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Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota

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brandegee
06/11/09

In reply to Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota
A perfect stablemate for my metallic cherry-red 2004 Oldsmobile Alero and my silver 2001 Plymouth Neon.

The big three really know how to go out with style, don't they?
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dwegmull comments for the purpose of obscurity
06/10/09

In reply to Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota
On the plus side it's available for private events.
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Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing
06/10/09

In reply to Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota
Not without precedent... weren't the last of the Packards rather thinly rebadged Studebakers...? Not that Studebaker "triumphed" over stablemate Packard, it just managed to survive for a few more model years under its own name.
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POLAЯ ON PЯOBATION
06/10/09

In reply to Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota
Just a completely off the wall thought, but what if TOYOTA BOUGHT PONTIAC!

Think about it...

Toyota in my opinion desperately needs a "performance" infusion.

Bring back the Toyota 3S-GTE engine (PLEASE!!!) and drop it in the Vibe with AWD and a 6-speed manual!

Bring back a first generation-like Fiero / MR2 with the Toyota supercharged 4A-GZE engine.

Bring back the GTO / Supra with the LS3 and keep the G8 as a Sedan equivalent.

Toyota and their solid reputation complete with Genuine Saskatchewan Sealskin Bindings, these cars would sell...

I'd buy one (maybe two)!
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Maymar
06/10/09

@POLAЯ WUZ EATED BY ZOMBIES: They've already got Scion, which I thought was supposed to be their sorta sporty-tuner-buzzword-youthoriented brand. You know, Pontiac, for those damn Gen-Y kids. Sadly, "We build quirk. Pontiac!" just doesn't have the same ring.
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Ford Tempo Fanatic
06/10/09

In reply to Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota
Oh well. At least we'll have Chinese Hummers.
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Mad_Science
06/10/09

In reply to Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota
Even in death, they're denied dignity.

The car that should've been a Pontiac Badged WRX, but is instead a rebadged competitor's product, and a reantal-only unloved midsize is how they go out.

I'm sorry, Pontiac.
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TexanIdiot25- needs moar horse powah
06/10/09

In reply to Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota

The sad death of Pontiac is turning me EMO..

"Cut my wrists and black my eyes, so I can sleep tonight"
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TexanIdiot25- needs moar horse powah
06/10/09

@TexanIdiot25- needs a edit buton... EDIT: Needs an edit but...: On a side note, wow that's a throw back to freshman year when emo was cool for kids...
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MazdaSpeedNut
06/10/09

@TexanIdiot25- needs a edit buton... EDIT: Needs an edit but...: Can't get video to play. But Hawthorne Heights is about like GM. Progressively worse with every album. The first was good. Second, meh. Third, eh gad.
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MushyHeirloom
06/10/09

@MazdaSpeedNut: That's what I keep saying about Green Day. And Metallica.
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gman1023
06/10/09

In reply to Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota
So anyone for G3 as a strange novelty collector's item? Only half a model year, 2 versions, zero desirability.

Actually, other than the G8 the Vibe is the only other Pontiac even close to being decent. I've seen 2 of the current generation on the road so far, and I must say it doesn't look too bad.
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MushyHeirloom
06/10/09

@gman1023: Only two? The bastards are everywhere here.
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Pkrat
06/10/09

In reply to Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota
Is it just me, but with the Bob Lutz-mandated Pontiac decladding initative, doesn't the Vibe actually look far better than the Matrix? The Matrix seems to me to have rather heavy JDM styling that not only has bulges, cutouts, tacked on ground effects, etc., but won't age very well about a year out...or as some have called it, Hyundai-inspired Japanese design.
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theart
06/10/09

@Pkrat: It's just you. To me the body panels on the Vibe looks really slabby and out of scale with the shrunken rear window.
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Paul Y. can't get in the club; gotta parking lot pimp
06/10/09

@theart: The Matrix is much more odd-looking.
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MushyHeirloom
06/10/09

@Pkrat: The Vibe looks like an overinflated old Vibe. The Matrix is just ridiculous.

The old Matrix was worse. Cheesy ground effects and 15" steelies with hubcaps. Not as bad as the Corolla S though - those ground effects were just fastened over the real bumper covers, as far as I know; they sure look to be...
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Paul Y. can't get in the club; gotta parking lot pimp
06/10/09

In reply to Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota
It could be worse: the last Oldsmobile was an Alero.
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OldeEnglishD
06/10/09

@TV's Paul Y.: Do I lose all street cred here at Jalopnik by admitting that I owned an Alero and currently own a Vibe?

/walks off hanging head in shame....
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leavethegun-takethecannoli
06/10/09

@OldeEnglishD: No, not at all. It just sucks that the Vibe is Pontiac's last car.
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Maymar
06/10/09

@OldeEnglishD: For what it's worth, I'd like to own an Alero. Just, an '03-'04, two door, 5-speed. Ecotec powah!
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joegibes
06/10/09

In reply to Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota
To me, the last Pontiac will always be the G8. It'll be a collector's car in 25-odd years, so I'll hopefully be able to pick up a cheap(er) GXP in 5.
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Ford Tempo Fanatic
06/10/09

@joegibes: Ah but for me, the G8 will be synonymous with three separate entities:

1. The Bankruptcy of General Motors.

2. The Carpocolypse

3. The end of Pontiac.

Therefor, I cannot appreciate the Pontiac G8 as the truly phenomenal machine it is. Besides, its not a Pontiac. Its a Holden with a stupid name.
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pauljones
06/10/09

@Ford Tempo Fanatic: Well, as none of the three things you listed are "entities", but rather "events", I guess you are free to appreciate the G8.

Get to it.
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Ford Tempo Fanatic
06/10/09

@pauljones: Events, yes. More what I was referring to however, was what those specific events represent.
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tenbeers
06/10/09

In reply to Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota
Should have been 1,926 SS Camaros with the ASC Firebird conversion.
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Hello Mister Walrus
06/10/09

In reply to Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota
It's sort of ironic that a brand known for sporty niche vehicles will end its run with a subcompact...
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smalleyxb122
06/10/09

In reply to Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota
Fleet-only final years of undesirable cars don't make for collectibles. See: 1998 Buick Skylark. Decent enough car, and sometimes when I fill up my truck, I miss the relatively miserly fuel consumption. I just don't think that anyone wants one. It was cheap transportation at a time when I was otherwise (functional) carless, and it was great in the snow.

Anyway, I don't see former fleet 2010 G6s becoming anything more than disposable transportation. But, for that matter, I don't see much better for non-fleet 2010 Vibes.
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engineerd
06/10/09

In reply to Sweet Irony: Last Pontiac Actually A Toyota
I had a Vibe while on vacation 2 weeks ago. What a horrible car. I chose it over the Dodge Caliber. Maybe I should have taken the Caliber.

Ironically, I went to Florida on vacation, got back last week to be informed I will be returning to Florida for work for the next 3.5 months. Wish I would have known that before, I would have gone somewhere else.

I sure do hope this assignment doesn't cut into my Jalop time. It probably will. I'll be sad.
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cabjf
06/10/09

@engineerd is the antithesis of funny: Old or new? I kind of like the new ones (at least in the manual GT trim). It may not be sporty (don't let the GT fool ya), but it sure is versatile.
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leavethegun-takethecannoli
06/10/09

@engineerd has lost the funny:Do you have an iPod, or a Blackberry?
You can comment with that, no?
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engineerd
06/10/09

@cabjf: It was new. I know it's an economy car, but it was completely gutless and cheap is giving it too much credit when it came to the interior materials.

@Stranger than most: Haha...seriously. Karma's a bitch. No, my company has a contract winding down at Kennedy and they need bodies. I was available and have the right experience so I am the lucky one going down there. My wife isn't happy.
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acarr260
06/10/09

@leavethegun-takethecannoli: Have you tried browsing Jalopnik from a smart phone or something similar? Gizmodo looks nice, so I know Gawker can do a mobile version ok (meaning that they can apply a theme or whatever to reskin the site for mobile). On my Palm (company's choice, not mine), Jalopnik is very unfriendly to use... or even browse.
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acarr260
06/10/09

@engineerd is the antithesis of funny: At least it will give you an excuse for being behind on the work on the house I guess.
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leavethegun-takethecannoli
06/10/09

@acarr260: I have, and I'll admit, it blows.
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acarr260
06/10/09

@leavethegun-takethecannoli: Ray knows of Gizmodo's victory on the mobile front and when I emailed him about this he mentioned that he was looking into it. Being a Consumerist reader, that struck me as very similar to companies "taking it seriously."
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