Auto news and reviews from Car Buyer's Notebook.com: Pontiac Archives

August 6, 2008

GM Certified Used Vehicles to List Entire Inventory Onine

DETROIT - GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry's top-selling manufacturer-certified used vehicle brand*, announced it has reached an agreement to list the entire national inventory of GM Certified Used Vehicles and Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles on EveryCarListed.com, a new consumer automotive listings site.

The EveryCarListed.com relationship provides shoppers a new online resource that makes it easy for them to research and find GM Certified Used Vehicles.

Continue reading "GM Certified Used Vehicles to List Entire Inventory Onine"

August 2, 2008

GM Reports July Sales Down 26.7%

DETROIT - GM today announced July sales results, highlighted by continued strong performance in small and midsize cars and crossovers. GM dealers in the United States delivered 235,184 vehicles in July, down 26.7 percent.

Weak industry conditions caused by a challenging U.S. economic environment, higher fuel prices and inventory shortages in critical segments such as compact cars contributed to the overall sales decline for the month.

Continue reading "GM Reports July Sales Down 26.7%"

August 1, 2008

General Motors to Showcase Historic Motorama Vehicles

More than fifty years ago, General Motors' traveling Motorama showcased dramatic concept "Dream Cars" as interpretations of future automobile design.

From 1949 through 1960, expressive vehicles including the Cadillac Lemans and Firebird I traveled the United States as a statement of General Motors design leadership.

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July 30, 2008

Chrysler, GM and Nissan are Tops in Online Search Visibility

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- iCrossing, a global digital marketing company, today announced the findings of the Vertical Visibility Index: Automotive, the first in a series of studies analyzing the paid and natural search media visibility leaders within specific industry verticals.

iCrossing found that Chrysler, GM and Nissan North America are doing the best job of taking a synergistic search engine marketing approach, with the highest scores for combined visibility. Ford leads for natural search visibility and Hyundai has the greatest paid search visibility for the keyword set analyzed.

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July 25, 2008

GM to Broaden Employee Discounts

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp., hoping to boost demand amid a drastic downturn in the U.S. auto industry, will offer employee discounts to nonemployees on a limited basis.

GM Sales Chief Mark LaNeve rolled out the plan in an email to employees late Thursday. Employees can give one employee discount away between now and the end of July, a GM spokeswoman said.

"All active GM employees in the U.S. have the opportunity to provide one employee discount to anyone you know who is considering the purchase of a new vehicle," Mr. LaNeve said in the email.

GM's New Interactive Site Goes "Undercover" to Educate Consumers

DETROIT - What would happen if you turned more than 20 undercover film and surveillance professionals with eight cameras loose to show the potential drawbacks of buying a used vehicle that is not manufacturer certified?

That's what GM's Certified Used Vehicles team did and the results were not at all surprising.

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OnStar Opens "Crisis Assist" Emergency Services to Those Affected by Dolly

DETROIT - OnStar reminds its subscribers in Southeast Texas that a simple push of the OnStar button in GM vehicles will put them in contact with specially-trained Crisis Advisors.

OnStar's Crisis Assist capabilities include specially trained Crisis Advisors, who will help with:

Continue reading "OnStar Opens "Crisis Assist" Emergency Services to Those Affected by Dolly"

July 22, 2008

Buick, Pontiac, GMC Channel Working

General Motors Corp. says its strategy of grouping its Buick, Pontiac and GMC brands into one distribution channel, which began in 2002, is working. The 1,600 dealers currently aligned with the B-P-G channel account for approximately 80 percent of the sales from the trio of GM nameplates.

"This is a great channel, with three strong differentiating brands and a strong dealer body," says Susan Docherty, named GM's North America vice president-BPG channel, three months ago. "The B-P-G channel has some good momentum, and we plan to build on that." Getting the dealers aligned into one channel has been one of GM's top priorities for the last three or four years. "And we are continuing to work to align dealers along the B-P-G channel, because this makes good business sense," she says.

July 18, 2008

General Motors Forging Ahead

By Bob Lutz, GM Vice Chairman

As you've no doubt heard me say before, we've made a lot of progress in the past few years at General Motors. And we've delivered on what we said we would do. We've tackled the legacy costs. We've improved our quality. We went from having, at least in North America, some mediocre products to having acclaimed products that are selling extremely well, especially on the passenger car side. In June, for example, in a slow market, our retail car sales were up 8 percent.

We continue to reinvigorate our product portfolio. We're pursuing advanced propulsion technologies that will greatly reduce dependence on petroleum. And, we're reacting to the swiftly changing market conditions here in the U.S.

Continue reading "General Motors Forging Ahead"

July 12, 2008

GM now selling fuel economy

General Motors Corp. will shift its 2008 advertising for Buick, GMC and Pontiac to promote their fuel-economy edge over competitors after the three brands' U.S. sales fell 25 percent last month.

New commercials single out Toyota Motor Corp.'s Tundra pickup and 4Runner sport utility vehicle and other models as having lower efficiency than GM models.

"The market is flooded with fuel-economy messages, and we needed to tell our story," Frakes said. The "pump less and drive more" commercials emphasize the range and fuel economy of the models, she said.

July 7, 2008

GM Weighs More Layoffs, Sale of Brands

DETROIT -- Bruised by a deep sales slump and a half-century-low in its stock price, General Motors Corp. is preparing to cut thousands more white-collar jobs and is considering whether it should sell or shutter more of its brands, people familiar with the matter said.

Both moves are part of a broader re-evaluation of GM's strategy and of its ability to meet an internal projection of returning to profitability in 2010, these people said. The job cuts are likely to be approved when GM's board of directors meets in early August, these people said.

The company has already decided to put its Hummer division up for sale. Discussions among top executives about the number of brands have intensified in recent weeks, and signal a potential major shift in thinking by the company -- especially by Chief Executive Rick Wagoner. As top executives review future cars and trucks earmarked for various brands, "nothing is off the table," several people said. All but Cadillac and Chevrolet, which GM considers core to its business, are undergoing close scrutiny, other people said.

July 2, 2008

GM Extends Zero Percent Financing Deals

DETROIT -- General Motors notified its dealers this morning that it will be extending its 0 percent financing sale through Monday, July 7.

The sale conditions remain the same -- 0 percent financing for 72 months on most GM vehicles. The so-called 72-hour sale ran from June 24 through June 30.

July 1, 2008

GM Reports June Sales Down 18.5%

DETROIT - GM today announced June sales results, highlighted by an 8 percent rise in retail car sales and continued strong performance in crossovers.

Despite the significant decline of industry market volume and the limited availability of some of GM's most popular models, GM dealers in the United States delivered 265,937 vehicles in June, down 8 percent (18.5 percent unadjusted). Truck sales declined 6 percent.

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GM Offers Low APR on Certified Used Vehicles

DETROIT - GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry's top-selling manufacturer-certified used vehicle brand*, today announced a nationwide GMAC rate incentive program on select GM Certified Used Vehicles, including Chevrolet Impala and Malibu models.

The new rate incentive offer, effective July 1, 2008, through September 30, 2008, provides well-qualified GM Certified Used Vehicles buyers with 2.9% APR financing for terms up to 48 months, or 3.9% APR financing for terms up to 60 months from GMAC Financial Services on 2003-2008 models of Chevrolet Impala and Malibu** vehicles purchased from participating GM Certified Used Vehicles dealers.

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June 30, 2008

GMnext Takes Music Fans Backstage At Rothbury Festival

DETROIT - The adventure continues as GMnext Plug In marks the halfway point of its global tour of music festivals, with Tenacious D's Kyle Gass interviewing bands backstage at the Rothbury Festival, July 3 - 6.

Following his recent appearances at the Rock on the Range Festival in Columbus , Ohio, Southside Festival in Germany and Pinkpop in the Netherlands, Kyle will once again be the face of GMnext Plug In at Rothbury.

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June 20, 2008

Video: Pontiac G8 Design

Mike Simcoe, GM's global design director, explains styling cues on the new Pontiac G8.

June 15, 2008

New Appointments Build GM Brand Channel Alignment

DETROIT - General Motors announced personnel moves today in support of its four retail channels: Chevrolet; Premium (Cadillac, Hummer, Saab); Buick-Pontiac-GMC; and Saturn. The moves streamline the organization by combining or eliminating job functions. This will help the brands better deliver world-class products to customers, and build value for GM and its dealers.

The following appointments are effective July 1st; however these individuals will begin to transition into their new roles immediately.

Continue reading "New Appointments Build GM Brand Channel Alignment"

June 14, 2008

GM Rolls Out Military Discount

DETROIT - General Motors today announced an online vehicle discount program for active and reserve military members that can save military families thousands of dollars when purchasing a new car or truck from Chevrolet, Saturn, Pontiac, Buick, Saab, Cadillac, GMC or HUMMER.

"The GM Military Discount Program" is an online web site that enables active and reserve members of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, National Guard and Coast Guard to get a new vehicle discount. Under the program, military members can receive as much as a $1,500 discount off the MSRP of a new Buick Enclave crossover; $2,200 off a new Chevrolet Impala sedan; or as much as $4,200 off a new GMC Sierra pickup truck.

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June 12, 2008

GM Certified Used Vehicles Live on eBay Motors

DETROIT - GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry's top-selling manufacturer-certified used vehicle brand, announced today that its 60,000-plus-vehicle inventory from 3,900-plus U.S. dealers is now listed on eBay Motors (www.ebaymotors.com), the Internet's largest marketplace for buying and selling all things automotive.

Continue reading "GM Certified Used Vehicles Live on eBay Motors"

June 6, 2008

GM looks beyond improved quality scores

By Jamie Hresko, GM Vice President, Quality

There are many gate-checks, so to speak, here at GM when it comes to quality. However, the ones that matter most to you, the customer, the driver, are the external measures that tell you if we’re all wet or if we’re running hard and clean. J.D. Power & Associates has announced its Initial Quality Survey results. I won’t re-iterate the content of the press release.

Continue reading "GM looks beyond improved quality scores"

June 5, 2008

Report: Initial Auto Quality Improves Considerably

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. -- Initial quality in the automotive industry has improved significantly in 2008, with substantial gains demonstrated by nearly three-fourths of the 36 ranked nameplates, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Initial Quality Study (IQS) released today.

Overall quality improves to 118 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) in 2008, down from 125 PP100 in 2007.

Continue reading "Report: Initial Auto Quality Improves Considerably"

June 3, 2008

GM Increases Small Car Production, Closes Four Truck Plants

General Motors has announced they are increasing small car production in Michigan and Ohio, at plants that make the Chevy Malibu and Pontiac G6 and the Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G5, to keep up with increased consumer demand of small and mid-size cars.

GM also said they will shut down four truck plants, in Canada, Ohio, Wisconsin and Mexico.

One plant will stop making the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra in 2009, while another that makes the Chevy TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy and Saab 9-7x, will end production at the end of the 2010 model run, or sooner, if demand dictates. A Wisconsin plant will cease production of medium-duty trucks by the end of 2009, and of the Tahoe, Suburban and Yukon in 2010, or sooner, if market demand dictates. Chevrolet Kodiak medium-duty truck production will also end in Toluca, Mexico, by the end of this year.

GM expects these actions will save more than $1 billion by 2010 and plans to have to work with unions to handle even more layoffs, due to "long-term changes in consumer demand for trucks and SUVs."

GM Reports May Sales Down 28%

DETROIT - GM dealers in the United States delivered 272,363 vehicles in May.

The sales increase in fuel efficient cars and crossover vehicles could not make up for soft truck demand and a decline in fleet deliveries impacted by the American Axle strike.

Approximately 15-18,000 sales were lost in May, or will be retimed, due to various work stoppages including the American Axle strike. Compared with a strong May 2007, total sales were down 30 percent (28 percent unadjusted). Truck sales declined 39 percent.

Continue reading "GM Reports May Sales Down 28%"

May 30, 2008

GM to give locksmiths access to key info

GM is implementing a nationwide process for registered locksmiths to obtain information to make replacement keys and obtain immobilizer PIN information for GM vehicles.

Effective May 30, 2008, using a process established in December 2007 to comply with California law, any licensed (where licensing is required) and bonded locksmiths in the U.S. who have complied with the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) Secure Data Release Model verification process will be able to access key code and immobilizer (when applicable) information when the verified registered owner / lessee of a vehicle requests the locksmith to produce a key to enter, start, and operate the vehicle.

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May 23, 2008

OnStar Receives Honors at Telematics Update Awards

Detroit – OnStar by GM captured the “Best Embedded Telematics Navigation Product Award” at the 2008 Detroit Telematics Awards event.

Awards are judged by independent industry experts and are open to all companies in the automotive and mobile telematics eco-system that develop and provide compelling products, services, and content.

Continue reading "OnStar Receives Honors at Telematics Update Awards"

May 20, 2008

GM's Jamie Hresko touts quality gains

by Jamie Hresko, GM Vice President, Quality

So, I’m watching the NFL draft a few weeks ago and it hits me. It occurred to me that there is a complete incongruity (thank you word-a-day calendar) between hope and reality.

Don’t get me wrong, hope is very important. Hope, however, is not active. It doesn’t drive results. Do you think any of the draftees just sat on the bench hoping to play … hoping to be spotted … hoping to be picked? Of course not. They worked hard. They had a plan. They actively pursued their goal of playing football well.

Continue reading "GM's Jamie Hresko touts quality gains"

May 12, 2008

2008 Fuel Economy Guide Available for Download

The EPA has issued a comprehensive PDF guide to fuel economy of all 2008 vehicles, which you can download by right-clicking here.

In today's gas market, buyers are more sensitive than ever about buying cars that get good mileage, and more important, they want the government ratings to be as accurate as possible -- nobody wants to buy a vehicle that gets 10% worse mileage in the real world than the sticker rating.

To address this situation, the EPA has started using an updated test to assign more accurate MPG ratings to new vehicles, and you can learn about that by watching the video in this post.

May 9, 2008

Tenacious D Goes Backstage for GM at Music Fests

DETROIT -- GMnext is going backstage at some of the world's biggest rock festivals this summer - providing music fans exclusive access through a series of video, photo and blog updates.

GMnext Plug In is a celebration of the 100+ year relationship between cars and music. From AM to FM, 8-track to cassette, compact disc to mp3, music is almost always a part of the driving experience.

Continue reading "Tenacious D Goes Backstage for GM at Music Fests"

May 5, 2008

Pontiac Rebates for May 2008

Pontiac is offering up to a $2,500 rebate on the G6 model line, $1,500 on the G5 and $1,000 on the Solstice roadster. Low interest financing is also available.

Programs end 5/21/08.

If you would like to research current auto rebates for all make and models for sale in the United States, check out CurrentAutoRebates.com, a fabulous service that allows you to check up on all rebate programs through a handy PDF report. The service is free and available now!

GM Rebates for May 2008

General Motors is offering a wide variety of rebate programs that cover Chevy, Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac Saab and Saturn brands. Amounts range from $2,000 on the Chevy Silverado pickup to $3,000 on the Hummer H3 and $1,000 on the Pontiac Solstice. Low interest rate financing is available across all brand and model lines.

May 4, 2008

Top twenty best selling small cars for April 2008

Americans rediscovered cars in April 2008, with small cars in particular accounting for nearly one in five of all vehicles sold in an otherwise down month.

Toyota had four vehicles in the top twenty, General Motors had three; Nissan, Hyundai and Kia had two apiece. And Dodge has a hit with the Caliber, which made the list at number 9.

With people paying nearly $4 per gallon of gas nationwide, it appears that the free market has achieved what environmentalists have been clamoring about for years -- to conserve fuel by buying smaller vehicles.

The top twenty best selling small cars for April 2008:

Continue reading "Top twenty best selling small cars for April 2008"

May 2, 2008

GM Reports April Sales Down 16%

DETROIT - GM dealers in the United States delivered 260,922 vehicles in April. Retail car and crossover sales were up more than 9 percent.

A sharp sales increase in fuel efficient cars and crossovers could not make up for soft truck demand and a sharp decline in fleet deliveries impacted by the American Axle strike. On a non-adjusted basis, retail sales were down 11.5 percent and total sales for the month were down 16 percent.

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April 23, 2008

GM Announces First Quarter Global Sales of More Than 2.25 Million

DETROIT - General Motors sold 2.25 million cars and trucks around the world in the first quarter of 2008, according to preliminary sales figures released today, with a record 64 percent of all sales occurring outside the United States.

GM global first quarter sales were down less than one percent. Robust first quarter sales in GM's Latin America, Africa and Middle East (GMLAAM) and Asia Pacific (GMAP) regions, and improved sales in the GM Europe (GME) region helped offset a 10 percent decline in GM North America (GMNA). Sales outside GMNA were up 8 percent compared with last year.

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GM statement on proposed 2011-2015 Fuel Economy Targets

"GM intends to meet the tough, new national CAFE standards of 35 mpg for cars and trucks combined by 2020, a dramatic increase of 40 percent."

NHTSA’s proposed rule lays out the first set of standards toward this target. GM will work with NHTSA throughout its rulemaking process on the yearly targets and the sensible mechanisms needed to meet this challenge.”

Continue reading "GM statement on proposed 2011-2015 Fuel Economy Targets"

April 16, 2008

GM nabs Nissan's McNabb, reorganizes retail roster

DETROIT – General Motors announced today that its U.S. marketing and field operations will be more strongly aligned into four retail channels: Chevrolet; Premium (Cadillac, Hummer, Saab); Buick-Pontiac-GMC; and Saturn. Each channel will be focused on continuing to deliver world-class products for their customer and build value for GM and their respective dealers.

GM announced the appointment of four new leadership positions to direct activities within this organization, effective June 1:

Continue reading "GM nabs Nissan's McNabb, reorganizes retail roster"

April 15, 2008

GM Reward Programs Expanded to Saturn Vehicles

DETROIT - Consumers who want to use their GM Card or GM Flexible Earnings Card toward the purchase of an eligible, new GM vehicle now have the option to purchase or lease a new Saturn under expanded program guidelines.

The GM Card and the GM Flexible Earnings Card allows Cardmembers to earn toward an eligible new GM vehicle with every credit card purchase. Effective April 15, 2008 Saturn vehicles will be added to the expanded program.

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April 8, 2008

Volkswagen Eos Tops Convertibles List

YONKERS, N.Y. -- The Volkswagen Eos achieved the best overall score in Consumer Reports' tests of seven convertibles for the May issue, narrowly outpointing the BMW 328i. Both vehicles earned "Very Good" overall scores.

Two vehicles in the group, the Saab 9-3 and Volvo C70, earned somewhat lower overall road-test scores, but were still within the "Very Good" range.

Continue reading "Volkswagen Eos Tops Convertibles List"

April 2, 2008

April Pontiac Rebates Available at CurrentAutoRebates.com

Pontiac is offering up to a $1,500 rebate on the G6 model line, $1,250 on the Pontiac Vibe and $1,000 on the Torrent SUV. Low interest financing is also available.

Programs end 4/30/08.

April GM Rebates Available at CurrentAutoRebates.com

General Motors is offering a wide variety of rebate programs that cover Chevy, Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn brands.

Amounts range from $2,000 on the Chevy Silverado pickup to $3,000 on the Hummer H3 and 5.9% financing on the Buick Enclave SUV. Low interest rate financing is available across all brand and model lines. Programs end April 30, 2008.

GM launches new navigation service through OnStar

Dallas -- OnStar today announced the introduction of two new navigational services to complement and enhance its existing Turn-by-Turn service, the most widely available navigation system on the market. These features solidify GM's leadership in navigation with more vehicles on the road with embedded navigation systems and more options than any other automaker.

The first new service is OnStar Destination Download, which enables OnStar subscribers with screen-based navigation systems to quickly input their destination while on the go via the simple press of a button.

Continue reading "GM launches new navigation service through OnStar"

April 1, 2008

GM Offers Low Interest on Certfied Used Vehicles

DETROIT – GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry’s top-selling manufacturer-certified used vehicle brand*, today announced a nationwide GMAC rate incentive program on select GM Certified Used Vehicles, including Chevrolet Cobalt, HHR, Tahoe, Suburban and Silverado; Pontiac G6; and GMC Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL models.

The new rate incentive offer, effective April 1, 2008, through June 30, 2008, provides well-qualified GM Certified Used Vehicles buyers with 2.9% APR financing for terms up to 48 months or 3.9% APR financing for terms up to 60 months from GMAC Financial Services on select 2003-2008 models.

Continue reading "GM Offers Low Interest on Certfied Used Vehicles"

GM Reports March Sales Down 13%

DETROIT – GM dealers in the United States delivered 282,732 vehicles in March, a decrease of 13 percent when compared with the same month a year ago.

For the first three months of 2008, GM total sales of 805,720 vehicles were down 11 percent compared with a year ago. Retail share appears to have remained stable throughout the month and the quarter.

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March 31, 2008

Video: AT GM, Quality Comes First

Quality Comes First: Getting The Message Across

General Motors is working to aggressively market the increased quality of the latest line of vehicles.

March 30, 2008

2009 Pontiac Vibe

For 2009, Pontiac is brnging a new Vibe, a vehicle that combines the utility of a crossover with the styling and performance of a sporty small sedan.

Starting at $15,895, the 2009 Vibe features a more powerful base engine -- a 1.8 liter -- as well as a new 2.4 liter.

An all-wheel drive model is offered with a starting price of $19,495; the performance oriented GT starts at $19,895.

March 26, 2008

Video: Odd Couple Lutz, 50 Cent Introduce Pontiac in NY

At the New York Auto Show, Bob Lutz and 50 Cent reveal the 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe, 2009 G8 GXP, 2010 G8 Sport Truck.

March 22, 2008

Pontiac Wants You to Name that Truck!

Pontiac is running a promotion for their new G8 Sport Truck Concept vehicle, where you get a a chance to bestow a name on the ride that will be available for sale later this year.

There are forces on the Internet asking you to stuff the ballot box with the rather obvious "El Camino," but we opted for the somewhat less culturally dated moniker, "Wassup?"

After you fill out the form at the Tame the Name entry page, you will be able to download a wallpaper for your desktop based on the thumbnail above.

Pontiac Scores a Hat Trick in New York

If there’s anything better than introducing a new product, it’s introducing three new products. And if there’s anything better than introducing three new products, it’s introducing three new products that show Pontiac’s getting its mojo back.

At the New York Auto Show, Pontiac took the wraps off some new members of the Solstice and G8 families.

Continue reading "Pontiac Scores a Hat Trick in New York"

March 19, 2008

Pontiac Solstice Hardtop Extends Appeal of Classic Design

NEW YORK – Drawing inspiration from classic sports cars, the 2009 Pontiac Solstice coupe was created for drivers who appreciate both dramatic styling and balanced performance.

Unveiled at the New York Auto Show as a GXP model, the Solstice coupe builds on the success of the convertible model while offering a greater range of all-season driving opportunities.

Continue reading "Pontiac Solstice Hardtop Extends Appeal of Classic Design"

Pontiac Reveals 2009 G8 GXP

NEW YORK – Today Pontiac announced the flagship of its GXP performance series, the G8 GXP high-performance sedan, at the New York Auto Show.

This 2009 model will join the Solstice, G6 and Torrent GXP models in Pontiac dealerships in late 2008. The G8 GXP takes the G8’s responsive driving experience, refined passenger environment and aggressive good looks to a new level. It also delivers an enjoyable driving experience, thanks to a 6.2L V-8 that produces in excess of 400 horsepower.

Continue reading "Pontiac Reveals 2009 G8 GXP"

Pontiac Tests the Limits With G8 Sport Truck

NEW YORK – The 2010 Pontiac G8 sport truck blurs the line between cars and trucks and is creating an all-new segment in the North American car market. This dramatically different vehicle blends the sporty handling of a performance coupe with the cargo capabilities of a light truck.

Based on the all-new Pontiac G8 performance sedan, the newest member of the G8 family has a longer wheelbase and a cargo bed suitable for either work or recreation. The G8 sport truck significantly stretches Pontiac’s commitment to style and performance and is expected to arrive in dealers’ showrooms in late 2009.

Continue reading "Pontiac Tests the Limits With G8 Sport Truck"

March 17, 2008

Pontiac tries to muscle back into the spotlight

DETROIT - Pontiac wants to beef up its performance credentials with two new rear-wheel-drive vehicles that will debut at next week's New York International Auto Show, but the timing couldn't be worse as high gas prices test consumers' appetite for growling engines.

The 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP upgrades the G8 sedan with a new 6.2-liter small-block V-8 engine that's rated at 402 horsepower. Pontiac says the G8 GXP will be able to go from zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds. The GXP also has a specially tuned suspension and an optional new six-speed manual transmission. The sedan will go on sale late this year.

GM recalls 207,000 Buicks, Pontiacs

DETROIT - General Motors Corp. says it is recalling more than 207,000 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix sedans because they can develop oil leaks that can cause fires.

GM says the cars are safe to drive, but drivers should not park them in garages or carports.

The automaker said Friday the recall affects 1997 to 2003 Buick Regal GS and Grand Prix GDP models with 3.8-liter supercharged V-6 engines.

March 10, 2008

General Motors Honors Top Dealers with Jack Smith Award

New York, NY - General Motors held its annual GM Dealer Of The Year award ceremony in New York City today to present the Jack Smith Leadership Award to its top 115 dealers.

Honorees were chosen from more than 6,700 GM dealers across the U.S., and exemplify the company's dedication to exceptional sales performance and superior customer service.

Continue reading "General Motors Honors Top Dealers with Jack Smith Award"

March 9, 2008

March Pontiac Rebates Available at CurrentAutoRebates.com

Pontiac is offering up to a $2,500 rebate on the G6 model line, $1,000 on the G5 and $1,000 on the Solstice roadster. Low interest financing is also available.

Programs end 3/31/08.

March GM Rebates Available at CurrentAutoRebates.com

General Motors is offering a wide variety of rebate programs that cover Chevy, Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac Saab and Saturn brands. Amounts range from $2,000 on the Chevy Silverado pickup to $2,000 on the Hummer H3 and $3,500 on the Saab 9-3. Low interest rate financing is available across all brand and model lines. Programs end 3/31/08.

March 3, 2008

GM Sales Down 13% in February

DETROIT - GM dealers in the United States delivered 270,423 vehicles in February, a decrease of 13 percent compared with an unusually strong February last year.

"Our new launch vehicles, including the award-winning Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac CTS, had a sensational month, as did the Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Aura, and the Pontiac G6," said Mark LaNeve, vice president, GM North America Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing.

Continue reading "GM Sales Down 13% in February"

March 1, 2008

GM brings performance, style to NY Auto Show

NEW YORK -- General Motors’ global design talents come together as GM showcases several award-winning concept vehicles at the 2008 New York International Auto Show.

Headlining the event will be Pontiac with three world premiere vehicle introductions. Saab will also unveil an environmentally friendly compact sports luxury concept vehicle to North America.

Continue reading "GM brings performance, style to NY Auto Show"

February 29, 2008

Pontiac Power 8 Sweepstakes: Enter to Win a Pontiac G8

Pontiac is giving away a brand spanking new G8 rear-wheel drive sedan to the lucky winner of the Great 8 Sweepstakes who enters before the March 15, 2008 deadline.

In case you didn't know, the G8 is Pontiac's new entry in the rear-wheel drive category -- and the one you can win is a GT model with the big V8 engine that produces 361 horsepower.

Eight Reasons to Enter the Pontiac Power 8 Sweepstakes:

1. One and only VIN #888.
2. The first ever G8
3. 6.0L V8 engine.
4. Rear wheel drive.
5. 361 HP, 385 ft-lb of torque.
6. 0-60 in 5.3 seconds.
7. Hood scoops and dual exhausts.
8. VIP delivery at the Grand Am Race at Homestead Miami Speedway -- including a hot lap.

Click here to enter the Pontiac Power 8 Sweepstakes.

February 13, 2008

GM's Lutz: January Results Demonstrate We Are on the Rise

By Bob Lutz, GM Vice Chairman

You’ve already heard about our financial results for 2007. Yes, we posted a sizable loss, but it was not a surprise. As Rick Wagoner noted this morning, almost all of that loss was attributed to a special charge in the third quarter.

Right now, though, I want to share some little-noticed facts about our January sales.

Continue reading "GM's Lutz: January Results Demonstrate We Are on the Rise"

February 8, 2008

GM to Sell Used Vehicles on eBay Motors

DETROIT – GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry’s top-selling manufacturer-certified used vehicle brand, announced it has reached an agreement to collaborate in a variety of areas with eBay Motors, the Internet's largest marketplace for buying and selling all things automotive, to support the 3,900-plus GM Certified Used Vehicles dealers in the U.S.

As a first step, GM Certified Used Vehicles commits to list their entire national inventory on eBay Motors at no cost to dealers.

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General Motors Launches Wiki-Style History Project

DETROIT - While many companies publish histories to commemorate special milestones, GM is putting a 21st Century, open-source twist on the way its history is told in cyberspace.

Beginning today, GM is inviting people worldwide to contribute to the Generations of GM Wiki on GMnext.com and share their personal, first-person experiences from the company's first 100 years - everything from a story about a summer job in an assembly plant to pictures of a first car to favorite experiences with GM products.

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February 5, 2008

Top Ten Best Selling Cars in the U.S. -- January 2008

The top ten best selling cars in the United States for January 2008 are led once again by Japanese automakers, taking up the top five positions. General Motors has four vehicles on the list, rounded out by the Ford Focus, in the #10 slot.

The top ten best selling cars in the U.S. for January '08 are as follows:

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February 2, 2008

Current Auto Rebates Has All the Updated Rebates!

With auto sales down 4.3% in January 2008, many automakers are increasing the rebate and incentive offers they have on the hoods of their vehicles.

Yet keeping track of all the rebate programs can be difficult work, which is why we began publishing Current Auto Rebates, the Internet's first document that lists every rebate program for every vehicle for same in the United States.

This 13-page PDF makes it easy for you to look up rebates on any model you're interested in, and even allows you to contact your local dealer who will give you a free price quote on the ride of your choice.

Since rebate programs can change several times per month, you may want to sign up for free updates to the publication -- when we update the document you'll get an email from us letting you know a refreshed version is available for you to download.

And if someone you know is currently shopping for a new vehicle, you may want to download a copy and email it to them -- they'll thank you for doing so!

February 1, 2008

General Motors Reports January Sales Up 2.1%

DETROIT - GM dealers in the United States delivered 252,565 vehicles in January, an increase of 2.1 percent compared with the same month last year. The company continued its efforts to focus on improved retail sales, showing an increase of more than 11 percent.

Very strong retail sales of 186,187 vehicles were driven by a more than 31-percent surge in retail car sales. GM retail share in the U.S. has remained essentially stable for the past two and one-half years. Total truck sales of 148,191 were up more than 3 percent compared with a year ago.

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January 30, 2008

GM to Showcase Vintage Vehicles at Syracuse Auto Show

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Visitors to the 100th Syracuse Auto Expo, which opens to the public Feb. 6, will get a special treat: a rare glimpse of five vintage General Motors vehicles - the earliest a 1908 Buick - in a display that celebrates the 100th anniversary of GM as well as the Expo.

The vehicle display comes to Syracuse's OnCenter and War Memorial from GM's Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, Mich., and was organized by Syracuse-area GM dealers. In addition to Buick, vintage vehicles representing GMC, Pontiac, Chevrolet and Cadillac will be together in the facility's ballroom, and each have a unique story behind them.

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GM Expands Multicultural Marketing Agency Roster

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. is further broadening its multicultural marketing efforts and today announced that it will add Sanders\Wingo Advertising, Inc., to its list of advertising agencies to provide African American, urban and youth marketing support for Chevrolet, and Carol H. Williams Advertising to provide African American, urban and youth marketing support for Cadillac, HUMMER, Saab, Saturn and the GM Corporate brand, effective at the end of the first quarter of 2008.

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With Home Prices Dropping, Car Prices Are Sure to Follow

It's accepted wisdom now that overall auto sales will drop in 2008. This is seen as a function of the housing bust, during which as much as 20% of new car purchases were funded by residential real estate profit, home equity cashouts and the general euphoria in real estate related industries.

Now that home prices are dropping -- and will continue to do so until they fall in line with median income -- we believe the average new vehicle transaction price will drop as well. If houses can fall 10%-30% in value, why not cars?

In November we ran a story from Comerica Bank stating the average transaction price of a new vehicle was $29,024. Our projection is this number will fall below $25,000, perhaps in 2009 if not this year, for several reasons:

1. Less money to spend. The option of taking cash out of a home to finance a new purchase is gone. The psychology of spending "free money" to buy a luxe ride will give way to folks actually having to make the payment out of their own pocket. And with many people paying even more for housing due to adjustable rates, they will choose cheaper rides.

2. Gas prices. While $3 a gallon gas isn't as draconian as five bucks, it will have an effect over time. People are already choosing more efficient crossovers and smaller SUVs over the big buses, and V8s are going out of favor. Look for more people to choose V6s in cars and for four-cylinders to pick up in popularity.

3. Negative equity. A greater percentage of folks are upside down in their cars, and have been rolling their balances into new loan agreements. To catch up, their new purchases will have to be cheaper and it's going to take years to eat away at the balance.

4. New frugality. In a tough economy, the value of money becomes more dear. People will start thinking twice about how much money they spend. They will choose cheaper cars, perhaps with more options, but the luxe-marques are in for a rough ride.

5. New wage structures. The Detroit car companies have made big headlines with their new labor deals, that allow them to replace higher paid union workers with new hires at a lower wage scale. The higher wages translated into higher sticker prices; the lower wages will allow for slimmer price hikes and even reductions.

6. Battle for fewer consumers. Don't let the tough talk fool you. As fewer cars are sold throughout 2008, the rebate war will kick into full swing -- and spiffs will help bring down the average transaction price.

This last reason is why we launched Current Auto Rebates, a site that publishes all the rebates for every model in a single PDF file, to make bargain hunting that much easier.

Phoenix Home to Modernized Buick Pontiac GMC Dealership

GILBERT, Ariz. – GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner and award-winning dealer Henry Brown today celebrated the grand opening of Henry Brown Buick-Pontiac-GMC -- the first BPG dealership in the Southwest to feature GM’s all-new exterior and interior design.

Wagoner and Brown spoke to a crowd of approximately 200 guests in the dealership at 1550 E. Drivers Way. Wagoner congratulated Brown on his new dealership and for being the largest BPG dealer in the Western Region.

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January 27, 2008

2008 Pontiac Vibe Rebates Available at Current Auto Rebates.com

The 2008 Pontiac Vibe has a $1,250 rebate or 4.9% financing available; program ends 3/3/08. The 2008 Pontiac Vibe base price -- $16,760.

Click here to get your free 2008 Pontiac Vibe price quote!