My '09 Pontiac G8 GXP 6M Journal
 

After an exhausting (pun intended) search beginning in January this year, I have finally purchased a car! I was looking for a fun to drive sedan that would be a good highway car to drive to and from events with my camera gear and any passengers I might need to pick up, flag girls, etc. I was originally looking for Audi RS6's but after talking to several sellers who got tight lipped when I started asking about service history and so forth, I got burnt out on them. Around that time, I rode in my friend Kyle's G8 GXP and realized it was exactly what I was looking for. So I changed focus around the summer to looking at GXP's and came across this one on Cars.com.

I spoke with the seller, Eric, and we coordinated via email for the past few weeks until we settled on a price and arranged a time to meet up. Dad and I flew up to Pittsburgh to pick it up this past Thursday and Eric picked us up at the hotel Friday morning. Eric was very friendly and it was obvious he took great care of this car. He was the 2nd owner. He said he was selling it so that he could move on to something else, possibly some classic muscle that he could work on with his dad.

This car is black on black with the 6 speed manual transmission and the sunroof (the only two options on GXP's). It had just a hair over 15k miles on it at the time of purchase. It is all stock except window tint.

We drove down to I81 and headed south through Virginia; made it to Dad's house in NC around 10pm. We averaged 26mpg on the highway. The car is a dream to drive. It feels raw yet just refined enough to be comfortable at the same time. The sound is fantastic, the torque is evil-grin-inducing, the seats are comfortable, lots of room inside and the trunk, and it turns heads. It's an amazing car all around.

I don't really have a lot of plans for it, I truly like it just the way it is but I'm sure I'll find some things to do. It will stay mostly this way until it's paid off, then I may do some performance mods but I'll figure that out later.

First bath:
http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5251-XL.jpg

Eric let me borrow his tag since we couldn't get a transit tag
http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5254-XL.jpg

Me and the GXP
http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5260-XL.jpg

All cleaned up, at least for a few minutes
http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5270-XL.jpg

http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5271-XL.jpg

Thanks for looking, I will update this thread as I start to mod it. :)

Congrats, those are beasts! Love how understated the exterior is. Best of all, both Z and GXP are very fun, but in very different ways. They can't be more different but both will put a big smile on your face.

No plans for it yet huh...well don't think it will be long until you get tempted by heads, cam ,exhaust and a tune....

I strongly considered a GT a couple months ago, test drove it, loved how quiet that thing is (the acoustic windshield). But, ultimately, it will be the wife's daily and she prefers a G37s instead.

Have fun!

Edit: I assumed you have a Z, but maybe not (judging by your signature). Either way, enjoy!

:tup:

Are those stock wheels or did they come off a CTSV? They look just like mine. Nice fund you have in the GXP. Not many made and it may be collectible. The GTO is getting that way now. You can put a blower on it and have a Pontiac version of the V.

nice. i always liked the look of that car. :tup:

Very nice find and choice. It's nice to see them still around here and there. I am proud to say that I was part of the R&D Technology team in 2005/2006 at GM which started with Holden Auto in AU to work on the design of this car. I had 4 of the Holden version at the time in our design center about the time that Pontiac went green light on the build of this car. Such a beautiful car, powerplant and all. Sad that Pontiac fell away. It's a beauty of a machine to drive, quality of build just as GM was starting to refine their materials. Here is a link to the example of the 4 we had in shop which GM Teams designed this car about :

Holden Commodore HSV

Holden Commodore HSV GTS - Pontiac Design Ques

Vauxhall - GM's European solution to the Holden and Pontiac's G8 - Power Sedans on the rise

yep, G8 looks the best. :tup:

i agree. G8's are :yum:

congrats :tup:

thanks everyone!

wow, great to know! i will definitely hit you up with questions when they arise if that's ok :tup:

stock wheels, they do look similar to the CTS-V's, though I think the V's are a bit wider. mine are 19x9 iirc. tires are 245/40 (square)

Most definitely. Our team was responsible for the design and creation of the Camaro - GM CODE 97XZL and more along with Dave Wallace whom was at the time Senior Chief Engineer for the ZR1 which was also one of our products, so to say that I know and have a good knowledge of the build, design and layout of the car overall. At that time most of the codes were hush hush, like the new silverado, new saturns, new cadillacs, GMC, etc. I have all the list outs' and SPO part diagrams, part numbers. I met Dave Wallace about 4 times before the ZR1 was greenlight for production too. But for sure, feel free to email me or what if you have any questions. It was a fun time working there for the time i was there, enjoying the new designs, but not being able to tell people about it, really really cool stuff.

Patrick you know we have contacts at Pratt & Miller....we could make that thing MEAN. GXP-R sedan FTW.

WOW!!

Looks Amazing!! :yum:

Im real HAPPY for YOU Patrick enjoy :tup:

*goes to do SuperV8 racecar research* :stirthepot:

That is a great looking car, congrats on it. I love the G8, such a shame that they aren't made anymore. Hopefully the new SS is as fun to drive as a G8.

Should be about the same, though not having a manual option kills it for me. I know th newer automatics are getting really good but in something like this, it just begs for three pedals. If it's got a classic rock soundtrack, it needs a classic transmission, imo.

Bought a "GXP" tag for the front off of Amazon. It's definitely not OEM quality like you would have been able to pick up at a GM parts counter a few years ago but it seemed to be my only option these days. Today, the sun broke out for a few hours so I pulled the G8 out of the garage, cleaned the garage out and moved my car care stuff down to the garage. Parked the both vehicles together and stopped to take a quick pic before getting back to work...

https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/...32720640_n.jpg

GM v8

I approve :D

I knew you would, sir. :tup: How are you enjoying your LS-ness?

It is secks :)

went to Cars & Coffee Upstate this morning and parked with some other fellow Holdens. That's Wendel's white GT on the right, Kyle's silver GXP in the middle and mine down on the end...

Kyle said his wheels were "competition gray" lol
http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5273-XL.jpg

front tag helps A LOT lol
http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5276-XL.jpg

oh yea, there was a C6Z next to us as well :)
http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5277-XL.jpg

Great choice, I ordered a GT for my wife when I got my Z in 09 love them both.

I have always really liked that car! Good find.

mmmmmm, i was hoping to find a 6M SBM or PBM but this black one stole my heart, and my savings lol

thanks!

Also Considered
 

I also considered buying one back in January of 2010 but all the new ones were gone & the prices were going up. They only made 1237 GXPs & Bob Lutz already had a 2 door version ready for production the next year, but that never happen. The last new one in town went for 5K over sticker, a white 6sp
with maroon interior. I call it the last great American M5.

Official numbers were 1829 made according to this site:

G8 GXP Colors and Options - Welcome to the G8 GXP Enthusiast Site!

Mine was #283 out of the run and one of 81 in this color combination with a manual and a sunroof. :driving:I agree though, it truly feels like an M5 to drive, it really is that good!

Pulled the GXP out of the garage during the warmer part of today (55*) to give it a bath so I could install my new VG SharkFin and replace the unsightly factory antenna.

http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5415-XL.jpg

Before SharkFin
http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5420-XL.jpg

http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5424-XL.jpg

http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5431-XL.jpg

http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5432-XL.jpg

After!
http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5437-XL.jpg

Mileage: 16,510

Nice car, but such crappy pics. Who'd you hire to take those, Stevie Wonder? :stirthepot:


Kidding, nice shots as always, Pat. :icon17:

way better!

I have a love/hate/rape kind of relationship with Shado...

The Next G8
 

Well the reviews on the new Impala SS are in & they are glowing to say the least, but its still a variant of the last holden & styling isn't great even with a 5 year absent it doesn't look quite as good as a 09 GXP. I heard GM is halting production of the holden in 2017 bad news for the Aussies, & the new SS costs between 40 & 46K with limited production. They may do a manual before its done & maybe just maybe a 2 door.

It's not an "Impala SS", it's just an "SS". Yes it's a quote-unquote a spiritual successor to that car from the early 90's but it has nothing to do with the current Impala at all. The Impala SS was based on the same car as the regular Impala of the time, just hopped up on performance and looks. Holden is done in 2017 but the new VF platform is supposedly done either next year (2015) or the year after so the SS will be even shorter than that. Supposedly they are targeting 2k or so SS' imported a year so looks like 4-6k max depending on sales. I'm not sure where you are getting this info but GM has clearly stated recently there will not be a manual transmission option nor any two door variants. The two door variant is the current Camaro. Why would they make a two door SS? It's the same platform.

The importing thing is based on a promise GM made to Holden that they would export X,xxx number of cars to other countries to guarantee enough sales to sustain development of the VF platform for Holden. That's why Europe gets the Vauxhall version of the car, etc. Sadly, the SS will probably be one of the last big displacement RWD V8 sedans likely to ever be sold in the US. Sure we'll have small displacement turbo cars but it's not going to be the same, especially with auto and dual clutch only cars. I love a good dual clutch transmission but I prefer the driver involvement of 3 pedals, one of the biggest reason I wanted one of these cars!

My father ordered me an dash plaque from Third Shift Studios as a Christmas gift. It was finally delivered today in the mail. Here's some pics, came out pretty nice I think!

http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5458-XL.jpg

Before (above the air vents)
http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5461-XL.jpg

Installed
http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5462-XL.jpg

After!
http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5465-XL.jpg

When I first saw it, I thought it was a second screen that was showing it's boot image prior to showing other things like gauges. Nice clean, stock looking install. :tup:

I like it, I'll try to get some more "natural light" pictures of it at some point. Unfortunately, like interior lighting, it's hard to capture it in camera the way it looks in person.

Finally got a tag for my car on Friday. Long story but a lot of stuff got screwed up on the bank's side of things and had to get resolved, protracted by the holidays and vacation time people take towards the end of the year. Regardless, the car is now street legal and just in time. The driver I shoot for in Pirelli World Challenge, Brian Kleeman, flew down Friday night to hang out for the weekend. We took the car to an AutoX over in Clemson to finish off the OEM Bridgestone RE050's which were pretty much shot when I bought the car. We had a great time tossing the car around and I think we did pretty decent considering. Times have yet to be posted but I'll follow up on that along with a video (we had all three of my GoPro's going). Here's one and the album if you want to see any of the other shots:

http://jpmcgphotography.smugmug.com/...MG_5554-XL.jpg

Clemson Sports Car Club AutoX - 1/25/14 - JPMcG Photography

After the AutoX, we drove down to Z1 Motorsports in Georgia for a meeting about the upcoming year in Spec Z racing and hung out with our ATL friends the rest of the weekend. Capped it off by meeting up with some G8 owners in Duluth on my way back home last night (excuse the poor photo quality, Facebook upload here) :

https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/...64029272_n.jpg

Nice car! the G8 GT and G8 GXP were relatively unknown in North America. Canada especially. I recently sold my G8 GT which was an absolute beast. 6.0L V8 with 361hp factory. I had the Rotofab intake, ARH LT's SOLO exhaust and VMS tune. That car could move for its size, and even regardless of its size.

Enjoy your GXP.

Thanks man! Most people seem to go with that combo (Rotofab, SOLO, tune). I'm gonna get a VCM over-the-radiator intake, Kooks headers and tune after I get it paid off.

On the wife's I put the Intune diablo sport tuner, Roto intake, Magnaflow non-res exhaust (cheap I know) but I have to split the mod money between the Z and G8. When the warranty is up i'll do the Kooks long tubes for sure.

GXP or GT?