So Long STi

[MasterBlaster]

So while (most) everyone was having fun down in Bluefield, I said goodbye to the STi. Traded it in on a '09 G8 GT.

Having a baby in August and only one car my wife could drive (she no drive stick very well) didn't sit well with me. If for some reason the Pilot was down, or I had it with me, she wouldn't be able to get somewhere in an emergency. Plus I guess I'm getting old or something, having a loud car that rides like poop was getting old.

So now I have a big ass pull me over red car with a V8 lol. So far I love it. For being an automatic, in sport mode it shifts damn quick. Plus I can put it in manual mode and it will stay in whatever gear it's in. So for autocross purposes the auto won't be as bad as I though (maybe lmao). From what I've read you can get the trans tuned and it will behave better too, or something. Handles great for being so big too.

Anywho, just wanted to let it be known, that way when I show up next month everyone isn't as shocked lol. I still have my old autocross wheels/tires. Wheels might be sold but if anyone is interested in my Dunlops let me know.

Only pic for now...

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4740537701_e6c2e330ef_b.jpg

[BacDoc]

Welcome! :)

[MasterBlaster]

Welcome! :)


To what, the big car club? lol j/k

Luke gave me a ride in the V that night down in Teays Valley after you left, I think that pushed me even more to the edge of having a car that was really comfortable and could still haul ass. And no, I'm not comparing the G8 GT power wise to a V (or M5 lmao).

[Hillbilly]

I might know who bought your car. Those wheels are 5x114.3 right?

[BacDoc]

To what, the big car club? lol j/k

Luke gave me a ride in the V that night down in Teays Valley after you left, I think that pushed me even more to the edge of having a car that was really comfortable and could still haul ass. And no, I'm not comparing the G8 GT power wise to a V (or M5 lmao).

Yip. Big rwd torque is where it's at. It's corruptive.

[TimMaddox]

My brother had his GMC truck into a dealer for a service the other day and found out something interesting. The dealership mechanic revealed Pontiac G8's with automatics have been coming back to the dealer because they wouldn't shift out of 2nd gear. You think it was a transmission problem? No. The mechanic showed him the correspondence GM sent out after they figured it out. One of the rear speakers in the car is wired in such a way to cause interference with the LAN (local area network) computer in the car, which in turn doesn't allow the transmission to shift into 2nd gear. The mechanic said, how would you expect us to find that? A rear speaker wire interference that becomes a shifting problem. He said they see all kind of weird stuff with the electronics in modern cars.

I know a guy with a G6 that had noise in his rear speakers. It is caused by interference of the stereo signal due to Impedance generated by the rear window defroster. In other words, using the rear window defroster causes the rear speakers to be noisy, apparently a common problem in the G6.

Stop by Kanawha Blvd on the Levee in Charleston July 10 from 9am to 2pm and look at the 500 historic Pontiacs that will be parked there!

[BacDoc]

And people wonder why GM went bankrupt.

[SeanB]

Why does your Holden have a Pontiac badge?

They are fantastic cars, just not what your beige American wants. I don't think I've ever seen a G8 commercial other than the brief moment in the Pennzoil ads.

[RobbieNelson]

<snip>just not what your beige American wants<snip>

What about all the other Americans?

[SeanB]

What about all the other Americans?

Beige was used as a verb there. :wink:

I want one, just not the watered down version we got here. Gimme the Bathurst edition...

http://media2.worldcarfans.com/2009/2/medium/vauxhall-vxr8-bathurst-s-edition_2.jpg

[TimMaddox]

Holden in Australia is still building the VE Commodore version, and since they have lots of leftover Pontiac body panels you can still order a Holden with a Pontiac front facia. It is a $1000 option. Fly over there and drive one home!

For you two door fans, fly to Australia and find a Holden VZ Monaro CV8. That is what was eventually sold here as the 2004-2006 GTO (and interestingly in the Middle East at a Chevy Lumina Coupe). However the Australian version doesn’t have the extra 400 pounds of structural support added in to meet US specs (which instantly undersized the US GTO version’s brakes and suspension). Or find the British version, the Vauxall Monaro, especially the Vauxall VXR500. It had a supercharger added to the 6 liter LS2 increasing power to 500 hp/500 ft-lbs.

P.S. If you find a G8 GXP version, buy it.

[sts 50]

Nice car - nice pic, too. Ask Brad Spurlock about autocrossing with an automatic!

[2ndShot]

Congrats Mike!

[Jason V]

Looks Nice Man!!! Autocrossing different types of cars (big, small, RWD, FWD, AWD) make you a better driver!!