2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

With all the glitz and glamour of an auto show, it's sometimes easy to overlook familiar shapes. And the G8, though handsome, is familiar. But get behind the wheel of a running GXP, and you'll have an experience you won't soon forget.

The GXP uses the unmodified driveline-engine and transmission-from the current Corvette. The LS3 V-8 produces 415 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque, which is then funneled through a Tremec six-speed manual transmission. That's the first-ever self-shifter in a G8. The GXP is available with a six-speed automatic, too, but the automatic removes the fun of rowing the short-throw shifter and manipulating the progressive clutch. The automatic is actually the faster of the two GXPs, hitting 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, according to Pontiac.

That's an impressive number, but it tells only part of the story. Unlike Detroit muscle cars of yore, the Australian-designed and built GXP rounds out the enthusiast's dream with accurate (if a little numb) steering, great brakes, and positively sublime chassis balance. Stiff antiroll bars and a progressive mechanical limited slip all help to make the GXP one of the best-balanced sedans on the planet. If sideways is your middle name, the GXP is definitely