Jalopnik
As you know we were just present for the live reveal of the 2010 Pontiac G8 El Camino here at the New York Auto Show. After diving into the press scrum that surrounded Bob Lutz after the unveil, we managed to ask him the most important question of the day - What do you think about naming the the car the "El Camino". After handing out dozens and dozens of "Vote El Camino" buttons today, including to the live band the "Young Lords", various press and peeps, and to Mr. Lutz himself, we just had to know the answer. Maximum Bob's response both surprised and delighted us.
Bob's response: "Well, I personally like the name, it has instant name recognition". We're considering nominating Mr. Lutz as Vice President of Jalopnik's Awesome Division. Perhaps we'll put his name in the masthead under the title of "El Camino Loving GM VP". Now that we know we have a man on the inside, the momentum is going to be inevitable.
Comments
Pontiac Possum. It has a pouch.
@Number_Six: Why not just call it Marsupial, then?
Marsupials scare me, 'cause they're fast
Peak Oil is a C***k of S**t.
Perhaps I missed this in a previous post, but is there a way I can get my hands on some of those buttons? El Camino is my write-in candidate in November.
@skaz: Because 'Possums are found on both continents. It's a trans-Pacific thing.
Nice one Ben, get the Lutz on our side!
i think i'm seein' a bit-o-jalopany political spin here. (slap)
vote El Toro!
Based off the 1959 Pontiac prototype, Should it be called El'Catalina?
@Number_Six: Possums are Marsupials. This gives the name an international flair.
"The all-new G8 Keeper. Are you the Keymaster?"
Wow... Meg Ryan really let herself go...
@combat chuck: Just print it out, glue it to a piece of carboard, and use a safety pin.
@OldeEnglishD: Frankenstein never scared me...
G8. El Camino. Solstice Coupe. Lutz...and its only lunchtime.
I think the powers that be need to declare today "GM at NY" day, and go with the flow. This is indeed, all fun stuff.
Meanwhile, I presume Ford did show up. Give'em five minutes or so out of tomorrow (not out of GM's day, for sure) for a thought piece on how they are still going down the tubes. They must be watching GM day and thinking hari kari.
@ash78: I was also toying with KEEPER in some racy font. You are a genius.
well, in honor of its homeland, it should be a Wallaby (also a marsupial. no possums in Oz, to my knowledge).
@mytdawg:
Frankenstein had no pouch OR El Camino
@abgwin: whoops, my bad. plenty o'possum in Australia. Funny, they don't have places to pet 'em there, unlike every other bit of outback fauna.
p.s. don't agree to hold a koala. they smell like cough drops and have crusty butts.
@abgwin:
How about, in honor of it's homeland, the Combat Wombat (if Hodaka doesn't own the rights to that name. Someone should call their world headquarters, oh wait...)
@abgwin:
I think Pontiac Platypus rolls of the tongue easier.
@mytdawg: I laugh every time I hear that on Bob & Tom
The Pontiac Phoenix
You can't call it anything but El Camino. Sport Truck is boring, El Camino is bad ass. As for the video... Bob Lutz is awesome. Only business dude who is really into cars.
El Camino
We will tolerate no dissent.
I'll start importing Chevy Lumina Ute front clips from South Africa
[jalopnik.com]
Bob Lutz is probably so sauced half the time, he'd think Pontiac G8 El Camryo is a great idea
I loved the little snicker right before he gave the silly kid a lollipop.
Why do you continue to try to corner Lutz when you know he won't remember the conversation tomorrow?
It's like that grotesque scene in Bowling for Columbine when Michael Moore picks on the Alzheimer's-stricken Charlton Heston.
G8D Caminoty: You'll never get one into one.
@combat chuck:
NICE!
As someone who wants to buy this car I'd rather see the "ST" label left on it alone than "El Camino" put on with it.
That sounds silly and the Spanish name conjures up a lot of bad mojo considering how hot the illegal immigration issue is today.
@abgwin:
COTD! "p.s. don't agree to hold a koala. they smell like cough drops and have crusty butts."
@TriShield: are there really people out there who wouldn't buy a car with a Spanish name because Mexicans speak Spanish? are they going to have to start selling Hyundai Sharks and Porsche 911 Race4s and Lamborghini LP640 Bats to please these people? and don't get them started on cars built in Mexico...
you should've cornered him to get a straight answer on why it's not being sold as a Chevrolet El Camino to begin with (the "Chevy brand has too many models" and "the G8 front end is already crash tested" excuses strike me as a little weak).
Caballero! Caballero! Caballero!
I'll be that one crazy guy standing outside the convention center waving a sandwich board around and spouting out conspiracy theorists to anybody who will walk past me.
Hey, was that Sweet Pete from Auto Extremist leering at Lutz just to his right?
How about G8 Sunrunner? That rebadged Suzuki was probably the closest Pontiac has yet come to courting the El Camino demographic.
They can call it "redneck crap hauler" for all I care. I just want one NOW
I'll worry about peeling off the emblems
I'm confused with all of the El Camino hype these days. I just assumed that would die when Davey left - since he was the father of Jalopnik ElCo post. The recent ElCo coverage lacks the sentiment and skewed commentary that made the ElCo a popular topic back in the day.
Bob's concern that people will think it's a Chevy is exactly the sort of "problem" that marketing men like myself just love. It's what's called a "no-negative" misconception that can really be played up to make the product stick out in consumer's minds.
30 second Pontiac G8 El Camino spot:
[CAR GUY is looking at classifieds section of newspaper in office cubicle with full width glass wall. JUMP to exterior view, looking through glass. COWORKER steps into view.]
COWORKER: "Car shopping?"
CAR GUY: "Yea. I'm headded over to the Pontiac dealer at lunch to check out the El Camino. Wanna go?"
COWORKER: "I don't know how to tell you this, but first of all, the El Camino was a Chevy and, second, they don't make 'em anymore."
CAR GUY: "Actually..."
[New G8 El Camino passes slowly by outside, between camera POV and glass.]
COWORKER: "Wow. What's that?"
CAR GUY: "The new 2009 Pontiac G8 El Camino."
[JUMP to interior view]
COWORKER: [Still staring blankly outside.] "Let's go to lunch early."
[Pause.]
CAR GUY: "You don't get on the Internet much, do you?"
COWORKER: "Uh, no. Why?"
ANNOUNCER VOICEOVER: "In case you haven't heard, the El Camino is back. But this time it's at your Pontiac dealer.
[JUMP to full screen outdoor shot of G8 El Camino powersliding to a stop center frame.]
ANNOUNCER VOICEOVER: "The 361 horsepower 2009 Pontiac G8 El Camino. Find one now at your Pontiac dealer."
@Tanshanomi:
It just kills me that you're giving this shit up to GM for free. Do you have any idea what the people who write stuff exactly like that make?
@GreasyKnuckles:
Sorry, just noticed you ID'd yourself as a marketing man.
Please don't do any work for Monsanto.
@Tanshanomi: Ugh. I feel like I just watched TV. I have to shower now.
@smokyburnout:
You better believe there are people like that. When the Busch race from Daytona was on this year, I happened to catch a little at a tv in a store. I'm standing there, watching, and up comes Joe Camo and his 3 camo clad kiddies. He sees a Toyota leading, turns to the oldest (about 9) and says, "Fuck this! We ain't standin' here watchin' this bullshit!" Grabs the kids and storms off.
But Pontiac El Camino is just wrong!
@SpeedWagon: El Catalina is good, I like that. Even just Catalina.
@CafeRacer1200: well, to be honest, i don't like seeing Toyota win races either. but i hate Toyota because they get away with being called a "green" automaker even though they're as into massive SUVs as everyone else, and because they produce nothing but boring automobiles, but not because they're Japanese (i actually rather like Japan).
and there's a difference between not buying a car because it is foreign and not buying a car because it has a foreign-sounding name (the difference is the latter is crazier)... although technically, this Pontiac El Camino would be both.
ha great job talking to the MAN