Report: Pontiac G8 to live on as Chevrolet Caprice

07/11/2009, 1:39 PM

By Nick Aziz






Importing the Australian-market Holden Commodore to America as the Pontiac G8 was arguably one of the smarter moves GM’s management made with regard to the Pontiac brand. But with the demise of the division at hand, Americans are once again without a large rear-wheel-drive sedan from The General. Or maybe not. If Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has his way, the G8 will become the new Chevrolet Caprice.

GM previously stated it would not rebadge the G8 as a Chevy, but rumors about its revival surfaced just over a month ago. A renewed role for Lutz at the company means he will likely push for the car to saved. “Lutz will take over,” GM Chief Financial Officer Ray Young told BusinessWeek. “If he concludes that there is a role [for the G8] to play, we’ll listen.”
But don’t take Young’s word for it. Mr. Lutz himself confirms the G8 will live on. “We decided that we would continue to import it as a Chevrolet,” Lutz told Automobile. “It is kind of too good to waste.”
It’s unclear how quickly the new Caprice might come to market. Essentially, the G8 would only require new badges and a different grille. Of course, even designing a new grille takes time. It could be months before the new Caprice goes shows up in showrooms.
As for its overall appearance, we suspect it will look similar to the Lumina sold in Middle East markets (pictured). However, GM cannot use the exact same fascia because it is not designed to conform to U.S. safety regulations.