G8

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

There's nothing like actual seat time to form the best opinions you can about a car. It's fun to talk to your friends, especially those that know, about the cars you love. But there's no substitute for driving a car and forming your own attitudes about it. Plus, you're in a better position to win the arguments you invariably get in to about your favorites.

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to take the new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR for a brief drive and had a blast doing it. An outstanding, high performance compact sedan that can be economical as well.

Well, I'm lucky yet again as I've taken delivery of a Pontiac G8 GT, courtesy of General Motors, for an extended, one-week test drive.

GM did the right thing with the G8 by outsourcing to their excellent Holden division in Australia. Which means they've introduced a proper sports sedan to the American market.

Let's take a moment and list a few requirements of a good American sports sedan. Rear-wheel drive? Check. Rock-solid platform? Check. Big, rumbling V8? Check. Modern day six-speed automatic? Check. To the American performance car buyer, anything else is really just eye candy.

With just a few miles under my belt, my initial impressions of the G8 is this is a rock solid car. There is no indication that it came from a mixed past of General Motors successes or miscues, whichever descriptor you prefer. The car corners flat and at 6 or 7/10s, shows no sign of losing its composure. The car is in a word, balanced.

The G8 GT has a 6.0 liter V8 with 361 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque. The V8 makes all the right sounds with a terrific growl under a heavy right foot but is very quiet at idle and highway speeds.

I look forward to wringing this car out over the next few days and getting a more complete picture of its strengths and weaknesses. I'll fill you in with the details as I go along.

Does anyone have an opinion about the G8? Maybe you've been shopping around and are considering it. Or maybe you disagree with me. I would love to hear from you. Leave your comments below and we can talk about what I think is an excellent American sports sedan.