Pontiac G8 Engine

 By David Grow

In terms of horsepower, the Pontiac G8 offers plenty of bang for your buck. Both the V6 and V8 models offer power under the hood without the exorbitant cost that usually accompanies it. You'll have your choice between two pontiac engine. The V6 comes with a 261-horsepower 3.6-liter engine while the V8 offers a stunning 362-horsepower 6.0-liter monster. So, let's take a moment to explore both.

The Pontiac G8 V6 Engine

The G8's LY7 V6 pontiac engine is a 3.6-liter workhorse. When it hits 261-horsepower, the pontiac engine reaches approximately 6,300 rpm. It can hit 250 ft. lbs. while maintaining an easy 3,200 rpm. One of the notable improvements of this pontiac engine is that it includes a variable intake system (something that was missing in the LYZ). The entire system is managed and regulated by the G8's ECM. The valve enclosed within the intake manifold adjusts based upon the load and speed demanded from the engine. It's designed to provide more torque than a standard 3.6-liter engine while simultaneously hitting higher horsepower.

The block and heads of the LY7 are aluminum cast and include cast-in iron liners that are systematically cooled by squirters that shoot oil at the piston's underside. This is smart engineering to deliver a high-performance engine in a V6 shell.

The Pontiac G8 V8 Engine

The G8's L76 V8 pontiac engine has been getting a lot of attention. It hits 362-horsepower at 5,700 rpm and includes a 6.0-liter unit. It will hit 391 ft. lbs. while easing into 4,400 rpm. In case you missed the numbers, that's a healthy 12 more horsepower than the acclaimed Hemi (excluding the SRT Hemi) that you'll find in the Charger. The G8's torque is actually comparable to the torque offered by the Charger's Hemi. That's impressive.

When you buy a standard G8, it comes with a six-speed automatic transmission (we'll talk about the transmission in more detail in a moment). From a dead stop, the G8 GT model should hit 60 mph in under 6 seconds. That's not bad for an automatic transmission. A manual transmission can hit 60 mph even quicker, of course. But, we wanted you to understand the power that sits in this pontiac engine. Also, one last note about the V8: it comes with the active fuel management system that deactivates the cylinders to conserve fuel. Another smart move by Pontiac.

Manual Vs. Automatic Transmission

When Pontiac released the G8, it originally offered only an automatic transmission. This confused a lot of car enthusiasts because the powerful engines (both the V6 and V8) seemed particularly geared for a manual transmission. Apparently, Pontiac agreed. They're releasing a manual transmission for the V8 pontiac engine later in 2008.

Up until now, the base V6 G8 has come with a standard 5-speed automatic transmission. The powertrain is very similar to the Cadillac CTS (the 3.6-liter edition). Pontiac's G8 GT model comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Surprisingly, when we tested the car, the 6L80 transmission practically lifted the car in first gear. It's powerful.

The G8 is still relatively new on the market. Though it's a little odd that Pontiac is making us wait for the manual transmission in the V8 model, we understand the complexity of designing and offering a budget-conscious powerhouse of a car. We're hoping that more improvements are on the horizon.