The same dealer order form which revealed the end of days for the two Chevy's also shows there's no check box for either the performance placeholder that is the Cadillac STS-V or the buck-toothed, whale-tailed Pontiac G6 GXP. Can you hear our tears falling? No, that's because there aren't any. These two performance-like automobiles will apparently end production this year as GM trims the fat. They can trim fat all day long just as long as they leave the CTS-V alone. Don't you touch that CTS-V, GM. Don't touch it. [Motor Authority]

For every GTO or G8 GXP, there were half a dozen Pontiac Phoenix or '88 Pontiac LeMans to make you want to throw up in your mouth. As much as we loved the idea of the Pontiac brand, it just hasn't delivered for too long. Here are the seven cars from recent history which poisoned the well at Pontiac, forcing it to the grave.

7) 2005-2009 Pontiac G6

The Pontiac G6 was leaps and bounds ahead of the Grand Am it replaced, but all that shows is just how far behind Pontiac was in the mid-size segment. It's headline feature — the trick-sliding sky-view sunroof was pretty neat, but way too expensive and it made the car something of a one-trick pony. In base, four-cylinder form, it clogs the lots of airport rental companies and never really had the stuff to go head-to-head with competitors. And don't even get us started on the interior.

6) 2000-2005 Pontiac Bonneville

The ninth generation Pontiac Bonneville debuted to universal shoulder shrugs, it did little to justify its higher price over the better packaged Grand Prix, which it borrowed too much styling from. A series of refreshes made the car sportier but it never really caught on with buyers. Funny how indifferent styling, high price and strong competition will do that.

5) 2005 Pontiac Montana

When Pontiac added the SUV-inspired "Montana" package to the newly designed Transport minivan, soccer moms went ape for the vehicle. You couldn't chuck a rock at a little league game without hitting one. That ended when GM half-assed the redesign and stuck a long goofy nose onto a slightly restyled van in order to meet crash requirements. The horrendous result was a massive failure in the marketplace, as it should have been.

4) 2009 Pontiac G3

GM's former Vice Chairman of Global Product Development Bob Lutz stood on the New York Auto Show stage and noted Pontiac had long been known for the tag-line "We build excitement" even though they'd been delivering it with front wheel drive cars covered in stuck-on plastic. He claimed now they were going to change, introducing two vehicles — the Pontiac G8 ST and the Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe, the former is now dead, and the latter is selling like candied dog poop. Half a year after Lutz made those statements, gas was $4.30 a gallon and Pontiac dealers were flipping out for an economy car on their floors. GM bowed to the pressure and green-lit the Pontiac G3 for US distribution. The stark contrast in message signaled a floundering purpose for the brand, and definitely not one which would interest enthusiasts.

3) 1985-2005 Pontiac Grand Am

There are a great many people who've owned Grand Ams, they're a cheap source of transportation, and while there are a few which made it a couple hundred thousand miles, they're by and large terrible, terrible cars. Unless you got the GT models, styling was yawn-inducing, the interiors were committee designed with Fisher-Price grade materials, and the awful suspensions and automatic transmissions sucked the entertainment value out of even the most enjoyable roads.

2) 1995-2005 Pontiac Sunfire

It's pretty rare for a nameplate to suck so hard for its entire existence, if something is bad, it usually gets killed, but the Sunfire got at least three refreshes. The Pontiac Sunfire was an impossibly ugly reskin of the Chevy Cavalier, and while the Cavalier was a perfectly good cheap beater, the Sunfire got the crushingly bad interior baubles that was tossed at all Pontiacs at the time. Chintzy materials, poorly engineered HVAC system, and rotten colors made it a terrible place to spend time.

1) 2001-2005 Pontiac Aztek

No matter how long Pontiac would have survived, the commercial disaster of the Pontiac Aztek would have always hung around its neck. It was incredibly functional, but the chintzy interior materials were only outmatched by the laughably bad styling and equally chintzy-looking exterior plastic cladding. Projected sales were placed at 50,000 to 70,000, but only ever topped 27,000 a year. It got a quickie refresh which saw sportier wheels and painted body cladding, but the damage was done.

With the Pontiac G6 in refresh limbo and a probable Pontiac G5 based on the Chevy Cruze, it's a hard to argue the case for an all-rear-wheel-drive lineup at the moment. MotorAuthority contradicts an earlier GM statement saying we wouldn't be seeing the Pontiac G3 in the US. They go one step further and imagine a car between the G3 and the G5 — we're no rocket scientists, but "G4" is a good bet for a name. So, lets count it all up: No rear-wheel-drive lineup and a rebadged Aveo? We don't like this story; put it back. [MotorAuthority]

GM has begun testing facelifted prototypes for Pontiac's G6 Coupe, and we caught a lightly disguised version running on public roads outside of Detroit. The G6 gets a thoroughly revised front fascia, with some sharp character lines adding some interesting surface development compared to the current model's smooth nose. Instead of the current G6's twin lower intakes, the G6 facelift sports a central intake below the main grille, flanked by two angular intakes which wrap around the sides of the front bumper. While it appears that the current G6's headlights will be carried over, the rest of the car's redesigned nose successfully adds some attitude to the face of the G6.

The checkered tape covering the rear bumper suggests that the tail-end has been redesigned slightly, but any changes in play are very minor.

What we learned is that the end result of the last few years of horsepower wars is an increase in wheel diameter, decrease in aspect ratio, and rise in speed rating on tires mounted on vehicles rolling off assembly lines. Most amazing was the statistic that overall sales of Ultra High Performance [UHP] tires were up 68% since 2002. This either means people want their cars to look wicked cool, or they're driving the snot out if their machines and demanding more grip.

After class came recess. The first two events were to compare sets of tires and last to put the latest tire Bridgestone UHP tire to the test. Cars on deck were Pontiac G6 front spinners and BMW 325i rear drivers. Instructors rode along to prevent cone mowing provide helpful driving tips. The first test was a touring tire comparo with the BMW 325i. We had One and seven-eights rain-soaked laps to compare the Bridgestone Turanza with the the Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus. Very little difference was noted, but to be fair it's hard collect subtlety over less than four laps.

Next up was the Rent-a-Car Challenge Pontiac G6 entries, and a toss up between a Firestone Firehawk GT and a Goodyear Eagle ResponsEdge. The Firehawk handled things fairly well, but the Goodyears cut loose against the rev limiter on lead foot application of throttle. The last event was a relay of sorts with teams competing against each other for overall time. A single BMW 325i was mounted with Bridgestone RE-01R UHP tires for maximum hoonage. Our team came in second, but we got to learn a few things about running cones and choosing tires. We also learned that the drive-by-wire throttle combined with traction control on the 325i stinks.

At the end of the day choosing the right tire is about being honest with yourself about your driving style, and a compromise between tire compounds and construction. Wicked sticky UHP? Don't expect long tread life. All-season radial with quiet good manners and long wearing qualities? Don't expect super lateral grip or quick turn-in. The manufacturers are getting better at blurring the lines with high performance all-season radials and so on, but there is no one tire that does it all. And finally, because only 19% of Americans ever check their tire pressure we remind you to do so once a month. – Mike Bumbeck

DISCLOSURE: Bridgestone supplied the vehicles, road course, tires, and the water truck for the Drive & Learn event. Additional rain was provided by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Related:
Tire Companies to Consumers: Ten Years and Out [Internal]