What's In A Name?

The Real Deal Behind the ALL-NEW Firehawk

Posted February 23 2009 11:10 AM by KevinDiOssi
Filed under: Editorials, Kevin DiOssi

Time to look past the name and get down to business.

Yeah, they called it a Firehawk. To me, it doesn't matter. I'm not the type of person who really cars what a car is called if it does its job well. I wouldn't own a GTO if I did because I honestly don't think my GTO should have been called a GTO, it should have been something new so we would have another name to add to the list of great Pontiacs.

Well the new G8-based firehawk may not be a two-door Firebird, but it is the most powerful car to ever come from SLP. Take a short look at the list of parts that are going into it and you'll realized that this is a serious car with a lot of potential. Imagine a G8 that can hold its own with the new CTS-V. That's what this car will be.

So it's my opinion that people should stop complaining about the name and just look at what's being built. It's going to be faster than any previous Firehawk, that's for sure!

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Reader Comments:

1. What's the price going to be? 60k or more? I don't care if you call it a Ferrari its still a ugly 4 door. You buy one for whatever exorbant price they ask and bring it up to Rockfallsraceway next spring so I can embarrass it with my 30 year old firebird I have less than 10k into.It may be faster than any previos firehawk but it will never look as good.Please don't refer to this car as one to add to the list of great Pontiacs, thats a slap in the face to those of us who have owned them.

creepyracing - Posted February 24 2009 12:41 AM

2. Well I have driven several of these cars and I know from owning several other Pontiacs and driving/drooling over many in the past that this is a great car. The fact this car happens to wear an Arrowhead makes me even happier! Do yourself a favor before you tear this car down. Make a trip to your local Pontiac dealership. If you haven't been to one since 1981, there is a search feature on the Pontiac website to help you locate one. haha Walk around the lot in disgust, as I do, and ask for the keys to any G8 GT or GXP out there.

There is not a chance you will take the car around the block and not be impressed with it. It's grip is outstanding and the interior comfort is just like any good lay-z-boy. Mash the go pedal and it makes all the right noises and pushes you in your seat. Hit the brakes and you're thrown forward without any drama. Above all, for me at least, is the fact it responds so well to small steering inputs. You don't feel detached from the car, you feel very alive. For a four-door car that can be had for just a tad over $30,000 and take you to 60mph in 5-seconds while covering a quarter mile in 13-seconds, that's impressive. I happen to think they look great.

Now, from what I deduce in your reply, you've built your '79 Firebird into quite the car. The G8 is not the same car. It's not a raw muscle car. There is a lot of refinement that has been put into it so that it can be the car you drive to make your daily commute and life off the track more enjoyable.

KevinDiOssi - Posted February 24 2009 01:58 PM

3. Here we go again.....

The biggest problem I seem to get out of this blog would be this:

Pontiac fans seem to have an identity crisis! Since Bob Putz said Pontiac was going to be in direct competition with BMW more and more people who have joined the ranks of loyal Pontiac lovers have been confused at what the history of Pontiac means. Some of the old timers will not except change and those in the middle are stuck listening to it.

It does matter what you call a Pontiac. I'm more likely to buy a (given I have the money) G8 if it were called the Grand Prix and Marty down the road who owned a 1970's SJ model (that's a Grand Prix for you noobs) is much more likely to buy it with a real name like Grand Prix rather than G8.

Now the Noobs or people with an identity crisis will buy whatever you give them if it does it's job and they can afford it, but that's most of the problem....the cars cost to much!! Get the prices down and the reliability up and you'll sell cars. Want to sell more cars find out which sells better G8 or Grand Prix, Grand AM or G6, Sunbird Sunfire or G5? Solstice or Banshee? Aztec or a totally different car, truck, Suv what ever the thing was supposed to be!

Bottom line is Pontiac has an Identity crisis and it's GM's fault along with Bob Putz! Pontiac some how found ways out of each mess our economy put to it....till now! I think most loyal Pontiac fans who run or manage a business could do better than GM has in the past few decades. Seeing that not only do we have a possibility of losing Pontiac completely or a complete loss of it's identity as it becomes a less than respectable car maker, churning out crap car after crap car. Identity is everything to a car, would the Oldsmobile GTO feel the same, would the Toyota Firebird be right...NO!

Werewolf486 - Posted February 24 2009 03:23 PM

4. I bought a 99 Grand Am GT 4-door for my wife back in 98. Great car looks just like your supercar G8,Could be its twin.In fact she wouldn't let me trade it in on the GTO when it came out she likes it so much. All i'm saying is there is nothing special about the g8. Nothing that makes it stand out in a crowd,especially the name. I guess it's a mute point as pontiac will never produce that car anymore.Thats just sad. probably why GM is going under. Everything they make that has some style costs way too much.The rest is just pure garbage.Get back to the basics and get the cost down.

creepyracing - Posted February 25 2009 02:39 AM

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