GM’s 2-door muscle cars like the Camaro and Corvette became extremely popular during the last few decades. They look good, they’re fast and easy to modify thanks to the strong aftermarket support.
But what if the mainstream is just not your cup of tea, and you want to drive something a little bit more special, without sacrificing on the performance? And that’s where the Pontiac G8 comes up to the mind. Read on to find out more about this awesome Pontiac G8 modified by Grant Bassford
and turned into a Holden Commodore VE 1!
About the G8 Model
This GM muscle car from the late 2000s made 4-door sedans fun to drive long before the Hellcat arrival. Being produced between 2007 and 2009, a Pontiac G8 became the last performance sedan of this iconic car brand before it was discontinued by GM.
“Despite the limited sales numbers, it became pretty popular among the performance car fans who needed the power of a V8 muscle car and the convenience of a 4-door sedan.”
Holden Commodore VE Series 1 Conversion
But why do you see a Holden Commodore logo on the blacked-out grille of this car? In fact, it’s the actual Holden Commodore model designed and produced in its homeland of Australia. GM decided not to invest in the development of a similar vehicle for the American market and simply arranged the import of these cars directly to the USA, where it was marketed as a Pontiac G8.
“But why do you see a Holden Commodore logo on the blacked-out grille of this car? In fact, it’s the actual Holden Commodore model designed in produced in its homeland of Australia.”
G8 Build
This awesome-looking G8 owned and built by Grant Bassford features a full Holden VE Series 1 conversion, which includes the Australian spec bumper, hood, fogs, grille, and GXP rear diffuser.
Suspension
Despite the extremely low ground clearance, the suspension is static. The car sits low on modified BC BR Coilovers and a set of staggered BBS RSII rims converted to a 3-piece setting.
To achieve such a radical low stance the suspension was enhanced with an ID-Tuning harness bar, Whiteline Strut Mount, front lower control arm bushing, lower rear outer bushing, custom extend rear LCAs, adjustable toe rods and trailing arms.
“Despite the extremely low ground clearance, the suspension is static”
Wheels
The front wheels are sized at 19×10.5 with a +17mm offset and 5mm spacer. Rears are 19×12.5 with +11 offset. The tires are 235/35R19 and 275/35R19 respectively.
Performance Mods
To extract more power out of it, the owner decided to install a universal cold air intake with K&N performance filter to make the car breathe easier and removed the muffler to improve the exhaust gas flow. 4 pot Brembos were installed all around to improve the braking performance.
List of Modifications
Wheels
- BBS RSII converted to 3 piece: front 19×10.5 +17 with 5mm spacer 235/35 tires, rear 19×12.5 +11 275/35 tires
Suspension
- Modified BC BR Coilovers
- ID-Tuning harness bar
- Whiteline Strut Mount
- Front lower control arm bushing
- Lower rear outer bushing
- Custom extend rear LCAs
- Adjustable toe rods and trailing arms
Exterior
- Holden VE Series 1 conversion (bumper/hood/fogs/grille)
- GXP rear diffuser
- Xenon Depot HIDs
- Debadged rear
- Dechrome window trim
Performance
- Universal CAI w/ K&N filter
- 4 pot Brembo all around
- Muffler delete
Conclusion
The Pontiac G8 is a great 4-door muscle car for those who want something different from the mainstream Camaro and Corvette. It’s fast, it looks good and it’s easy to modify. With a little bit of work, you can fully convert it into an Australian spec Holden Commodore and make it an even more unique machine that will turn heads on the street.
| Parts Category | Difficulty Rating* |
|---|---|
| Suspension Mods: | 10/10 |
| Performance Mods: | 5/10 |
| Exterior Mods: | 10/10 |
* Based on our build difficulty evaluation system ⓘ
This G8 is a stance junkie’s dream, maxing out at 10 points with its radically low static suspension setup. While the exterior scores a solid 10 with that proper Aussie conversion, performance mods keep it modest at 5 points with those Brembos being the brightest highlight.
Watch the progress and find out more about this Pontiac G8 project by visiting the Instagram profile of the owner: @gman1227_!
📸 credit: @texas1320photo
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