2008 Pontiac G8 GT - The First Test

General Feature
Make no bones about it: GMHTP is hot for the new G8 GT. Gen IV horsepower, pushrod torque, and a good trans? Us GM lovers are used to that. But 361 ponies and a six-speed auto, installed in a solid and capable chassis and wrapped in sexy bodywork-with enough room to hold five adults-is definitely a new variation on Pontiac's "excitement" credo. I like it, I want it, I need to test it.

So when new Super Chevy editor Mike "Focaccia Bread" Ficacci wandered into my office to let me know that he was picking up a brand-new G8 GT, we immediately devised a plan of action: first, baseline drag testing at Raceway Park. Next, dyno testing. And finally, a tune and another track test-this time against a Mustang to make things interesting.

Mike's 2008 G8 GT is build No. 756 of the first 888. The only options are the $1,250 premium package with leather, power/heated front seats, leather-wrapped shift lever, and the $150 Goodyear 245/45/18 all-season tires. From the base price of $29,995, they bumped his final price up to $31,395.	A six-liter L76 supplies the motivation. In factory trim, this V-8 is rated at 361 hp at 5,300 rpm and 385 lb-ft of torque at 4,400. Even though this GT weighs in at a hefty 4,000 pounds, it pulls hard even with five people on board!	When it came time to dyno the Pontiac, we hooked up with Toms River, New Jersey-based Tune Time Performance. Proprietor Matt Hauffe got it onto the AWD Mustang dyno, and we let 'er rip. On Tune Time's dyno, the G8 put down 263 horses and 275 lb-ft-Tune Time thought that reading was a touch low, but we'll go with it. The factory timing was right around 18-19 degrees, and the air/fuel meter was reading between 11.3 and 11.8 at WOT.
With a scant 280 miles, this stock G8 took to Raceway Park's famed quarter-mile strip. A 1,000-rpm launch and shifting to Fifth about 200 feet before the traps resulted in a 2.08 60-foot and a 13.63 at 101.41 mph.	One of the G8 GT's best attributes is its truly outstanding interior. Check out the dual-zone A/C, the 11-speaker Blaupunkt system, and the special-edition 888 emblem on the passenger-side dash.	It didn't take long for the smack talking to start between Mike and an unnamed MM&FF member about which ride was faster: the new G8 GT or a new Mustang GT. A stock versus stock quarter-mile matchup was agreed upon. So, in the spirit of Jersey sportsmanship, we had Tune Time, which already has one of the country's fastest G8 GTs, install a custom tune. Using HP Tuners, Hauffe brought the timing up to 24, the air/fuel to 12.5, the shift points to 6,300, and the rev limiter to 6,500. Torque management was removed and the trans line pressure was brought up, the fans were set to come on at 190 degrees, and the top speed limiter was taken to an ambitious 200 mph. The tuned GT responded with 276 horses and 286 lb-ft, and we knew the trans/TM mods would yield big dividends.
Just as we had predicted, Ford Boy showed up at E-Town with a modified Mustang. Though the racing was still close, Pontiac prevailed in a best of three matchup: by foot-braking to 2,000 rpm and rolling into the throttle, the G8 pulled a best 60-foot of 2.05, went 0-60 in five seconds flat, and ran a 13.16 at 106.68, while the Mustang was only able to get a 13.32 at 103.11. GM Power!