed the boat on hybrid gas-electric technology and lobbied Congress not to raise fuel-economy standards on the grounds that meeting higher standards would divert funds from critical research in the ultimate propulsion technology, hydrogen fuel cells — an argument that, shall we say, lacks authenticity. Today, GM has no hybrids of consequence on the street, while rivals Toyota and Honda are selling as many as they can build.
As part of a product reorganization, GM announced last month that it would speed up development of new SUVs and trucks in the pipeline and slow-walk development of rear-wheel-drive Zeta car projects. So, let's see: At a time when SUV sales are cliff-diving, GM proposes to speed up big SUV development and 86 the mid-size, rear-drive future products?
This reallocation of deck chairs seems pointless when the real problem is the massive overhead of a company that cannot find the will to downsize. Capitalism, remember, is creative destruction.
However, the best case for a putsch in GM's Renaissance Center offices is this: The cars aren't selling.
Honestly, it takes some sort of perverse genius to make the Grand Am, the car the Pontiac G6 replaces, look like a showroom winner, but the G6 is selling at about half the volume of the unloved and unlovely Grand Am, which dates to the 1980s. Even a multimillion-dollar giveaway of G6s on "Oprah" in September wasn't enough to fire up sales of this car.
Six months into its life, the G6 has thousands of dollars on its nose and analysts are calling it a flop. Last month, Pontiac offered more incentive money as a percentage of MSRP than any other brand, a full 16%, according to Edmunds.com.
The G6 is not an awful car. It's entirely adequate. But plainly, adequate is not nearly enough.
Exterior styling: The G6 sedan, based on the same stretched-wheelbase platform as the Malibu Maxx, has its wheels in the right place, nicely quadratic and corner-wise. There are a few odd proportions that add up to a kind of visual consternation: The car's front tapers around the headlamps like a school eraser; the rear deck is more a rear bustle, with an arm's length of sheet metal over the rear wheel wells; and wheels and tires themselves seem small when, at 17 inches in the GT package, they aren't really.
Meanwhile, the detailing of the bodywork makes the skin of the car look eggshell-thin. I wonder how many buyers look at this car and wonder what is behind the billboard?
Interior styling: The GT comes with comfortable leather-lined bucket seats, nicely bolstered with heaters. I like the soft grip on the hand brake. That exhausts my praise for the interior.
The center console is a plastic fantastic with the now-familiar stacked boxes of the audio head and climate controls, and we know what comes with familiarity. This is pretty much a style-free zone in a larger moor of monochromatic plastic and vinyl.
The G6 does have a couple of fun features, both optional: an oversized moon roof that folds back in sections so that, lined up on the roof, the car looks solar-powered; and a remote starting function.
Some options are less fun: Side-impact and curtain air bags, four-wheel anti-lock brakes and traction control are all cost-extra options on the base model.
Performance: The GT model I drove had a 3.5-liter iron-block V6 under the hood, good for 200 horsepower and no surprises at all. And — though I can't believe I'm writing this sentence in 2005 — this pushrod six is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. It is because of this powertrain that the phrase "thrashy and unrefined" has become the hackneyed cliché that it has.
The electric steering is numb and oddly weighted. Though I thought the ride was very nice, the handling is pushier than a mortgage-refinance telemarketer. The car has zero appetite for hard driving. You want excitement from the "Excitement" division? Try to get this thing to turn in a sharp corner.
Bah.
This is an uncompetitive product, an assertion borne out not by my say-so but by sales numbers. When ballclubs have losing records, players and coaches and managers get their walking papers.
At GM, it's time to sweep the dugout.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Automotive critic Dan Neil can be reached at dan.neil
@latimes.com.
*
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)
Pontiac G6 GT
Base price: $23,925
Price, as tested: $28,280
Powertrain: 3.5-liter V6, four-speed automatic, front-wheel drive.
Horsepower: 200 at 5,600 rpm
Torque: 220 foot-pounds at 3,200 rpm
Curb weight: 3,380 pounds
Zero-60: 8 seconds
Wheelbase: 112.3 inches
Overall length: 189.1 inches
EPA mileage: 22 miles per gallon city, 32 mpg highway
Final thoughts: What a car looks like when the wheels come off
If you want other stories on this topic, search the Archives at latimes.com/archives.
Article licensing and reprint options
An American idle
The Pontiac G6 is a sales flop. At General Motors, let the impeachment proceedings begin.
By Dan Neil, Times Staff Writer
At the moment the news broke, I had written two words of a review of the Pontiac G6: "Dump Lutz."
On Monday morning, the news came that General Motors North America Chairman Robert Lutz and Group Vice President Gary Cowger were "relinquishing" their duties with GM North America to assume unspecified roles in GM's global product development and manufacturing efforts — compared with the high-profile role Lutz has occupied, this is like "extraordinary rendition" to Pakistan.
Although GM's chairman and chief executive is Rick Wagoner, Bob Lutz — also known as "Maximum Bob" — has been the point man for GM policy and future product design, the Great White-Haired Father, the Man with the Golden Gut, the auto industry's most quotable and charismatic executive in a town where charisma is scarcer than banana trees.
In his 3 1/2 -year tenure, GM has lost something like 3 percentage points of market share. I was about to make the case that, given GM's current China syndrome — North American market share dropping to its lowest point in decades, and market analysts, sensing no real momentum for reform within the company, downgrading the company's bond ratings to near-junk status — someone's head ought to roll, and the most likely candidate would be the numinous white noggin of Lutz.
Cashiering Lutz, I would have argued, would be a positive sign for the street's analysts that the company is serious about accountability. Indeed, it had to be Lutz, for symbolic reasons that go beyond the car business. Of course, the responsibility is not solely his, but the culture of executive exoneration has to end somewhere, and it's not going to be in Washington, D.C.
However, given recent events, I have to revise my story. To wit: Dump Wagoner.
It was Lutz, after all, who candidly averred at a Morgan Stanley meeting last month that GM might have to phase out some of its product lines, even using the word "damaged" to describe Pontiac and Buick. In the ensuing furor, Lutz claimed his remarks were taken out of context and over-hyped by the sensationalist media, like that scandal rag Automotive News.
Wagoner memo to Lutz: Stop making sense.
GM is a morass of a business case, but one thing seems clear enough, and Lutz's mistake was to state the obvious and then recant: The company's multiplicity of divisions and models is turning into a circular firing squad. How can four nearly identical minivans — one each for Pontiac, Buick, Chevrolet and Saturn — be anything but a waste of resources? Ditto the Four Horsemen of Suburbia, the Buick Rainier, Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy and Saab 9-7X. How does the Pontiac Montana minivan square with Pontiac as the "Excitement" division? Why, exactly, is GMC on this Earth?
For a company so utterly devoted to each of its 11 brands — counting offshore badges such as Opel, Holden, Vauxhall — the overarching strategy seems to be to flatten the distinctiveness out of all of them in the name of global efficiencies. Take Saab, poor Saab. The new 9-3s will be built in Russelsheim, Germany, alongside Opel Vectras. The 9-2X is a badge-engineered Subaru WRX. The 9-7X is a Chevy Trailblazer built in the Nordic enclave of Moraine, Ohio.
Other recent Wagoner miscues:
GM utterly missed the boat on hybrid gas-electric technology and lobbied Congress not to raise fuel-economy standards on the grounds that meeting higher standards would divert funds from critical research in the ultimate propulsion technology, hydrogen fuel cells — an argument that, shall we say, lacks authenticity. Today, GM has no hybrids of consequence on the street, while rivals Toyota and Honda are selling as many as they can build.
As part of a product reorganization, GM announced last month that it would speed up development of new SUVs and trucks in the pipeline and slow-walk development of rear-wheel-drive Zeta car projects. So, let's see: At a time when SUV sales are cliff-diving, GM proposes to speed up big SUV development and 86 the mid-size, rear-drive future products?
This reallocation of deck chairs seems pointless when the real problem is the massive overhead of a company that cannot find the will to downsize. Capitalism, remember, is creative destruction.
However, the best case for a putsch in GM's Renaissance Center offices is this: The cars aren't selling.
Honestly, it takes some sort of perverse genius to make the Grand Am, the car the Pontiac G6 replaces, look like a showroom winner, but the G6 is selling at about half the volume of the unloved and unlovely Grand Am, which dates to the 1980s. Even a multimillion-dollar giveaway of G6s on "Oprah" in September wasn't enough to fire up sales of this car.
Six months into its life, the G6 has thousands of dollars on its nose and analysts are calling it a flop. Last month, Pontiac offered more incentive money as a percentage of MSRP than any other brand, a full 16%, according to Edmunds.com.
The G6 is not an awful car. It's entirely adequate. But plainly, adequate is not nearly enough.
Exterior styling: The G6 sedan, based on the same stretched-wheelbase platform as the Malibu Maxx, has its wheels in the right place, nicely quadratic and corner-wise. There are a few odd proportions that add up to a kind of visual consternation: The car's front tapers around the headlamps like a school eraser; the rear deck is more a rear bustle, with an arm's length of sheet metal over the rear wheel wells; and wheels and tires themselves seem small when, at 17 inches in the GT package, they aren't really.
Meanwhile, the detailing of the bodywork makes the skin of the car look eggshell-thin. I wonder how many buyers look at this car and wonder what is behind the billboard?
Interior styling: The GT comes with comfortable leather-lined bucket seats, nicely bolstered with heaters. I like the soft grip on the hand brake. That exhausts my praise for the interior.
The center console is a plastic fantastic with the now-familiar stacked boxes of the audio head and climate controls, and we know what comes with familiarity. This is pretty much a style-free zone in a larger moor of monochromatic plastic and vinyl.
The G6 does have a couple of fun features, both optional: an oversized moon roof that folds back in sections so that, lined up on the roof, the car looks solar-powered; and a remote starting function.
Some options are less fun: Side-impact and curtain air bags, four-wheel anti-lock brakes and traction control are all cost-extra options on the base model.
Performance: The GT model I drove had a 3.5-liter iron-block V6 under the hood, good for 200 horsepower and no surprises at all. And — though I can't believe I'm writing this sentence in 2005 — this pushrod six is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. It is because of this powertrain that the phrase "thrashy and unrefined" has become the hackneyed cliché that it has.
The electric steering is numb and oddly weighted. Though I thought the ride was very nice, the handling is pushier than a mortgage-refinance telemarketer. The car has zero appetite for hard driving. You want excitement from the "Excitement" division? Try to get this thing to turn in a sharp corner.
Bah.
This is an uncompetitive product, an assertion borne out not by my say-so but by sales numbers. When ballclubs have losing records, players and coaches and managers get their walking papers.
At GM, it's time to sweep the dugout.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Automotive critic Dan Neil can be reached at dan.neil
@latimes.com.
*
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)
Pontiac G6 GT
Base price: $23,925
Price, as tested: $28,280
Powertrain: 3.5-liter V6, four-speed automatic, front-wheel drive.
Horsepower: 200 at 5,600 rpm
Torque: 220 foot-pounds at 3,200 rpm
Curb weight: 3,380 pounds
Zero-60: 8 seconds
Wheelbase: 112.3 inches
Overall length: 189.1 inches
EPA mileage: 22 miles per gallon city, 32 mpg highway
Final thoughts: What a car looks like when the wheels come off
If you want other stories on this topic, search the Archives at latimes.com/archives.
Article licensing and reprint options
GM=
04-06-2005, 07:12 PM
#168
fap fap fap
what a surprise... not.
GM is stupid for marketing the G6 as "first ever" aka "all-new" (look what happened when ford named their min-van all-new) when it has the same cheap plastic interior (with a somewhat different design), a 3.5L engine with only 200hp !? rear end that (now) looks exactly the same as the cheaper Cobalt, weird curving front window beltline.... i can go on but whats the point, GM aint reading this.
GM is stupid for marketing the G6 as "first ever" aka "all-new" (look what happened when ford named their min-van all-new) when it has the same cheap plastic interior (with a somewhat different design), a 3.5L engine with only 200hp !? rear end that (now) looks exactly the same as the cheaper Cobalt, weird curving front window beltline.... i can go on but whats the point, GM aint reading this.
04-07-2005, 08:08 AM
#171
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Related article:
GM tests lease return option
New attempt to jolt lagging sales of three new cars will be tried in select regions.
By Ed Garsten / The Detroit News
A really long test drive
Desperate to jump start sagging sales of three of its most important new products, General Motors Corp. is offering lease customers in some parts of the country the chance to return the cars if they're not satisfied.
The pilot program, called Freedom Lease, runs through the end of June in California; Atlanta, Ga.; Boston, Mass.; Providence, R.I.; Baltimore, Md., and Washington D.C.
Customers who lease a Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G6 or Buick LaCrosse can return the car with no further obligation if they do so before they've driven 12,000 miles, according to a memo GM sent to dealers obtained by The Detroit News.
A $1,500 down payment made in cash or trade would be forfeited. The deal is not open to GM employees.
If the program is successful, GM may consider making it available in more areas.
GM spokeswoman Deborah Silverman declined to confirm details of the plan, but said "we do pilot programs all the time."
Sales of the three vehicles have been disappointing, in part, because lukewarm reviews have cooled consumers' desire to test drive the cars and they face stiff competition in the small and midsize car segments.
"It's a great idea to get people to actually drive these three new products," said Mark McCready, director of pricing strategy at Carsdirect.com, an online vehicle buying guide. "GM cannot get people in showrooms to drive these products."
The risk, McCready said, is that consumers won't like the cars and will return them.
He said GM is the first automaker to try such an offer, but Mercedes-Benz dealers have used it successfully in the past.
Ford Motor Co. spokesman David Reuter said the nation's second biggest automaker isn't likely to match GM's offer.
"With new product like our Five Hundred, Mustang and Freestyle, we're having success by selling on the goodness of the core product -- without incentives," Reuter said. "That is what impresses customers."
GM's move comes a day after it revived its Hot Button vehicle giveaway. Under the program, which first ran last year, GM will give away 1,000 new vehicles to customers who come into showrooms and hit the OnStar button in designated vehicles to find out if they've won.
This time, the company is sweetening the deal by offering $1,000 rebates on all vehicles sold during the promotion, which runs through May.
At the urging of its dealers, GM has tried a number of novel sales promotions, including 24-hour test drives, that aren't based entirely on big money rebates and cut-rating financing.
The automaker is trying to stoke demand to reverse U.S. market share losses to foreign rivals. Through March, GM's portion of the American car and truck market fell to 25.6 percent, compared to 26.8 percent last year.
"Anything they can do to take away the rebates and stuff is a good thing," said Bob Ashworth, sales manager at Braley & Graham Buick-Pontiac in Sacramento, Calif. "They've driven some business, but at the expense of the dealers. Margins are dwindling to nothing."
Last month, GM promoted former Cadillac general manager Mark LaNeve to its top sales and marketing job. LaNeve favors more targeted regional programs tailored to specific markets over sweeping national promotions.
You can reach Ed Garsten at (313) 223-3217 or egarsten@detnews.com.
GM tests lease return option
New attempt to jolt lagging sales of three new cars will be tried in select regions.
By Ed Garsten / The Detroit News
A really long test drive
Desperate to jump start sagging sales of three of its most important new products, General Motors Corp. is offering lease customers in some parts of the country the chance to return the cars if they're not satisfied.
The pilot program, called Freedom Lease, runs through the end of June in California; Atlanta, Ga.; Boston, Mass.; Providence, R.I.; Baltimore, Md., and Washington D.C.
Customers who lease a Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G6 or Buick LaCrosse can return the car with no further obligation if they do so before they've driven 12,000 miles, according to a memo GM sent to dealers obtained by The Detroit News.
A $1,500 down payment made in cash or trade would be forfeited. The deal is not open to GM employees.
If the program is successful, GM may consider making it available in more areas.
GM spokeswoman Deborah Silverman declined to confirm details of the plan, but said "we do pilot programs all the time."
Sales of the three vehicles have been disappointing, in part, because lukewarm reviews have cooled consumers' desire to test drive the cars and they face stiff competition in the small and midsize car segments.
"It's a great idea to get people to actually drive these three new products," said Mark McCready, director of pricing strategy at Carsdirect.com, an online vehicle buying guide. "GM cannot get people in showrooms to drive these products."
The risk, McCready said, is that consumers won't like the cars and will return them.
He said GM is the first automaker to try such an offer, but Mercedes-Benz dealers have used it successfully in the past.
Ford Motor Co. spokesman David Reuter said the nation's second biggest automaker isn't likely to match GM's offer.
"With new product like our Five Hundred, Mustang and Freestyle, we're having success by selling on the goodness of the core product -- without incentives," Reuter said. "That is what impresses customers."
GM's move comes a day after it revived its Hot Button vehicle giveaway. Under the program, which first ran last year, GM will give away 1,000 new vehicles to customers who come into showrooms and hit the OnStar button in designated vehicles to find out if they've won.
This time, the company is sweetening the deal by offering $1,000 rebates on all vehicles sold during the promotion, which runs through May.
At the urging of its dealers, GM has tried a number of novel sales promotions, including 24-hour test drives, that aren't based entirely on big money rebates and cut-rating financing.
The automaker is trying to stoke demand to reverse U.S. market share losses to foreign rivals. Through March, GM's portion of the American car and truck market fell to 25.6 percent, compared to 26.8 percent last year.
"Anything they can do to take away the rebates and stuff is a good thing," said Bob Ashworth, sales manager at Braley & Graham Buick-Pontiac in Sacramento, Calif. "They've driven some business, but at the expense of the dealers. Margins are dwindling to nothing."
Last month, GM promoted former Cadillac general manager Mark LaNeve to its top sales and marketing job. LaNeve favors more targeted regional programs tailored to specific markets over sweeping national promotions.
You can reach Ed Garsten at (313) 223-3217 or egarsten@detnews.com.
04-07-2005, 01:38 PM
#173
Suzuka Master
Originally Posted by gavriil
If you mean the G6 concept, here is my video from the G6 concept from the 2003 Chicago Auto Show
I don't thinkthis the video for the G6 concept.
04-08-2005, 10:18 AM
#174
'Big Daddy Diggler'
The problem is that they have no 4 cyl models for fleet use. Companies want to rent cars that have good gas mileage and are cheap in price. The G6 is not upmarket enough for it to be a stand alone car with no fleet status.
08-15-2005, 03:01 AM
#175
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Top troubles plague G6 convertible; "Damaged from the start."
Top troubles plague G6 convertible
Parts fail on key Pontiac product
By Robert Sherefkin and Jason Stein
Automotive News / August 15, 2005
DETROIT -- General Motors' problems with the Pontiac G6 convertible continue to mount.
Engineering problems already have forced GM to delay the launch of the retractable hardtop from next month until January 2006. Now those troubles threaten to push the start of production further into next year and could lead to cancellation of the program.
The G6 convertible is important to GM because the division desperately needs exciting products. Like the Solstice roadster, the convertible is meant to be a halo vehicle for the brand.
But four supplier and industry sources familiar with the program say the car's hardtop, which is supplied by Karmann USA Inc. of Plymouth, Mich., has flunked durability tests.
The top is supposed to survive two life cycles of openings and closings, for a total of 16,000 to 20,000 cycles, supplier sources say. But a supplier close to the program says the roof has failed after fewer than 10,000 cycles.
A poor fit between the deck lid and rear fenders is another problem, the source says.
'Damaged from the start'
"The whole program has been damaged from the start," one industry analyst says. "There has been a lot that has gone wrong."
Oliver Wehage, a Karmann vice president, insists the top meets GM specifications. He would not provide details of testing, except to say that Karmann in some cases created "overloading situations" for its internal research.
GM spokesman Jim Hopson said the convertible's top "meets and exceeds" all of the automaker's current life-cycle requirements, but declined to say what those requirements are.
Parts fail on key Pontiac product
By Robert Sherefkin and Jason Stein
Automotive News / August 15, 2005
DETROIT -- General Motors' problems with the Pontiac G6 convertible continue to mount.
Engineering problems already have forced GM to delay the launch of the retractable hardtop from next month until January 2006. Now those troubles threaten to push the start of production further into next year and could lead to cancellation of the program.
The G6 convertible is important to GM because the division desperately needs exciting products. Like the Solstice roadster, the convertible is meant to be a halo vehicle for the brand.
But four supplier and industry sources familiar with the program say the car's hardtop, which is supplied by Karmann USA Inc. of Plymouth, Mich., has flunked durability tests.
The top is supposed to survive two life cycles of openings and closings, for a total of 16,000 to 20,000 cycles, supplier sources say. But a supplier close to the program says the roof has failed after fewer than 10,000 cycles.
A poor fit between the deck lid and rear fenders is another problem, the source says.
'Damaged from the start'
"The whole program has been damaged from the start," one industry analyst says. "There has been a lot that has gone wrong."
Oliver Wehage, a Karmann vice president, insists the top meets GM specifications. He would not provide details of testing, except to say that Karmann in some cases created "overloading situations" for its internal research.
GM spokesman Jim Hopson said the convertible's top "meets and exceeds" all of the automaker's current life-cycle requirements, but declined to say what those requirements are.
08-15-2005, 08:28 PM
#177
'Big Daddy Diggler'
Originally Posted by phile
The GM spokesperson does have a point though. It's not easy selling a car with just a V6 model. Most Accord and Camry buyers opt for the 4-cylinder models. So when the G6 does come to market with a 4-cylinder, perhaps it'll sell better.
Personally I still wouldn't buy one, Pontiac interiors =
Personally I still wouldn't buy one, Pontiac interiors =
01-23-2006, 01:21 PM
#178
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G6 Convertible Gets Date With Destiny - - SOurce: The Car Connection
Set your stopwatches and get ready to time how long it takes for the hardtop to retract.Pontiac promises, after a few production delays, that the G6 hardtop convertible will finally settle into U.S. showrooms in the spring of this year. When it does, the car will become one of the most expensive G6 models at $28,490, which GM says makes it the first retractable hardtop car available on the continent for less than $29,000. Pontiac also says that the G6 sports the largest retractable hardtop of any four-passenger coupe.
02-01-2006, 11:57 PM
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Pontiac G6 GTP - - By Douglas Kott • Photos by Jeff Allen - - February 2006 - - Source: http://www.roadandtrack.com/
Eight years ago, in the shadow of the RMS Queen Mary, the Pontiac PR corps proudly revealed the latest Grand Am to the press. Maybe a replica of the Titanic would have been more appropriate because as styling goes, the props were aloft, rivets were popping like firecrackers and deck chairs were sliding into the North Atlantic. Although the chassis showed significant improvement, the body had the same corrugated side cladding and exaggerated features as its predecessor. Inside, it followed Pontiac's "organic" theme of interiors...inspired by the left ventricle?...and had huge, absurd hoods around the main gauges, "mouse ears" so convincing that Mickey himself should've sued for copyright infringement.
When asked for our comments, most of us searched through our bags of weasel words and phrases, out of politeness. But a certain New Jersey kid — we'll call him "Scott Oldham" to protect his identity — piped up and said, "If this car was restyled from scratch, then why is it still so ugly?"
Thankfully, there's no such shipwreck with the Pontiac G6, the Grand Am's replacement. Of course, the sedan version was rolled out last year, amid the buzz generated when Oprah gave away 276 of them to her television studio audience. Sales didn't exactly skyrocket as a result, but in fairness, let's remember that only V-6 models were offered initially, with 4-cylinder cars coming later. And now the V-6-only coupe body style is here, with double-take good looks to go along with the competent Epsilon front-drive chassis that's shared with the Saab 9-3 and Chevy Malibu. Of course, our test car here is the top-line GTP version, whose 240-bhp 3.9-liter V-6 has a 39-bhp advantage over the GT's 3.5-liter V-6.
With the same 112.3-in. wheelbase as the sedan, the coupe looks especially long and low-slung, the rear wheels set so far back it almost takes on mid-engine proportions. And the tail, with its steeply raked rear window and pointy-tipped taillights, looks to have been inspired by the Nissan 350Z, Toyota Camry Solara, or both. Up front, a tidy version of the trademark twin-nostril grille and a bejeweled headlights-under-glass treatment set off what's already a nicely proportioned design.
Plop down in the driver's seat — a moderately well-bolstered device with silver inserts that mimic the Corvette Z06's buckets — and the ratio of reward to irritation is about 80:20. It's easy to find a good driving position with a manually adjustable steering column that both tilts and telescopes. The wheel itself is a leather-wrapped 3-spoker with a fat rim section and auxiliary radio controls. The red-numeral gauges are ringed with chrome, easily read and unobscured by the wheel. But the center stack lets us down with its rather monotone look, cheesy radio knobs that belong on a $12,000 subcompact, and an ill-fitting liner for the storage cubby that looks like a stowaway from Rubbermaid's reject pile. On an up note, the graining and appearance of most plastics are now much better, and audio-system controls make up for their lack of presentational sparkle through their straightforward ease of use.
Key the GTP's 3.9-liter V-6 to life, and you're met with a pleasantly muted hum of machinery, not the hoarse-sounding induction rasp that has characterized past GM V-6s. Known internally as the LZ9, this 60-degree iron-block/aluminum-head V-6 is the first pushrod engine we know of to utilize variable valve timing, effected through a hydraulic vane-type actuator on the nose of the camshaft. This, and a dual-stage intake plenum lend this engine a pleasingly torquey feel throughout the rev range (its 241 lb.-ft. peak is at a low 2800 rpm) and a satisfying song from the twin tailpipes. "Unlike past Pontiacs, they're not trying to make it sound sporty by virtue of an overly aggressive exhaust note," observed Engineering Editor Dennis Simanaitis.
Stand on it, and the 3530-lb. coupe puts down some very respectable test track numbers: 6.5 seconds to 60 mph, and the quarter mile in 15 flat at 95.7 mph, bracketed in performance by the slightly quicker Honda Accord V-6 Coupe and the fractionally slower Honda Civic Si we tested last month. Impressively, it puts the power down with only the tiniest trace of torque steer, and clutch engagement is positive and easily modulated, something that can't be said for the more finicky Accord.
Around town, the easily summoned torque means less shifting is required, and as one popular homemaker/stock dabbler might say, "That's a good thing." Because the GTP's F40 6-speed manual is a bit stiff past the synchros, and emits an audible clunk on the 2-3 shift, you have to wrestle with the lever more than necessary, a shame because the linkage feels solid, with well-defined gates. A 4-speed automatic, likely the better choice here, is available.
If you couldn't care less about at-the-limit handling behavior and relish a brisk drive at 7- or 8/10ths, you'll probably like the GTP just fine. With the optional ($150) Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires, size 225/50R-18, this coupe generates a respectable 0.82g and delivers a sporting, but by no means sports-car ride. Venture toward the edge of the envelope, and you'll find that the suspension allows the front tires to flop over on their sidewalls, a trait worsened by a nose-heavy 62/38 weight bias. Through our slalom, this necessitated a slower than usual entry speed to maintain their contact patches, then feeding in throttle to what the front tires would accept. The soft-ish shock valving doesn't help in quick transitions either. On the skidpad, same story: Too much throttle and/or velocity and the fronts play possum, rolling off the tread blocks and onto the sidewall lettering for a steady, grinding push.
The good news is that it makes this chassis goof-proof. Jump off the throttle mid-turn? Go ahead; the rears stick like they've grown roots and the understeer lightens up a touch. You won't see many G6 GTPs off the road facing backward. And brakes, with sliding 2-piston calipers up front clamping 11.6-in. vented discs (rears are 10.6-in. solid discs), carve off chunks of speed effectively with a firm pedal. In fact, with our normal drag strip shut-down area compromised, we had to make several hard stops from 100 mph or so in succession, and the pedal softened only slightly.
So limit handling isn't stellar, but we don't (and shouldn't) drive in this rarefied region often, and the GTP comports itself well in most other situations. Wind and road noise are commendably low, and 75-mph cruising is relaxed, the engine ticking over at 2400 rpm in 6th gear. As coupes go, there's a good measure of practicality because rear leg room is generous, but the fast roofline exacts a toll on head room. And fold-down rear seats make the most of the medium-size and usefully shaped trunk.
At a base price of $23,985 and an as-tested sticker of $28,270 (with leather, moonroof, heated seats, etc.), the G6 GTP strikes us as a pretty solid value, hugely improved from its shady Grand Am past yet still falling a little short on refinement to be considered a class leader.
And now it's easy on the eyes. That counts for a lot, we think.
The Competition
Pricier, yes, but the Honda Accord EX V-6 Coupe (tested March 2004) is lighter, slightly quicker and its interior shows more polish than the Pontiac. It also seats five to the G6's four, but the rear passengers won't enjoy as much leg room. The Honda gets the nod for engine/transmission smoothness, but the G6 wins points with a broader powerband.
Pontiac G6 GTP Coupe Honda Accord EX V-6 Coupe
Current list price $23,985 $27,400
Engine ohv 3.9-liter V-6 sohc 3.0-liter V-6
Horsepower 240 bhp @ 6000 rpm 240 bhp @ 6250 rpm
Torque 241 lb-ft @ 2800 rpm 212 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm
Transmission 6-speed manual 6-speed manual
0-60 mph 6.5 sec 6.3 sec
Braking 0-60 mph 128 ft 127 ft
Lateral accel
(200-ft skidpad) 0.82g 0.81g
Speed thru 700-ft slalom 64.2 mph 63.9 mph
Fuel mileage est 18/29 mpg 21/30 mpg
Length 189.0 in. 187.6 in.
Width 70.6 in. 71.3 in.
Height 57.0 in. 55.7 in.
Wheelbase 112.3 in. 105.1 in.
Track, f/r 59.8 in./60.4 in. 61.1 in./61.2 in.
Curb weight 3530 lb 3260 lb
When asked for our comments, most of us searched through our bags of weasel words and phrases, out of politeness. But a certain New Jersey kid — we'll call him "Scott Oldham" to protect his identity — piped up and said, "If this car was restyled from scratch, then why is it still so ugly?"
Thankfully, there's no such shipwreck with the Pontiac G6, the Grand Am's replacement. Of course, the sedan version was rolled out last year, amid the buzz generated when Oprah gave away 276 of them to her television studio audience. Sales didn't exactly skyrocket as a result, but in fairness, let's remember that only V-6 models were offered initially, with 4-cylinder cars coming later. And now the V-6-only coupe body style is here, with double-take good looks to go along with the competent Epsilon front-drive chassis that's shared with the Saab 9-3 and Chevy Malibu. Of course, our test car here is the top-line GTP version, whose 240-bhp 3.9-liter V-6 has a 39-bhp advantage over the GT's 3.5-liter V-6.
With the same 112.3-in. wheelbase as the sedan, the coupe looks especially long and low-slung, the rear wheels set so far back it almost takes on mid-engine proportions. And the tail, with its steeply raked rear window and pointy-tipped taillights, looks to have been inspired by the Nissan 350Z, Toyota Camry Solara, or both. Up front, a tidy version of the trademark twin-nostril grille and a bejeweled headlights-under-glass treatment set off what's already a nicely proportioned design.
Plop down in the driver's seat — a moderately well-bolstered device with silver inserts that mimic the Corvette Z06's buckets — and the ratio of reward to irritation is about 80:20. It's easy to find a good driving position with a manually adjustable steering column that both tilts and telescopes. The wheel itself is a leather-wrapped 3-spoker with a fat rim section and auxiliary radio controls. The red-numeral gauges are ringed with chrome, easily read and unobscured by the wheel. But the center stack lets us down with its rather monotone look, cheesy radio knobs that belong on a $12,000 subcompact, and an ill-fitting liner for the storage cubby that looks like a stowaway from Rubbermaid's reject pile. On an up note, the graining and appearance of most plastics are now much better, and audio-system controls make up for their lack of presentational sparkle through their straightforward ease of use.
Key the GTP's 3.9-liter V-6 to life, and you're met with a pleasantly muted hum of machinery, not the hoarse-sounding induction rasp that has characterized past GM V-6s. Known internally as the LZ9, this 60-degree iron-block/aluminum-head V-6 is the first pushrod engine we know of to utilize variable valve timing, effected through a hydraulic vane-type actuator on the nose of the camshaft. This, and a dual-stage intake plenum lend this engine a pleasingly torquey feel throughout the rev range (its 241 lb.-ft. peak is at a low 2800 rpm) and a satisfying song from the twin tailpipes. "Unlike past Pontiacs, they're not trying to make it sound sporty by virtue of an overly aggressive exhaust note," observed Engineering Editor Dennis Simanaitis.
Stand on it, and the 3530-lb. coupe puts down some very respectable test track numbers: 6.5 seconds to 60 mph, and the quarter mile in 15 flat at 95.7 mph, bracketed in performance by the slightly quicker Honda Accord V-6 Coupe and the fractionally slower Honda Civic Si we tested last month. Impressively, it puts the power down with only the tiniest trace of torque steer, and clutch engagement is positive and easily modulated, something that can't be said for the more finicky Accord.
Around town, the easily summoned torque means less shifting is required, and as one popular homemaker/stock dabbler might say, "That's a good thing." Because the GTP's F40 6-speed manual is a bit stiff past the synchros, and emits an audible clunk on the 2-3 shift, you have to wrestle with the lever more than necessary, a shame because the linkage feels solid, with well-defined gates. A 4-speed automatic, likely the better choice here, is available.
If you couldn't care less about at-the-limit handling behavior and relish a brisk drive at 7- or 8/10ths, you'll probably like the GTP just fine. With the optional ($150) Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires, size 225/50R-18, this coupe generates a respectable 0.82g and delivers a sporting, but by no means sports-car ride. Venture toward the edge of the envelope, and you'll find that the suspension allows the front tires to flop over on their sidewalls, a trait worsened by a nose-heavy 62/38 weight bias. Through our slalom, this necessitated a slower than usual entry speed to maintain their contact patches, then feeding in throttle to what the front tires would accept. The soft-ish shock valving doesn't help in quick transitions either. On the skidpad, same story: Too much throttle and/or velocity and the fronts play possum, rolling off the tread blocks and onto the sidewall lettering for a steady, grinding push.
The good news is that it makes this chassis goof-proof. Jump off the throttle mid-turn? Go ahead; the rears stick like they've grown roots and the understeer lightens up a touch. You won't see many G6 GTPs off the road facing backward. And brakes, with sliding 2-piston calipers up front clamping 11.6-in. vented discs (rears are 10.6-in. solid discs), carve off chunks of speed effectively with a firm pedal. In fact, with our normal drag strip shut-down area compromised, we had to make several hard stops from 100 mph or so in succession, and the pedal softened only slightly.
So limit handling isn't stellar, but we don't (and shouldn't) drive in this rarefied region often, and the GTP comports itself well in most other situations. Wind and road noise are commendably low, and 75-mph cruising is relaxed, the engine ticking over at 2400 rpm in 6th gear. As coupes go, there's a good measure of practicality because rear leg room is generous, but the fast roofline exacts a toll on head room. And fold-down rear seats make the most of the medium-size and usefully shaped trunk.
At a base price of $23,985 and an as-tested sticker of $28,270 (with leather, moonroof, heated seats, etc.), the G6 GTP strikes us as a pretty solid value, hugely improved from its shady Grand Am past yet still falling a little short on refinement to be considered a class leader.
And now it's easy on the eyes. That counts for a lot, we think.
The Competition
Pricier, yes, but the Honda Accord EX V-6 Coupe (tested March 2004) is lighter, slightly quicker and its interior shows more polish than the Pontiac. It also seats five to the G6's four, but the rear passengers won't enjoy as much leg room. The Honda gets the nod for engine/transmission smoothness, but the G6 wins points with a broader powerband.
Pontiac G6 GTP Coupe Honda Accord EX V-6 Coupe
Current list price $23,985 $27,400
Engine ohv 3.9-liter V-6 sohc 3.0-liter V-6
Horsepower 240 bhp @ 6000 rpm 240 bhp @ 6250 rpm
Torque 241 lb-ft @ 2800 rpm 212 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm
Transmission 6-speed manual 6-speed manual
0-60 mph 6.5 sec 6.3 sec
Braking 0-60 mph 128 ft 127 ft
Lateral accel
(200-ft skidpad) 0.82g 0.81g
Speed thru 700-ft slalom 64.2 mph 63.9 mph
Fuel mileage est 18/29 mpg 21/30 mpg
Length 189.0 in. 187.6 in.
Width 70.6 in. 71.3 in.
Height 57.0 in. 55.7 in.
Wheelbase 112.3 in. 105.1 in.
Track, f/r 59.8 in./60.4 in. 61.1 in./61.2 in.
Curb weight 3530 lb 3260 lb
02-02-2006, 11:16 AM
#183
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My sister has a loaded GT coupe. I gotta say, it's a great car, and a great looking car. This article is a very fair assesment. I agree with the article about the center console (it's the only thing that isn't truly up to par with the rest of the car). The ergonomics are good, but the buttons could really be upgraded, and it's monotone (my sister's is all black) just doesn't do it for me. That said, the rest of the car is really excellent.
02-02-2006, 12:57 PM
#184
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Originally Posted by titan
My sister has a loaded GT coupe. I gotta say, it's a great car, and a great looking car. This article is a very fair assesment. I agree with the article about the center console (it's the only thing that isn't truly up to par with the rest of the car). The ergonomics are good, but the buttons could really be upgraded, and it's monotone (my sister's is all black) just doesn't do it for me. That said, the rest of the car is really excellent.
02-02-2006, 01:09 PM
#185
I wonder how the G6 is selling for Pontiac. The interior looks better in the 2-tone tan/black, not as bleek looking. I would hope it rides better than the Grand Am GT I rented for a week. That thing rode like crap!
02-02-2006, 06:02 PM
#186
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Originally Posted by M TYPE X
Women love Grand Ams and G6s. My grandma, my aunt, my cousin ... every chick's got one.
03-31-2006, 07:43 PM
#187
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GM NY - - Source: Autoweek
...
GM also has plans to show a Pontiac G6 GXP show car. The G6 GXP is powered by at 270-horsepower 3.9L V-6 and will feature a more aggressive appearance. GM plans to use the GXP show car to test both media and public reaction before a decision on production is made.
GM also has plans to show a Pontiac G6 GXP show car. The G6 GXP is powered by at 270-horsepower 3.9L V-6 and will feature a more aggressive appearance. GM plans to use the GXP show car to test both media and public reaction before a decision on production is made.
03-31-2006, 10:07 PM
#189
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That would be great if it wasn't another crap gm car inside, the g6 didn't escape the gm cost cutters from the beginning and this sounds like the usual plan to just deny reality and add da power and make it da wonderful car all of a sudden, da yes.
04-04-2006, 08:59 AM
#191
Burning Brakes
Pontiac G6 GXP Show Car at NYIAS
Text & Photos courtesy General Motors
Sleek styling with more aggressive appearance and stance
Seeking to build on the 25-percent retail sales gain by the G6 so far this year, Pontiac is revealing a new G6 GXP coupe show car at the upcoming New York International Auto Show. Designed to augment the G6’s sleek styling with a more aggressive appearance and stance, the new GXP show car will test both media and public reaction before any final decision on production is made.
“Although the GXP performance series has been very successful in the past, we’ve never attempted to introduce a GXP on our largest volume vehicle and we want to be sure we do it right,” said Dennis Maraone, Pontiac product director. “We believe the package of exterior, interior and performance enhancements we’ve put together on the G6 GXP show car should appeal to 2+2 coupe enthusiasts.”
Highlighting the exterior styling changes is a redesigned front fascia, featuring an integrated lower air dam and an aggressive chrome treatment of Pontiac’s signature twin-port grille, as well as a twin air scoop hood. Around back, the new rear fascia shows off the dual chrome-tipped exhaust and unique “hammerhead” spoiler. Side rocker panels, 19-inch wheels, vented cross-drilled brake rotors, and a 25-mm reduction in suspension height finish off the GXP’s ground-hugging appearance.
Inside, red accents give the GXP a sportier flavor than a standard G6. The red chrome trim on the instrument cluster, center stack and door controls augments the red leather seat and door panel inserts.
Under the hood, the G6 GXP uses a modified 3.9-liter V-6 engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Linking a ram air induction system with K&N air filter to a cat-back free flowing exhaust helps boost engine output to 270 horsepower (202 kw) and 259 lb.-ft. of torque (358 Nm).
The GXP performance series was introduced in 2003 with the Bonneville GXP. The Grand Prix GXP joined the line in 2005 and currently accounts for 30 percent of all Grand Prix retail sales. The Solstice GXP launches this fall.
04-04-2006, 11:01 AM
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Originally Posted by 04EuroAccordTsx
The GTO should've looked like the G6 coupe, it seems more badass and muscular than the GTO bodystyle.
04-04-2006, 11:02 AM
#195
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Originally Posted by sdho
something wrong with the body style...I don't like it
04-04-2006, 06:33 PM
#197
The sizzle in the Steak
as far as the exterior design is concerned....as for the interior 
acres of black gray pontiac plastic.
04-04-2006, 09:22 PM
#198
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Lose the wail tail and replace it with a lip spoiler, get rid of the hood scoops, and move the shark fin antenna to above the rear window and it has potential.
06-29-2006, 06:02 PM
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Autoweek confirms that the GTP model for 2007 will get the 3.6L DOHC V6 from Cadillac/Buick and a 6 speed auto tranny. It will shave 0.3 off of the 0-60 run (to 6.9 now) and 1-2 mpg of fuel savings. It weighs the same as the 3.9L pushrod but it makes more power (251HP instead of 227HP). The 3.9 will still stay as an option for "lesser" G6 models going forward.