#pontiac

In an effort to provide better customer support and head off problems before they get out of control, General Motors has created a new “task force” aimed at monitoring social media sites for complaints about GM vehicles and looking to find solutions.

With the NHTSA likely applying plenty of pressure after it was questioned over Toyota’s recent recalls, General Motors has announced a recall of 1.3 million vehicles due to power steering issues. The recall affects 1.3 million models including the 905,000 Chevrolet Cobalt models in the U.S., assembled for model year 2005-10. The recall also affects the 2007-10 Pontiac G5, as well as the 2005-06 Pontiac Pursuit in Canada and the 2005-06 Pontiac G4 in Mexico.

Things just couldn’t get any worse for Toyota Motor Corp. The automaker has announced yet another recall, this one for 1.1 million vehicles in the United States, and is essentially an expansion of last year’s floor mat/pedal recall that affected 4.3 million vehicles.

Several months ago GM’s Australian Holden division announced that it would offer a special edition of the Commodore, dressed up to look like the Pontiac G8. Called the Holden VE Commodore SS V-Series Special Edition, the new model looks mostly identical to the Pontiac model (itself based on the Commodore), except for the absence of any Pontiac badging.

Earlier this week General Motors produced its last Pontiac for the U.S. market, ending the brand’s 82 year run. The final vehicle to roll off the assembly line at 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, November 25th at the Orion Township plant was a rather unspectacular white G6 sedan which is scheduled to be sold to a fleet. It’s hardly the sort of send-off one might expect for a brand that has produced such memorable legends as the GTO and Firebird.

The Lingenfelter Trans Am Concept wasn’t the only TA on display at the 2009 SEMA Show, with Kevin Morgan Designs debuting its version of the iconic car. Based on a slightly more modern interpretation of the Trans Am, the Kevin Morgan car takes its cues from the 1977-’78 model and is based on the all-new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro.

Get out your old Whitesnake muscle shirt because the Trans Am is back… sort of. The Corvette and Chevy tuning experts at Lingenfelter have announced that they will bring a modern Trans Am to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas next week, taking inspiration from the 1971 second-gen TA. That means it will have a 445-cubic inch V8 engine under the hood making 655-hp.

Somebody call Burt Reynolds… the Trans Am is back! Sort of…

With the Pontiac brand officially scheduled for deletion by the accountants at General Motors, the Trans Am Depot has decided to partner with Kevin Morgan Designs to create a Trans Am conversion kit for the new 2010 Camaro.

Set to be unveiled at this year’s Trans Am Nationals, the kit is inspired by the ’78-’79 Trans Am and will be sold as a complete package. Current the the Trans Am Depot is building a prototype model and intends to offer full packages for both coupes and for the upcoming Camaro convertible.

A special Phoenix Edition will also be offered with a lowered suspension, upgraded sway bars, 20-inch wheels and a full decal package.

Full details after the jump:

Earlier this week General Motors officially turned off the lights and locked the doors at its Boxwood Road assembly plant for the last time, marking the end of the line for the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky.

Yesterday we urged GM CEO Fritz Henderson to sit down with his new Vice Chairman Bob Lutz to get their stories about the future of the Pontiac G8 straight. Now they have, and the news isn’t good.

Perhaps General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson and his newly appointed Vice Chairman Bob Lutz should sit down, have a talk and get their stories straight.

Each year J.D. Power & Associates does a study that examines the most appealing cars to consumers and this year there is one big surprise. The Hyundai Genesis sedan topped the BMW 5 Series and Jaguar XF in the mid-sized luxury segment for the 2009 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study.

Hurst Performance Vehicles is looking to send the Pontiac brand out with a bang as it prepares to launch a high output version of the G8 sedan. In collaboration with automotive legend “Doc” Watson, Hurst will build 52 G8 models  complete with superchargers, suspension modifications, custom interior, wheels, a Hurst shifter and, of course, the company’s iconic white/gold and black/gold colors.

The Hurst/Pontiac G8 H.O. will be a modern day version of George Hurst’s “Executive Hot Rod.”

Along with those G8 models, Hurst will also build 10 G6 Convertibles.

“Doc started all of this with George back in 1960 with Hurst Performance Research.  His Hurst H.O. Pontiacs have stormed drag strips and main streets across the country for 50 years,” said Hurst Chairman, Nate Shelton. “There could not be a better time to honor Doc and the legendary Pontiac marque.”

Over those 50 years Watson is responsible for bringing over 80 different performance vehicles (both for the street and the track) to life.

Specifics like power output and price are not yet available but will be made public on August 1st on the Hurst website:

www.hurst-performance.com

Official release after the jump:

Contrary to recent reports that the Vibe would be the sole Pontiac model to continue on into 2010, General Motors has now decided to end production of the utilitarian vehicle early. Production of the Vibe at the GM/Toyota joint-venture New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI) facility will end this August.