Pontiac Performance Cars

The GM family of cars has always been the pride of many American motorists. However, the Pontiacs have a special place in the hearts of motorists. Pontiac's role was primarily to fill the performance niche for GM. Sadly, the term 'was' is because there will be no more Pontiacs rolling off the assembly line by the end of 2010. It might be hard to digest but the fact remains that Pontiac will take a place in the history of automakers. The brand always had sporting intentions which did good for the brand's image. The Pontiac Torrent and Pontiac Vibe are also available in performance-oriented versions.

The current and penultimate range is the sport G series which is to be discontinued by the end of 2010. In the beginning, Pontiac established itself by specializing in mainstream performance vehicles. The engines were a high-torque and low RPM models unlike the Chevrolet engine. An integrated water pump and timing chain cover were some of the unique features of the Pontiac engine. No mechanical failures of these engines were reported, lending durability to GM design.

Speaking of engine design, the 3.8 liter V8 engine fitted on the Pontiac Tempest Le Mans, later the Pontiac GTO, was the beginning of the muscle car range, which tasted success until the end of 1973. The GTO did not fail to please motorists even though a mere 5,000 cars were produced.

The Pontiac Solstice, the stylish sports coupe came into production with a new design concept that came off the drawing board in 2001. Mechanically, the Solstice is perfect. Suspension was improved with a double wishbone layout in all four corners. With little time left until the end of production, there are few models left with dealers across the country. The Solstice is fast selling out with the G5s, G6 GXPs and Vibes soon following.

GM has conducted a study on the brands in its lineup that are to be discontinued. The GMC truck line, Cadillac, Buick, and Chevrolet remain while the production of Pontiacs is to be stopped, phasing out all models by the end of 2010. This also means a loss of factory jobs for about 8,000 workers, with the effect spilling down to several dealers. A Michigan dealer's efforts to purchase Pontiac from GM was turned down, with GM citing that the brand was not for sale.

The Orion assembly plant has the distinction of producing the last American Pontiac, a 2010 G6. The G3 Wave was the last Pontiac vehicle to roll of the assembly line in South Korea for the Canadian market in December 2009. Pontiac follows the same fate as Oldsmobile, which was completely phased out by 2004. Among American automobiles, Pontiac is the ninth to be phased out. The earlier brands were Passport, Asuna, Geo, Merkur, Eagle, Plymouth, AMC, and Oldsmobile.

Pontiac's glorious reign will never be forgotten by many motoring enthusiasts. Fond memories of the American Indian headdress logo, the Arrowhead, and Silver Streak will always remain. Pontiac fans are advised to stock up on spares while the going is still good.