The 2008 New York Auto Show kicks off in a couple of hours but press releases have already started to come out. First on the list, the 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe. Building on the success of the convertible model and inspired by the 2002 concept, the Solstice coupe offers drivers that still want an open-air experience a removable roof panel that gives the car the shape of a fastback.

The roof is easily removed from the passenger compartment and an optional soft roof cover is also available. A storage case for the removable roof will be sold separately through GM Accessories.

Power still comes from a standard 2.4L Ecotec 4-cylinder engine producing 173hp. The GXP version, which we’ll see at the show, is powered by a 2.0L turbocharged Ecotec that produces 260hp.

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Joining the 2010 Pontiac Sport Truck next week at the New York Auto Show will be Pontiac’s new flagship of the GXP performance series, the G8 GXP sedan. The 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP will arrive in dealerships in late 2008.

Power comes from a small-block 6.2 liter V8 engine producing 402hp and 402 lb-ft of torque. The 0-60mph sprint comes in about 4.7 seconds with a quarter mile time of 13 seconds at 108mph. The engine is mated to a Hydra-Matic 6-speed 6L80 automatic transmission with an optional 6-speed Tremec TR6060 manual.

The GXP G8 looks a little more aggressive than the standard G8 with a unique front fascia with a lower splitter along with a stronger rear fascia.

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The legendary Chevrolet El Camino truck is carved into US car history in its very own, unique and special way. Its beginnings can be traced back to 1959 when the first generation, based on the Chevrolet Brookwood, was conceived to compete with the Ford Ranchero. Sales were not as expected, and in 1960 the El Camino was discontinued. 1964 saw the return of the El Camino, this time based on the Chevrolet Chevelle. Two more generations followed which were based on the Chevelle until 1978 when GM revealed the smaller, fourth generation El Camino based on the Chevrolet Malibu. In 1987 production of the Camino was discontinued once again.

Today, the El Camino has started yet another chapter with the unveiling of the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck (or simply the Pontiac G8 ST). Jalopnik got close to the new Pontiac G8 Sport Truck at a photo shoot of the pre-production model and dropped us a few shots of the new El Camino. PickUpTruck was the other lucky invitee. The Pontiac G8 ST is based on the popular G8, which in turn is based on the Australian Holden VE Commodore. The Pontiac – Holden connection is not new of course since the legendary Pontiac GTO was derived from the Holden Monaro.

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Normally, we get our recall notices directly from NHTSA, but since the fed's search section is down for maintenance, we'll rely on Kyle's tip to point us to GMInsideNews. The forum for all things General-related has posted a directive addressed to all Buick and Pontiac dealers regarding an upcoming recall issued by NTHSA that affects the 1997-2003 Buick Regal GS and the 1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP fitted with the 3.8-liter supercharged V6.

Both models apparently have a problem with oil leaking onto the exhaust manifold under hard braking. If the oil makes it underneath the manifold's heat shield, it's possible that it could ignite a small flame which could spread to the spark plug covers. The engine fire normally happens five- to ten-minutes after the vehicle has been shut down, and GM is suggesting that all of the 207,542 vehicles affected shouldn't park inside garages, carports or other parking structures until the required fix is completed. The recall notices were sent out today, so we'd suspect that dealers should have the necessary parts in stock by the end of the month.

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It’s being reported that General Motors will be bringing a hardtop “targa” version of its Pontiac Solstice to this month’s New York Auto Show.

We reported back in July that Pontiac was indeed bringing a fastback coupe version to the market in 2009. Now, maybe that version will actually be the Solstice Targa. According to Leftlane News, production of the Solstice Targa will commence in 2009 at GM’s Wilmington, Delaware. plant, with a speculated capacity limited to 10,000 annually.

The Solstice will feature the traditional Targa setup with removable panels – t-top-esque. GM has long considered this version of its Solstice model and Lutz has previous said that if a “coupe” model ever sees the light of day, it will look exactly like the Solstice Coupe Concept from 2002 (pictured above).

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We've learned a multitude of things working the automotive beat on the 'Net. Among them: the German press is great for rumors and GM will badge engineer damn near anything. A piece from Auto Motor und Sport lives up to both expectations, with a story saying that the impending arrival of the Saab 9-1 hatch in Geneva will spawn a Saturn derivative and possibly a Pontiac version. According to AMuS, The Saab is likely to be powered by a hybrid system soon after it's launched and the Saturn version could feature a removable roof between the A- and B-pillar. Other blatant speculation includes the possibility of a (God help us) Buick version. We're going to stop laughing and get back to work.

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Toyota's Matrix wagon, Corolla sedan and its mechanical twin the Pontiac Vibe sport wagon are all in hot water after motorists have begun to issue complaints about their power side-front windows. Reports indicate the windows are getting stuck, making popping noises, and in some cases shattering and injuring passengers. To date, more than 503 complaints have been received by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is currently looking into the issue. Ultimately, the investigation may trigger a recall affecting 676,747 vehicles manufactured during the 2003 and 2004 model years at NUMMI, the GM-Toyota joint-venture plant that found itself in a pot of hot water after an employee accused her superiors last November of letting defective vehicles leave the facility.

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Most of America is bounded by farmlands and bisected by highways: flat, fast and straight. Perhaps these are the kinds of driving conditions Pontiac's engineers had in mind when they took the G6 and made it into a GXP.

New for 2008, GXP replaces the GTP sport trim level for the G6 sedan and coupe and offers a host of improvements -- chief among them, a 3.6-liter V-6 engine that makes 252 horsepower and 251 lb-ft of torque. All G6 GXP models also come with GM's Hydra-Matic 6T70 six-speed automatic transmission, performance-tuned suspension, ABS, 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, and specific exterior and interior goodies that differentiate it from regular G6 models, including leather seats, modified front and rear fascias, unique rocker panels, body-color mirror caps, and dual chrome exhaust tips.

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As you may or may not have known, a rebadged version of the Chevy Aveo sedan has been offered to Canadian car shoppers in the form of the Pontiac Wave, and with the arrival of the facelifted Aveo5 comes a new Wave5 for Canada. We exhanged emails on the matter with the gang at CanadianDriver, and they explained that it has everything to do with the GM dealer setups in Canada. For the most part, there are Chevy/Cadillac stores and Pontiac/Buick/GMC outlets.

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GM Holden added another vehicle to its growing export program today with the announcement that full production of the Pontiac G8 for the US market was now underway. The introduction of the Pontiac G8 represents a significant milestone for GM Holden as it brings the mix of vehicles produced at the Elizabeth manufacturing plant in Adelaide to a 50-50 split of export and domestic production...

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Pontiac is planning a treat for the first 888 owners of its new G8 sedan, the company's latest rear-drive thunder from down under. According to the automaker, the initial run of 888 cars will have a VIN sequence beginning from 001 to 888...

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After months of speculation and plenty of denials we now have the first sign of support towards the introduction of more variants of the G8/Commodore for the North American market...

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Pontiac's Vibe small wagon will get an update for the 2009 model year. It will be in dealer showrooms early next year. Here is a preview look at the '09 Vibe GT-the real deal rolls out at the Los Angeles auto show...

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Pontiac has given the Vibe wagon a makeover for the 2009 model year. The '09 Vibe was unveiled Tuesday and goes on sale early next year...

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The G8, GM’s Pontiac-badged version of the successful Holden Commodore, was already primed to be one of America’s best rear-drive sedans to date. Now it’s going to be one of the most affordable as well.

Pricing of the base-level G8 will start at $27,595 and the V8 powered GT model will start at $29,995. The base-level [...]

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