We got a surprise opportunity to drive the new Pontiac G8 while entertaining ourselves with several other General Motors products at that company’s Milford, Michigan, proving ground. Taken in order of our impressions, we’ll start by telling you that it looks terrific. As a static display the one we sampled was extremely good looking, painted in the sort of electric blue that has been popularized by everyone from Audi to Subaru. It was even more pleasing to the eye when seen in motion. Each time a colleague would return it to the parking area, I’d glance up, wonder what sort of European sedan that was, then realize that it was indeed a Pontiac.

This car was not the promised GT model with its powerful V-8 engine (shown). This was a stove-stock sedan, powered by GM’s so-called high-feature V-6 engine. No sport suspension, no super-cool tires, no fifteen-second quarter-miles. This is not a GTO-sized car, but essentially a full-size sedan, but that didn’t keep us from hurling it around as though it was something smaller and more agile. One car snob among us was horrified that it didn’t feel like a BMW 3-series, but the rest of us acknowledged its mission statement and made allowances for its non-racer cornering style.

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Magazine Issue: Winding Road Issue 28