Several senior General Motors executives are pushing for the Holden Commodore-based Pontiac G8 sedan to come back to America as a high-performance Chevrolet. GM Vice President Bob Lutz describes it as a "four-door Corvette."
"There's a possibility of [the Pontiac G8 coming back as] a high-end Chevrolet sedan that would be sold in limited numbers," Lutz told international media at the Detroit auto show. Volume would be limited because "with the U.S. fuel economy legislation, we just can't afford to sell too many of them."
Lutz is a great fan of Holden's rear-drive Commodore sedan, which is available in several high-performance variants. "The thrill of high-performance driving is unmatched by anything that doesn't have rear drive, bags of torque, and a nice transmission," he says. "I think of it as a four-door Corvette."
Lutz says the Commodore-based Chevy sport sedan could be on sale "well within five years" but declined to be more specific on timing. "I'd prefer to let Holden tell you when they're going to do their next aesthetic job," he said.
Earlier at the Detroit show, Mike Simcoe, the Australian-born head of GM's North American design studio, also hinted that the Pontiac G8 would "probably make a very nice Chevrolet." While at Holden, Simcoe led the design team that developed the Commodore.
"There is absolutely a chance the Commodore could come back to America," says Mark Reuss, the new president of GM North America. "I would love to have that car here."
Reuss, who headed GM's Holden operation in Australia until September and is intimately familiar with the Commodore program, says there is no impediment to bringing the car back other than the number of vehicles GM wants to put into the Chevy portfolio.
Thanks to: Motor Trend