Government Motors Lacks BMW Vision

BMW is very excited by the feedback from it's 2013 Vision hybrid concept supercar. Although by the time it hits showrooms, it will lose some of the exterior flair and perhaps morph into a four door sedan, it will no doubt be hailed by the media, as it likely should. Actually, in looking at it, it seems GM has/had a vehicle that has similarities in it's exterior appearance that has very similar chassis characteristics and weight differential that drew very high marks from the automotive media. You guessed it, the Pontiac G8 GXP.

Famed longtime GM executive Bob Lutz labeled the Pontiac G8 Grand Prix GXP "America's BMW", and many automotive journalists agree, as noted HERE, HERE and HERE. It is unfortunate, that President Barack Obama, in a rare display of his Mount Rushmore brilliance, fired GM CEO Rick Wagoner and placed the fortunes moving forward of General Motors, and Pontiac, in the hands of a complete neophyte named Brain Deese.

Pontiac, regrettably for the American consumer, did not survive. On that note, although I remain irate at this development, I am happy to have a G8 Grand Prix GXP in the garage.

The Cars Americans Want

We continue to hear from analysts from every nook and cranny that the American car companies do not build cars that Americans want. This is nonsense, and I have written about it extensively on the blog, most notably HERE and HERE.

AOL ran a story today listing a handful of some outstanding vehicles and identifying cheaper alternatives called "Drive Like Rockstar On A Roadie's Budget"

Here is what AOL had to say about the BMW M5, which by all accounts is a superb vehicle, priced at around $80,000.

When it comes to sports sedans, there are few who would deny the M5 a rightful place at the top. The limited-production M5 can out-accelerate, out-brake and out-corner some of the most expensive sports cars, with comfortable seating for five. It's powered by a hand-built 500-hp 5.0-liter V10, with suspension and brakes enhanced to match all the power. Buyers can choose between a 7-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) with steering wheel paddles or 6-speed manual transmission

And AOL's suggested alternative, priced at $35,000, the Pontiac G8 GXP, the newly named wide track Grand Prix:

The Pontiac G8 (especially the V-8 versions found in GT and GXP trims) is every bit the poor man's (or maybe it's more correctly noted as "wise man's") BMW M5. Aping the performance-minded rear-drive setup of the BMW, Pontiac's hot sedan puts down 355 horsepower in GT trim or a whopping 415 in GXP trim. That's serious armament for a vehicle that starts in the high 20s (or low to mid 30s for the V-8s). While the Pontiac will never confuse itself for BMW on the inside, we think the sporty and clean lines of the exterior are a no-nonsense homage to some of BMW's best. In fact, we might even opt for the Pontiac even if money was no option.

I already have opted for the Pontiac G8 (Grand Prix) GXP.

And while these glowing assessments of the Pontiac G8 GXP continue, like this one, Obama's and his Car Tsar have taken over GM and decided to eliminate the Pontiac Motor Division. This is yet another "brilliant' move by the group of morons running our country these days.