Air bag module to be reprogrammed in Pontiac G8

General Motors issues a recall for nearly 38,000 Pontiac G8 to reprogram air bags, frontal-sensor/control modules.

Pontiac G8

Pontiac G8 models manufactured from November 2007 to January 2009 are affected in this recall.

With the front passenger seat positioned full forward, the seat position sensor will cause a 30 milliseconds deployment delay between the first and second stages of the dual-stage frontal passenger air bag.

In the event of a crash, this delay may result in increased head injury to certain front seat occupants.

GM has not yet started to notify owners regarding the reprogramming of the Air bag module.

HDT Commodore VL/VE Group A is a Retro Throwback to the 1980s

If you're not from the Land of Down Under or at least an avid Holden fan, then you're probably unfamiliar with the 1987 HDT Commodore VL SS Group A prepped by Australian racing legend Peter Brock. So before we get into the details on the new VL/VE Group A package, allow us to fill you in on a bit of the history.

Up until the late 1980s, Peter Brock was running HDT, or Holden Dealer Team, but GM's Australian division subsequently cut ties with him after he began publicly supporting and fitting all HDT models with the a device called the "Energy Polariser".

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A Video Tour of the 2012 Chevrolet Caprice PPV with the Detective Package

The first batch of GM's Australian-built 2012 Chevrolet Caprice PPV [Police Patrol Vehicle] cruisers hit the streets across the States earlier this year with more to arrive in the following months.

Despite the fact that the police car launch has sparked some interest for a civilian version as well, the Detroit maker has not such plans on the table – at least not for now.

Today, we stumbled upon a detailed -if not a bit tiring and lengthy- video walkaround of the 2012 Caprice from a Youtube user who goes by the name "Saabkyle04". The unmarked police cruisers with the detective package were located at a GM dealership in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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2011 AIMS: New HSV Black Edition Versions of Commodore Based Sedan, Station and Ute Models

General Motor’s Holden Special Vehicles unit in Australia is following in the footsteps of Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division as well as more recently, Porsche, with the presentation of a black-themed and named special edition series based on the E Series 3 range launched last September.

Making its world debut at the 2011 Australian motorshow in Melbourne, the SV Black Edition package is offered in the ClubSport R8, Maloo R8 and ClubSport R8 Tourer, which are the sports versions of the Commodore sedan, ute, and station wagon models respectively.

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Sport Truck Redux: New Rumors About the Holden Ute Heading to the U.S.A.

It’s a poorly kept secret that many Americans are quite fond of the Australian-made and Commodore-derived, Holden Ute, which we recently drove in Queensland. It’s big, brutish and comfortable with a bevy of engine and equipment options to suit virtually any budget or taste - so long as those tastes only extend to, “Big, brutish V6 or V8 engined utes”.

Before the Global Financial Crisis of 2009, the subsequent bankruptcy GM and the disillusion of the Pontiac brand, as many as half of the Holden Commodores built in Australia were destined for the U.S. and the world in the form of the Pontiac G8. A thinly disguised Holden Ute even made a showing at the 2008 New York Auto Show as the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck.

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Holden Ute Series II SS V8 Arrives in Carscoop’s Garage

Our man Tristan has snagged the keys to a Holden Ute Series II SS V8 model for a first drive in Queensland, Australia this week, and just to make it a bit more interesting, he’ll be driving the Down Under-flavored El Camino to a classic car gathering in Brisbane.

Blurring the line between cars and trucks, the Holden Commodore-based sport pickup comes from a long line of Utes dating back to the middle of the previous century. The Ute almost made it to North America when Pontiac revealed the G8 Sport Truck at the 2008 New York Auto Show, but GM’s growing financial troubles at the time put a stop to that plan, and eventually the brand itself which was discontinued in 2009, and finally shut down in 2010.

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New Rumors of the Pontiac G8 Returning to North America as a Chevrolet

The demise of the Pontiac brand in 2009 also brought about the death of the G8, the Americanized derivative of the Australian-built Holden Commodore SS. It was a sad day for Pontiac and Holden fans alike, the loss of the G8 export contract costing Holden millions of dollars and putting the future of its Elizabeth, South Australia plant - and the brand itself - in jeopardy.

When the Holden-derived Chevy Caprice Police Car was revealed for the North American market twelve months ago, rumors of a reborn G8 in the form of a Chevrolet were rife. Now, Aussie motoring website Drive is reporting that U.S. exports of the Holden Commodore SS are "imminent", with a launch expected before the end of the current model's lifespan.

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Walkinshaw Performance Series II Commodore eats Ferraris for Breakfast

For the Australian car buff, Tom Walkinshaw needs no introduction. Here is the man who founded HSV and was responsible for the epic VL Commodore based HSV SS Group A in late '80s. Though no longer working for Holden, 'Walky' continues to turn out some of the most powerful and ballsiest vehicles Australia has ever seen through the performance company named after him.

At the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, Walkinshaw Performance took the wraps off its latest model: the WP Series II Supercar. The Holden Commodore Series II SS derived super saloon is fitted with an Edelbrock WP 230 supercharger, boosting power to 617-horsepower (460 kw) and torque to 780 Nm (575 lb ft).

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HSV Commodore Range gets Minor Updates and 20th Anniversary Maloo R8 Ute

Holden Special Vehicles has taken the wraps off an updated version of its Commodore derived performance range along with a special edition of the Malooo R8 ute. HSV is the performance arm of Australian automaker Holden, known in the States through the now defunct Pontiac G8 and the Chevy Caprice police car that was revealed earlier this year.

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Holden's 2011 Commodore Series II updated; Where's Bob Lutz to reassure us that America is getting this?

The Zeta-based Holden Commodore lineup is getting a "Series II" refresh to keep up with the times. Highlights include a new "iQ" touchscreen interface for the usual suspects (Bluetooth, USB, iPod, backup camera, etc.), improved fuel economy/reduced emissions, and 3.0-liter and 6.0-liter engines that are E85-compatible. This "[allows] them to run on bio-ethanol, E10, Unleaded, Premium or any combination in between."

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2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Car Revealed: Based on Australian Holden Caprice, LWB Version of Pontiac G8

Looks like Bob Lutz was right after all when back in July he said that the Pontiac G8 would live on as the Chevrolet Caprice - even though shortly after he hastily took his words back. Apparently, what Lutz meant to say was that the G8 would live on as a law enforcement car as GM revealed the all-new Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV) at the annual International Association of Chiefs of Police convention, in Denver, Colorado.

Set to join the ranks of law enforcement departments across North America in 2011, the new Caprice is essentially a remasked version of the Australian Holden Caprice and Statesman models which in turn are more luxurious, long wheelbase versions of the Holden Commodore and its American counterpart, the Pontiac G8 that will soon be discontinued.

And just to confuse you a bit more, the Holden Caprice and its Statesman twin are already sold in the Middle East as the Chevrolet Caprice.

As with the Commodore and the G8, the Chevrolet Caprice PPV is based on GM's Zeta RWD platform that also underpins the new Chevy Camaro. It uses the longest wheelbase of the architecture that measures 118.5 inches (3,010 mm) in length along with a four-wheel independent suspension

At launch, the Chevy Caprice PPV will be offered exclusively with a GM 6.0-liter V8 with fuel-saving Active Fuel Management technology and E85 capability but GM said that in the 2012 model year, a smaller displacement V6 engine will also be offered.

The Caprice PPV's V8 churns out an estimated 355 horsepower (265 kW) and 384 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission that is specially calibrated for police duty. The Detroit automaker said that the Caprice V8 can sprint from zero to 60mph (96km/h) in under 6.0 seconds.

Additional police car-specific powertrain and vehicle system features include: a high-output alternator, engine oil, transmission and power steering coolers, 18-inch steel wheels with bolt-on center caps, larger four-wheel disc brakes with heavy-duty brake pads, heavy-duty suspension components, police-calibrated stability control system and driver information center in the instrument cluster with selectable speed tracking feature.

According to GM, the Caprice PPV can also be equipped with special equipment packages such as spotlights; lockouts for the power windows and locks; and an "undercover" street-appearance package (9C3).

"The new Chevrolet Caprice police car is the right tool at the right time for law enforcement," said Jim Campbell, general manager for GM Fleet and Commercial Operations. "We asked for a lot of feedback from our police customers, which helped us develop a vehicle that is superior to the Crown Victoria in key areas."

General Motors pointed out that the new Caprice PPV will not replace the Chevy Impala that will continue to offered in police outfit along with the Tahoe.

GM CEO Says Pontiac G8 GXP Won't Live on as a Chevy or a Cadillac

If you have been eyeing Pontiac's LS3 V8-powered G8 GXP you better hurry up and buy one before the brand closes as the sports sedan won't be offered by any other GM marque. During a web chat on the firm's official blog, GM CEO Fritz Henderson was asked by a online reader whether or not the Pontiac G8 GXP would live on as a rebadged Chevrolet or maybe even as an entry-level Cadillac. Henderson's answer was a clear-cut 'No'. Too bad that no one asked Henderson if that goes for the entire G8 range or only for the GXP.

Via: Jalopnik , Source: GM Blogs

GM Recalling 35,000 Pontiac G8s Over Minor Electronic Glitches

As many as 35,038 2008-2009 model year Pontiac G8 sport sedan owners will be receiving recall notices soon from GM to tackle two separate electronic glitches on their cars. The first problem concerns the brake pedal position switch that could be incorrectly programmed causing the brake lamps to be continually illuminated. General Motors also noticed that some cars may have incorrect values programmed into the tire pressure monitoring system meaning that drivers will not be notified about low tire pressure. GM's dealers will reprogram both the brake position sensor and the tire pressure monitoring system on the affected vehicles free of charge.

GM updates 2009 Chevrolet Caprice for Middle Eastern Markets

What Aussies have come to know as the Holden Statesman / Caprice or otherwise, the long wheelbase (luxury) version of the Commodore - Pontiac G8, is sold in the Middle East under the Chevrolet brand. For 2009, GM has upgraded the Chevrolet Caprice with an all-new six speed automatic transmission and while they were at it, they also improved specifications across the range.

The new six-speed 6L80E automatic transmission with Active Select is available with on the SS and Royale variants with the 6.0-liter engine on that delivers 360HP at 5,700 rpm and peak torque of 530Nm at 4400 rpm. The Caprice is also offered with a 3.6-litre V6 engine generating peak power of 240HP at 6,000 rpm and maximum torque of 330 Nm at 2600 rpm.

The 2009 Caprice V8 SS model receives a number of additions, including high-intensity HID headlamps, remote start to cool down the interior footwell illumination As for the rest of the range, ew chrome-plated plastic interior door handles have been added to the LTZ, SS and Royale, while all models are now available with a new Switchblade Silver paint.

Furthermore, ESP now comes standard on the LTZ V6 variant, while Bluetooth connection for mobile phones is featured on all models from the LTZ upwards.

Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S with 560HP Supercharged V8

In the land Down-Under, there's a saying that goes "there's nothing like a V8". Well, let's say that for the sake of conversation, we agree with our fellow Australians. What's even better than a 'normal' V8? The answer comes all the way from Great Britain and Vauxhall which introduced a new supercharged version of the Holden Commodore based (Pontiac G8 in the States), HSV Clubsport R8. Thanks to the addition of a Walkinshaw 122 Supercharger, the Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S' 6.0-liter V8 dispenses a mighty 560-horsepower, compared with the standard car's 431HP.

Furthermore, Walkinshaw's 122 Supercharger also boosts torque from 550Nm to an impressive 715Nm (529-lbs /ft). No performance figures have been announced, but let's just tell you that the standard 431HP VRX8 with an automatic gearbox accelerates from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 4.9 seconds...

For the record, Vauxhall did not only bolt-on a blower to the LS3 V8. The engineered package also includes a large capacity intercooler, high-flow fuel injectors, a separate cold air intake and Walkinshaw-developed ECU map, while the standard manual gearbox is upgraded with a high-torque capacity clutch.

Buyers also have the option of adding a new Bi-Modal Exhaust that raises power by up to 10-horsepower and allows drivers to select one of two noise settings: 'Street', with an upper limit of 92dbA, or 'Optimum', which releases the LS3 V8's full 102dbA. The two-and-a-half inch diameter system is manufactured from stainless steel with unique chrome tail-pipe finishers and costs £1600.

Other modifications concern the new six-pot front and four-pot rear brake calipers stiffer, height-adjustable springs and Walkinshaw-developed coil-over dampers that have 15 separate valve settings with independent corner adjustment for the owner's preferred setup.

On the outside, the Bathurst S is identifiable by a distinctive graphic pack, front fog light covers and 'Bathurst' badges while inside a console-mounted badge showing the car's build number complements the 'Walkinshaw Performance' tread plates found inside each door opening.

The Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S will be produced in a limited number of units with prices in the U.K. set at £44,995 which comes to $66,520 U.S, $99,520 AUS and €51,300 with today's exchange rates.