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Poll: Which Powertrains Should Pontiac Return With?

Last week, GM Authority reported on a cryptic ad that appeared in the latest issue of Car and Driver, hinting that the Pontiac brand was poised to make a comeback. The ad sparked a resurgence of interest in the Pontiac brand among enthusiasts and fans, but unfortunately, GM eventually provided an official response confirming that the ad was just a joke. Nevertheless, the broader automotive community’s response to the ad got us thinking – what if Pontiac did make a comeback, and if it did, what kind of powertrain should the brand return with?

The engine in a 1964 Pontiac Tempest LeMans GTO.

With all that in mind, we’re asking you, dear reader, what sort of powertrains Pontiac should offer if it did indeed make a hypothetical return.

The first thing to consider is GM’s ongoing EV transition. Although GM is still poised to fully convert its light-duty vehicle lineup to all-electric powertrains by 2035, GM has encountered a few road bumps along the way, including a decline in EV demand among consumers, changing emissions and efficiency standards, and GM’s impending reintroduction of new plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) to the North American market.

As such, a PHEV powertrain is one option for the hypothetical return of the Pontiac brand. GM already has PHEV tech available in the Chinese market that could be adapted for sale in the U.S., and offering a blend of electric efficiency with the flexibility of a traditional internal combustion engine could provide a straightforward path for Pontiac’s hypothetical return.

Another option is a fully electric powertrain based on GM’s Ultium battery technology. EVs certainly have plenty of performance to offer, as seen by current products like the Cadillac Lyriq, which doles out up to 500 horsepower, not to mention forthcoming products like the Chevy Blazer EV SS (557 horsepower) and Cadillac Lyriq-V (over 600 horsepower expected). An all-electric Pontiac would also future-proof the brand amid the broader industry’s EV transition.

Of course, the fan favorite is likely a pure internal combustion engine (ICE) without any electrification whatsoever. V8 options like the L84, L87, LT1, and LT4 all come to mind, providing the raw power and thrilling performance that Pontiac enthusiasts expect. That said, a turbocharged four-cylinder with loads of torque could be another pure ICE option, such as the L3B or LK0, catering to those who prefer a smaller, more efficient engine without sacrificing performance.

Withe all that said, we want to hear from you. Which powertrain type do you think Pontiac should return with? Vote for your favorite in the poll below and let your voice be heard, and don’t forget to subscribe to GM Authority for more Pontiac news, GM business news, GM technology news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. I think they need a mix. And make Pontiac their PERFORMANCE division.

    At least:
    -Turbo 4 ICE
    -Turbo 4 hybrid
    -V8 ICE
    -V8 hybrid

    Just from a financial standpoint, I think Dodge was so close to getting it right in making the new Charger able to be both a 2 door or 4 door and accept different powertrains. They screwed up not offering a V8 option though, especially with their customer base.

    As far as models for Pontiac, I would offer:
    -Pony car (Trans Am/Firebird)
    -Aggressive looking 4 door sedan, no more boring
    -Then I’d take vehicles from the regular Chevy and GMC lineups and just give them a more aggressive look with different fascias, hoods, bumpers, etc. Give them a more performance and aggressive look, but don’t spend a ton of money here. SUVs, trucks, etc. Think what they used to do with the old F-body cars. Essentially the same vehicles with a different look.
    -Also, I’d do a performance oriented truck. TRX/Raptor R like, and/or maybe even something simpler like the 90 454SS was, a simple performance street truck.

    Reply
    1. F body cars also had higher spring rates/tighter shocks. Simply taking the Colorado ZR2, adding sport tires and a drop kit, done! Don’t do anything else, and maybe resurrect cyclone name. Ditto with the Acadia and traverse. And the coup de grass would be a firebird. Maybe develop 1 unique car. But besides that, make a car from the factory that looks like all these rice burners and street rats but doesn’t require 5K in extra aftermarket parts.

      Reply
      1. If Pontiac was to come back,make a sports performance division .Bring out a new firebird,a 2 door coupe/convertible a large v8.But also a hybrid and turbo 4 and v6.No SUV’s just performance cars

        Reply
    2. The sedan should be named Bonneville.

      Reply
      1. They have many options from their past to choose from here. Build something cool then pick a name that matches the product.

        Reply
    3. Sure dude, no one is waiting for a turbo 4 Pontiac, maybe a high performance vehicle and NOT another EV that wouldn’t sell even with Biden’s “green” BS incentives.

      Reply
  2. Slow news day? What about a similar poll for Olds, Saturn, Saab, Durant………

    Reply
    1. Thank you for the blast of reality! Seriously! Sooooo over the “bring back Pontiac” threads without love for all the other has-been brands that no longer exist for a reason.

      Reply
  3. anything other than a huge v8 or v10 would be a waste of making the badges to stick on whatever they may end up making

    Reply
    1. Does anybody not realize that you literally can’t make V8 powered, gas-guzzling sedans in any sort of voulme anymore and still meet federally mandated fuel economy and emission requirements? Enthusiasts on internet forums represent but a mere handful of the automotive market, at best…

      Reply
      1. CT5V Blackwing disagrees with you. Along with all of the german ttV8 super sedans.

        Reply
      2. They’re having trouble selling what they have and inventory is piling up at dealers with their sky high prices.

        Another turbo 4 and/or EV would just add to unsold AND unsellable inventory. There’s a reason why GM killed off the brand.

        A high performance V8 would have some buyers, not another weak, under powered rebadged GM/Pontiac vehicle would be a disaster.

        Reply
  4. If they made Pontiac EVs, how would you like it if they wrote eV – with the “V” being the famous Pontiac arrowhead?

    Reply
  5. Aww the infamous “Twin Cam” 2.4 didn’t make the list?

    (Anyway nice to dream of a performance return, but we ALL know the only thing Mary would allow them is a tiny 4 cyl from the parts bin.)

    Reply
    1. I loved my 2.4 Cavalier. Plenty of power.

      Reply
    2. Back in late summer of ’89 I purchased the Missus a Grand Am SE with the Quad 4 HO…5-speed, one of 200 built (didn’t realize it at the time). I embarrassed quite a few Camaros and Mustangs in that car, stoplight-to-stoplight. Fun little car.

      Reply
  6. 6.6 HD truck engine + LT1 pistons + LT2 intake, named LT8.

    Next administration will likely gut emission requirements, so drop this in a current Camaro, sell for 4 years, discontinue.

    Reply
  7. An ICE small block V8…with optional supercharger on an all new WS6 model!!!
    An ICE/Hybrid small block V8

    Enough said!

    Reply
  8. What Stellantis is doing with Dodge is what GM should do with Pontiac. Offer all three options.

    Reply
  9. GM has fantastic, especially RWD Cadillac (Alpha/Omega), technology headed for the scrap heap that would be well utilized in an upmarket but not luxury Pontiac brand. All the engines and parts are already made!
    This was what Ltuz planned to do with Zeta based G8 (Holden Commodore) being there first example. Unfortunately, he didn’t have enough time before financial crisis destroyed everything.

    Reply
    1. I know many that have condemned GM and others for “badge engineering”, but I have never seen a problem with it. The problem is/was that they didn’t make enough differences between them. GM could easily utilize several current vehicles and easily make Pontiac models with them. Same for Buick. Example: give the current Malibu new life by giving a heavily revised model to Buick and Pontiac. Same way they could use the CT4 and CT5. These are excellent places to start and just make them each significant to each brand.

      Reply
      1. Idk, I thought the problem was the were rebadging products that sucked. My first car was a Pontiac sunfire. A manual Chevy cavalier coup with higher spring rates and aero package. That was a cool car! Firebirds were sexy as a rebadged Camaro, and the G8 was and absolute legend!

        Course then there was the G3, G5, Montana and the coup de gross Aztec! Those were what killed Pontiac. They had great cars like the G8 and solistic, and debatably the G6, but everything else was trash!

        Reply
        1. Steve: Absolutely agree. Badge engineering can and should be a very good thing. There’s zero need for Buick to have a totally different vehicle than the Chevy due to cost and tooling, etc. And in that same sense, there’s zero reason why they can’t make the Buick product (via a Malibu for example) into a very nice Buick Regal with zero shared panels or interior.

          In that same respect, there’s zero need for GM to give Buick a Tahoe with a Buick grille and slightly revised seats and dash. Vehicles like the Aztec/G3 and Montana should NEVER have been in the Pontiac line. Buick didn’t need the van. So certain models may work perfectly fine for Chevy, but not others. That, along with clones that were barely different in appearance, is what hurt the platform sharing.

          Reply
  10. Well let’s first see if Pontiac returns and then what they have and when they will have it.

    You have 10 years of ICE and Hybrids till EV is forced unless The EPA and CARB backs off.

    If and only if they do this in a year or two you may get one car and limited to V8 engines. That is a long shot at best.

    Reply
  11. While its fun to speculate, bottom line is GM would simply rebadge an existing Chevy, black out the tail lights, and have red dash lights.

    Reply
    1. Some folks have the trouble between reality and fantasy.

      Reply
  12. Any engine or drivetrain is ok as long as they bring back “Radial Tuned Suspension “

    Reply
  13. Pontiac’s brand was big enough to have different offerings from humble 4 cylinders to large V8s. I have fond memories of driving the Grand Prix and I can’t help but notice the affordable sports car segment has dwindled. Pontiac could recapture it.

    Reply
    1. I loved, loved, loved my three Grand Prix’s. I’d buy a fourth one if they offered a new model!

      Reply
  14. Pontiac should be a 100 horse ice engine with a five speed manual car that retails for less than 20000 00 dollars. A sportier turbo model for 25000.00.
    Car affordability will become paramount. There should be zero electric options.

    Reply
  15. Not much is affordable and generally that negates a V8.

    We must consider anything that is done needs to make money.

    Reply
  16. It’s NEVER returning so stop with the kindergartenish nonsense and find some REAL news…now that the holiday weekend is over.

    Reply
  17. The one interesting thing from the “Fake Ad” is the stats quoted. They just happen to match the Blackwing engine specs of the CT5, and the CT5 and Camaro come from the same assembly plant. So, doing even a limited run of Firebirds on the Camaro platform would not take a lot of effort.

    Reply
  18. Pontiac should be marketed as a performance car. Your choice ignored the best engine for this, that was offered in some Caddy models. It’s a V6 with twin turbos and 3.0 liters, that was rated at just over 400 HP and just over 400 pounds feet of torque. As i recall the HP was 405 and the torque was the same .GM, Ford and Dodge all offered a factory installed propane fuel system decades ago. Since propane, ( it’s not LPG which is a high butane content ) grade HD 5 sold in North America has a huge 36 to 37 percent hydrogen content and propane has a very high 104 Octane rating, it should be factory installed as a dual fuel system. For over a decade only propane fuel injectors are used in Canada, so a higher tech propane system is perfect to help meet green targets. There is almost no wear in the engine running on propane and no carbon buildup. The cat converters stay clean and never degraded in the 5 years that we ran each taxi. That cuts replacement costs of the cat and exhaust system. A turbo engine can use the engine computer to advance the timing to take advantage of the 104 octane, to get max power. A used propane car of trucks maintains resale value. Lastly, the average pump price on March 31 all over the USA was between $1.70 to $1.79 a gallon because the federal government gives a 50 cent per gallon rebate to the end user. The gas station operator just assigns the 50 cent rebate to themselves so that the car driver does not have to fill out government forms every time they fill up. GM has shown an 8 percent increase in power on propane because of the much higher compression ratios compared to low 8.5 CR in the Chev 305 cube 5 liter engine many years ago that we used in our Toronto taxi fleet of over 425 cars. . EG, The GM LT8 truck engine has a nice 10.8 to one CR and the Ford 6.8 liter has a 10.5 to one CR so the higher CR’s allow much better MPG than 20 years ago. Today all small 4 cylinder car engines have a compression ratio of at least 10 to one which means more power and better MPG when running on propane The GM V6 truck engine of 4.3 liters has an 11 to one CR so performance and MPG is higher on propane. Only a dual-fuel system should be offered, so there are no worries about running out of fuel anywhere in North America In Canada the highest price for propane was 99 cents a liter over the past year One major brand gas station in east end Toronto last years was selling propane at 82.5 cents a liter when gasoline at the same station was $1.41 a liter. No contest. If you buy Fleet fuel cards in Canada from the majors, like PetroCanada, Esso/Exxon/Mobil, Sunoco, Husky and Shell, you get another 5 to 10 cents a liter off the posted pump price in Canada. This means that you can buy propane for as low as 89 cents a liter all across the country. High octane race fuel for less than a buck. Propane does not degrade in long term storage like gasoline of diesel fuel does

    Reply
  19. I dont have a comment on powertrain but i think that ad was not a complete hoax but a test to see public response! Keep these conversations going! Could lead to something!!

    Reply
  20. GM won’t’ bring Pontiac back because they have lost sight of the joy of motoring. They instead build what they think they should instead of what many people want.
    That being said, if they actually did bring it pack, they should only do exciting powertrains, all with a F1 style KERS hybrid system with supercapacitors instead of batteries. High output unique engines not in mainstream cars. (Or at least a higher output version of a mainstream engine. Niche vehicles won’t affect the CAFE combined total too much so they don’t need full EV or even PHEV.

    Reply
  21. Growing up I remember the Pontiac branding as being built around excitement. I have owned numerous Pontiacs in my life and still have my 1980 Grand Prix SJ that has been in the family since it was originally bought. I would prefer Pontiac to come back with innovative and unique vehicles. For iconic (both good and bad) brands I always think of Grand Prix (sport sedan), GTO (muscle), Firebird/Trans Am (performance), Grand Am (little brother to Grand Prix), Sunfire (economy), and Aztec (before it’s time). I would like to see hybrid and electric for a revival of Pontiac, Chevrolet and Cadillac have the V8 and gas drive trains already. Let’s not have just a facelift of already existing brands and have something that stands out on it’s own. Before everyone says “I want V8 power” remember Pontiac did have the 455 but they also had the 301. Most importantly we need beaks and scoops.

    Reply
  22. Pontiac is NOT coming back. Pointless.

    Reply
  23. Bring back the 3800!

    Reply
  24. Here is what I would do for a Pontiac vehicle and powertrain lineup:

    Offer a compact model with the 2.0 turbo four to rival the GR Corolla, Elantra N, Civic Type R, etc. and call it the Tempest. I think Tempest GXP could have a nice ring to it.

    A sedan based on the CT4 with the 2.7 turbo four standard with a twin turbo 3.6 available on the GXP version and call it Grand Prix or Le Mans.

    Now for the fun part: A pair of coupe/sedan twins based on the CT5 (Coupe: Firebird/Trans Am, Sedan: Bonneville/GTO) with the 3.0 twin turbo and the supercharged 6.2 from the Camaro ZL-1. Maybe offer the 5.3 V8 as an additional engine option for mid-range models (Firebird Formula, etc.)

    A couple of extras:

    A sporty and rugged Traverse spin-off (powertrain and all) family hauler, call it the Safari.

    Lastly, and dare I say, an all new Aztek based on the Blazer. Ok maybe not…lol

    Reply
  25. Bring back the 69 gto with a 6.2 and dfm delete with 6 speed tremec and no stupid electronics only engine computer control .

    Reply
  26. Love to see Pontiac return. I would suggest they make it a line under the GMC brand in order to minimize overhead costs. Perhaps two models initially. A pony car to compete with Mustang and a sports sedan. Both could be non-plug in hybrids, which right now seems like a good way to go. V6 or 4 cylinder turbos would work. Maybe a convertible offering in the pony car, as that market, though small, is currently underserved. A small niche product line offering something exciting and different. GM could use the shot in the arm right now.

    Reply
    1. How would that reduce overhead? You still have to put up signage, advertise and make the cars. There’s a few hundred billion right there since unless they’re all badge engineered, GM would have to start from scratch. A shot in the arm of spending more money without a guaranteed return on investment is not the shot that GM needs. We don’t need Pontiac now. Let Pontiac be what it was, it’s been gone almost 15 years. I’d rather have fond memories of what it once was than to see it try to come back as something new.

      Reply
  27. Here is the trouble. GM has two GM’s going now. They are building EV models preparing for the worst in the future while continue building ICE models alongside them.

    GM is facing major expense doing both and can not afford not to be ready with EV models that very well may be forced by the government and the states with CARB laws.

    To be honest once they are forced to do EV they can plop any body on several platforms matched with electric motors and create a number of models much easier than an ICE platform. This could create an opening for GM to bring back Pontiac as a name again.

    But right now building a EV coupe would not be cheap and it is not going sell well yet. Also the building of a good ICE coupe may not fair any better than the Camaro did. Even Mustang sales are not where they used to be.

    Cars are expensive and people generally buy what they need to get though life vs what they want. A SUV will do it all where a Camaro is more a play car. Once you get a Camaro loaded up you are in Stingray territory. What are you going to buy then. Generally it is the Corvette. The Corvette is an under priced supercar while the Camaro is an over priced coupe.

    Times have changed and formulas of the old pony car are long gone. Todays coupes were well build GT coupes not flashy bodies on an econo car platform. The Camaro went from being a Nova to a Cadillac under the skin.

    The next ten year is about survival and not losing money on iffy programs. GM is in pretty good shape but if they waste money this could change fast.

    Some MFGs will not survive the EV wave and some will merge. Add in the cheap Chinese cars that could come and 60% of Americans said they would buy it could get really ugly.

    Don’t mean to be a downer here but this is the realities that the fantasy posts leave out. If they could most at GM really would love to build nothing but cool cars but they are held to the reality the boring two box cars are what pay the bills.

    Just to clear this up. I am not a EV fan. I am a long time Pontiac fan and owner. But I also understand how things work and many of these dreams are just not even close to real.

    At best one car could come for NASCAR but it would not be cheap or in great numbers. Chevy has no real model unless they use the body of a coming EV. I am not sure how that will work for racing as while aero it will have to have down force put into it.

    Reply
  28. Battery capable of extended start/stop use only. With ICE used as generator for 100% electric drivetrain. Magna has already produced a BEV drivetrain for the 2500/3500 trucks. Stop mining 1000’s of tons of earth for batteries for jut a few vehicles!
    This basic drivetrain works for freight trains and was done several decades ago in Saturn’s, public buses and more….

    Reply
  29. Bring back the Solstice .

    Reply
  30. Bring back the Fiero. A sporty little two-seater and the new Turbo 4 engines would go well together, as long as there was some performance to it. Make it more like the classic wedge-style design, not the rounded, bubbly look of the Solstice. Think retro, it worked for the Camaro, Mustang and Challenger. Also, a Formula or GT with the V6 twin turbo found in the CT4-V would be cool.

    Reply
  31. Really who cares, there’s no need for Pontiac…. It really was uninspiring when they were around!! My opinion

    Reply
  32. An E-boosted high output 4 turbo would be the coolest- Pontiac always was “Driving Excitement” but the only v8!gm going forward will be the Vette. So if you can’t drop 100k on a sports car GM does not want your pennies. So Inwould out the odds at less than 0.

    Reply
  33. I want to see Pontiac come back with all versions of engines/propulsion. Make sure their cars not crossovers or SUVs. Station wagons are acceptable manual transmissions whenever possible.

    Reply
  34. I would like to see the 2 door GTO come back with an ICE. I missed out on one when I was a kid, maybe I could have another chance at one.

    Reply
  35. All of the above.

    Leave it to the buyer to specify which powertrain they want in their car.

    Reply
  36. Any power train unique to Pontiac. Don’t want any left over Chevy or Buick/GMC stuff. Caddy would be okay.

    Reply
  37. I would be all over a new 3800 V-6:
    Enough power for fun, better economy than a V-8 (I remember when that engine became the first SULEV V-6). They could offer a turbo variant or an E-Ray type hybrid for a higher performance variant. Even a turbo four w/ a performance hybrid would be pretty good for smaller vehicles.

    Reply
  38. I think PONTIAC should return as a ICE and PHEV powertrains are a better investment….

    Reply
  39. GMalready said pontiac is NOT comming back.

    Reply
  40. The Bonneville

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  41. In my opinion, it should be a performance only division with several models. I feel they should produce a full size rear drive V8 car (LeMans and GTO) with a modernized injected and possibly supercharged 389. I’d also want to see a Trans Am/Firebird with the same engine offered plus revive the supercharged 3.8 for it as well. Then, reintroduce the Solstice with either the supercharged 3.8 or a turbocharged 2.7 like the one they’re putting in the high end Canyon/Colorado. All of the above available with manual transmission and plenty of option deletes because not everyone wants power everything.

    Reply
  42. Get rid of Buick. Make Pontiac all exclusively sports car division. A six cylinder model that literally everyone could afford. With the sporting nostalgia. Then the street beast with small 8’s and go up to larger size 8 cylinders to let Ford and Corvette know that there are other scary creatures on the road. Everyone I’ve talk to wishes that GM would get off their ass and make sportier cars in America. That Americans can get behind. Come GM. Make Made exclusively in America mean something. A really cool sports car. Named Pontiac. It was a mistake when you got rid of Pontiac and Oldsmobile in the first place. Should of got rid of Buick.

    Reply
  43. Grand am grand Prix I currently still drive a Pontiac Grand Prix gtp compete series 3800 super charge ❤️it ….❣️if they bring em back trans am firebird be cool too

    Reply
  44. Well depending on the market they are aiming for. I like the 3800 for a base model sedan maybe a supercharged 4 banger for an economy car…and an LS4 or LS8 supercharged for the sports/muscle models.

    Reply

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