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Sedans Pontiac G8 2008 Pontiac G8
1265 messages, Last post on Jul 21, 2009 at 10:14 AM
You are in the Pontiac G8 Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: rayainsw (Oct 20, 2008 7:54 am) But for the road course, I'll stand behind those comments.
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Replying to: hondaden (Oct 20, 2008 9:41 am) As for the G8, just an FYI, the 08 is a 6.0L the 6.2L doesn't come out til 09 and only in the GXP which will get a 6MT option and upgraded brakes and suspension. As for Auto-x having done it for 6+ years, any light car will beat a heavy RWD sedan! -mike Motorsports and Modifications Host |
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With the new incentives just announced, a dealer with a 2009 G8 GT in the color I’d buy & with the options & packages I’d want says the selling price would now be approx. $2K below invoice. MSRP $34.1K ( approx. ) Sell $30.1K ( approx. ) - Ray Worth a 20 minute drive to look & drive & investigate a possible ‘deal’ sometime very soon. . . |
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Weight is no where near as important as suspension setup and weight distribution. In the old days a total weight made a big difference because the added weight per a square inch of rubber contact did not add enough traction to compensate for the additional overhead of breaking or making directional changes on a vehicle that has more weight/momentum to resist change. That said, huge improvements in tire technology have changed this phenomena. For example, a dodge viper weights 3400 lbs and handles pretty good.The first thing taught in racing school is how to keep the weight even as possible on all four wheels for optimal handling. I own a 09 G8GT and a vette. The G8 GT is a balance vehicle which handles good not great. It is an excellent compromise between handling and ride. When I get out of the g8 and get into the vette the difference between the two is huge. For me personally, I would prefer a stiffer suspension and heaver sway bars. Most average drivers would not want to make the trade off since the ride will deteriorate. GM is smart to offer the GXP which will most likely provide a better package for me. Comparing a RWD car that has 50/50 weight distribution to a FWD vehicle that has 60% of the weight on the front tires is crazy. FWD cars never feel balanced and are boring to drive. You can't change the angle of the car when negotiating corners, weight transfer during takoff kill traction, torque steer, rear tire liftoff during hard breaking are all bummers on any FWD car. The FWD design is ass backwards.
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Replying to: mrpushrod (Nov 05, 2008 9:05 am) Can you elaborate a bit? My current 'ride' is a 2007 Corvette Coupe... Thanks, - Ray Driven 2 2008 G8 GTs - and off to drive a 2009 tomorrow, if the planets align..... |
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When you jerk the steering wheel back and forth on the vette going say 40MPH it is obvious that the car is two inches off the ground and there is virtually no sway in the suspension. Feels real crisp. When you do the same in the G8 there is some sway and give initially. That said, when you drive on a twisty washboard road with the vette the impact of the washboard surface is harshly transmitted into the cabin. It also bounces around a bit. They probably don't have much rubber to isolate the suspension, sway bars, etc. Furthermore, the vette takes a bit more attention to drive since wider tires follow road surfaces easier, etc. I tested quite a lot of the new cars prior to buying the G8. The G8 is by far the best bang for the buck. I liked the CTS too but interior space is superior in the G8. The g8 rides more like a 5 series BMW or Mercedes than a Maxima or Accura. Torque from the V8 is also a big plus.
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Replying to: mrpushrod (Nov 05, 2008 10:07 am) I appreciate that - is your Corvette a Z06? If not, is it Z51? or 'Base' \ F55? Thanks, - Ray Base Coupe... |
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Replying to: mrpushrod (Nov 05, 2008 9:05 am) While you may be right about suspension setup and tire technology, given 2 cars, same power, same size tires, and one weighs in at 3300lbs and the other 4000lbs, the one that weighs in at 3300lbs is the one who is going to handle better. I agree with the ideas of FWD v. RWD, however you CAN tune a FWD suspension to handle and feel good. For instance, I'd put any FWD race car up against a stock G8 and the race car will feel better, handle better and turn better lap times. In most racing organizations for road race, they actually decide on what class you are based on HP to Weight Ratios. Not FWD v. RWD v. AWD. Show up with the Dyno Sheet and put your car on the scales... To that end, for a street car, the G8 is a great compromise of size, ride, and handling. I don't expect the suspension upgrades on the GXP to be anything earth shattering. Nothing you couldn't get from Konis + Bushings + Spring + Sway Upgrades on a G8 GT. The GXP really is giving you the 6.2L engine, and the 6MT as the significant items that can't be had in the aftermarket. Suspension and Brembos both are easy aftermarket bolt ons as far as I'm concerned. -mike Motorsports and Modifications Host
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Replying to: paisan (Nov 05, 2008 7:59 pm) as far as I'm concerned." Easy - perhaps. For those more mechanically adept than I. Not typically 'cheap'.... |
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