[imported_MPower]

Originally Posted by AutoBlog

Today in New York during what we believed would be a mundane media event, General Motors dropped a mini-bomb on us when it announced pricing for its highly anticipated rear-wheel-drive Pontiac G8 sedan. The V6 model will arrive with a base price of $27,595, while the G8 GT with a V8 will begin at $29,995. Yep, they somehow managed to get the price of the performance model below $30,000, which, considering this car is basically imported from Australia, is amazing.

The base model is of course powered by GM's excellent 3.6L V6, though the direct inject version that's available with the Cadillac CTS. Expect around 260 HP for the V6, and it's mated to a five-speed automatic. The G8 GT, meanwhile, gets the General's 6.0L V8 paired with a six-speed automatic. Sorry, there's no rowing your own boat in a Pontiac G8, as no manual transmission appears to be offered.

We're pretty impressed that GM managed to keep the base price below $28,000, and that there's only $2,400 separating the two models. Mark our words, this car will sell out, at least in its first year of production and perhaps one or two after that.

Link: http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/02/p...art-at-27-595/

No matter how you see it, 365 horsepower for 30 grand is a phenomenal deal and something like this confirms my view that anything over 34,000 for a base 135i will overprice it out of the market.

[joelk]

yeah i ran across this too ... i certainly think bmw will command a premium but perhaps not as much as i originally thought.

[atr_hugo]

Originally Posted by MPower

No matter how you see it, 365 horsepower for 30 grand is a phenomenal deal and something like this confirms my view that anything over 34,000 for a base 135i will overprice it out of the market.

Let's see if we can find some of ZweierCoupe's pretzel-logic to refute that statement. ; -)

[imported_MPower]

Originally Posted by atr_hugo

Let's see if we can find some of ZweierCoupe's pretzel-logic to refute that statement. ; -)

He would probably try to claim that 38,000 is reasonable as the car will still be faster than an Audi TT 3.2.

Speaking of which, the G8 GT certainly makes the TT look a horrifically overpriced little car. Wonder how Audi is going to respond.

[ducati]

G8 and TT are so different, I have no idea why you would put them in the same sentence. Buyers will not cross-shop those two. Horsepower-per-dollar isn't the penultimate measure.

$29,995 is very aggressive, and an excellent deal. I will shop it.

[Lips]

Originally Posted by ducati

G8 and TT are so different, I have no idea why you would put them in the same sentence. Buyers will not cross-shop those two. Horsepower-per-dollar isn't the penultimate measure.

$29,995 is very aggressive, and an excellent deal. I will shop it.

Couldn't agree more with your first statement. That is like comparing the bargain value and performance of an SRT-4 (still a neon) to a G35. I don't know, many people have been making that claim, but I fail to see the relevance.

Lips

[hector]

Originally Posted by MPower

...the G8 GT certainly makes the TT look a horrifically overpriced little car. Wonder how Audi is going to respond.

+1, i saw one on display in a mall in north jersey last week, the sticker was 54k, i nearly shit(or is it shat:biggrin myself. i wouldn't pay that in a million years for that bathtub that you can't see out of over the steering wheel.

[Propagator]

Originally Posted by hector

+1, i saw one on display in a mall in north jersey last week, the sticker was 54k, i nearly shit(or is it shat:biggrin myself. i wouldn't pay that in a million years for that bathtub that you can't see out of over the steering wheel.

Audi woke up one day and decided that the new TT will be an all out Z4 competitor, and priced it accordingly.

Except the Z4 is overpriced even for a BMW RWD roadster. Pricing an Audi aluminum space golf with cute sheet metal right up there is just suicide.

Yeah, and the G8 is a hell of a deal, and it doesn't even look THAT ugly. I like the side profile with very short front overhang.

The only question is whether people can get over the Pontiac stigma.

[atr_hugo]

Originally Posted by spinzero

The only question is whether people can get over the Pontiac stigma.

You mean the "Pontiac: We Build Driving Excrement" stigma? ; -)

[Propagator]

Originally Posted by atr_hugo

You mean the "Pontiac: We Build Driving Excrement" stigma? ; -)

Really, doesn't Pointiac have about the worst reputation in GM stable regarding quality?

I'm not saying the G8 would be necessarily bad, as it is really a Holden, but stigma is a bitch. Ask Hyundai, which is, incidentaly, also planning a RWD V8 sedan for around $30K.

[atr_hugo]

You nailed it - it's companies trying hard to rebuild credibility that can offer up some nice product at value prices. Gotta get butts in seats . . .

[imported_MPower]

Originally Posted by ducati

G8 and TT are so different, I have no idea why you would put them in the same sentence. Buyers will not cross-shop those two. Horsepower-per-dollar isn't the penultimate measure.

Really? The TT and G8 dont compete? Tell me something that I dont know. :wink:

The comment only meant to clarify that the TT is overpriced no matter how you look at it. Given that the TT is a car some here have tried to say serves as a reasonable price competitor for the 135i, I think it is important to highlight how by every measure (be it power, features, size, performance, etc.) the TT is extremely overpriced.

[murdoc158]

The G8 GT, meanwhile, gets the General's 6.0L V8 paired with a six-speed automatic. Sorry, there's no rowing your own boat in a Pontiac G8, as no manual transmission appears to be offered.

Thanks GM!

[ducati]

Originally Posted by MPower

Really? The TT and G8 dont compete? Tell me something that I dont know. :wink:

The comment only meant to clarify that the TT is overpriced no matter how you look at it. Given that the TT is a car some here have tried to say serves as a reasonable price competitor for the 135i, I think it is important to highlight how by every measure (be it power, features, size, performance, etc.) the TT is extremely overpriced.

The TT's interior will no doubt be nicer than the 1er.

You said: "The G8 will make the TT look like a horribly overpriced little car."

How?

Size?

Horsepower?

Weight?

I don't see your point.

[imported_MPower]

Originally Posted by ducati

The TT's interior will no doubt be nicer than the 1er.

Trust me... it ain't. It's typical Audi but it felt a lot cheaper than I was expecting.

Originally Posted by ducati

You said: "The G8 will make the TT look like a horribly overpriced little car."

How?

Size?

Horsepower?

Weight?

I don't see your point.

I didnt think that the point was that hard to grasp...

360+ horsepower V8, quality interior (as evidenced by the numerous Vauxhall VXR8 and Holden Commodore SS-V reviews), large feature content, sport package with LSD, 19-inch wheels, etc., leather interior, and more for around 7,000 dollars less than a V6 Golf. :wink:

[ducati]

Originally Posted by MPower

Trust me... it ain't. It's typical Audi but it felt a lot cheaper than I was expecting.

I didnt think that the point was that hard to grasp...

360+ horsepower V8, quality interior (as evidenced by the numerous Vauxhall VXR8 and Holden Commodore SS-V reviews), large feature content, sport package with LSD, 19-inch wheels, etc., leather interior, and more for around 7,000 dollars less than a V6 Golf. :wink:

That's what I figured. Why not a Mustang? GTO? Are you Legion5's long lost twin?

[Propagator]

Originally Posted by ducati

That's what I figured. Why not a Mustang? GTO? Are you Legion5's long lost twin?

If you feel that the new TT deserves its price tag, that's perfectly fine. You can always vote with your wallet.

I for one think it's very much overpriced, and I don't see any problem bringing the GTO and Mustang into the comparison either. Sure they tend to appeal to different market, but not entirely. The truth is that while the TT has some very nice design inside and out, mechanically it's rather unremarkable with the exception of the ASF.

I think it's a very desirable little car, certainly a much better effort than the first gen. I'm sure Audi is counting on that desirability when they priced it like that. I guess at the end the sales figure will speak for itself, say, compared to the Mustang or the G8.

[ducati]

Originally Posted by spinzero

I for one think it's very much overpriced, and I don't see any problem bringing the GTO and Mustang into the comparison either. Sure they tend to appeal to different market, but not entirely. The truth is that while the TT has some very nice design inside and out, mechanically it's rather unremarkable with the exception of the ASF.

MSRP does not equate to mechanically remarkable. There's a sea of mechanically unremarkable, expensive vehicles in this world. Probably even a majority. Please don't misconstrue my intentions: I would never buy a TT. I prefer pure driving enjoyment to an overly designed style icon.

But on a BMW note, how about the 5er. $12k more for a 5 than a 3. Why? A few inches more of room? Worse crash-test ratings? More boring drive? Stylish, though, sure... Bah, I think 5's are overpriced. I might even think the Pontiac is a better buy than the 5. But I'm not going to take a G8 GT thread and remind everyone how much I think the 5er is a worthless, overpriced, boring sedan. Should we start naming off all the cars we think are mechanically unremarkable and overpriced, so we can discuss these in a G8 thread?

I mean, come on... I'd rather have a G8 than a TAHOE. Let's bash the Tahoe.

Let's talk Pontiac.

[imported_MPower]

Originally Posted by murdoc158

Thanks GM!

A 6-speed manual will be offered later on. I think I read somewhere that it come half-way through the first year. Regardless, Pontiac have confirmed that a manual gearbox will come.

[atr_hugo]

Here's the C&D report on their 'first drive' of the G8 - they mention gas guzzler tax for a manual G8 GT (which I think GM would try to mitigate before offering the manual).

http://www.caranddriver.com/previews...g8.html?al=157

[ducati]

I applaud Pontiac for offering a manual. Kudos to them. Can't wait to see these things doing burnouts on every streetcorner

[Lips]

The power and price are nice, but I'm not in love with the looks of the car. Looks are one of if not the most important thing for me in selecting a car.

Lips