Not So Fast: GM Not Sold on Pontiac G8 as a Chevy

Buzz around the internet the past 24 hours has made it sound like GM had decided to save its Pontiac G8 rear-wheel-drive sport sedan by remaking it as a Chevy and calling it the Caprice.

However, the company says it’s only exploring that as an option, and we’ve confirmed with GM that this is indeed just a possibility, not a definite product plan. In fact, the company had a canned answer ready to go: “As part of its reinvention, General Motors is exploring every opportunity of effectively utilizing its global portfolio of vehicles, facilities and talent. While this exploration includes the possibility of extending imports of Holden vehicles (such as the recent Pontiac G8) to North America, no decision has been made at this time.”

The thinking behind such a move is two-fold: GM would like to have a car it could sell to fleets as police squad cars, and it would also like a larger sedan in its lineup that is more modern than the still strong-selling Impala, which is itself in need of a redesign.