It should be a Chevrolet when it comes here, but it should have the Camaros front clip if they want it to look aggressive.

They should have called it something more South African, like Boermobile or Mandelamino.

I just got a peaceful easy feeling. You're my hero today, Wes.

The only Luminas I ever hav seen in Sweden are rebadged Pontiac Trans Sport...It doesn't make sence

I'm trying to think of anything good that ever wore the "lumina" badge.
This is pretty cool, but it would look way better with the Camaro front.
Actually, I think it would look okay with the face of the '08 Malibu. As long as they didn't try to carry over the Malibu's hideous tailights.

@Wes Siler:

"But, would this understated Chevy-badged Camino have been more appropriate for the US than its aggressive brother from Pontiac?"

Yes. By Pony-hacking the ute, GM is basically telling all of the business people/contractors/delivery folks, or those looking for a small truck, to piss off.

1-2 years strong sales, followed by massive drop off/oversupply.

See: Chevy SSR, Chrysler Prowler, Ford Thunderbird.

How about put a camaro front end on this and keep the pontiac version as it is and give gmc truck division this version as well as the four door ute as well. everybody wins !

@JanTheMan: I remember those...however, 90% of the Luminas here were the sedan version. A very bland car, too. But NASCAR also used the name for their race car at the time (see "Days of Thunder" with Tom Cruise. Actually, don't!)

I could swear that 10+ years ago in Australia, they had an El Camino called a Lumina.

Why ? because i like choices and this vehicle in all versions

Now that works as an El Camino. I have a problem with Pontiac El Camino. It sounds awkward.

But these guys agree with you

[www.uncrate.com]

@mytdawg: Wow. That should burn, Ray & Ben. That should burn bad.

So, is everyone getting a faux El Camino? Can't wait for the Albanian debut.

Cole Trickle likes this version of the GM ute the best.

It's sad to think I once was looking seriously at a Z34 Lumina. I ended up buying a Grand Prix coupe instead. The early '90s were not kind to GM car guys in need of new wheels.

Duh.

(@#$%^@# stupid GM!)

Either one works for me, but the Chevy is more better.

The G8, G8 Sport Truck, and Solstice should have been Chevys from the start. Unlike Pontiac, Chevy will still be around fifteen years from now. They should be giving Chevy as much love as possible. Notice how Toyota doesn't have a Pontiac-like brand. That's because they don't need it. Neither does GM. And don't go taking about the Pontiac factories and dealers and infrastructure. A brand shouldn't exist for its own sake.

Does it have the dealer mounted machine gun option? They will sell like hotcakes.

@ash78: Oval race with a Lumina.....I only have Top Gear Historic People Carrier race in mind...doesn't include those classy rebadges though..and it has a better plot than race of thunder.

+ Watch video

$10 bucks says someone chops down the front end to ride on one wheel(gas savings) and puts the engine in the truck bed... its Africa...

Since it's germane to the question asked, I'll quote myself from a previous post so that all and sundry may benefit from my wise and well-chosen words:

"I think by not making this a Chevy, GM is making a huge, obvious and easily avoidable mistake. Why does the Holden line have to be married to Pontiac? Why not give them a chance to succeed?

If you sell it as a Chevy, you're linking the vehicle to a stronger brand overall, and much stronger brand, truckwise. (Yes, buyers are going to look at this vehicle as a truck). As a Chevy, you could also have a proper stripper version w/bench seat, rubber mats and manual; V6 or turbo ecotec 4 (blasphemy, I know, but with gas prices, people would like the choice, and for a lot of people 200 or 250 HP is plenty) you could have your V8 versions all the way up to LS9 SS monsters and all the while be using the proper heritage lineage of the el Camino name. Admittedly, that's sort of like saying a "fine traditional beer like Coors Lite," but still, there are certainly more Chevy loyalists out there than Pontiac. Lots of Coors Lite loyalists.

Since this truckcar already exists in the form of the Holden Ute, the emphasis and all the development big bucks, I assume, is on marketing this thing. And GM, I wish you well, but you're flat out marketing it wrong.

You are setting yourself up for a serious disappointment, just as you did with the recent GTO. "

@beercheck: Oops, did I hit a nerve? I've flitted in and out of these discussions but I don't have a playbook so I'm not sure where everybody is standing.

@lascauxcaveman: zing!

This + cowl induction hood = aggressive enough IMO.

I'm a Coors Light loyalist.

My prediction is that Pontiac G8 ST --> Chevy El Camino Conversions will be more common than Dodge --> Mercedes Sprinter conversions.

@mytdawg: This Poncho El Camino thing seems to be RayBen's (oh, yes I did) baby, and being validated by uncrate is like being endorsed by George Bush.

Pontiac Schizophrenic

@beercheck: Hey, is the last name Wertdyla?

Making the Pontiac G8 ST into a Chevrolet is a simple badge, hood and front fascia swap away.

Vendors like JHP ([www.jhp.com.au]) sell the parts and badges which are affordable and readily available.

You'll have to get the "El Camino" badges yourself though.

@HAPPY SAINT POLAЯ'S DAY: Beats me. As soon as Perez Hilton publishes a cross-post touting the Jalopnik concept of the Pontiac El Camino, I'll be sure to enter a comment asking what the Bennifer/Bradjolena/RayBen rule on last names is.

We had better get the G8 ST in that wild green color pictured as well as the other hero colors Holden offers on that car.

Yellow, green, purple, orange, and blue STs for everyone!

For those annoyed, gut the Pontiac grille, cut the center out, and form a new grille shell. Order a phantom grille for say, an S10, and cut it to fill in the new shell.

Agressive G8 looks, minus the Pontiac grille, El Camino badges from ebay.

I'm pure bow-tie, but I have NEVER been for importing this version of the ute as an El Camino with out re-working that Holden front end, a lot.

@beercheck: Okay, that was over the line. I feel dirty. I'm going to self-prescribe an acid dip and respray. Apologies.

@Feds: I absolutely agree. By only offering this vehicle as a muscle ute they're seriously limiting their market both in terms of sales and duration. If they want to keep the Pontiac version as the performance 'truck', that's fine, but they should really offer some type of regular model under the Chevy brand for the business people/contractors/delivery folks, or those looking for a small truck like you said. Offer it all the way down to a stripper model with bench seats, vinyl flooring, manual trans, and a small fuel efficient V6 or 4-banger like lascauxcavemen suggested and I think it'd do well. If they'd offer it in a regular model with a V6 or 4-banger I'd trade my Ranger in for one in a heartbeat (even with the Pontiac snout)... but as it is it'll likely cost 3-4x what my Ranger did and won't get as good of fuel economy (28-29mpg with the 4-banger).

@JDub: Ecotec 4 and the right ECU and gearing, this thing could get 28 easy (combined). Get the right diesel in it and who knows, 40mpg?

It wouldn't be a hoonmobile, but it would be a proper little commuter/hauler.

My main concern is whether the USD/AUS exchange rate is going to allow these things to be priced where 'Muricans want to buy them.

Don't I get any credit for posting this after the G8 Sport Truck article the other day?

@lascauxcaveman: Commodore with a Four??!! Are you sure you on the right website?

Holden has used the 'Lumina' moniker for limited edition Commodores over the years.

Typically the sort of thing where they throw in a few accessories at no extra cost, bolt on a couple of 'Lumina' badges and hope to shift a few more units than usual.

@LandofMinos: YES! A TURBOCHARGED ECOTEC 4! GODDAMMIT! 260 HP IS ENOUGH!

Hey, I'm not saying they can't also make a big balls-o-fire SS V8 version, and really, I see the appeal of such a car. I'm just saying that they'd move more units if people believed the vehicle is, y'know, practical. Remember, by the time the first container ship of of 'caminos from OZ lands on our Yankee shores, gas will likely be another 25% more costly than it is now.

Maybe I'm stupid. Maybe GM has some cosmic reason to go through all this trouble to sell 8,000 units. What the hell do I know?

Ok, I'm real late to this party, but if this is suppose to be South Africa, then I have to ask.... were are the Black consumers, and why aren't they represented in this photo shoot?

The Chevy lumina has been around in the middle east for a while, as well as the caprice. they are all over the place, too.

see Chevroletarabia.com, it has everything you need!

Yep, shoulda been a Chevy.

The whole Commodore/Statesman/Ute lineup should have come to the US as Chevys as follows (Holden -> Chevy):
- Commodore/Berlina/Calais Sedan & Sport Wagon (Omega to SS V) -> Impala Sedan and Wagon (various trim/performance packages)
- Ute (all models) -> El Camino (comparable models, including trayback varieties)
- Statesman/Caprice -> Caprice and Caprice Classic models in base to luxury trims (Omega to flagship plus SS/SS V)
- Commodore Coupe segment represented by Camaro lineup (Coupe 60-style body not used in US market)

Similar trim and performance packages should be available across all four main body types (Commodore/Ute/SportWagon/Statesman) to broaden the appeal. Ex.: Some elderly drivers might want a base-level Statesman body. Other buyers might want more bling and/or hoontasticness in any of the four Commodore-family bodies.

Law enforcement agencies could use 9C1 versions of the Commodore, SportWagon, and Statesman bodies for different purposes (wagon for K9 and supervisors, Statesman for Highway Patrols and rural policing, Commodore for urban patrol, etc). (The Ute could also meet more specialized law enforcement needs).