Z06Vette.com - Corvette Z06 Forum

1baduramax · 07-02-2009, 07:32 AM

I was looking for a car and think I found a nice daily driver. I really like the G8 GXP.. any other vette owners have one? It will have plenty of room and be quick. Dealer is offering me 5k off sticker. With only 3000 made and they for sure are killing it, it might end up pretty rare...

Mark

***MikesZ06*** · 07-02-2009, 09:44 AM

Not a bad looking car, you could do worse.

As far as Pontiac's go though, I kinda like that little Solstice vert.
Not normally a vert fan at all and I know it doesn't have any power but I still think it looks pretty cool.

Sorry, got to thinking about Pontiac's on this post....

Back to the subject, yes I think the G8 looks very nice and does have some power to go with the looks.

Mike

Tomasy · 07-02-2009, 09:57 AM

I kind of like it. Have been thinking about buying one for my wife as a daily driver. Lots of interior space paricularly in the back seat so it would be nice for trips. Haven't driven one yet but thought I would tqke a test drive when I get soe free time.

**PerforminNorman** · 07-02-2009, 09:58 AM

I have to admit. They do catch my eye when I see one go by.

K M · 07-02-2009, 10:18 AM

I was pondering the same thing last night. Here is what caught my eye when I looked at the website... 72 months of 0% financing and 1500 cash back then 2500 cash back for GM product owners. Not that you would need to finance it for 72 months but it is pretty nice they are going that long at 0%. And to get 4k cash back would be very nice.

I would love to get one but I haven't been able to talk the lady into it. I just thought it would be kind of neat to have a stable C5z and a G8 Gxp in the garage. Nothing under 400hp allowed

Zippy · 07-02-2009, 08:59 PM

Went for a test dirve in a G8 yesterday. Immediatley impressed by how quiet the car was at idle. Had to goose the pedal to realize the engine was running. Very comfortable, quick, excellent interior, and yes, I'd get one for a daily driver.

PowerPro01 · 07-03-2009, 09:13 AM

Think of it this way...a FOUR DOOR CAMARO...

The GXP has the same LS3/L99 engines, the "Base" GT has the 6.0L...for thou$and$ less than the Camaro. As to future values, the G8 is going away (as are all Pontiacs), very few, relatively, out there...and a hell of a car for the dough...

In Canada, they came out with a $7500 credit in early-April (after charging $6-7000 more than U.S. which KILLED its launch...), and the GT's totally disappeared in 60 days...NOT ONE new one left in the entire country! And '10's are NOT coming, here...

Take the 0% for as long as you care to...no one else ('cept the Fed to the Banks...) will give you more dough for less...and the contract's "open", time-wise.

Good Luck, and enjoy!

novetteyet · 07-03-2009, 02:17 PM

Quote:

As far as Pontiac's go though, I kinda like that little Solstice vert.
Not normally a vert fan at all and I know it doesn't have any power but I still think it looks pretty cool.

Agreed - the Solstice is nice, especially in black. IMHO it isn't so much that it's lacking power, but more that it's carrying too much weight. 260 HP isn't bad for a car of that size and price, but 3000 lbs is pretty porky. I think that's a big part of why everyone says it's much less tossable than a Miata.

Nice styling, too, again especially for the price. Not much in the $20-30K bracket looks nicer.

*EDIT* on the other hand, Edmunds was not impressed:

2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe Follow-Up Test and Video on Inside Line

I do agree that the slalom performance is quite disappointing compared to the Miata. Why is it that with a very few exceptions, American cars must always have inferior handling to their foreign competitors? I refuse to believe we *can't* make good handling cars - heck, we made the Corvette, which is world class. More like, we just don't give a crap, so we don't bother. Often you can fix them with aftermarket parts, and it does seem that the Solstice can be given excellent handling that way. But as shipped, most American cars are wallow-mobiles. I believe we can do better.

RocketSled · 07-03-2009, 06:51 PM

Lingenfelter has a 505HP supercharger setup for the G8. And I think they were working on an even higher HP option.

I like the Saturn Sky much better than the Solstice. They're the same basic mechanics, but I think the Sky is a much more aggressive looking design. The Solstice nose is just too round, it creeps me out. Though I have to say I think it looks much better has a hardtop coupe.

There are kits that let you drop an LSx into either of these cars. Bet *that* really wakes 'em up!

RocketSled · 07-03-2009, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by novetteyet

Why is it that with a very few exceptions, American cars must always have inferior handling to their foreign competitors?

The American market doesn't really want those high performance suspensions. Or at least, that's what the US automakers believe. They tune the suspensions for their target demographic. "Middle of the Road" (MOR), family, looking for a strong performing daily driver. That's not "performance", it's "sporty". Cars like the G8 can never be all that they could be, because (ignoring the fact that Pontiac is gone) GM is tailoring the car softer for a customer base where the majority wants it that way.

I really like the C5's suspension, but for many of my passengers the ride is too harsh, especially women. I remember reading that GM specifically designed the C5 to attract more female buyers. Features like the low sill height were designed to address complaints from women (take a look at a C4 next time you get a chance, you really have to climb in/out). GM thought women buyers was a largely untapped market for Corvettes. I don't know how well they did, but I bet they didn't meet with much success. From my experience anyway, the majority of women just don't want a car that rides like a Corvette - no matter how easy it is to get in and out of.

novetteyet · 07-03-2009, 11:19 PM

Quote:

GM thought women buyers was a largely untapped market for Corvettes. I don't know how well they did, but I bet they didn't meet with much success

Interesting. I would tend to guess that there's something a bit mutually exclusive going on. I bet that most women interested in Corvettes are the gearhead types who want it for performance reasons and don't care much about the sill height. And conversely, those who are bothered by a few more cm of sill height won't be interested in performance, and wouldn't consider a Corvette no matter how easy it was to get into. My guess would be the same as yours: it probably didn't change much.

Quote:

Cars like the G8 can never be all that they could be, because (ignoring the fact that Pontiac is gone) GM is tailoring the car softer for a customer base where the majority wants it that way.

Agreed. So how do we fix the customer base? Of course anywhere you go there will be people who don't care about this, but somehow we seem to have got the short end of the stick here. It's even worse if you talk about road feel. I'd give a Z06 about a 8.5/10 on handling, but about a 4 on road feel. (Drive a Lotus Elise - the USA makes nothing with that level of driver feedback). I'd like to see Detroit making cars that are competitive in these areas, but without a home market for it, they won't bother.

JBsZ06 · 07-04-2009, 05:50 AM

zero percent for 72 months on the G8 GT or GXP makes this car a steal.

If I needed another four door sports sedan? I'd be buying a G8 GT..(I like an automatic in my sedans)

I drove the G8 GT and the CTS V not to long ago and they are both very impressive..

For the money? i'd tag the G8 GT and if I wanted more hp? i'd slap a maggie on it ...

I drove the G8 GT and thought it was fast enough to sit back and enjoy the 5 year 100k mile warranty...

After that was up? I'd slap a maggie on it for shits and giggles..

There is a red one locally and its dam sharp..

I see a guy driving his black one around here too and the guy is always smiling..

The center stack material quality is a little off (compared to the Cadillac )..but if it matters to you? I'm sure the aftermarket has many solutions..

If you drive in snow at all....then just buy a set of 18 inch rims off the various g8 forums for chump change and slap a set of dedicated snow tires for months November to March...

Well thats my two cents....

At zero percent for 72 months...and pricing thats thousands off the 30 grand sticker...

You're looking at about 400 a month give or take a few dollars...

Probably a decent amount less..(if you have GM bonus points or can negotiate the price down to 27 grand)

i'd say thats the target price with the zero percent financing..

***mdickie*** · 07-04-2009, 06:03 AM

Its my hope that GM is smart enough during this reorginazation that they take some of these cars like the G8, and the Solstice, good cars that are part of brands they are dropping, and that they rebrand them as Chevy cars, and keep producing them.

The G8 is one heck of a car, it would be a true shame to lose it altogether.

0% for 72 months is a great deal.

As for the Solstice, I agree with Rocketsled, I prefer the Saturn Sky, drop an LS3 in that baby and you have quite a little two seater...

Mark

Subdriver · 07-04-2009, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdickie

Its my hope that GM is smart enough during this reorginazation that they take some of these cars like the G8, and the Solstice, good cars that are part of brands they are dropping, and that they rebrand them as Chevy cars, and keep producing them.

Mark,
I hope for the same thing.

Mark (OP),
I think the GXP is a great bang for the buck car. If I didn't already have the previous gen CTS-V, I'd seriously consider one. As for the price, haven't researched the dealer invoice for it, but I would do so vice comparing the purchase price to sticker. Many websites will give accurate dealer invoice if you know what the options are on the car, and I've never had a problem with a dealer refusing to show me the invoice. I bought my GMC 3500 HD last year at something like $500 below invoice (this before the thousands of dollars in factory rebates were applied). Dealer still made money on hold back...