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Sorry, but after trying to figure out the Pontiac G6 lineup for ’06, the eyes are spinning in opposite directions and the mind has been shaked, baked and slightly fried, making it difficult to find the right keys on this machine.

You may be confused as well because the G6 lineup has expanded so rapidly.

For 2005 it was simple, a sedan with only a 3.5-liter V-6.

For 2006, there’s also a coupe and a convertible, though the hardtop convertible doesn’t come out until early next year.

The base sedan now offers a 2.4-liter, 167-horsepower 4-cylinder as standard and the 201-h.p. V-6 as an option. But neither coupe nor convertible get a four-banger.

All sedans, coupes and convertibles with the 3.5-liter are designated GTs, all with the 3.9-liter, 240-h.p. V-6 are GTPs.

Got that?

“I admit it’s confusing,” said Gary Steilen, G6 marketing manager, who promised it will make sense once the full lineup is available when the convertible appears in the first quarter of next year. “By waiting to roll out the full lineup over a period of time with different body styles, engines and trim levels, it caused some problems.”

We’re fairly certain we tested the ’06 GTP coupe because the car had only two doors and “G6” and “GTP” badging on the deck lid.

It carries the trademark Pontiac twin-port honeycomb grilles but the deck lid with its small lip spoiler looks as if lifted from the Lexus SC430.

The G6 sedan (Transportation, Oct. 3, 2004) is light years better than the Grand Am it replaced in terms of styling, ride, handling and performance. The GTP coupe can boast the same.

Only drawback with the coupe is that, though the front passenger seat slides far forward to aid those getting in back, the shoulder belt for that front seat grabs at your chest and/or chin to slow entry.

It’s easier to slip stuff in the trunk than in the back seat–except kids, of course.

Once in back, room is pretty good. But why four cupholders to serve two passengers there?

A couple other gripes: One is that the slant of the rear window and the size of the rear headrests limit visibility out the back.

And–Pontiac insists it’s for safety–you have to shift into reverse to remove the ignition key each time you plan to leave the car.

The sedan, coupe, convertible philosophy is designed to attract a variety of buyers, but Steilen expects sedans to outsell coupes 3 to 1.

The 3.9-liter V-6 in the GTP tested delivers a potent 240 foot-pounds of torque. It’s swift moving from the light or enjoying some playtime on a desolate stretch of country road.

If you tromp the pedal hard at takeoff, you may experience some torque steer–when the front pulls from one side on acceleration–the price you pay for a high-performance coupe with front-wheel-drive.

The mileage rating is 18 m.p.g. city/29 m.p.g. highway.

Because the GTP is meant for aggressive motoring, four-wheel anti-lock brakes with traction control and StabiliTrak are standard.

StabiliTrak is GM’s stability control system that employs engine management and ABS to keep the car from getting the jitters in corners and any other direction that’s not a straight line.

Wide-profile, 18-inch, performance tires and a performance-tuned suspension also help keep the coupe planted on the pavement be it straight or curved while ensuring nimble handling.

The base sedan gets 16-inch radials, the GTs get 17-inch radials. GTPs and the GT convertible get wide-profile, 18-inch performance radials as standard.

Steilen said Pontiac brought out a coupe though it expects limited demand because there are “younger buyers, singles or newly marrieds without kids who are looking for style and performance.”

The spacious trunk holds a lot of stuff, from duffel bags to golf clubs, rackets and, with the rear seat backs folded down, skis.

But the primary reason for a coupe is that it allows Pontiac to offer that retractable hardtop convertible, not possible off the sedan body.

“Yeah, without the coupe, we couldn’t have the convertible,” he said.

As for an even higher performance GXP version like that with the Grand Prix?

“Not at this point, because GXP means even higher performance and even better handling and braking, but we’re looking at some other things to evaluate,” Steilen said.

To go along with the sporty image, Pontiac dealers will carry a variety of accessories to dress up the coupe, from ground effects kits to a host of fancy wheels.

Base price of the G6 GTP coupe is $23,985, and includes power locks, windows, mirrors and driver’s seat; air conditioning; AM/FM stereo with CD player and Monsoon sound system and eight speakers plus a clock; XM satellite radio; tilt and telescoping steering wheel; cruise control; and remote keyless entry.

A 4-speed automatic is standard, a slippery smooth 6-speed manual is a no-cost option.

Of the options added to the test car, side-impact/side-curtain air bags at $690, are advised, and a $1,550 premium package upgrades the sound system to include a six-disc CD player along with a power sunroof and decorative five-spoke alloy wheels. For $1,265 you can add the leather package, or settle for cloth and put the dough toward the premium package and side bags.

GM has adopted a value pricing strategy for ’06, which means lowering the sticker to put it closer to the transaction price to reduce dependence on incentives. Yet the GTP coupe has a $1,000 incentive through this month.

“We aren’t eliminating incentives. They’ll still play a role, but we’re focusing more on the features the car has to offer rather than the dollars off,” Steilen said.

And Steilen says Pontiac is counting on its new halo car, the Solstice roadster (Transportation, Sept. 4), to draw folks into showrooms, where they’ll also find the G6.

“The G6 and GTO have started to change our image and the Solstice is going to do a lot more in the transformation of Pontiac,” he said of a division that needs to get back to its roots in offering excitement.

Dropping Bonneville, Grand Am, Aztek and Sunfire and adding GTO, G6 and Solstice is a start.

Strictly personal: Greetings to grandson, Jac, who is celebrating birthday No. 7.

– – –

2006 Pontiac G6 GTP coupe

Price as tested: $28,185*

CITY: 18 m.p.g.

HWY: 29 m.p.g.

ENGINE: 3.9-liter, 240-h.p. V-6

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

WHEELBASE: 112.3 inches

LENGTH: 189 inches

THE STICKER

$23,985: Base

1,550: Premium value package with 18-inch, 5-spoke alloy wheels, AM/FM stereo with six-disc CD player and power tilt and slide sunroof

1,265: Leather package with leather seats, heated front seats, power driver’s seat and leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls

695: OnStar emergency satellite communications system

690: Side-impact and side-curtain air bags

* Add $625 for freight

PLUSES

– Styling that appeals to young and old.

– Above-average ride and handling that predecessor Grand Am didn’t have.

– A surprisingly swift V-6 teamed with an unusually smooth shifting 6-speed manual.

– ABS and stability control standard in this high-performance coupe.

MINUSES

– Limited visibility out rear window.

– Coupe in a world that leans toward sedans.

– Having to shift into reverse to get key out of ignition.

———-

Read Jim Mateja Sunday in Transportation and Wednesday and Friday in Business. Hear him on WBBM Newsradio 780 at 6:22 p.m. Wednesdays and 11:22 a.m. Sundays.

jmateja@tribune.com