General Motors is recalling more than 38,000 Pontiac G8 sedan in a move to reprogram airbag modules for the front passenger seats.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Pontiac G8′s airbag modules for models built for the 2008 and 2009 model years may not be in compliance with federal standards for head injury protection of some passengers.

The recall consists of 38,444 G8 models that were built in Australia and imported to the stateside.

GM said that there have been no crashes, injuries or complaints related to the airbag issue.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News

Pontiac has been dead since April in 2009. It was a rather unfortunate event, one that left many enthusiasts scratching their heads and even on their knees crying for it to come back. And because of Pontiac’s death, you’d think that the brand loyalists would lose interest in GM, thinking it was a bad move from the get-go. But a recent study conducted by Edmunds.com showed that nearly 40% of Pontiac owners have stayed loyal to the General.

Of those 40% who stayed loyal to the General, they did so by opting for another GM vehicle in 2011, translating into a greater retention rate (by about eight points greater) than 2010.

“Any time a manufacturer shuts down a brand, there’s a concern that its consumers will shift loyalties to another company,” says Michelle Krebs, senior analyst at Edmunds.com. “General Motors took a calculated risk that it could retain Pontiac drivers under its umbrella, and the gamble appears to have paid off — with even more success than they enjoyed in previous years when Pontiac was still an option for returning customers.”

However, truth be told that Ford Motor Company has been the most successful brand choice for Pontiac owners seeking an alternative. And I know of one example personally where a Pontiac Grand Am owner changed over to a Ford Fusion. Edmunds estimated that about 9,4% of former Pontiac owners jumped to Ford in 2011, which is down from last year’s reported 12.4%.

Additionally, Honda and Toyota grabbed an estimated 7.4% of Pontiac owners, a lower rate from last year’s report for both brands.

- By: Chris Chin

Source: Inside Line

Still upset at General Motors for killing of the Pontiac and Saturn brands? According to a new report, nearly two-thirds of Pontiac owners and almost three-fourths of Saturn drivers has left General Motors to other automakers as they bought new vehicles in 2010.

GM got rid of Pontiac, Saturn and Hummer as a part of its government scripted bankruptcy restructuring in 2009 and was hoping that buyers of those brands stick within the remaining GM family.

There are about 3 million Pontiacs, Saturns and Hummers on U.S. roads that GM wants to keep and transfer their loyalty to a Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac.

While GM says that a Chevy is a top choice for many Pontiac and Saturn owners, most of those customers are moving to rival brands, including Honda, Toyota and Nissan. In 2010, GM retained 36 percent of Pontiac owners who bought new vehicles, and 26 percent of Saturn and 39 percent from Hummer, according to J.D. Power & Associates.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Detroit News

2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

It’s April 27, 2011  - on April 27, 2009, General Motors released a chilling press release for Pontiac fans saying they will be axing the brand from their portfolio.

“As part of the revised Viability Plan and the need to move faster and further, GM in the U.S. will focus its resources on four core brands, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC,” GM said in a statement. “The Pontiac brand will be phased out by the end of 2010.”

On Nov. 25, 2009, the last Pontiac to roll off the assembly line was the G6 sedan.

PS: We still miss you G8.

Click here to read our post on the phasing out of Pontiac from April 27.

Pontiac G8 GXP

It’s been nearly two years since General Motors filed for bankruptcy and shuttered many brands including Hummer, Saturn and Pontiac. Pontiac was arguably the most important brand due to its size. In 2008, Pontiac was the 12th most popular brand in the United States, fitting between Kia and Mazda. So where are previous Pontiac owners now?

According to a recent study by RL Polk & Co., many of the Pontiac fanatics are going to other GM brands. Last year, 57,641 of Pontiac owners went looking for a new ride and nearly 53.3 percent of them bought another GM. Of those buyers, 33.5 percent of them went to Chevrolet, 11.7 percent went to GMC, 10.5 percent went to Ford, 7.7 percent bought a Toyota and 7.5 percent bought a Honda.

Overall, nearly 69 percent of Pontiac owners stuck with brands from MoTown.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: KickingTires

1963 Pontiac Bonneville Ambulance

We’re not sure why, but some guy ended up submitting the winning $132,000 bid on a 1963 Pontiac ambulance that supposedly carried the body of President John F. Kennedy after his assassination. The ambulance was auctioned off at the Scottsdale, Arizona Barrett-Jackson auction but the authenticity of the vehicle is still in question.

McKeel Hagerty, president of the collector car insurer Hagerty Insurance, said that the Pontiac Ambulance could have fetched a several hundred thousand more if there was no doubt that the vehicle actually carried JFK’s body.

The Barrett-Jackson organization said that it was amble to prove that the vehicle was indeed an authentic 1963 Pontiac Bonneville ambulance but was unable to prove that it ever carried Kennedy’s body.

“Based on all research and our conversations with experts around the country, we do not believe there is a person alive who can answer this question with certainty,” Barrett-Jackson said in a statement.

1963 Pontiac Bonneville Ambulance:

- By: Omar Rana

Source: CNNMoney

Conan drives explosive packed 1969 Dodge Dart off a cliff

Conan O’Brien is back – and if you didn’t know that then we’re pretty sad for you. With all the buzz surrounding his return to late night television, the folks at The Hollywood Reporter decided to do a little study on the viewers of each late night celebrity.

While we could care less about the other findings, the study did find some interesting details on what each of the talk show hosts’s viewers drive. Here is a quick look:

• Conan O’Brien’s Viewers: More likely to be single, tech-savvy, atheist and own a Volkswagen.
• Jay Leno Viewers: Wealthiest, most likely to be religious and drive a Chevy or Pontiac.
• David Letterman Viewers: More likely to be divorced, watch CNN and drive a Toyota.
• Jon Stewart Viewers: Most likely to be married, Catholic and drive a GMC truck

Keep in mind that the study was conducted by Penn Schoen Berland, a global research company with a political and entertainment specialty, from a sample of 700 regular late-night TV viewers between the ages of 18-65.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: DriveOn

HPP Trans AM / Chevrolet Camaro

Since Pontiac is now a dead brand, there is no way that we’ll ever see a Trans Am successor. However, if your Heide Performance Products (better known as HPP), you’ll just end up creating your own retro-inspired Chevrolet Camaro-based Pontiac Trans Am.

At the 2010 SEMA Show in Las Vegas next week, HPP will reveal the Camaro-based Trans Am with flip-up headlamps and everything.

It’s not really that appealing but it’ll do the job for some Trans Am fans. HPP will also show a bunch of other vehicles. Last year, the tuner converted a Dodge Challenger into a Superbird.

HPP Trans AM / Chevrolet Camaro:

- By: Omar Rana

Pontiac G8 GXP

General Motors announced today that within the next couple of months, the Detroit automaker will no longer be selling vehicles from the brands it is eliminating. Executives said that there are about 2,000 Hummer, Pontiac and Saturn vehicles left in its inventory.

During the month of April, GM sold 52 Pontiacs, 373 Saturns and 481 Hummers. It expects the remaining inventory to be gone in about 60 days.

GM sold Saab to Spyker so Saab sales are no longer counted in GM’s totals.

Chevrolet’s chief Jim Campbell said that Chevrolet dealers are currently focusing on providing service to Saturn owners, and then will approach them on the sales side.

Buick/GMC Chief Brian Sweeney said about 200,000 Pontiac owners have taken advantage of the company’s free maintenance program offered by GM at its dealerships.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoObserver

Certain GM owners will be joining Toyota owners on the recall lines as 1.3 million Chevrolet and Pontiac vehicles have been targeted for recall due to a power steering failure issue that is tied to 14 crashes and 1 injury in the United States. Those vehicles to be recalled include the 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, the Canadian-sold 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit, and the 2005-2006 Pontiac G4, which was sold in Mexico.

The NHTSA was advised by GM on Monday about the recall, after GM concluded an internal investigation that was started in January of 2009. The NHTSA opened its own investigation covering 905,000 Cobalts after receiving 1,100 similar complaints.

GM said that the issue tends to develop over time, and is unlikely to affect those vehicles under warranty. The condition has been noticed to impact those vehicles that have been driven 20,000 to 30,000 miles. It is important to note that even if the power-steering failure occurs, the vehicle can still be controlled safely, as the consumer will still be able to steer the vehicle.

- By: Stephen Calogera

Source: CNNMoney

Despite its being included in the recent Toyota recalls, GM says that the Pontiac Vibe is safe to drive. The 2009-2010 Vibes were included in the recall by virtue of their being the sister vehicle to the Toyota Matrix and having been produced at GM and Toyota”s former joint venture plant in Fremont, California.

GM received no complaints of faulty accelerators before the Toyota recalls, but since the recall they have received several complaints of sticking accelerators, but it is believed that none of the complaints involved a crash or incident.

Both GM and Toyota seem to be trying to pawn responsibility off to the other for the recall, but GM spokesman Alan Adler has said that they believe Toyota to be responsible as they designed, engineered, and manufactured the Vibe. Toyota on the other hand, waives responsibility as they say GM had sourced pedals from CTS to build the Vibe as part of the joint venture.

“We ran the Vibe wide open at 60 miles an hour and the brakes were able to bring the vehicle to a safe stop within 169 meters, consistent with our internal requirement for brake performance.” said Martin Hogan, GM director of brake systems.

However this issue of responsibility is to be settled, GM has said it will communicate with Vibe owners about getting the vehicles fixed at Buick-GMC dealers once Toyota prescribes a fix. Until then, Vibe owners who experience a sticking accelerator should park the car and have it towed to a GM dealer.

Press Release:

GM Tests Show Vibe Brakes Can Stop Unintended Acceleration

General Motors has tested two Pontiac Vibe small SUVs and found the brakes stop the vehicle in case of unintended acceleration.

The 2009-10 Pontiac Vibe, a sister vehicle of the Toyota Matrix, is included in two Toyota recalls related to unintended acceleration, one for sticking accelerator pedals and one for possible floor mat entrapment. The Vibe was designed, engineered and manufactured by Toyota through August 2009 at New United Motor Manufacturing, which was a GM-Toyota joint venture.

“We ran the Vibe wide open at 60 miles an hour and the brakes were able to bring the vehicle to a safe stop within 169 meters, consistent with our internal requirement for brake performance.” said Martin Hogan, GM director of brake systems.

In the rare case of a sticking throttle, a driver should apply the brakes firmly and steadily until you come to a stop. Do not pump the brakes, which can deplete the available vacuum boost from the brake system.

Any customer who experiences any accelerator pedal issue should immediately park the vehicle, and have it towed to their GM dealer for an inspection.

Toyota has identified a repair for the Vibe, which will be serviced by GM dealers. GM and Toyota are sorting out how soon parts will be available. The Vibe braking tests were conducted by GM engineers on Saturday at the Milford Proving Grounds after several customers complained of sticking accelerator pedals following the Toyota recalls involving the Vibe were announced Jan. 21 and 27.

None of the complaints have resulted in a crash or injury.

Prior to the recall announcements, GM had not received any relevant customer complaints in the 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe. Nor were there any complaints found in a search of U.S. and Canadian databases.

GM will communicate with the approximately 99,000 Vibe owners in the United States and Canada as soon as additional information about the recalls is received from Toyota.

- By: Stephen Calogera

After General Motors decided to kill Oldsmobile in 2004, 80 percent of Oldsmobile drivers have moved onto non-GM brands. Hoping to prevent the situation with Pontiac owners, GM is offering them four free maintenance visits during 2010.

“It”s to keep the relationship with the Buick-GMC dealer,” said Brian Sweeney, general manager of Buick-GMC. “We thought the best way to do that was through service.”

GM mailed out the offer last month to customers who own a 1999 or later Pontiac purchased new or as a certified used vehicle. Sweeney says that that’s about a million people. Buyers can redeem the offer, good for oil changes and tire rotations, at any Buick/GMC dealership in the United States.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

According to General Motors’ sales executive, Susan Docherty, a total of 1,712 Saturn and Pontiac vehicles remain in the company’s inventory. Docherty told reporters and analysts that only 796 Pontiacs and 916 Saturn units remain, as compared to 32,000 Saturns and more than 70,000 Pontiacs the company had in May as it filed for Chapter 11.

While GM waits for a successful bid for Saab, it is continuing to wind down the brand. As of right now, 1,235 Saab vehicles remain in inventory. Hummer, which is being sold to a Chinese company, has 2,176 units.

Together, the four brands represented 9 percent of retail sales in December, compared with 15 percent in May 2009.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoObserver

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, General Motors is offering huge incentives to dealers to speed up the sales of leftover Saturn and Pontiac vehicles on their lots. The move will essentially help GM report stronger December sales.

In a letter to dealers, GM said that it will give $7,000 for every new Saturn or Pontiac on showroom lots that is moved to rental-vehicle or service-vehicle fleets. That will allow the vehicles to be classified as used since the dealers will be the first owner. In turn that will allow dealers to sell Saturns and Pontiacs at a very steep discount, as much as 46 percent of the MSRP.

The offer is valid until Jan. 4, which is the last day of Dec. sales for cars.

- By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Reuters

According to J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Avoider Study, nearly one in five new car shoppers avoid a brand due to their concerns over the future of the company.

J.D. Power and Associates said that the top five brands being avoided by consumers are domestic brands including Chrysler, Dodge, HUMMER, Pontiac and Saturn. The firm said that at the time of the study, GM had announced that Saturn, Pontiac and Hummer will not be part of the new GM. It said that Ford, Lincoln and Mercury had a much lower level of avoidance.

“For some American manufacturers, quality and reliability performance in the past has led to a poor perception among consumers and, ultimately, to overall avoidance of those brands,” said Kerri Wise, director of automotive research at
J.D. Power and Associates. “These perceptions are slow to change among consumers, so domestic brands must continue to focus on quality improvement and make sure their efforts are communicated to consumers.”

The 2009 Avoider Study is based on responses of 45,000 owners who registered a new car in May or June 2009.

Click through for the press release.

Press Release:

J.D. Power and Associates Reports:
Uncertain Future of Brands Dissuades Some New-Vehicle Buyers from Considering Particular Brands

Lack of Awareness and Styling Are Obstacles to Consideration for Many New-Vehicle Launches

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 15 December 2009 – Nearly one in five new-vehicle buyers who avoid a particular vehicle model cite their concern over the future of the brand as a reason for avoidance, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Avoider StudySM released today.

The study, now in its seventh year, examines the reasons consumers fail to consider or avoid particular models when shopping for new vehicles. While the top three avoidance reasons in 2009-styling, price and perceived reliability-remain unchanged from 2008, concern over the future of the brand is the fourth-most-frequently mentioned reason for avoiding a particular model. Included in the study for the first time, this reason was mentioned by 18 percent of avoiders.

Among brands that were avoided due to concerns over their future viability, the top five are domestic brands: Chrysler, Dodge, HUMMER, Pontiac and Saturn. At the time of the study, GM had announced that HUMMER, Pontiac and Saturn would not be part of “New GM,” while Chrysler, along with GM, was in bankruptcy proceedings. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury had much lower levels of avoidance because of concerns over the brands’ futures. This could be largely attributable to the fact that Ford did not enter bankruptcy proceedings or receive government assistance during the auto industry bailout.

“New-vehicle buyers want to know that if anything goes wrong with their vehicle in a year or two that the manufacturer will be there to back up their product,” said Kerri Wise, director of automotive research at
J.D. Power and Associates. “While Chrysler and GM struggled to gain the confidence of some consumers, Ford actually made strides in improving perceptions of its products and reducing year-over-year avoidance in the critical areas of quality and reliability.”

Buyers who avoided a particular brand due to concern about the brand’s future are more likely to also avoid the brand because of reliability, rapid depreciation, the manufacturer’s reputation and poor quality, when compared with avoiders who did not express concern with a brand’s future.

The uncertain economic outlook has also negatively impacted avoidance rates for import brands. Although imports have increased 2009 year-to-date market share by 3 percentage points, compared with 2008, a “Buy American” sentiment has grown from 2008 among domestic buyers who avoid imports. In 2009, nearly six in 10 domestic buyers who avoided an import model cite they “didn’t want a foreign/import vehicle” as a reason for avoidance-compared with 46 percent in 2008.

“Several import models are actually produced in the U.S. but are still avoided due to foreign origin,” said Wise. “To combat this growing sentiment against import vehicles, import brands that produce vehicles in the U.S. must continue to promote and emphasize their domestic ties, as well as other product advantages.”

The study, which also examines the performance of 19 all-new models, finds that one of the biggest obstacles to consideration for all-new model launches is a lack of awareness among consumers. While launches such as the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger have high levels of awareness, due to both their past generations and consumer buzz over the new releases, some new vehicles do not have high awareness among consumers.

“Creating awareness and an identity in the crowded automotive market takes both time and money,” said Wise. “A new-vehicle buyer who purchases in a segment in which an all-new model competes and doesn’t even know that the new model exists presents an obvious concern for future sales of that model.”

Styling is also a critical element of consideration for all-new model launches. The study finds that the Audi Q5, Dodge Challenger, Kia Soul and Pontiac G3 are “universally desired,” meaning that buyers are driven to purchase them due to styling and avoiders are not turned off by the styling. On the other hand, some models appear to be polarizing when it comes to styling, including models such as the Ford Flex and Nissan Cube. While buyers of these models are influenced to purchase due to styling, this same styling causes many consumers to avoid these models.

“Many manufacturers would like their vehicles to be universally appealing, but “˜love it or hate it’ models have the potential to create just as much buzz and move as quickly off the lot,” said Wise. “It is important for launch models to hit the mark when it comes to styling, as a hot model launch may be a game changer for a brand overall.”

The 2009 Avoider Study is based on responses from nearly 45,000 owners who registered a new vehicle in May or June 2009. The study was fielded August through October 2009.

- By: Stephen Calogera

General Motors built the last Pontiac for the U.S. market on Wednesday, reports The Detroit News. The white Pontiac G6 sedan rolled off the assembly line around 12:45 p.m and there was no celebration, GM officials or media on hand. The only people allowed in the facility were a group of “final process” workers to oversee the last 100 G6 models assembled.

Some workers stopped to pose for photos as the last units made their way down the assembly line, turning out to be a subdued goodbye for the 82-year-old Pontiac that debuted in 1926 at the New York Auto Show.

General Motors announced in April that it would kill the Pontiac brand as part of a bailout funded by the U.S. government.

- By: Kap Shah

Source: Detroit News

If you’re someone looking to get into a Pontiac before General Motors shuts the brand down, you better act fast. Tweeting at its Twitter account, Pontiac today listed the number of units for each model left in its dealer inventory.

Here is the list as it stands today:

Pontiac G8 GXP: 16
Pontiac G8 GT: 570
Pontiac G5: 1500
Pontiac Torrent: 400
Pontiac Solstice Coupe: 139
Pontiac Solstice Coupe GXP: 160
Pontiac Vibe: 350
Pontiac G6 GXP: 530

Check out our review of the 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP here.

Reviewed: 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP:

- By: Omar Rana

All Photos Copyright ©2009 Omar Rana ““ egmCarTech.

Source: Twitter

Just last week we introduced you to the Lingenfelter 455 T/A Concept, a car that will make its world debut at the 2009 SEMA Show later this week. We now have our first real look at the car before its official SEMA debut thanks to CARandDRIVER.

Besides the new redesign and the 20-inch honeycomb wheels, the Lingenfelter 455 T/A Concept gets a 455-cubic-inch V8 that helps pump out 655-hp with a maximum torque of 610 lb-ft.

Other modifications include:

- Corsa custom stainless exhaust
- Lingenfelter 6 bolt LS9 twin disk flywheel and clutch assembly
- Heavy duty driveshaft
- Nitto tires
- Custom classic interior
- Custom 71 Trans Am inspired exterior

Head over to CARandDRIVER for more pictures.

- By: Kap Shah