Friend, Romans, Cotomer Sevis Representatives, lend me your ears; I come to bury the El Camino badge, not to praise it. The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their frames; so let it be with the El Camino. The noble Bob Lutz hath told you El Camino hath instant name recognition, if it were so, it was a grievous fault, and grievously hath Lutz answer'd it. Here, under leave of Lutz and the rest — for Lutz is an honorable man. So they are all honorable men.

Come we to speak in El Camino's funeral. It was our friend, faithful and entertaining to us. But Bob Lutz, he was ambitious. He hath brought many vehicles home to Detroit. Whose ransoms did the General's coffers fill. Did this in El Camino seem unlikely? When that the poor hoons have cried, El Camino hath wept: instant name recognition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Bob Lutz says it had instant name recognition. You all did see that on the New York Auto Show we thrice presented him a Vote El Camino button, which he did thrice refuse: was this because of instant name recognition? I speak not to disapprove what Bob Lutz decided, but here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love El Camino once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then, to mourn for it? O judgment! Though art fled to brutish beasts, and GM has lost their reason. Bear with us, our heart is in the reject bin here with El Camino. and we must pause till it come back to us. [Kicking Tires]

We love the idea of the 2010 Pontiac G8 El Camino, this much goes without saying, but there's been a lot of hemming and hawing about the long term viability of the product from a business perspective. Motor City Blog Man Todd Lassa has a theory on the General's strategy and it kind of makes sense to us. Remember when we all went a little batty at the prospect of a G8 Wagon and then it got canned — kind of? Well Todd got to thinking about the wagon and the El Camino, and mixed in a little marketing strategy from GM's cross town rivals at Ford and came up with an idea:

What if the G8 El Camino was simply a Pontiac G8 variant, like Mustangs Bullitt and the California Special? Albeit on a more complex, but still platform produced scale. GM let everybody who wants one get a copy during a couple years of production, then phase it out when demand falls only to introduce a new variant — the G8 wagon. We see this as a brilliant theory, but we have some ideas to add here.

We can see the market for truck-cars going one of two ways, the direction Lassa points at — a complete niche for enthusiast buyers, or, breaking out like gangbusters. Why would we say that? Because of the economy. It's no secret the housing market is taking a dirt nap, some markets have seen a decline in home values as high as 20% in the last year. GM knows housing sales are the biggest indicator of light truck sales trends, and the sharp decline in that segment across the board in the last two quarters backs that up. The midsize trucks currently in place are as large as full size trucks two decades ago, and their fuel economy credentials are slipping badly. With gas prices on the rise, and environmental consciousness coming into vogue, there's a possibility, though admittedly small, that GM may actually be first to market with a hot new segment, efficient trucks.

Certainly the current iteration with it's 361 HP V8 is not fuel sipper, but we're betting the V6 already for sale in Australia would be an easy option to incorporate if demand was there. Heck, the Solstice sourced Ecotec 4 cylinder would probably fit nicely in that car. So say what you will about GM's Pontiac G8 sport truck, you may feel that it's folly, but people have to haul stuff regardless of the price of gas, and GM knows this too. So in the end, GM can show it's enthusiasts the love as well as take the option to capitalize on a market should the opportunity arise. [Trends of the Motor Variety]

Seems Wards Auto noticed our little campaign to resurrect the El Camino moniker for the 2010 Pontiac G8 sport truck, even going to far as to quote Bob Lutz's response to our question at the New York Auto Show. But when it came time to assign a location from which the hootin', hollerin' and shoutin' was emanating from, the best they could come up with was a vague pointing in a direction other than them. Although they were able to see the tens of dozens of press walking through the show wearing our "Vote El Camino Today!" pins, they apparently missed the name Jalopnik printed right underneath it. But at the very least they think our campaign has been "skillful":

"To date, El Camino has a massive head start, thanks to skillful grassroots campaigning."

Although now we're thinking maybe we should re-register our domain name to "skillful-grassroots-campaigning.com." Might not be the worst idea with campaign season upon us — bet it'll do pretty well in the ol' search engine optimization thing Wert's always talking about. That's alright though, no hard feelings on our part. This whole "El Camino" campaign isn't about our glory, we're merely humble servants to the cause. But the shout-out to our readers grassroots campaigners would have been nice. [WardsAuto]

Continuing our coverage of the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck ballot bowl naming contest, 50 Cent has announced that he is officially endorsing his own name, "Curtis," for the name of the new ute. This comes as no surprise to our best political team on television hack team of — well, hacks — despite Bob Lutz's unofficial endorsement of "El Camino." Remember, if you haven't already, vote "El Camino" today!

The New York Times's Lawrence "Lars" Ulrich took a swing at pithy commentary on the 2010 Pontiac G8 "El Camino" sport truck today, deciding to heap the bed full of liver-lilied liberalism and haterade. To wit:

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

Who? Well, us for one. But we wouldn't expect Ulrich to understand anything about a vehicle...

...he misnames as the "Pontiac Sport Truck," forgetting those strong G8 roots. But he makes up for it with hackery like calling our beloved El Camino the "Like Hell Camino," the "Pontiac Wallaby" and the "Haulacious." Isn't that precious? It's like he studied at the school of me, but without the love of real cars. [New York Times]

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.

We had a caminogasm over the weekend when we dropped pics and press on the 2010 Pontiac G8 ST — which we're sure you'll vote to call the El Camino — and now we can give you the whole enchilada. The baddest truck-car bound for America just bowed here at the 2008 New York Auto Show and the explosion of flashbulbs has our heads spinning. The most anticipated car here at the show is a freakin' superstar on the stage and we're swarming it to learn all the important parts we didn't know before - like just what kind of toting capacity that bed has. Stay tuned for a bevy of live pics and far more geeking out.

If you want a peek into the end-of-life future of the Pontiac G8 Utes to come, here's a good idea what kids in the heartland will be doing with the almost El Camino after it does the 1 lap of depreciation. This example for sale in Oz is going for approximately $21,954 USD, but it's still redneck-tastic. We'd be lying if we said in our younger days, half our friends didn't have aftermarket bumpers like this on their trucks, so we know the motivation for installing guards like this - primarily deer, or in this case kangaroos.

Since Roo's are pests in Australia like deer and antelope here, and not of the cuddly belly-pocket toting icons they are in the US, making sure your Holden wins in a fight is more important than looks. Of course, depending on your perspective it does look pretty badass. We've got a shiny new nickel that says this ride has never done a donut in its life. [DigiAds]

Considering everything under the skin of the new Pontiac G8 El Camino sport truck is basically a Holden Ute, it stands to reason all the modifications done to this truck-car could be done to our sport truck. How would you feel about a 926 HP El Camino? We would feel pretty good about it, all seven seconds we drove it before planting it into a wall somewhere. The mega-hoons at C.A.P.A. Performance who build this baby really understand the idea of Maximum El Camino Day - it's every day of their lives.

We'll let them tell the story on this very serious business-in-the-front ute:

We started building our new project car, a VE SS Ute 3 weeks before Summernats. There were many late nights spent building an Engine, Strengthening the Driveline and Developing the Supercharger kit to where it is now.

The engine was stroked to 409 cubic inches, with a one off crank, rods and pistons installed to ensure the engine could withstand over 20psi of boost at 7200rpm. A Custom Camshaft and Ported Big Valve Heads were also used in the build. A custom supercharger kit was developed to allow a V7 YSi Supercharger to be driven off the crank with a 50mm gilmer pulley system. The supercharger kit install includes larger 3.5" pipework and a Custom 200mm thick intercooler with Mondo Bypass Valve mounted behind the front bumper. Exhaust Gasses leave the engine via CAPA 1 7/8" Tri-Y Extractors and a Twin 3" Exhaust.

With all the extra power up front, the drivetrain and brakes had to be upgraded accordingly, with a built T-56 gearbox, Twin Plate Clutch and Full Spool 3.45" installed. Touring Car inspired brakes help bring the Ute to a halt, with 365mm 6 Piston Front and 320mm 4 Piston Rear Brakes sitting behind 22" wheels wrapped in 245mm and 265mm wide rubber. The car sits lower to the ground using Bilstien Coil-overs specifically set up for this ute.

Additional fuel is supplied by an alloy fuel tank, 3 bosch motorsport pumps and a Vortech Super FMU.

We entered our ute in the Horsepower Heroes dyno competition, and it made 856.6 Horsepower at the wheels. The Ute is capable of producing more power, but we had some unfortunate issues with the Clutch slipping. We will be working with Xtreme to build a more powerful clutch before we run the ute up again, which should see the Ute produce over 1000 Horsepower at the wheels. We also took home the Top Super Tech Trophy, which was awarded to the best Street Car which features New Technology and High Levels of Innovation.

[C.A.P.A.]

What's that? You're wondering if the production version of the newly-revealed Pontiac G8 El Camino is functional? Well here's the proof: exclusive, raw, uncut video of the G8 sport truck in action from our exclusive, raw, uncut photo shoot with the new ute. We suggested they do a nice smoky burnout for the photo shoot, but seeing as they'd literally just attached the hood to the production prototype for the first time mere hours ago, they were having none of that. Maybe they're saving the rubber for doing donuts on the New York Auto Show floor? Our guess is probably not, but it sure is nice seeing a prototype that isn't being pushed around by men in white gloves. Just listen to that 6.0-liter V8 purr.

If you happened to be under a rock all weekend, you may have missed our official unveil of the Pontiac G8 sport truck (soon to be the Pontiac G8 El Camino - remember to get over and Vote El Camino!) for all the world to see. If you're a site regular, you know this is kind of a big deal. Given that, we decided one measly midnight post on a Saturday wouldn't cut it for a site like Jalopnik, so we're going nuts and declaring it Maximum El Camino Day today. We had so much fun with Maximum Wagon Day that this seemed like the only logical way to celebrate the greatest thing to ever happen to our world of car-truck-crazy enthusiasts. Stay tuned for the rest of the day for all manner of -camino, -chero, -ampage, or other suffix-style truck-car delights. Just follow along at the Maximum El Camino Day tag for all the fun before we see the official in-person reveal of the new 'merican-Mex hybrid later this week at the New York Auto Show.

A few weeks ago we, along with our friends at PickupTruck.com, were given exclusive access to a vehicle whose return we've been anticipating for what seems like forever. Today our prayers to the General have been answered — the El Camino is back! In January we reported this re-bodied Holden Ute would be called the 2010 Pontiac G8 ST, and like a Phoenix rising screamin' from the ashes of a bygone era of car-platformed trucks, this new heir to the truck-car throne would emerge from the over-built and over-spec'd world of modern haulers. Just like the Phoenix, this business-up-front and party-in-the-back sport truck looks a little younger, a little more refreshed and has a bit more hawkish figure, but don't be fooled by the disguise. If we play our cards right, it may end up retaining the legendary king of truck-car names, El Camino. That's right, more important even than the return of the truck-car to the General's fleet, is the news that this car will not be called the 2010 Pontiac G8 ST. In fact, they don't have a name. Instead, you are going to be able to help choose what GM calls it. That's right, enthusiasts across the country can have a hand in giving this sport truck back the name it so rightfully deserves - a name which still dances on the breeze and lives in the heart of every red blooded hoon — "El Camino". With this in mind, we're beginning our campaign here and now to call this wondrous segment-bender the 2010 Pontiac G8 El Camino sport truck. Hit the jump for more on the Pontiac El Camino.

We're not going to spend a whole lot of time talking about the under-pinnings of the Pontiac G8 sport truck as it shares virtually everything but the nose, hood and interior with its brother from down under, the Holden Ute. We'll let the press release and video from PickupTruck.com handle that job. For the moment, yes, it's built on the same rear-wheel-drive platform also shared with the G8 ST's four-door non-truck brother, the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT. Fitting, don't you think, since Australia has picked up the wild-child mantle the US of A seems to have laid down as of late — and what a wild child this is. The G8 sport truck boasts the same 361 HP 6.0-liter V8 found under the hood of the Pontiac G8 GT. Plus, the sport truck will lose much of the rear weight we've been told hampers the true tire-squealing abilities of this born-down-under import so we expect once behind the wheel, we'll in no time be bathed in the glorious clouds of tire smoke billowing from beneath the six-foot cargo box. Pontiac even claims a 5.4 second 0-to-60 time and unlike it's crude Malibu-based forefather, the latest pickup car will sport a modern independent suspension and fat rubber all around. Getting sideways will still be the most fun way through a corner, but we're betting it will be a lot less suicidal now with this new Pontiac G8 El Camino. But like we said, we already knew all this. No, the real story is how we're going to make GM call this the "El Camino." We've been told Pontiac will have a special website set up in just a few short hours to allow enthusiasts to submit their suggestions and we're hoping to rig the vote.

We've spoken with a number of high-ranking officials with the General and all tell us they'd support a Pontiac El Camino if it's what "the people" want. Who knows why they didn't just call it that in the first place. Perhaps they were scared of pissing off purists who could never see a non-Chevy El Camino. Perhaps they were concerned how it would fit into the General's grand alpha-numeric numbering marketing scheme for their "performance brand." Whatever the reason, let's show 'em how wrong they were. This is an opportunity for you, the readers of Jalopnik, to rise up and truly make this the most amazing day in the history of this site — the day the El Camino returns! If you're a lover of the hoonage, defender of the truck car, and a member of the Jalopnik nation, you'll follow the link below to let GM know you want a name this car begs for. Do it for the mullet, do it for your country and our way of life. God bless America! Vote El Camino!
[Click through the graphic below to the Pontiac site and remember to vote early and vote often!]*

All Photos Copyright Chris Doane / Jalopnik
Video Copyright Mark Arnold / Jalopnik
*We kid, only vote once. But feel free to take this button and add it on your own site to remind people to "Vote El Camino!"

Video courtesy of PickupTruck.com

PONTIAC INTRODUCES SEGMENT-BENDING G8 SPORT TRUCK

NEW YORK - The 2010 Pontiac G8 sport truck blurs the line between cars and trucks and is creating an all-new segment in the North American car market. This dramatically different vehicle blends the sporty handling of a performance coupe with the cargo capabilities of a light truck.

Based on the all-new Pontiac G8 performance sedan, the newest member of the G8 family has a longer wheelbase and a cargo bed suitable for either work or recreation. The G8 sport truck significantly stretches Pontiac's commitment to style and performance and is expected to arrive in dealers' showrooms in late 2009.

"Pontiac has never shied away from offering segment-defining vehicles, going back to the original GTO," said Jim Bunnell, Buick-Pontiac-GMC general manager. "There's simply nothing else like the G8 sport truck on the road today, and we definitely believe that there are customers who will be excited by its distinctive design, performance and cargo capabilities."

Consumer named

Another unique aspect of this new vehicle is the fact that it will be named by a consumer. Beginning today (March 15, 2008), consumers can visit www.pontiac.com/namethiscar and submit their name ideas. "As an important part of the G8 family, we know that 'sport truck' doesn't fully describe the vehicle's ability to blur the lines between sports car and truck," said Craig Bierley, Pontiac marketing director. "Because its fans will surely be as unique as the vehicle itself, we're giving them a voice in selecting a name that reflects its appeal." The winning entry will be announced April 15.

Design

The G8 sport truck maintains the same sporty exterior design as its namesake sedan. Flared fenders wrap around the 18-inch wheels and give it a wide, confident stance. The roofline has a coupe-like profile that reflects the vehicle's performance pedigree.

The doors, roof and exterior panels aft of the B-pillars are unique from the G8 sedan. One-piece outer body panels give the vehicle a sleek appearance. Wrap-around taillamps and fully concealed tailgate hinges add to the sculpted look. A color-coordinated, soft tonneau cover conceals and protects items in the cargo bed from the weather.

Performance

The sport truck draws its strength from the same powerful 6.0L V-8 engine used in the G8 GT. It puts out 361 horsepower (270 kW) and 385 lb.-ft. (522 Nm) of torque. The combination of a six-speed automatic transmission and Active Fuel Management technology provides both car-like fuel economy and an unexpected 0-to-60 time of 5.4 seconds.

While these performance numbers are respectable by sports car standards, the G8 sport truck offers flexibility unlike that of a sports car. A 73.9-inch (1878 mm) cargo bed has 42.7 cubic feet (1208 L) of cargo space and a durable composite bed liner. It also can carry a payload of more than 1,074 pounds (488 kg) and tow a 3,500-pound (1,600 kg) trailer.

Structure

The G8 sport truck is based on the same rear-wheel-drive architecture as the G8 performance sedan. However, the sport truck's body structure was reinforced in key areas to support its cargo and towing duties. More than 60 new components were added to strengthen the structure. Compared to the sedan, the 118.5-inch (3,009 mm) wheelbase is approximately four inches longer and the overall length is six inches longer.

Suspension and wheels

A four-wheel independent suspension with electronic stability control delivers confident handling, whether loaded with weekend home-improvement supplies or towing a pair of personal watercraft to the lake.

The steering box is located ahead of the front axle line for a quick, direct feel. The sport truck's front stabilizer bar is one mm larger than the sedan, and the rear suspension has been enhanced to support payloads without adversely affecting handling.

The G8 sport truck rides on 18-inch machine-faced aluminum wheels with a P245/45R18 summer performance tire. All-season tires are available. An optional Sports Package includes 19-inch machine-faced aluminum wheels with P245/40R19 summer performance tires.

Brakes and steering

The sport truck shares the G8 GT's four-wheel disc brake system, featuring 12.64-inch front and 12.76-inch rear rotors. Front rotor thickness is 1.0 inch, while the rear rotors are 0.87-inch thick. Twin-piston, front alloy calipers and vented rotors and single-piston, alloy rear calipers with vented rotors are standard, as is ABS.

Comfort and convenience

Given its heritage, it's not surprising that the G8 sport truck offers many of the same creature comforts as the G8 GT, such as:

* Air conditioning with electronic dual-zone climate control
* Cruise control
* Driver Information Center
* Bluetooth connectivity
* Tilt/telescoping steering wheel with DIC and radio controls
* Power windows/locks/mirrors
* Remote keyless entry and remote start
* Theft-deterrent alarm system

Fully-bolstered, four-way adjustable cloth seats are standard. Heated, six-way leather seats are available. They can be customized with two-tone, black-and-red inserts and a coordinating gauge cluster.

Behind the seats is a surprisingly large interior cargo area with more than 8.5 cubic feet (245 liters) of storage space. There are two covered storage compartments beneath the load floor and a pair of cargo nets.

Sound system

The G8 sport truck's 230-watt Blaupunkt AM/FM/six-disc CD changer has an MP3 input and five speakers. The 6.5-inch audio display controls both the sound and climate control systems.

Safety and security

A full list of safety features are standard, including:

* StabiliTrak electronic vehicle stability system
* Tire pressure monitoring system
* Dual-stage frontal air bags with a passenger sensing system
* Head-curtain side air bags
* Side thorax air bags
* Three-point safety belts in all seating positions
* Safety belt pretensioners
* OnStar

# # #

By the way, we went a little early — but we couldn't help it — Edmunds blew their hot load of shots a little early for some Google mojo. Can ya blame 'em. Actually, yes.