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Pontiac G8 Drags CTS-V, Supercharged G8, Hellcat, Shows Who's a Heavy Hitter

Say what you want about the rebadged full-size Holden sedan produced in Australia and then exported to the United States as the short-lived 2008 and 2009 model year Pontiac G8, but do not dare claim it is not feisty… or beloved.
Pontiac G8 drags CTS-V, supercharged G8, Challenger Hellcat on DRACS 34 photos
Photo: Drag Racing and Car Stuff / YouTube
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And we have a clear example of that. So, the videographer behind the Drag Racing and Car Stuff channel on YouTube has prepared yet another enticing feature centered around a great quarter-mile dragstrip project build. It features Chris Merry's twin-turbo Pontiac, a G8 that was caught rumbling at TX2K in Houston, Texas. Then it was also fully exposed as a heavy hitter during the recent Street Car Takeover event that saw the wheels go round at US131 Motorsports Park (aka “the fastest track in Michigan”).

Even better, somewhere down the line of rivals, there is a second, feisty Pontiac G8 trying to also make a name for itself. Imagine the chances of that encounter! That can only mean one thing: a select bunch of people is treasuring these rare full-size sedans like pirate’s gold… while also living life one quarter of a mile at a time!

But first things first – the perspective. That one comes from TX2K where the mid-to-low nine-second G8 first brawls with a vintage muscle car ahead of clashing with a Caddy CTS-V at the 1:02 mark. The result is equally impressive, with the G8 snatching a 9.31s victory against its opponent’s 9.91s performance. According to the description, disaster – aka a bent driveshaft – then struck ahead of Street Car Takeover but a friend found a suitable replacement, and the Pontiac was free to occupy its slot in the event’s Heavyweight Class.

The first skirmish there (at 1:40) was against vintage stuff but it clearly represented no challenge (flawless 9.21s versus 12.14s victory). Unlike the next pass, where the twin-turbo G8 had to duke it out with a crimson supercharged Pontiac G8! Well, as it turned out, it delivered its best performance of 8.91s against an equally feisty 9.03s rival to advance into the class finals. There, it met a Dodge Challenger Hellcat who ultimately posed no threat whatsoever, given the 9.28s to 9.97s result.

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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
Aurel Niculescu profile photo

Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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