2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

Pontiac returns to its roots with a sports sedan that’s all attitude

By Nina Russin

2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

The Pontiac G8 GXP parked in my driveway reminds me a lot of the ’63 Catalina sedan. The sedan wasn’t technically a muscle car: a designation reserved for the hardtop model. But its large V-8 engine had enough low-end torque to strip asphalt, and the available Hurst shifter ensured that none of the horsepower went to waste.

A kid who might want to borrow Mom and Dad’s car to do a few smoky burnouts on the weekend could get the job done with the family sedan, assuming the car was a properly equipped ’63 Catalina. It wasn’t exactly a wolf in sheep’s clothing: more like Doctor Jeckyll on the losing end of a date with Mister Hyde.

Like the Catalina, the Pontiac G8 is a muscle car in a sedan body. Unlike the most recent GTO, the G8 has styling to match its performance. That’s a good thing, since Pontiac enthusiasts don’t take well to milk toast exteriors. Read the rest of this entry »