This Was Pontiac’s Last Concept Car

We have now a recurring section known as Ideas We Forgot, through which we revisit cool idea automobiles from days passed by. This large, daring Pontiac G8 idea can be an ideal candidate if it wasn’t for one tiny element: No one outdoors of a choose few designers knew it existed.

That modified on June 24, 2024—roughly 16 years after it was constructed. Basic Motors Design shared photographs on Instagram, the place we realized this was the final idea Pontiac constructed earlier than GM killed the model in 2009. It was born within the firm’s Superior Studio in California, and based on the Instagram submit, it was a completely practical “imaginative and prescient of the longer term design” for Pontiac.

After all, that future by no means got here to cross. Going through declining gross sales, GM axed Oldsmobile in 2004, then later dumped Hummer, Saturn, and Pontiac amid its chapter saga. Had Pontiac endured, it seemingly would’ve grow to be a distinct segment efficiency model in GM’s hierarchy, not in contrast to what Dodge grew to become at Fiat Chrysler Cars. And now, we’ve a touch of what niche-performance Pontiac might have seemed like.

Sadly, there’s little info obtainable past this being a practical automobile with G8 badging. It bears some resemblance to the manufacturing G8 sedan, a automobile introduced over from GM’s Holden group in Australia the place it was referred to as the Commodore. There have been additionally plans to promote the two-door Commodore ute model because the G8 ST, successfully bringing again the El Camino. However that did not come to cross, both.

We’ll by no means know if this G8 idea was a near-production concept, however its general design is definitely … one thing. The headlights have a vertical orientation resembling Cadillacs of the period, and one may say the large grille was forward of its time. As for what’s beneath the hood, a continuation of the LS V-8 is smart. However it would not matter, as a result of Pontiac is lengthy lifeless.

We aren’t even certain if this idea nonetheless exists someplace, however we’ve some feelers out to GM to search out out. If we hear one thing we’ll leap in with an replace. Till then, pour one out for the final Pontiac idea automotive.