Atlanta Pontiac Dealers

Filed under: Time Warp, Sports/GTs, Auction Action, Pontiac

By buying this (garishly) customized Firebird, you’re really purchasing a way of life. Inexplicably listed as a 1971, when it’s clearly about a decade newer, this car is your ticket to a full-on star shrine. You get the car, a trunkful of memorabilia and knicknacks, even a domain name (travoltafever.com). The car itself was built in 1979 by George Barris, and it encapsulates some of the pop culture ethos of the late 1970s. The interior has a manly theme inspired by Urban Cowboy, though when we set our gaze upon it, all we could think was Brokeback Mountain. Nevertheless, it’s certainly better than the stock Poncho interior was. The exterior has been flared in an odd way, endowed with a large spoiler, and painted in the fashion of the time. The car is actually named “Travolta Fever,” so says the hood. How awesome, you could have a Firebird named after the same virus that inspired Travolta to release a double album.

All snarkiness aside, it’s a cool piece of Kustom Kar history, which is inextricably linked with a well known Hollywood star. Star value always inflates car prices, for better or worse. This one comes with a collection of other memorabilia, as well, and looks to be in good shape. There’s no telling whether it will truly appreciate in value, but $25,000 isn’t that outrageous for a car with a known celebrity link that comes with all kinds of extra stuff. Some of that stuff includes a Revell scale model kit, a copy of the “Travolta Fever” double LP, and various other pieces signed by George Barris. You’re guaranteed to draw a crowd at your local car show with this thing, even if you’re parked next to a Bandit Trans Am.

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Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Tech, Hatchbacks, Pontiac

Pontiac officially unveiled the 2009 edition of the Vibe hatchback yesterday, and a question has been raised by several commentors about the powertrain lineup. As we all know, the Vibe shares a platform with the Toyota Corolla and all of its derivatives. The question of why the Vibe uses the Toyota engines rather than GM’s own Ecotec lineup was raised during the press conference. After all the 2.4L EcoTec as used in the Cobalt is rated at 173hp and yields EPA numbers of 22/32 mpg according to the 2008 EPA tests. That’s 15 hp more, and it bests the 21/27 mpg of the Toyota 2.4 in the Vibe GT.

According to a Pontiac spokesman, the deal with Toyota allows GM to provide product performance requirements, and do the styling, final calibration and tuning. The base engineering responsibility falls to Toyota, and they select the major component suppliers and subsystems, including engines. So, as long as GM maintains this relationship with Toyota, they will have limited control over whatever vehicles are produced. When you consider GM’s recent products, it may be time for the General to create the next generation Vibe from its own Delta platform instead. Dropping the 260 hp turbo DI 2.0 Ecotec from the HHR SS (and Cobalt SS, and Solstice GXP, and Sky Red Line) into the AWD Vibe might make a pretty sweet alternative to the new Caliber SRT-4 from Dodge.

[Source: General Motors]

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Filed under: Hatchbacks, Pontiac

Click the image above for more high-res shots of the 2009 Pontiac Vibe.

The Pontiac Vibe was born in 2003 as the latest GM-badged product from its NUMMI manufacturing joint venture with Toyota in Fremont, California. That made it the oldest model in the Pontiac lineup, and it showed — the Vibe, until today, was the last Pontiac to still wear vestiges of the horrendous cladding phase that ran from the late 80s to the early part of this decade. Like its Geo and Chevrolet-badged predecessors, the Vibe is based on the Toyota Corolla and Matrix. With new versions of the Toyotas dropping at SEMA last week. that meant it was time for a new Vibe. Pontiac unveiled it today in Detroit.

We got our first official glimpse of the car about a month ago, and anyone familiar with the original will recognize the new one. The five-door hatchback layout is preserved, as is the basic shape of the side glass. Replacing all the tacked-on plastic is newly-contoured sheetmetal that lends muscularity to the haunches. Follow the jump for more on the 2009 Pontiac Vibe.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Officially Official: 2009 Pontiac Vibe revealed!

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Filed under: Minivans/MPVs, Videos, Hatchbacks, Pontiac

click above image to view video

The 2009 Pontiac Vibe will be officially unveiled at 4:00PM EST today during an event called the Vibe Slam. You can watch the live reveal here, but we’re on hand in person and will bring back all the material info on Pontiac’s new people mover for your perusal. Of course, one could argue that the Vibe was debuted last week at SEMA when Toyota debuted its essential clone, the Corolla Matrix. In fact, aside from appearances, there appear to be hardly any mechanical differences. Returning to the Vibe lineup after a hiatus is an all-wheel-drive option and the GT model. Unfortunately, coupling a power-sapping all-wheel-drive system to the car’s tiny top shelf engine, a 154-hp 2.4L four-cylinder, is a recipe for the antithesis of excitement. We’ll bring you more official info after the car is unveiled at 4PM, but until then you can watch the 2009 Pontiac Vibe motor along on video thanks to a few clips that snuck onto YouTube early.

[Source: GM]

Continue reading VIDEO: 2009 Pontiac Vibe drives by early

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Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, GM, Pontiac

It looks like General Motors is anticipating big numbers for the new Chevy Malibu. Production just started at the Fairfax Kansas assembly plant a few weeks ago, and they’re already gearing up to add more capacity at a second facility. The company informed employees at the Lake Orion, MI plant this week that they will start building Malibus alongside the Pontiac G6s they already produce beginning next spring. The current plan is to add about ten to twenty-five percent more Malibu capacity from Lake Orion. Maxed-out, the Michigan plant could build up to 100,000 Malibus on top of the 150,000 G6s it churns out.

[Source: Detroit News]

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Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA, Tuners, Sedans/Saloons, Pontiac

click above image for more high-res pics of 50 Cent’s Pontiac G8

50 Cent is all about the Pontiac G8. His latest endeavor with the import from Oz is a group effort with Unique Autosports to create the 500-hp black-striped red number you see above. That’s right, this G8 has got 500 horsepower (or more) since it uses an LSX 427 and other GM parts from the LS7 in the Corvette Z06. Inside, the car gets red leather seats and matching armrests on the doors, as well as an 800-watt JBL sound system. This means you can go really fast and be really loud, just like 50 Cent himself. And even when the car is parked, everyone will know who your favorite rapper is, as the “50 Cent” fender badges won’t let you forget. You can check out video from Fast Lane Daily if you follow the jump, or take a stroll through the gallery of hi-res pics below.

Continue reading SEMA 2007: 50 Cent and Unique Autosports get In da G8

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Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA, Tuners, Convertibles, Videos, GM, Pontiac

The Pontiac Solstice has plenty of performance potential, and the SD-290 concept at SEMA uses a soon-to-be launched Stage II aftermarket kit for extra power and pizazz. 290 horsepower and 310 ft-lbs. are only part of the story, as light weight materials, a deleted passenger compartment and no windows help propel the SD 290 to 60 MPH in under 5 seconds. We interviewed GM Marketing Product Manager Jim Hunter to get you details, and you can view it by clicking play above.

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Filed under: Time Warp, Sports/GTs, Auction Action, Pontiac

By buying this (garishly) customized Firebird, you’re really purchasing a way of life. Inexplicably listed as a 1971, when it’s clearly about a decade newer, this car is your ticket to a full-on star shrine. You get the car, a trunkful of memorabilia and knicknacks, even a domain name (travoltafever.com). The car itself was built in 1979 by George Barris, and it encapsulates some of the pop culture ethos of the late 1970s. The interior has a manly theme inspired by Urban Cowboy, though when we set our gaze upon it, all we could think was Brokeback Mountain. Nevertheless, it’s certainly better than the stock Poncho interior was. The exterior has been flared in an odd way, endowed with a large spoiler, and painted in the fashion of the time. The car is actually named “Travolta Fever,” so says the hood. How awesome, you could have a Firebird named after the same virus that inspired Travolta to release a double album.

All snarkiness aside, it’s a cool piece of Kustom Kar history, which is inextricably linked with a well known Hollywood star. Star value always inflates car prices, for better or worse. This one comes with a collection of other memorabilia, as well, and looks to be in good shape. There’s no telling whether it will truly appreciate in value, but $25,000 isn’t that outrageous for a car with a known celebrity link that comes with all kinds of extra stuff. Some of that stuff includes a Revell scale model kit, a copy of the “Travolta Fever” double LP, and various other pieces signed by George Barris. You’re guaranteed to draw a crowd at your local car show with this thing, even if you’re parked next to a Bandit Trans Am.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Tech, Hatchbacks, Pontiac

Pontiac officially unveiled the 2009 edition of the Vibe hatchback yesterday, and a question has been raised by several commentors about the powertrain lineup. As we all know, the Vibe shares a platform with the Toyota Corolla and all of its derivatives. The question of why the Vibe uses the Toyota engines rather than GM’s own Ecotec lineup was raised during the press conference. After all the 2.4L EcoTec as used in the Cobalt is rated at 173hp and yields EPA numbers of 22/32 mpg according to the 2008 EPA tests. That’s 15 hp more, and it bests the 21/27 mpg of the Toyota 2.4 in the Vibe GT.

According to a Pontiac spokesman, the deal with Toyota allows GM to provide product performance requirements, and do the styling, final calibration and tuning. The base engineering responsibility falls to Toyota, and they select the major component suppliers and subsystems, including engines. So, as long as GM maintains this relationship with Toyota, they will have limited control over whatever vehicles are produced. When you consider GM’s recent products, it may be time for the General to create the next generation Vibe from its own Delta platform instead. Dropping the 260 hp turbo DI 2.0 Ecotec from the HHR SS (and Cobalt SS, and Solstice GXP, and Sky Red Line) into the AWD Vibe might make a pretty sweet alternative to the new Caliber SRT-4 from Dodge.

[Source: General Motors]

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Hatchbacks, Pontiac

Click the image above for more high-res shots of the 2009 Pontiac Vibe.

The Pontiac Vibe was born in 2003 as the latest GM-badged product from its NUMMI manufacturing joint venture with Toyota in Fremont, California. That made it the oldest model in the Pontiac lineup, and it showed — the Vibe, until today, was the last Pontiac to still wear vestiges of the horrendous cladding phase that ran from the late 80s to the early part of this decade. Like its Geo and Chevrolet-badged predecessors, the Vibe is based on the Toyota Corolla and Matrix. With new versions of the Toyotas dropping at SEMA last week. that meant it was time for a new Vibe. Pontiac unveiled it today in Detroit.

We got our first official glimpse of the car about a month ago, and anyone familiar with the original will recognize the new one. The five-door hatchback layout is preserved, as is the basic shape of the side glass. Replacing all the tacked-on plastic is newly-contoured sheetmetal that lends muscularity to the haunches. Follow the jump for more on the 2009 Pontiac Vibe.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Officially Official: 2009 Pontiac Vibe revealed!

Permalink | Email this | Comments