If you haven't guessed, or you've been living under a rock since our inception, we love us some ute's and when Pontiac showed us the Pontiac G8 ST concept last year, we just about wet ourselves. They took our dreams away (They killed Kenny, you bastards!), but we're once again hopeful for its return.

It's said platform designer Holden will potentially lose close to $1 billion in annual profit if the long wheelbase (the short wheelbase underpins the Camaro) Zeta platform leaves our shores, which is why GM is trying to find another way to keep the platform alive. Our first idea would be to re-style and re-brand the Pontiac G8 ST as the GMC Denali ST depicted above, especially given the currently shaky full-size truck market and considering the mid-size truck market is somewhat pointless right now. A light-duty truck is just what GMC needs.

Other examples of where the long-wheelbase Zeta platform could be used is to underpin the next generation STS/DTS replacement. This was initially in the playbook, but when gas prices rose, GM quickly shoved that idea under the rug. We say it's still a viable plan. Another idea in need of a case study would be to bring the Middle-Eastern/South American market Chevy Caprice/Lumina over or just give the Pontiac G8 a quick face lift. We've previously had wet dreams of a big-bodied, LS3-powered Chevy SS model to go with our techno-retro new Camaro thank-you-very-much.

Another option would be to bring the Chinese-market Buick Park Avenue to our shores, though we're not quite sure how Grandma and Grandpa would feel about switching from their plush Lucerne to a semi-rough riding rear-wheel-drive sedan. Hell, maybe they'd just remember the good ol' days of luxo-motoring and like it.

However GM decides to market the Zeta platform, we'll welcome it because as we all know, they need to put a little more excitement in their product lineup and with plenty of other FWD econo-boxes in the portfolio a nice V8 RWD sedan (or Ute!) would supplement nicely. [via goauto]

10) 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT

A Pontiac which never got much love till the end of its life was the Fiero. Burdened by the sluggish 2.5-liter "Iron Duke" four-cylinder and suspension bits from the lowly Citation, the Fiero started off with lead weights around its neck. By 1988 though, GM had seen the light and given it a proper suspension, eye-catching styling and improvements to both the four-cylinder and V6. It also gave the car the axe once it reached desirability. Seems there are parallels between the Fiero and the Pontiac brand.

9) 1956 Pontiac Star Chief

Pontiacs of old could be reliably counted on as the stylish, more sporting brother to their more staid Chevrolet counterparts. The '56 Pontiac Star Chief lineup can be considered the pinnacle of the Chieftain line, with a selection of sedans, convertibles and wagons all bringing the heat with beautiful body work and powerful V8 engines.

8) 2002 Pontiac Trans Am WS6

The 2002 Pontiac Trans Am WS6 was the final F-Body muscle car to come out of Pontiac, with a 325 HP LS1 V8, six speed manual and the last iteration of that famous "Ram Air" hood, it was a performance bargain at $28,000. The final year got the special yellow and black livery and if you've got one, it just went up in value.

7) 1978 Pontiac Trans Am

If you were a boy growing up in the 70s or early 80s, the '78 Pontiac Trans Am in the black and gold "Bandit" livery, complete with the flaming chicken vinyl on the hood, sat right next to the Lamborghini Countach in your fantasy garage. For '78, the compression was bumped in the top-line V8 and this end-of-malaise era automobile made a stout (for the time) 220 HP. Burt Reynolds, along with that repressed little redneck inside all of us, will miss the '78 Trans Am.

6) 1969 Pontiac GTO "Judge"

The second generation GTO picked up right were the first generation left off, adopting a more modern fastback styling language and hugely powerful 400 cubic inch V8's rated all the way up to 370 HP. The Judge package was kinda hokey but also pretty cool, with wild color options, matching decals, spoilers, a Ram Air hood and a T-handle Hurst shifter. Bring on the Judge.

5) Pontiac Bonneville

The Bonneville was Pontiac's longest surviving nameplate, running from 1957 to 2005 when it mercifully got the axe. As lackadaisical as the car had been for the last 20 or so years, there were some gems throughout its history. The 1999 SSEi had woeful build quality, but when it held together the FWD 240 HP supercharged V6 was a hoot (as was battling torque steer). The monstrous '71 Bonnie wore a 455 cubic inch V8 and four barrel carb good for 325 HP and the '59 model wore outrageous quadruple fins.

4) 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe

The 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe solves the main problems we have with the Solstice/Saturn Sky twins with actual cargo space and no more pain-in-the-butt convertible top to operate, while keeping the 260 HP Ecotec inline-four and a six speed manual driving the rear wheels. It's a targa-topped Miata competitor and faithfully re-interprets the awkward little British coupes we love and loathe. Buy one now as the take rate is so slow you could park it in the garage and sell it for a profit.

3) 2010 Pontiac G8 ST

They say to have loved and lost is better than to have never loved at all. We call baloney on whoever says that. GM tantalized us with the 2010 Pontiac G8 ST ahead of the 2008 New York Auto Show and our dreams of a modern, tire-smoking, truck-car, mullet-machine were so close to reality. A year later GM squashed the G8 ST under the force of the Carpocalypse, and now Pontiac follows it to the grave.

2) 1964 Pontiac GTO

The 1964 Pontiac GTO was little more than a hot-rodded LeMans, but the 325 HP, 389 cubic inch V8 with a Carter four-barrel carb, dual exhaust and a three-speed Hurst manual transmission ignited the original muscle car wars. It lit a fire in Pontiac showrooms, selling three times the projected annual sales and it will always have a special place in every car guy's heart.

1) 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

Finally America had gotten it right — by importing a car from Australia. The 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP had everything — raucous styling, a 415 HP 6.3-liter V8, six speed transmission and rear wheel drive. Our own Wes Siler posited GM should be saved for no other reason than to put the G8 GXP on the road. If you've managed to get your hot little hands on one, hold onto it, like an artists painting, it'll be worth much more once Pontiac is dead.

HONORABLE MENTION: Pontiac Aztek

We will miss the Aztek for two main reasons: First it was a breath of fresh air in a then-burgeoning SUV market, with incredible functionality and great features, the Aztek pointed out how underfeatured many of the more expensive entries were. Of course, that breath of fresh air was tainted by its fart of styling. Not since the Edsel was a vehicle so universally panned for the stylistic abomination it was. So the second reason we'll miss it is because it was so easy to make fun of. In many ways, that's what the Pontiac brand's been all about. We'll miss it.

UPDATE: NPR Questions Jalopnik 's Inclusion Of Pontiac Fiero In Top Ten List

Image Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

We all knew the G8 ST would be a niche product, with a concentrated but rabid fan base, us included—it was so close we could almost smell the burning rubber. Unfortunately, forces beyond the control of the General have colluded with forces within its control to put an end to the not-El Camino. But why? We took a half hour and talked to General Motors Vice President for Marketing at Buick, Pontiac and GMC, Susan Docherty.

First and foremost we had to ask if it was a postponement or a permanent cancellation. We're sorry to report it is a permanent cancellation. As part of the recovery plan submitted to Congress, Pontiac will "focus the brand on useful, sporty, passenger cars," the G8 ST just didn't fit into that definition. She further went on to note that, although it was a car enthusiasts were waiting for, it was a prudent business move to cancel the program.

But what of Pontiac? Well, the pointy-arrow brand is in for some shake ups. Just as Buick has been paired down to a leaner, meaner product portfolio over the last few years with the stylish Enclave and the new 2010 Buick LaCrosse set to unveil at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, so too will Pontiac be slimmed down. The current lineup includes six nameplates if you include the to-be-released Pontiac G3 and GM now believes this is too many. Beginning immediately, Pontiac is evaluating its portfolio and examining product plans to determine what the brand will look like in the years to come.

Dealers are apparently behind the culling as well. After the announcement of the cancellation of the G8 ST and a refocusing of the brand, Docherty says she received emails from dealers stating their support for the move. She's believes they'll be happy with fewer models if the trimmed down product line is as good at Pontiac as it has been at Buick. Docherty also doesn't believe that a Pontiac full of "useful, sporty, passenger cars" will necessarily abandon the longterm "Driving Excitement" mantra at Pontiac. The decision to include the Pontiac G3 in the US lineup to satisfy the demand for a fuel miser makes us pause at that assertion, but we'll grudgingly admit it makes sense from a dollars and cents perspective in today's automotive climate.

It's a tough moment for GM, and it's requiring tough decisions. Painful as it may be to see products like the G8 ST fall under the knife, Pontiac, and in the larger picture GM, will probably be healthier in the long run. We don't have to like it though.

Really, ever since we saw the Pontiac G3, we kind of knew the brand was moving away from the direction the brand deserved to be and into...well...something else. We also knew the new coming of the El Camino was on the ropes. So the news today from our sources with knowledge of the arrowheaded brand's product direction wasn't entirely unexpected.

The General's recent cash problems only heightened the reality. We're disappointed, of course, but we were more disappointed when the news came out the pickup-truck-ized G8 wasn't going to get the El Camino name plate. Well, it's over. Guess we can cross the G8 ST off our list of cars we want to buy in the new year. We're going to go and hit up CraigsList

A Pontiac spokesperson told us this morning they

"are still proceeding with plans to bring the G8 ST to market late next year. However, it will be part of an ongoing portfolio review for Pontiac."

We knew Pontiac would be trimming its lineup due to the Carpocalypse, but we’re deeply saddened to learn there’s a possibility we may never get the chance to have our own Ponitac G8 ST to hoon.

The G8 ST was developed on the Zeta RWD platform, the same as the G8 and upcoming Camaro. Built in Australia by GM’s Holden subsidiary, GM had announced sales projections of the G8 ST to be 5,000 units annually.

In other news, the FWD 2010 Pontiac G3 will arrive on schedule in the spring. Forgive us if we don’t share quite the same level of enthusiasm.

[via Automotive News]

Pontiac G8 ST concept

The 2010 Pontiac G8 ST is a dramatically different vehicle that blends the performance of the G8 sports sedan with the cargo capabilities of a light truck. It significantly stretches Pontiac’s commitment to style and performance and is expected to arrive in dealers’ showrooms in late 2009.

Pontiac ramps up the excitement for the production model with a concept vehicle upgraded with accessories that inspire enthusiasts about the possibilities of this distinctive vehicle. In fact, this concept incorporates many parts that will likely be offered by GM Accessories when the G8 ST hits dealerships.

Highlights of the concept vehicle include:

* Liquid Hot exterior color with enhanced clear coat
* Lowered ride height
* Custom 20-inch wheels
* Leather-trimmed seats with red inserts
* G8 GXP steering wheel with red inserts
* G8 GXP shift knob with red inserts
* Custom interior trim kit (proposed GM Accessories part)
* Hard tonneau cover (proposed GM Accessories part)

The G8 ST concept is powered by a uniquely configured 6.0L small-block V-8, rated at 361 horsepower (269 kW) and 385 lb.-ft. of torque (522 Nm). It features GM’s Active Fuel Management technology, which allows the engine to switch from V-8 power to four-cylinder operation during light-load driving conditions, enhancing fuel economy. The transmission is a Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic.

[Source: GM]

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]

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: When we speculated on the success of the Pontiac G8 ST with only a big honkin' 361 HP V8, we wondered aloud if a V6 option might not make a lot of sense. Given the disintegration of the full size truck market, and a largely unserved compact truck market, a 3.6-liter V6-powered El Camino G8 ST could be a huge success. Is it wrong that we're almost more excited about a well designed V6 in the truck-car than the tire melting power of a V8? Note we said "almost."

Along with the press release on the official name of the Pontiac G8 ST, GM's press team released a bevy of photos of the new ute from the brand all about the arrowhead. Pontiac marketing director Craig Bierley told us Pontiac "didn't really have ST as the name when we engaged in the process" but the press photos from last night display a remarkable similarity to the original shots released back in March. Do they make you wonder whether perhaps "ST" was going to be the name all along, regardless of what entries were received? All we know is we're still in mourning over the loss of the El Camino name.

PONTIAC NAMES ALL NEW SPORT TRUCK THE "G8 ST"

Segment-Defining Vehicle on Target for Late 2009 Launch

Detroit - After sifting through more than 18,000 possibilities, Pontiac has chosen to keep it simple, naming the recently revealed G8 sport truck the "G8 ST."

Thousands of fans submitted suggestions during a "Tame the Name" promotion, which delayed a final announcement until each possibility was considered and cleared for possible trademark use.

"Frankly, we were blown away by both the volume and quality of the names that were submitted," said Craig Bierley, BPG product marketing director for cars and crossovers. "'G8 ST' was one of the most popular suggestions, plus we noticed a far broader trend toward simple, easy-to-remember names."

"El Camino" was also a sentimental favorite, given the G8 ST's resemblance to the classic Chevy.

"We actually thought very long about El Camino," said Bierley. "In the end, we felt it was more appropriate to honor the El Camino's unique place as part of Chevy's heritage and not use that nameplate on a Pontiac."

Perhaps the ultimate reflection of the blurring line between cars and trucks, the G8 ST will create a unique niche segment in the marketplace: a sports car with truck-like cargo and towing capabilities. Sharing the basic architecture and 361 hp V8 engine as the G8 GT performance sedan, it will offer a 73.9-inch cargo bed that has 42.7 cubic feet of cargo space and can carry a payload of 1,000 pounds (453 kg) or tow a 3,500-pound (1,587 kg) trailer.

Thanks to its six-speed automatic transmission and Active Fuel Management system, the G8 ST should offer some of the best fuel economy numbers for V8-powered vehicles with similar cargo/towing ratings while still turning in zero-to-60 times of 5.4 seconds.

The G8 ST will be available in late 2009 as a 2010 model and will be backed by GM's industry best 100,000 mile, 5-year powertrain warranty. Pricing will be announced closer to availability.

# # #

The American SUVs on the market in 1989 were quite a bit different than the generation that would take over in just two years' time. We tend to focus on their crudeness and lack of creature comforts, but more importantly, nearly all "mid-size" SUVs before the 1990s period were two-door models. The exception was the Jeep Cherokee XJ, which was developed with extra doors specifically because Chevy hadn't added them to their Blazer. The other players were either Japanese, like the Isuzu Trooper or, like the Suburban, based on a larger truck platform.

The Jeep Z5 concept will look very familiar to you.

Fortunately for Chrysler, Jeep had developed a more-refined version of the four-door SUV that we know as the Jeep Grand Cherokee all the way back in 1985, when the division was owned by AMC. Unfortunately for Chrysler, when they purchased AMC and Jeep, they put the development of the Grand Cherokee project on hold in favor of new minivans. Still, Jeep had the answer, and in 1989 they released the Jeep Z5 Concept 1, which was basically the final design for the Grand Cherokee that they would bring to market in 1992.

Contrast that with the General. For 1989, GM had two futuristic concept trucks that we assume they hoped would stir enough interest to guide them in their product-making decisions. One was the youth-oriented Pontiac Stinger compact SUV. Though it wasn't particularly powerful — its engine was only good for 170 HP — it had a high level of utility, including features such as a removable picnic table and portable radio. These types of features weren't put to use, as Pontiac wasn't going to build an SUV in the near future. Ironically, many of these ideas found a home — the ill-fated and poorly designed Pontiac Aztec.

The Stinger is certainly better looking than the Aztec, even if it isn't as practical.

The other concept truck was the Chevy XT-2 concept, which stood for the Chevy Experimental Truck #2. This futuristic-looking, performance-oriented vehicle featured a Corvette suspension, a front-engine/RWD layout built on a platform similar to the F-body Camaro, and a 4.5-liter V6 that was good for 360 horsepower and 315 lb-ft of torque. The V6 engine itself, which featured tuned port injection, was an important technological leap forward for GM. The TPI system not only provided more power than a carbureted engine, it was also relatively fuel-efficient. For an excellent discussion of the importance of this engine see this discussion of the XT-2 at PickupTrucks.com.

The XT-2 was designed as a pace car to be used in what was then the CART PPG Indy Car World Series, which is now a weird mix of words to see together. The truck itself went through two designs before engineers landed on the final one. The first version was fairly wild and had the engine mounted under the bed. The second version was a based on a passenger-car platform with a FWD/AWD layout and a smaller V6 engine, a concept not unlike the crossovers that would follow in the mid-2000s. So how did they end up with the final version? According to a press release provided by GM, "Given the consumer preference to small, sporty trucks, the evolution of the Chevrolet PPG XT-2 Pace Truck was natural."

So, in 1989, you had the Pontiac Stinger and the Chevy XT-2 from GM as the radically futuristic vehicles. The designers and planners clearly understood that, after the previous gas crisis, crossovers and sportier car-based trucks were the way forward. But that wasn't what happened.

In 1990, GM came out with four-door versions of their S10-based SUV's and Ford came out with the Ford Explorer. The design wasn't exactly revolutionary — the Explorer and others were the same basic body-on-frame trucks as before with an extra set of doors. The Explorer caught the imagination and dollars of Suburban families by offering car-like amenities such as leather interiors and CD players. Jeep suddenly had to rush their dusty Grand Cherokee to market in 1992 to catch up with the market.

Gas prices remained low, especially relative to the sudden increase in the purchasing power of the average American. In 1991 there were less than a million SUVs sold in the United States. By 1998, Americans were buying nearly three million a year. In 1998, the three best-selling trucks (F-Series, Silverado and Explorer) outsold the Toyota Camry, which was the best-selling car. Unfortunately, in this orgy of truck sales, nothing quite like the XT-2 was ever produced. Why make a car-based SUV or truck when you're suddenly making money hand-over-fist by adding a CD player and an extra set of doors to a body-on-frame platform you've already developed?

Fast-forward almost twenty years, to March 2008. The Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Toyota Camry bested the Ford F-150 in monthly sales, and you have your answer. Not long after, GM postponed development of their GMT-900 full-sized truck platform. It then leaked out that GM was considering a more Honda Ridgeline-esque pickup — not unlike the second version of the XT-2 concept that was never produced.

Then the news we were all waiting for: GM announced the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck in 2008. The Pontiac G8 ST will be built on the Zeta platform that underpins the 2010 Chevy Camaro, giving it essentially the same setup as the Chevy XT-2.

The General could have created car-based CUVs and sporty trucks; obviously, they thought the idea had some merit in 1989. But development and focus instead shifted to the cheaper and easier body-on-frame alternative with two extra doors. Almost 20 years later, with another energy crisis underway, it's fascinating to see how two versions of the same forgotten concepts from the late 1980s are now looking like the new way forward for an automaker desperately trying to grapple with age-old problems.

[Photos and press releases courtesy of General Motors. Special thanks to GM for providing the information, Mike Levine of PickupTrucks.com for tracking much of it down and to SmalleyXb122 for starting this whole search with his comment in the Five Ugliest Concept Trucks post.]

The Pontiac G8 ST proves Peter's maxim about originality.

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]

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

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.