It looks like things will be getting a lot less exciting at Pontiac, as some reports indicate that the erstwhile performance brand will be losing its best performers. Despite the fact that the G8 sedan has seen nothing but positive press from the media, including your humble scribes here at Autoblog, the realities of fuel economy and the global economy appear set to kill off the rear-wheel drive performance sedan in the prime of its short life. GM will reportedly not renew the G8 after its Holden-sourced chassis architecture is redesigned following a planned five-year run.
The Pontiac Solstice in both coupe and convertible forms is also unlikely to see a second generation. Unfortunately, the Solstice, Saturn Sky and their Opel spin-off don’t generate enough sales to support another go-round, which could leave Pontiac with exactly zero vehicles with overtly sporting pretensions. While the G6 may be a decent car, it and a Cobalt derivative in the form of the G5 and a rebadged Aveo known as the G3 do not a BMW competitor make. What does this mean for the future of Pontiac as a brand? We’ll see.
that g3 looks worse than the aveo…which i really wish wasnt possible lol. I think pontiac should just absolve(sp?) and they should rebadge the g8 as a chevy…really wish the sky would stick around though…was considering giving them a chance for a test drive next summer for a daily…
I thought Toyota bought the rights(?) to build the vibe as the matrix. Therefore Toyota copied Pontiac which forced Pontiac to redesign the vibe. I’m pretty sure but I do not know if it’s a fact.
Sweet I should keep the Sky as I was debating on selling as Wifey said she probably won’t drive it for at least a year or so.Tuck it away in the back of my dad’s garage and forget about it I guess.887 miles to date
This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s done. Contrary to what many people on an automotive forum might think, the bulk of sales do not come from performance gas guzzling vehicles.
Now, what company could this possibly have worked for in the past? Oh yeah that’s right, Toyota. They ditched the Supra, Celica, and the MR2 Spyder and they seem to be doing just fine without any sports cars. Just “S” versions and such of their economy cars.
It’s about time they regroup and focus on quality instead of making a few people happy about a car that won’t keep them happy for more than 70k miles.
However, I really like the sky, and will consider one in the future. It does kind of suck that they are taking those out.
Slut. I’m speaking on behalf of the nation. Not car enthusiasts. Of course I would rather have the highest model Sky rather than a base model Corolla. But that isn’t where companies make their money.
The Cav has nothing to do with this because it was built before GM really took a spiraling plummet in quality and design. Please tell me you don’t think mid to late 90’s GM vehicles were quality…
GM’s foray into the idea of a Chrysler takeover exposed that company’s dire situation for all to see. Burning through cash at a prodigious rate – a little more than $1 billion per month according to estimates – GM’s search for crucial financing is getting beyond desperate at this point, and now everyone knows it. That alone is a stunning admission from the company formerly known as an American corporate icon. But it’s more than that, because GM’s situation grows more precarious by the moment, and if they don’t make a deal for that much-needed infusion of cash soon – in the next 12 months, preferably less – then we could be contemplating the unthinkable. And that means not only the end of GM’s 100-year reign as the largest American car company and one of America’s historical industrial touchstones, but the end of General Motors, period.
Chrysler will be the first to go, and GM – as unthinkable as that might be - is teetering on the brink of oblivion.
And Ford? Well Ford just may be the last American car company standing when this is all done playing out.
Notice that he thinks Ford is in the best position of the domestics (and he’s a long-time GM fan).
General Motors is GLOBAL company. I just cannot bring myself to believe it could destroy itself this fast.
They will eventually turn shit around. Apparently it’s going to take an even bigger kick in the ass than the one they’ve been getting for the past 15+ years or criticism.
