Pontiac G8 v/s BMW 5 Series

I’m sure by now everyone has seen the 8 v/s 5 Pontiac marketing video. It’s cute, really, and I should state that I actually don’t care for anything else that BMW produces other than the 3 series coupes and the M3. The 5 and 7 are just big hunks of wasted money to me.

Pontiac is talking big, but after the 2009 G8 hit the dyno, there was some obvious issues. Namely, 286hp at the wheels out of a 6.0 liter engine. 286 out of 6 liter?? With only a few air box mods, I’m getting around 230hp at the wheels from my 3 liter. After some more tweaking, changing the air/fuel mix and trim, I can easily push it to nearly 250 at the wheels, from an engine with two less cylinders and 3000cc’s less displacement.

The G8 looks nice, but it’s still a Pontiac, and still is suffering from GM’s engine design and outrageous 15% drivetrain loss. Being able to beat a BMW 5 series from 0-60mph is great, but doesn’t mean much once you get to a 60 degree turn and can’t hold the corner.

Besides, it’s a Pontiac