This 2008 G8 Sedan Concept Could Have Saved Pontiac
- This Pontiac G8 concept has been shown to the public for the first time, showing what could have happened to the brand if it had survived.
- The concept has a sleek design with bulging fenders and a leather-wrapped interior.
- GM also showed off an unseen Cadillac concept, a beautiful coupe with a long hood.
Automotive history is littered with failed startups and once-legendary brands that faded into obscurity or were unceremoniously killed off. One of the most beloved dead automakers is Pontiac, a casualty of General Motors' 2009 bankruptcy. Now, via the official General Motors Design Instagram account, the American auto giant has shared what could have been the Pontiac of the 2010s, the as-yet-unseen G8 concept.
2008 Pontiac G8 concept
Not much information was provided about the concept, which GM Design describes as "a fully functioning vision of the future design language." Completed in 2008 at GM's Advanced Studio in California, the G8 is a big sedan that presumably would have served as a follow-up to the Holden Commodore-based G8 that was sold from 2008 to 2009.
The G8 concept has an athletic look with an aggressive stance and bulging wheel arches. The vertical headlights have a hint of Cadillac styling to them, but the G8 sports a more exaggerated take on the angular twin-grille design seen across the Pontiac lineup in the 2000s. Large chrome rims fill every inch of the wheel wells, and the rear windshield is recessed into the sloping rear pillars.
2008 Pontiac G8 concept
GM also provided a glimpse of the G8 concept's cabin, which is coated in rich brown leather with a marbled appearance. The footwells and seat backs are finished in a light tan, with chrome accents on the dashboard and door panels. The G8 looks to have analog gauges behind the thin steering wheel and no center screen, but the overall look is still futuristic.
The G8 concept also made an appearance at the 2024 EyesOn Design car show and moves under its own power, as evidenced by a YouTube video showing it arriving among an array of other eye-catching concepts.
Cadillac expressive coupe concept
The 2024 EyesOn Design show also saw the debut of another old GM concept car, a gorgeous Cadillac coupe, which was later shared on the GM Design Instagram page. Simply called the "expressive coupe" internal design study, the two-door Caddy has a long hood, chiseled face, and swept back cabin.
Cadillac expressive coupe concept
The wide grille is sandwiched between thin LED headlights, with flowing lines swooping backwards across the hood. The styling looks awfully similar to a patent issued in 2018 for a Cadillac coupe that never saw the light of day, suggesting that Cadillac may have seriously considered putting the coupe into production.
While neither of these concepts will ever hit the streets, we're glad we finally get a peek behind the curtains to see what Pontiac and Cadillac were planning in the past.