Ripping on the interior is a bit rich. It might not be the best, but it's a hell of a lot better than what you'll find in some cars (Chyslerberus, I'm looking in your direction).

Also, can someone who writes for the NY Times be expected to understand the cartruck?

NYT, you're dead to me.

I bet the NY Post loves this car...

Whatever, don't listen to him guys. He probably arrived in a Ford Transit Connect.

"Like Hell Camino" That's actually pretty funny. It works two ways.

No, three. At least three.

He's just jealous because HE didn't get interviewed by cutie from thestreet.com for HIS opinion about what HE thinks is the coolest feature of the Ford Transit Connect Taxi.
By the way, what HE does think the coolest feature is is the chrome two-bar grill. That's like, real innovation right there, and makes a bold styling statement. He also calls it both "Cargo-tastic" and the Ford "Hell-yeahxi."

I voted HellCamono!!!

@Ω βгåғғ™: I bet they photoshopped A-Rod and Kristen in the bed for the cover story.

First Lars takes down file sharing, now the El Camino! What's his problem? I think he needs more group band therapy.

You know, I have to wonder how much of the 'El Camino' love is kitsch. Seriously, who *really* loves this car? I understand it's utility, and I'd rather see people driving around cars that have truck beds for light truck duty than heavy duty trucks for light truck duty. But the 'El Camino' name should really rest in piece along with it's frankly skeazy image.

"WHO?!"

An open letter to Mr. Lawrence Ulrich:

The country in which you live, evidently blindered, is crawling with two-seat, gas-guzzling pickups. Who, indeed.

Is the G8 pickup a gas guzzler? Well, I can't answer that; I don't have its EPA test results in front of me. However, I'm willing to hazard a guess that as a smaller, lighter, and arguably much aerodynamically smoother platform than any typical truck, its fuel efficiency will be considerably better than a typical truck.

Who, indeed? With so many pickups on the road, most of them larger and more powerful than any of their owners are likely to need, as an answer to a perceived call for stout, muscular-feeling vehicles that portray an image, the answer to that question is clear: Americans. I don't have a guess as to how many of those trucks actually are used for their cargo ability - that way lies madness. But many trucks are bought for the simple fact that they are distinctly American in their demeanor. Toyota's and Nissan's examples of full-size trucks are proof of this: these two companies struggled hard to meet the demanding criteria of the market, and continue to fail at beating the American companies at their own game. Do I say they are inferior trucks? No.

The bygone and beloved El Camino and Ranchero were answers to the gentleman farmer's need for a vehicle flexible enough to carry feed in, that was still presentable enough to drive to church. The G8 truck revisits that fine paradigm: tough, yet civilized. Clark Kentian in its duality, it is representative of the American motoring history. And if you are dismissing the vehicle out of hand, Mr. Ulrich, you have dismissed an awfully large segment of that history.

Reconsider your dismissal of the vehicle's target market. Just because you aren't in it doesn't mean it isn't there.

Youre in Yew York right? Just have the assclown wacked

I love the new Pontiac, but I also don't think it is going to be the car that saves GM. Would have liked to see both the G8 and the El Camino as Chevrolets.

"liver-lilied?"

On the other hand, I like "Pontiac Wallaby".

What a D-Bag

@elhigh: Comment of the Month, at least!

Ripping on this car's interior is purely just a scapegoat. Looking at it, theres nothing cheap about it, especially for the price.

someone just likes to pour Hatorade on the El Camino fever

@Buckster: Is the Japanese version the El Kimono?

Lawrence is evidently a bigger whiner than Lars Ulrich.

Pay no attention to the old lady behind the gray curtain. What does she know about cars?

Eat my tire smoke-bitch.

@ash78: Seconded.

Ulrich
is
Aldick

Unless certain automotive blogs have changed their rules about auditioning commenters, it seems Mr. Ulrich's idly dismissive attitude would prevent him from becoming one.

Good thing he has the NY Times as a fall-back.

"Lars" Ulrich needs to move to Douche-land where he can live in tutonic bliss so the rest us uncultured vulgar Americans can enjoy our cars in peace. Who the frak asked him anyhow.

@elhigh: Well and passionately argued, Elhigh. Just the point that G8 Sport Truck makes a logical, more efficient and better looking replacement for all those tens of thousands of ridiculous Chevy Avalanches and Lifted 4x4 F-250's out there that never see so much as a gravel driveway is enough to win this debate.

Game, set and match, Elhigh.

This can't be the same Lars Ulrich of Metallica can it?

But, lets all go pitch-fork-and-torch syle on his ass!

Cars are satan, genital herpes, racism, starvation, foot odor, gingivitis and unseen dog doo shoe step all-in-one.

Get with the program, you heidelbergensises.

thats it im burning all my metallica music oh wait i dont own any now i remember why his exterior offends me but not as much as his sub par drumming

"Who exactly was clamoring for a two-seat, gas-guzzling pickup with the cheapest-looking interior this side of a Motel 6?"

Most of America buys them buy the millions already, dumbass.

@Euromobile: Can the NY Times be expected to understand cars PERIOD?

Apparently even if GM honed a car interior from multiple orgasms, the NY Times would still lambast it as being "cheap".

And that's the paradox. Better give it a name or something..."Lar's Law"? "Ulrich's Razor"? I got nothin'.

Gas guzzling compared to what? This car uses considerably less fuel per tank than the real trucks polluting our roads.

It also hauls or tows what most people use real gas guzzling trucks for without any of the overkill and it performs the same as any red, white and blue American muscle car.

Sounds pretty good to me.

Why would anyone issue credentials to this clown?? It's OK to say you personally don't like it or that you don't understand the target market. But to come across as an uninformed, auto ignorant boor while writing about cars is too much.

@CharlzR: Typoned

@danio3834: Not even close

@elhigh: COTD.
Slap Ulrich down, my man.

@TomAnderson: Really. It's like when I saw The New Yorker review of Transformers.

Wha?...

Another Open Letter to that D-Bag at the NYT.

Dear Herr Whatevr your name is,

I understand you write for a newspaper that many, actually most, consiter a liberal rag with dumb liberal, lefty, eco-nazis on staff. But the Pontiac G8 ST aka Wallaby is not a car for liberal, lefty, eco-nazis like you. Why dont you go buy a prius and wank-off, as we say down under. Becouse thats what you did, you pissed off all of Australia. You, and your liberal newpaper pissed off an entire contient. You might as well just say "Excuse me, Fosters is actually not Australian for Beer." They may have even a little less pissed.

The Pontiac G8 is not a car for New Yorkers. Its not a car for people who use Mass Transit regularly, and ride in Ford Transit Connects and drive Prii (?). Its a car for hard working people, who work hard days, make a pair of boots last 30 years, haul boulders up dams, backwards in the snow. Its a car for drunk canadians who enjoy the occacional car-mounted-couch race. Its a car for fun loving Jalopniks, becouse they cant buy the estate version.

And If I may pose a question to you, good sir. What sort of car do you drive? And what automotive knowledge or degree do you have? Well, sir, I am a doctor of Potonology, with a minor in hoontastic studies, and I say that the G8 carries on the tradition of the Bakkie, as well as the famous El Camino and Ranchero, and I think there IS a market to buy it, even with the current economic forcast and gas prices. The G8 is ready, and I think Amur-ica is ready too. Now, if only pricks like you would go off and hug a bunny insted of ruing the muscle-ute goodness for all of us.

Have A plesant day.

Dr. Schm

@elhigh: Just marvelous! Way to set that jerkass straight.

@TomAnderson: Good point.

Screw him, first one on Jalop who buys the new Camino needs to go the NYT headquarters and go do donuts out front. Preferably in a cowboy hat and a case of PBR in the bed... you know, just for comedy.

I think I prefer "Pontiac Haulacious" now.

@Dr. Schm: Actually, the G8ST would be a perfect truck for NYC - it's smaller, probably easier to drive on congested roads, probably thriftier with fuel - esp. if GM's cylinder deactivation continues to impress - and carries the more modest loads that a city-dweller is likely to need. It's far from perfect - ain't no such thing - but it's better than rolling a Super Duty down Madison Ave. for two sheets of CDX and some 2x4s.

Crap, contradicted myself. Still, my previous statement stands. Read perfect as much less imperfect.

@ƂƵЯ: RE: honing an interior from multiple orgasms.

Evidently Audi already does that. That would explain all the leather.

@danio3834: I think he's just out to get some attention. He's working for some no-name news outlet, what better way to get attention than to mock the favored car of a well-respected journalistic website?

Wait, "Haulacious"? That's not half bad. Maybe I'll change my vote...

I'm old enough to remember when "liberal" wasn't an insult.

from, er, wikipedia: "Liberalism in the United States is a broad political and philosophical mindset, favoring individual liberty, and opposing restrictions on liberty, whether they come from established religion, from government regulation, or from the existing class structure."

Anyone who thinks there's no market for an El Camino probably also thinks the mullet is out of style.

BTW when are we getting the "Vote El Camino" T-shirt?

New York Times=Dickweeds

I'm not a huge El Camino fan,but there's nothing wron with the interior of the new one.

I think the 'special edition' ought to be called "Hell Camino". Or 'Shel Camino' if they can get Carroll on board.

Seriously...haters...as someone who grew up in a suburban/rural (subural? ruruban?) here's the true "niche" of the ElCo. When you work in contracting of any type that requires equipment, the foreman of the crew has to go from jobsite to jobsite checking on the progress of the job and bringing items to the site that were forgotten or overlooked. Before SUVs and 4 door pickups got luxurious, said foremen needed a vehicle that would carry things like air compressors, generators, or small items needed on the jobs - and yet still provide them with the luxury befitting their station. Thus the car/truck was born. It's pointless now, but it its day it was quite the perk. Kind of like when you move from a big cubicle to a small office, now.

Y'all.

A family friend in the 60s/70s was a plumber, and he ran ElCos, because they were nicer than standard trucks, and he carried light loads like domestic pipe and toilets. He had a 68 SS396, then a 71 SS454. He parked his SS454 in a barn and switched to the Datsun mini when gas prices doubled circa 1974.

BTW, the "Lars Ulrich" comment cracked me up! That was great.

The NYT is nothing but a left wing tampon. If you read it, you deserved to get pluged.

The final indignity... I'm deleting all that Metallica music I stole now. Good luck getting that gold-plated shark tank bar installed next to the pool now!

@dolo54: Here are my edits for liberalism's Wiki entry (in bold):

"Liberalism in the United States is a broad political and philosophical mindset, favoring individual liberty up to the point people start having excessive amounts of fun, create threats to the environment both real and imagined, and there's metric shitloads of money to be made, and opposing restrictions on liberty to our faces, whether they come from established religion, from government regulation, or from the existing class structure."

I'd find the one for conservatism, tweak it and post the results here as well, but I'm already depressed enough for one post.

@TomAnderson: Good edit; it was the definition of Libertarianism till you corrected it.
Ewwwww, get the politics off of my car site!

Mustang fan here....can't wait for the G8 Sport Ute...whatever it's called.

And whoever mentioned the much slipperier aerodynam