2009 Pontiac G8 in Bridgeview

In 1984, when gasoline was suddenly cheap again following the 1970s fuel crises, Pontiac's slogan was, "We Build Excitement."

If you were looking for thrills of the large-sedan variety, the Parisienne was your ride. Stuffed with an asthmatic, 150-hp V-8, it wheezed to 60 mph in, oh, about thirteen seconds. Cornering? Not so much. The lumbering Parisienne was brimming with excitement all right. About as much excitement as an intestinal virus on prom night.

Now it's 2009, gas is suddenly cheap again - at least relatively speaking, and at least for the moment - and this time, Pontiac offers a very different kind of excitement. The G8 GXP may look similar to the 6.0-liter V-8-powered G8 GT, but underneath its vented hood is the 6.2-liter LS3 V-8 from the Corvette. Producing 415 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque, this engine makes the GXP the most powerful production Pontiac ever. Pontiac claims that the GXP, equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission, will hit 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and burst through the quarter mile in 13.2 seconds at 109 mph.

If you're looking to maximize excitement, though, get the optional six-speed manual transmission, with which a permagrin comes standard. The first stick-shift G8 uses the Tremec gearbox from the Corvette, replete with short-throw shifts and a perfectly weighted, easy-to-modulate clutch. Closely spaced ratios keep the LS3 in its power band - not to mention its acoustic sweet spot. However, at highway speeds, revs are just high enough to introduce some driveline vibration into the cabin, and since the LS3 doesn't have the GT's fuel-saving cylinder deactivation, the GXP can barely manage 20 mpg.

The G8 GXP's stopping power is prodigious, thanks to a pair of aluminum four-piston Brembo calipers up front squeezing fourteen-inch rotors.... Read full article