Clear of any bad PR for at least a few weeks, Toyota has been hit by yet another safety issue with its cars, announcing a recall of 1.1 million Corolla and Matrix models. The recall involves the 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine in the cars and as such also affects 200,000 Pontiac Vibes. Models affected include the 2005 to 2008 model year cars.

At issue is the Engine Control Module (ECM), which may have been “improperly manufactured.” The unit could crack at certain solder points resulting in the check engine light to come on, harsh shifts to occur or the engine to simply not start.

Three accidents are been reported related to this issue (including one injury) but none have been confirmed.

Toyota will replace the units starting in mid September.

See after the jump for the official Toyota and GM press releases:

Continue Reading…

When the new Chevy Camaro surfaced, ideas immediately began brewing in many enthusiasts’ head about a return of the Pontiac Firebird. With Pontiac out of the picture, thankfully there are passionate enthusiasts like those at Classic Design Concepts.

Classic Design Concepts has unleashed their FireBreather at a retail price of $60,000. That gets you a redesigned Chevrolet Camaro featuring Firebird-style influences. It’s an odd blend of the two designs, the sharp angles that resemble a Firebird with the muscular, bulky lines of the Camaro. Classic Design Concepts also claims the Camaro’s 6.2L V8 will throw down 599-hp to the rear wheels.

We do dig the black with red highlights on the car and can’t help but think about Knight Rider when we see it. It’s also a retro alternative to the Lingenfelter Trans Am and the Kevin Morgan Designs Trans Am.

GALLERY: Classic Design Concepts FireBreather Chevrolet Camaro

[Source: FireBreatherCar]

General Motors’ Australian Holden brand remains the choice of hooligans down under, as police in the Australian state of Victoria announced that 46% of cars impounded under their “hoon” laws. Ford is the second most popular with 16.7% of the impound share, while Nissan is third with 7.8%.

Holden’s Commodore has been Australia’s best-selling vehicle for decades, and the rear-drive chassis and plentiful supply of turbo six-cylinder or General Motors V8s means that cheap, powerful Holdens are easily affordable for young Australian enthusiasts.

Australian police have taken to crushing vehicles confiscated in cases of reckless driving if they are deemed “unsafe”. One police officer cited a vehicle without “ABS brakes and airbags” stating “I cannot, in good conscience, send that vehicle back into the community.” Many older Commodores (such as the VL series pictured above) did not come with these features, but remain immensely popular with young gearheads.

Despite their old-school muscle car flavor, North Americans stayed away from the two Holden models sold in North America, the 2003-2006 Pontiac GTO (based off the Holden Monaro) and the 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 (a rebadged Commodore SS).

[Source: Drive.com.au]

We recently reported on rumors that Chevrolet is planning to bring back the Caprice full-sized sedan, based on the RWD Holden Statesman. This, however, is being denied by the folks at Holden, with Emily Perry, the Australian automaker’s communications director, commenting that “We have no plans to export that vehicle as a civilian car at this stage.”

GM had already announced a police interceptor based on the Statesman and sold as a Caprice to police agencies in North America, and recently even added the Caprice PPV (Police Patrol Vehicle) Detective Package to the list.

Interestingly, Perry wasn’t as unequivocal when it came to the question of the Commodore returning to the U.S. (sold in North America as the Pontiac G8 from 2008-09). Former Holden marketing director Mark Reuss had commented in the past that the company was looking for ways to salvage something from the G8 program and it has been suggested that GM may be looking to build a small prestige brand of RWD cars within the larger Chevy brand, much like what Hyundai has done with the Genesis.

The entire return of the G8/Commodore seems extremely unlikely however, with an all new platform due out in 2012, meaning that GM would have to act soon in bringing a rear-drive Holden back to the U.S., before the architecture becomes obsolete.

[Source: Carpoint]

Here’s a great David vs Goliath story that’s sure to get you all fired up at “the man” on a Monday morning. G8Board.com member “jackalope” was recently ticketed for having what a police officer deemed to be illegal tail lights. Knowing that the lights are factory equipment on his Pontiac G8 GT, and are certified by the DOT, he took the ticket to court, considering the whole thing to be some kind of mistake. Knowing he was in the right and had the law on his side, Jackalope was shocked when the judge found him guilty and upheld the ticket, meaning he had to pay the $85. Worse still, he was told by the judge (this time “the man” was actually a woman) that she would continue to fine him if he refused to pay. And to add insult to injury, the judge even went so far as to advise the defendant that he should consider selling his car as its not legal in Maryland.

The issue surrounding the tail lights on Jackalope’s Pontiac G8 GT, involves the fact that the clear lenses on the G8 GT’s lights means GM had to use reflectors on the bumper in order to meet regulations. The state law requires the reflectors to reflect the color red, which the officer who issued the ticket obvious felt he couldn’t see.

According to Jackalope, the judge wasn’t interested in what the manufacturer or the DOT said, commenting that the opinion of the officer superseeded that of any other authorities on the matter and that as a judge she would uphold the officer’s decision to issue the ticket.

Jakalope has since contacted Pontiac and has an appointment to speak with them regarding the issue.

But the story doesn’t stop there, with some folks alleging that Jakalope wasn’t sporting factory lights, but rather modified taillights on his car. Jakalope has since both stated that he did have the factory lights on the car when the ticket was issued (although he does have other “show” lights). He also claims that even the modified taillights, which can be seen on his Cardomain page, should be legal as well, as they continue to reflect the color red.

[Source: G8Board via Jalopnik]

Pontiac owners are abandoning the brand when it comes time to purchase their next vehicle, according to a report in Automotive News.

Pontiac’s moderately priced sedans like the G6, Grand Prix and G8 were affordable transportation for many consumers. With those products gone, all that GMC-Buick dealers (who formerly carried Pontiac products) can offer are more expensive fare like the Buick Lacrosse, which starts at $26,000.

Pontiac customers who do stick with GM tend to gravitate towards Chevrolet, which offers larger, moderately priced sedans that are a familiar transition for Pontiac owners. GM has offered a $1,000 rebate to Pontiac owners as well as four free oil changes as an incentive to stay with the company. GM spokesperson Tom Henderson said that “the loyalty rates of Pontiac owners are in line with our expectations,” but declined to give any data.

[Source: Automotive News]

Scott Rothstein was once a prominent South Florida lawyer, famous for his humble roots, flashy lifestyle and philanthropy. But after a suicide attempt and a failed escape to Morocco, Rothsetin turned himself in after federal agents exposed his 1.2 billion dollar Ponzi scheme.

Now, the United States government has seized his assets and is auctioning off an assortment of exotic cars owned by Rothstein and a number of shell companies. The list ranges from the very mild (two Pontiac G6s, a Ford Expedition) to the highest echelons of supercar-dom (two Bugatti Veryons, a Ferrari F40).

If you have the funds, and are looking to score a deal on some serious machinery with, shall we say, interesting provenance, take a peek at the list below and get in touch with the appropriate arm of the federal government.

[Source: Dupont Registry]

Full List After The Jump:

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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.

A report in the Detroit Free Press highlights the story of one woman, Melissa Walker, who’s complaints about her 2001 Cadillac DeVille on Twitter were picked up by GM’s new team of customer service agents. GM wasn’t able to solve the problem, but Walker was left with a positive feeling about the experience, and Tweeted to say as much – exactly what GM is looking for.

Last July GM set up a team of 50 customer service agents to chat online with people about sales incentives and vehicle options. In November, five social media agents were added to hunt out complaints online and that team is set to be doubled in April.

Now if GM’s task force is doing its job, someone from the team will likely be reading this story. If they are, might be suggest they not only scour Facebook and Twitter, but the comments sections of news blogs, like our own. As an example, see the link below on a story we ran about an investigation into Chevy Cobalt steering issues, which got tremendous response before GM officially announced a recall.

Chevy Cobalt Being Investigated for Faulty Steering, Recall Possible

[Source: FreePress]

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.

GM insists that it has notified the NHTSA and has been operating its own investigation since 2009. The recall comes after over 1,110 complaints that have been linked to 14 crashes and one injury.

GM has announced it it working on a fix and will notify all customers as soon as possible.

[Source: Automotive News]

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.

The recall is for all 2008-10 Highlanders, 2009-2010 Corollas, Venzas and Matrixes, as well as 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibes, where the gas pedal may become lodged under improperly installed floor mats and cause unintended acceleration.

This recall is separate from the recall of 2.3 million vehicles where the accelerator pedal may stick, a move which prompted Toyota to stop selling affected models and even cease production.

Toyota’s fix for this latest recall of 1.1 million vehicles includes re-shaping or replacing gas pedals, as well as changing the mats with a newly designed mat.

[Source: Automotive News]

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.

The model has been such a huge success, that Holden has now said it will continue to offer the package indefinitely. Retailing for $1,000 Australian premium ($923 U.S.), dealerships are even ordering stockiles of Pontiac badges so Aussie gearheads can more accurately replicate the G8.

Sadly, the Aussie’s enthuaism for the car isn’t shared by American consumers, or at least not by the execs at General Motors, who killed off the Pontiac brand shortly after it began to offer the G8 – arguably the best product from the company in 30 years.

[Source: CarPoint]

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.

There was no pomp and circumstance as the last 100 vehicles rolled off the line and no GM executive was on hand.

The Pontiac brand was highlighted for elimination on April 27, as a part of General Motors’ viability plan. GM agreed to kill-off Pontiac and try and find buyers for Saab, Saturn and Hummer in exchange for a bailout by the U.S. and Canadian governments. To date, both the Saab and Saturn deals have fallen through, leading to the scheduled elimination of Saturn with the same fate likely for Saab. The sale of Hummer to Chinese heavy machinery company Sichuan Tengzhon is still pending.

Watching the Pontiac brand come to an end isn’t an unfamiliar event for may of the plant workers, as many of them were building Oldsmobiles when GM decided to retire than brand in 2000. For workers there is a glimmer of hope as GM has announced that in 18 months it will begin producing a new small car at the same facility.

In the mean time, the plant will stay open as it wraps up final production of the Pontiac G3 Wave, which is sold in Canada.

Since the brand’s inception in 1926 it is estimated to have sold as many as 41 million cars.

[Source: TheDetroitNews]

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.

The car certainly looks aggressive with a low slung front air dam and a massive gold Screamin’ Chicken on the hood. And of course, there’s a big ducktail spoiler and a stylish set of golf mesh wheels.

The team even went so far as to built a classic Pontiac logo into the car’s new front end.

On the whole, we like it more than the Lingenfelter design, although the gold interior accents are definitely excessive.

Kevin Morgan Designs has announced a deal with the Trans Am Depot and is expected to start offering the Phoenix Trans Am conversion in the near future.

GALLERY: Kevin Morgan Designs Trans Am

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.

The car will also get a duck-tail spoiler, fender vents, a twin-port front grille, 20-inch honeycomb wheels and the obligatory screamin’ chicken. Lingenfelter also promises a retr0-styled interior.

Called the Lingenfeler LTA (Lingenfelter Trans Am) Concept the car is a one-off, but there is cretain to be huge demand for the car – especially considering the popularity of the new Camaro – so a limited number of production models is a definite possibility

We’ll be sure to bring you full coverage of the Lingenfelter Trans Am from the SEMA Show starting November 3rd.

See AutoGuide’s live SEMA Coverage here!

GALLERY: Lingenfelter Trans Am

[Source: InsideLine]

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:

Continue Reading…

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.

The two vehicles (along with the Opel GT) were manufactured at the plant in Wilmington, Delaware, which is being closed as a part of GM’s restructuring process.

General Motors has decided to eliminate the Pontiac brand and sell Saturn to the Penske Automotive Group. The announcement to close the plant came on July 1st when GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. At the time GM gave short notice to plant workers saying the facility would be shuttered by the end of July.

GM spokesman John Raut said the final vehicle to roll off the assembly line was a silver Pontiac Solstice.

[Source: SaturnFans]

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.

Bob Lutz posted on GM’s corporate Fastlane Blog that the G8 will not live on as the Chevrolet Caprice. In fact, it won’t live on at all. “The G8 will not be a Caprice after all. I’d mentioned it, and said we were studying it, giving it a serious look, because a car like the G8 was just too good to waste,” wrote Lutz, who continued; “But I have to say that, with my new ‘marketing’ hat on, upon further review and careful study, we simply cannot make a business case for such a program. Not in today’s market, in this economy, and with fuel regulations what they are and will be.”

Lutz then expressed his personal disappointment, but said there was just no way to make the car happen and that the company’s resources had to be placed elsewhere.

He then tried to reassure rear-wheel drive, performance enthusiasts saying that, “in no way does this mean we are backing away from performance, or backing away from rear-wheel drive.” He applauded the Holden team in Australia and said that he would like to look to their products to bring another RWD vehicle over in the future, but not now.

Sadly, the G8 will bow out after a short stay in the North American marketplace, an emotional product that fell victim to “further review and careful study.”

How about an apology for getting our hopes up Bob?

[Source: GM Fastlane Blog]

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.

After consistently saying that the Pontiac G8 would be eliminated with the rest of the Pontiac brand, it seemed as though Henderson had a change of heart after his newly appointed Vice Chair and product boss Lutz proudly proclaimed that the G8 would live on as a Chevrolet Caprice. Calling it “too good to waste” Lutz said the rebadged G8 would be available for consumers and as a special model for police departments.

Now, according to an Autoblog interview with Henderson , it seems only the latter is true. “We’ve been looking at it for police applications. As for whether or not it’s broader than police applications, I am not a believer in re-branding and re-badging. We’ve been talking about in terms of potential police applications and we’ll leave it at that.”

So there you have it… the official word on the future of the Pontiac G8… at least until Lutz opens his mouth next.

For a company that recently emerged from bankruptcy and that is trying to promote confidence in its leadership, General Motors certainly isn’t doing a very convincing job.

[Source: Autoblog]

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.

The APEAL Study is based off of owner evaluations of over 80,900 new car consumers from February to May 2009 and takes into account over 90 factors and generally evaluates how those buyers or leasers feel about their car new car.

Other winners include the VW Passat in the Mid-sized car segment, the Nissan Maxima in the Large Car segment, the Honda Odyssey in the Minivan Segment, a tie between the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Avalanche in the Pickup Truck segment and the Smart fortwo in the Sub-compact Car segment. And on that note, we urge you to take the list with a grain of salt, as the Smart beat out cars like the Honda Fit.

In terms of manufacturers, Porsche topped the list for the fifth consecutive year, while domestic brands like Dodge, Pontiac, Buick and Cadillac showed the most improvement. As a manufacturer Cadillac placed third overall.

Overall, scores for 2009 improved over 2008, due mostly to improvements in the fuel-economy segment. J.D. Power lists three contributing factors to this increase: improved fuel-economy of the vehicles; an increase in ownership of fuel-efficient cars, with over 50 percent (as compared to 39 percent in 2008) of the surveyed vehicles powered by four-cylinder engines; and a drop in fuel prices that has also meant consumers are less interested in fuel economy.

One other trend that has emerged is the increasing appeal of domestic brands, as they ranked, on average, just five points below import brands. This compares to a difference of 15 points last year and 27 points in 2007.

GALLERY: J.D. Power 2009 APEAL Study

Official release:

Continue Reading…

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:

Continue Reading…

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.

Several weeks ago GM’s interim CEO Fritz Henderson stated that the G8 would not continue on past 2009, while other reports highlighted the elimination of the G3 and G5. The G6 will be offered to rental, corporate and government fleets.

There is no official word on when the Solstice, but it is also expected to be phased-out this year as GM seems dedicated to eliminating the Pontiac brand before 2010 even gets started.

GM continues to reiterate that it wants to work with Toyota to develop another shared platform at the NUMMI facility. Toyota may, however, have its hands full with the upcoming Toyota-Subaru project.

[Source: Edmunds]

The 2010 model lineup for the soon-to-be-terminated Pontiac brand will consist of just one model – the Vibe.

Recently GM interim CEO Fritz Henderson reiterated the company’s position that the G8 would not carry on as either a Buick, Chevy or Cadillac. The G3 and G5 will also cease production this year, while the G6 will only be made available to government, corporate and rental car fleets.

There has been no word lately on the Solstice model. GM had made it known that it would consider offers for the Solstice (as well as the Saturn Sky and Opel GT) as a separate entity, but with the sale of Saturn to Penske, that now seems unlikely.

In an effort to spice up sales of the final run of the Vibe, Pontiac will offer the car with air conditioning standard, and make it available in a new color – Ignition Orange.

GM’s official line is that it wants to work with Toyota on a new vehicle to build at the joint GM-Toyota NUMI plant in California where sister cars the Vibe and Martix are produced, but our sources have indicated that GM wants out.

While the Vibe is a great car, we hope the sad irony of a vehicle built for utilitarian purposes being the last one offered by the company’s performance brand is not lost on the folks at GM.

[Source: LeftLaneNews]

There is hope, be it ever so slight, that the Pontiac G8 may live on even though the brand it’s attached to is most certainly slated for elimination.

“I know there’s still discussions on it,” GM’s product boss Tom Stephens told Automotive News, giving some hope to the legions of G8 fans that haven’t had anything to get excited about since the fourth generation Firebird came out in 1993.

Stephens did add, however, that as Chevrolet already has several sedans, another one wasn’t really necessary.

The G8 could work as a high-performance SS version of the Impala, or even as the basis of a Buick vehicle – although that seems highly unlikely. And unfortunately for G8 fans, GM already has an excellent rear wheel drive platform that underpins the Cadillac CTS.

Still, the sun hasn’t quite set on the G8 and there’s plenty that can happen between now and the end of 2010 when Pontiac is scheduled to be scuttled.

GM has continued to insist that the Pontiac brand isn’t for sale and that it will be eliminated as a part of its Viability Plan. While the brand as a whole has struggled significantly in recent years, the G8 has been a success, with high sales and rave reviews from journalists. This has prompted some to speculate that the closing of Pontiac (a brand known for performance) may be more of a political decision than an economic one.

[Source: AutoWeek]

It’s not exactly the sort of news worthy of a celebration, but some cautious optimism is certainly appropriate as word comes that the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky might not suffer the same fate as almost every other fun vehicle under the General Motors umbrella.

Fritz Henderson, GM’s new CEO said that the company would be willing to part with the plant where the two sports cars are assembled. The Wilmington, Del. plant is also the location where GM manufactures the Opel GT – a European version of the car.

“If someone were to approach with a proposal that made good sense for our people, we’d be open to it,” Henderson said.

Both the Solstice and Sky were introduced in 2006 as front-engine, rear-wheel drive roadsters. The models come standard with a 173hp four-cylinder, with a turbocharged 260-hp four-cylinder optional.

General Motors is still intent on selling off the Saturn brand and scuttling the Pontiac nameplate, however, it won’t rule out selling the Wilmington facility as there is likely to be some interest in the niche-market vehicles.

Last year GM moved close to 20,000 units of the two American models, with the Solstice selling 10,739 units and the Sky 9,162 units.

The move is similar to the one made by Chrysler in regards to the Dodge Viper. Chrysler has yet to find a buyer for that iconic nameplate.

[Source: AutoWeek]