Pontiac To Focus on Performance Cars in Future

As General Motors continues to restructure its brands,

Automotive News reportsa big shakeup regarding the product lineup at Pontiac.

Acting as the performance brand that consumers can afford, Pontiac will refocus its product lineup on cars, and cars alone. The first casualty that has already taken place was the Montana SV6 minivan, which has left the stage alongside the Saturn Relay and soon its Buick sibling, the Terraza. We also were informed at the beginning of the year that the Grand Prix would be discontinued, which comes as no surprise given it's the oldest of the front-wheel drive, midsize, G-Body vehicles and that its successor has already been named – the wild, rear-wheel drive Pontiac G8 sedan. What wasn't expected was the demise of the Torrent midsize SUV. The Canadian-built product and twin to the Chevrolet Equinox will be canceled soon despite the recent addition of the high-performance GXP model and the fact that it's a decent seller for Pontiac.

We reported earlier that General Motors was considering switching the G6 platform to the upcoming rear-wheel drive “Alpha” architecture, but news is now emerging about an even smaller rear-drive layout to replace the brand's G5. How viable of a plan this is has yet to be seen, as there aren't any truly affordable compact rear-wheel drive cars on the market.

Pontiac's current sports car, the Solstice, is also expected to expand by 2009 with the addition of a brand new hardtop coupe model. The addition of a fixed roof should prove to be a hit, as the roadster's supple ride is ideal for road trips, but it has a tiny trunk, something that the Coupe version shouldn't have any troubles fixing. The car you see pictured isn't the forthcoming model, but one of the original prototypes of the Solstice that was shown when the concept was revealed back in 2002. In addition, the base engine of the current Solstice, the 2.4-liter Ecotec inline-four, is expected to be upgraded in Coupe form to provide more horsepower. Don't expect there to be a jump to a V6 or anything so dramatic, as a heavier engine would upset the balance of the car. Automotive News also suggested that the next Solstice would arrive on the scene for 2011.

Even though the most notable performance Pontiacs were its muscle cars of the '60s and '70s, these won't be making a return in upcoming years. Despite the notion that the Firebird could be resurrected as a twin to the Camaro, or the introduction of a two-door G8 would make a great GTO, General Motors will not invest in high-powered V8, rear-wheel drive muscle cars due to issues with CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy), the rising price of fuel and the growing public awareness to pollution.