GM Death Star

The very first Holden made Pontiac G8 GXP will be auctioned off next weekend at the Barrett-Jackson event in Palm Beach.

Burt Reynolds, who is perhaps most well known as "The Bandit" running his black Pontiac Trans-Am leading a run to get beer in the outstanding cult movie "Smokey and The Bandit," will be in attendance.

Unfortunately, the final bid for this Pontiac G8 GXP will be outside the parameters of my disposable income.



First Production Pontiac G8 To Be Auctioned Off At Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach

GM appears in effort to destroy itself.

It began with the company listening to idiotic Obama staffers who thought it best to jettison the Pontiac Motor Division in a restructuring in the aftermath of the 2008 financial collapse.

GM kept Buick instead, and sales have been much less than hoped.

The Pontiac G8 gained high acclaim from the industry. This Holden based V8 RWD four door performance sedan represented the muscle car Pontiac's of the past.  The GXP model turned out 415 HP.

With Buick not offering a V8 sedan, GM made a good decision and essentially modernized the Pontiac G8, re-badging the Pontiac G8 as the Chevrolet SS in 2013.  Both cars are essentially Holden Commodores, both rear wheel drive V8's turning 415HP.

Chevrolet is the only GM product run on the NASCAR circuit, an the car is the Chevrolet SS.

The Chevy SS, the only direct lineage to Pontiac remaining, produced essentially 3000 cars annually for America from 2013-2017.

In yet another boneheaded decision, GM and Holden ended production of the Chevy SS.  2017 is the final year you can buy one new, and if you hope to do so, you had better hurry up. The non-advertised car is already a collectors item.

Like the Pontiac G8, the Chevy SS is a phenomenal vehicle, with those who care offering countless acclaim.
Motor Trend called the SS the "benchmark sports sedan."

Sadly, an affordable four sedan with V8 power will no longer be available from General Motors. The only V8 options will be the expensive Cadillac, the Camaro and the Corvette.

Meanwhile, an oversupply of unsold Buick vehicles sit in inventory.

The White Knuckle Highway

When the good ole boys hit the Superspeedway restrictor plate races at Daytona and Talladega, the races usually invovle a major accident, which is commonly referred to as the big one. Often, the big one has been followed by a late race accident involving cars getting airborne.

The reason NASCAR implemented the restrictor plate, a small plate placed over the carburetor which restricts the flow of fuel to the engine thus reducing horsepower, was due to the following crash in 1987 as Bobby Allison in his Miller High Life Buick almost entered the grandstands. Check it out:



The placement of the restrictor plate slowed the cars down about from about 210 to 195 and seemed to bunch the cars together for tight racing, but it did not stop the major crashes. Take a look at Neil Bonnett, who was returning to competition after a few years in the television booth in the Mom and Pops Chevrolet Lumina, a car owned by his buddy, Dale Earnhardt.



Bonnett would later lose his life in a practice lap in his Country Time Lemonade Chevrolet at Daytona in 1994.

Another nasty crash at Talladega found Rusty Wallace finishing the race in sixth place in his Miller Genuine Draft Pontiac Grand Prix barrel rolling through he air. Take a look at this one:



Other drivers who have had last lap flips at Talladega, otherwise known as the White Knuckle Highway, are Elliott Sadler in the M&M's Ford and Bobby Labonte in the Interstate Batteries Pontiac.

The running of the Aarons's 449 yesterday at Talladega Superspeedway had it all. We had the big one on lap eight and then a very scary incident involving Carl Edwards as his Ford Fusion, in an eerily similar crash to the aforementioned Bobby Allison crash, almost entered the stands. Eight spectators were injured, either from debris from Edwards car or from broken parts of the catch fence. Check out this heartstopper:



I have been attending races at Daytona since 1992 and the catch fence is quite imposing and obviously capable of prohibiting the cars from breaking through to enter the stands. You can see the fencing in this photo of Jeff Gordon in his Dupont Chevy at Daytona last year:

NASCAR has made great safety strides with the safer walls, the catch fencing, the restrictor plates, roof flaps, fuel cells, roll cages and the HANS device. I remember Ernie Irvan and Dale Earnhardt wrecking in front of me on the Daytona Superstretch in 1997 when Irvans hood flew up toward where we were sitting. NASCAR is an awesome thrill and I love the sport, but I am in those stands twice a year and find it amazing there have been very few spectator injuries. Maybe ISC (ISCA:NASDAQ) might want to consider raising the fence height about two feet or so after the events of this past weekend. NASCAR is reviewing policies.

Buy American

By now, you have probably seen this very entertaining "advertisement" about the Big 3 bailout. Certainly, rewarding bad management and non profitable companies is not prudent, and I have outlined the problems the automakers face in a previous post. The top of the add proclaims that Americans will not "buy our shitty cars" is not true as GM outsells all carmakers, but the perception of the Big 3 making shitty cars is a reality in the minds of most Americans. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Now that the Bush Administration has given the Big 3 a life line with lost interest loans, it is time for Americans who are considering a purchase of a new vehicle to closely examine products from Ford, Chrysler and General Motors. I have done some homework for you, and will list a a dozen plus one that have my recommendations.

In terms of trucks, each of the Big 3 automakers grade strongly in this regard. The Dodge RAM trucks, the Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado are all outstanding products. Pictured above is the Cheverolet Silverado.


Looking for a sporty classic? Well, you can find it in the Ford Mustang. Ford was visionary in becoming the first automaker to "retro" the look of some of their models, and the Mustang is a huge hit and an outstanding option for a two door fun experience. You cannot go wrong here.










Buick is rebounding strongly, particularly overseas. Here in the US the Buick Enclave is representative of a top notch crossover vehicle fit for fun and/or family. A sporty alternative to the sedan is the Pontiac Solstice. A fast and fun to drive two seater is a head turner on the highway and superior to any foreign competitor in its price range.









Your Chevrolet dealership has a top rated family sedan in the award winning Chevorlet Malibu while car entusiasts can grab the Chevrolet Corvette, which continues to add to the legacy of the two door speedster.









Are you kidding me? Talk about a couple of blasts from the past. Chrysler Corporations Dodge division jumped out a few years back with the redevelopment of the Dodge Charger and now has brought back the Dodge Challenger. Both retro looks are very cool. The Charger is a big seller.

I pilot around in a Chevy Trailblazer which I really like but the real SUV leader is the Chevrolet Tahoe, pictured at left. The media attempts to tell you that you do not want these types of vehicles because they are not "green friendly". You do want these vehicles and they have a hybrid Tahoe that is fantastic.

I test drove the GM Cadillac CTS and fell in love with it. This luxury vehicle is wonderful and rivals any luxury sedan out there. The performance is breathtaking as well. I dare you to test drive it.

And finally, the sleek 4 door sedan that is the best bang for your your buck going, The Pontiac G8 GXP, which is a high performance Grand Prix which will lay waste to any competitor in its class. Don't take my word for it, hear it straight from Motor Trend.



I disclose that I am an owner of products from General Motors Chevrolet and Pontiac divisions. Keep the shiny side up and stand on it!