Pontiac Names Pontiac G8 ST Concept Pontiac G8 ST

Justin Berkowitz
by Justin Berkowitz

Memo to car manufacturers: naming contests don't work, except to grind my gears. It didn't work for Alfa Romeo, who had to ignore contest results for the car we now know as the MiTo (fan chosen name was Furiosa). And now General Motors has revealed that the production name of the Pontiac G8 ST concept – a "sport pickup" version of the Australian Pontiac G8 – will be the Pontiac G8 ST. Jalopnik's Jalops went so far as to hand out buttons calling for an El Camino revival. While that moniker might not have been GM's best call– it's a Chevy name– neither is G8 ST. Then again, with the G8 ST being a niche within a niche, big diff (no LSD implied). The name choice really does show, however, GM's incredible ability to minimize the impact of a car when it comes to market– especially one they've been talking up for the last twenty-some years. This really smacks of the Astra: an overseas product that car lovers craved that GM eventually pushed it into the corner. Same with the Commodore-cum-G8 (at least that one got a few TV commercials). And when it goes on sale in late 2009 (another year wait? are they kidding?), the G8 ST sport truck is likely to be yet another victim of GM's monumental ADD.

Justin Berkowitz
Justin Berkowitz

Immensely bored law student. I've also got 3 dogs.

More by Justin Berkowitz

Comments
Join the conversation
4 of 38 comments
  • Dave Baker Dave Baker on Aug 14, 2008

    @Redbarchetta: The idea of the car based truck is not a bad one. Giving you the utility and efficiency of a light truck which no one makes now with the driving dynamics of a car. Or alternatively, all the passenger capacity of a pickup truck with all the payload and towing capacity of a car.

  • J.on J.on on Aug 14, 2008

    davey49: I meant you know, an ACTUAL competitor, not what GM puts for sale in the same segment.

  • Ppd710 Ppd710 on Aug 14, 2008

    This is a shame. I really like the G8 GT, but an El Camino look a like. No way. They will sell as many as the ugly Chevy truck. Catchy name anyway...LOL Looks like more unemployed GM employees in the next couple of years!!!

  • Davey49 Davey49 on Aug 14, 2008

    J.on- true the Cobalt is nothing special but the Astra's pretty nice and the pics of the Cruze look pretty good.

Next