The
Pontiac G6 is a
mid-size carA mid-size car is the North American/Australian standard for an automobile with a size equal to or greater than that of a compact...
produced under the
PontiacPontiac is a brand of automobiles first produced in 1926, and sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico by General Motors . Pontiac has been marketed as an "athletic" brand, specializing in mainstream performance vehicles....
brand of
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
automaker
General MotorsGeneral Motors Company, often known as simply GM, is a United States based automaker with headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. GM was the world's 18th largest corporate entity and third largest automaker as ranked by 2008 revenues on the Fortune Global 500. Ranked by global unit sales for 2008, it...
. It was introduced in the fall of 2004 to replace the
Grand AmThe Pontiac Grand Am was originally a mid-size car and later a compact car that was produced by the Pontiac division of General Motors. The Grand Am had two separate 3-year runs in the '70s: from 1973 to 1975 and again from 1978 to 1980. It was based on the GM A platform. Production of the Grand Am...
. The car is built on the
GM Epsilon platformEpsilon is General Motors' new mid-size front-wheel drive automobile platform. The architecture debuted in the 2002 Opel Vectra and 2003 Saab 9-3. Since this platform falls squarely in the center of the worldwide automobile market, GM plans to produce a great many Epsilon vehicles with over a dozen...
which it shares with the
Chevrolet MalibuThe Chevrolet Malibu is a mid-size car produced in the United States by General Motors. It is marketed in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Middle East.-First generation 1964–1967 :...
and
Saab 9-3The Saab 9-3 is a compact executive car produced by the automaker Saab in Trollhättan, Sweden. The convertible version is manufactured in Austria by Magna Steyr. The 9-3 shares platform with the Opel Vectra, and with the Cadillac BLS made on the same assembly line in Sweden...
along with other General Motors vehicles.
Styling was redone in a more conservative fashion, and the ribbed cladding and rear spoiler that were prevalent on the Grand Am was replaced by standard sheet metal.
The
Pontiac G6 is a
mid-size carA mid-size car is the North American/Australian standard for an automobile with a size equal to or greater than that of a compact...
produced under the
PontiacPontiac is a brand of automobiles first produced in 1926, and sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico by General Motors . Pontiac has been marketed as an "athletic" brand, specializing in mainstream performance vehicles....
brand of
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
automaker
General MotorsGeneral Motors Company, often known as simply GM, is a United States based automaker with headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. GM was the world's 18th largest corporate entity and third largest automaker as ranked by 2008 revenues on the Fortune Global 500. Ranked by global unit sales for 2008, it...
. It was introduced in the fall of 2004 to replace the
Grand AmThe Pontiac Grand Am was originally a mid-size car and later a compact car that was produced by the Pontiac division of General Motors. The Grand Am had two separate 3-year runs in the '70s: from 1973 to 1975 and again from 1978 to 1980. It was based on the GM A platform. Production of the Grand Am...
. The car is built on the
GM Epsilon platformEpsilon is General Motors' new mid-size front-wheel drive automobile platform. The architecture debuted in the 2002 Opel Vectra and 2003 Saab 9-3. Since this platform falls squarely in the center of the worldwide automobile market, GM plans to produce a great many Epsilon vehicles with over a dozen...
which it shares with the
Chevrolet MalibuThe Chevrolet Malibu is a mid-size car produced in the United States by General Motors. It is marketed in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Middle East.-First generation 1964–1967 :...
and
Saab 9-3The Saab 9-3 is a compact executive car produced by the automaker Saab in Trollhättan, Sweden. The convertible version is manufactured in Austria by Magna Steyr. The 9-3 shares platform with the Opel Vectra, and with the Cadillac BLS made on the same assembly line in Sweden...
along with other General Motors vehicles.
Styling was redone in a more conservative fashion, and the ribbed cladding and rear spoiler that were prevalent on the Grand Am was replaced by standard sheet metal. New features included a remote starting system as well as a panoramic sunroof option.
Overview
When the G6 was introduced in 2005, it had two trim levels, base
V6 and sportier
GT. Both engines, however, used a 3.5L pushrod V6 producing 200 horsepower and 220 lb/ft of torque. Matched to a four-speed
automatic transmissionAn automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
, the GT featured TAPshift, where the driver could select the gears manually. Base models were well equipped, featuring power locks, windows and mirrors with keyless entry, 6 speaker CD stereo, power drivers seat, air conditioning and split folding rear seat. GTs added an 8 speaker Monsoon stereo, premium cloth seats with 6 way adjustment, remote start, ABS and traction control.
In 2006, the G6 added two new trim levels and two new bodystyles, a coupe and a retractable hard top convertible. The new trims were a new base four-cylinder trim (sometimes referred to as "SE"), and the high performance
GTP. Coupes and Convertibles were available in GT and GTP trims only. The new base model used a 167 horsepower, 2.4L DOHC inline-4, mated to a 4 speed automatic transmission. The 3.5L V6 was now part of a sport-package on the base/SE, and remained standard on the GT. The new GTP used a 3.9L version of the GT's 3.5L V6, but also utilizes Variable-Valve Timing (VVT), increasing output to 240. A four-speed automatic transmission was standard, but for no cost, a six-speed manual was available. The 6 speed and 3.9L combination produced a 0-60 time of 6.4 seconds. The GTP convertible was not available with the manual transmission and reduced its horsepower to 227, due to a more restrictive exhaust system. The GTP also features stability control, not available on other G6 models.
The 2007 G6 saw more engine changes, and standard side torso and side curtain airbags were new. The GT now featured VVT on its 3.5L V6, raising horsepower from 200 to 224. The 3.9L V6 became an option on the GT, producing 227 horsepower in automatic transmission form and 240 horsepower in
manual transmissionA manual transmission, or manual gearbox is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
form. The GTP was given a new 3.6L DOHC V6 with 24 valves and VVT, producing 252 horsepower. It is mated to a 6 speed automatic transmission. Midway through the model year the 6-speed was dropped with the 3.9L, along with its 240 horsepower output. The GTP convertible was also discontinued. For 2008, the GTP became the GXP with more dramatic styling cues, and the 3.9L engine became an exclusive convertible option, with horsepower down to 222. SAE ratings also dropped the horsepower ratings on the 2.4L and 3.5L models to 164 and 219 (217 on convertibles), respectively.
For 2009, the G6 4-cylinder sedan adds a sport package that adds the GXP's 6-speed automatic transmission. Midway through the model year, the G6 was given a facelift, with a revised front and rear fascia as well as a revision on the interior. 2009.5 also marks the availability of a four-cylinder engine on the coupe for the first time.
Safety
The
Insurance Institute for Highway SafetyThe Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a U.S. non-profit organization funded by auto insurers. It works to reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes, and the rate of injuries and amount of property damage in the crashes that still occur...
gives the Pontiac G6 an overall
Good score in the frontal offset crash test but an
Acceptable score in the side impact crash test even though newer model year G6's feature standard side airbags. The lower side impact score is due to a marginal rating for the structure/safety cage category.
2005 GXP concept
The 2005 GXP concept was built by General Motors Performance Division. It includes a 3.6L HO VVTI V6 engine rated 275hp, F40 6-speed manual transmission, performance intake, GM Performance cat-back exhaust with bright tips, and 19-inch wheels with Bridgestone Potenza RE040 255 series tires. It was unveiled in 2004 SEMA show, and was later sold at eBay Motors. The bid ended in 2009-05-03 with winning bid price of US $16,500.00.
Marketing
The launch of the G6 was a major
publicity stuntA publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized or set up by amateurs...
: 276 of the cars were given away to audience members of
The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is a United States syndicated talk show, hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey, and is the highest-rated talk show in American television history...
on the
talk showA talk show or chat show is a television or radio program where one person or group of people come together to discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host...
's fall 2004 season premiere. This promotion, alongside a reported US$110 million publicity campaign, attempted to garner national attention for the brand-new G6.
Motorsports
The G6 is currently used in the GT class of
Rolex Sports Car SeriesThe Rolex Sports Car Series is the premiere series run by the Grand American Road Racing Association. It is a North American-based sports car series that was founded in 2000 under the name Grand American Road Racing Championship to replace the failed United States Road Racing Championship...
as a replacement for the
Pontiac GTOThe Pontiac GTO is an automobile built by Pontiac in the United States from 1964 to 1974, and by Holden in Australia from 2004 to 2006. It is often considered the first true muscle car. From 1964 until midway through 1973 it was closely related to the Pontiac Tempest and for the 1974 model year it...
.R, which is no longer sold. The cars are referred to as
GXP.Rs and built by GM's endorsed chassis constructor,
Pratt & MillerPratt & Miller Engineering and Fabrication is a company formed by Gary Pratt and Jim Miller in 1989.Based out of New Hudson, Michigan, they have been one of General Motors official racing teams since 1999 when they were key in the development of the Chevrolet Corvette C5-R...
.
It is powered by LS2 V8 engine that produces approximately 450 horsepower (335 kW). Weight saving features include carbon fiber body panels, shatter-resistant polycarbonate windows. The custom tube-frame chassis is not at all based on the road car's chassis and the 6-speed gearbox delivers power to the rear wheels. The front and rear fenders flared to cover the wide, 18-inch wheels and class-spec Hoosier racing tires. A rear wing reminiscent of sports option package on the race car is fitted at the back, underneath the proper racing rear wing.
The G6 GXP will also race in the NHRA
PoweradePowerade is a sports drink manufactured and marketed by The Coca-Cola Company. First introduced in 1988, its primary competitor is PepsiCo's Gatorade...
Drag Racing Series Pro Stock class.
Yearly United States sales
| Calendar Year |
Total American sales |
| 2004 |
16,185 |
| 2005 |
124,844 |
| 2006 |
157,644 |
| 2007 |
150,001 |
| 2008 |
140,240 |