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By 2010 Pontiac’s pretty much guaranteed to get at least one muscle car from the productive rear-drive Zeta platform (Global Rear Wheel Drive Architecture), though still unconfirmed up to now.

The first Pontiac product under Zeta is the 2008 G8 sedan which will replace the Bonneville and the current Grand Prix in early 2008. The G8 will be brought from Australia, where the Aussies conceptualized the RWD family.

Hopson confirmed the second Zeta for Pontiac car has been kicking around “heritage” names, including Firebird and GTO, for a future muscle car. Journalists at the Car And Driver suspect Pontiac is leaning toward the GTO. If that would be the case, will it be possible that the 2010 Pontiac will be equipped with Hurst shifters as the products of Hurst Performance Inc. were included in the Pontiac GTO? Well, we have to see.

Bob Lutz, GM’s product guru asserted that the days of product sharing and badge engineering are somehow over and has stated emphatically that no Camaro prototype will make it into any other GM-brand showroom.

The challenge becomes making a new muscle car distinctive enough to comfort Lutz and the market at large without being “very” unique.

The “heritage” names give 50 percent risk and 50 percent opportunity. This challenge stresses the double-edged sword of reviving heritage names, which must be competitive and relevant today while meeting expectations of performance, character, and appearance. Hopson said they are very cautious about bringing back heritage names due to Pontiac’s struggle to convince buyers that the Australian-built, Holden Monaro–based 2004–06 GTO was, in fact, worthy of its slicked name.

whether it makes sense in this day and age to sell two muscle cars under the same brand umbrella, or even three under two brands is still a question. But he added there’s an extraordinarily small chance that we would see two performance coupes.

As for Hopson, he would choose a GTO because he said Firebird and Camaro would be expected to be extraordinarily similar, and they could do more with GTO.

Under the skin of Pontiac’s future muscle car would certainly share both of the upcoming G8 sedan’s engines, including a 261-hp, 3.6-liter DOHC V-6 and 362-hp, LS2 6.0-liter pushrod V-8, offered with five- and six-speed automatics, respectively, with available six-speed manuals (the G8 gets autoboxes only). Like most of GM’s big V-8s, this 6.0-liter would have cylinder deactivation or “active fuel management,” as GM now refers to this technology.

But whatever form it will eventually take and whatever name will be assigned to it, Pontiac’s Zeta-based muscle car for sale will certainly get prominent placement in its U.S. dealer showrooms, which are increasingly being mixed with Buick and GMC brands by the time it arrives. Neither of which has sports cars or muscle cars of its own.

If you crave the incredible speed and high performance agility of a sports car for sale, but need a little more leg room or towing capacity, look no further than the luxurious Jeep Grand Cherokee. Originally introduced in 1993, Jeep’s flag-ship sports utility vehicle (SUV) has evolved throughout the past fifteen years to become a refined, powerful, and sleek machine. It is capable of going 0 MPH to 60 MPH in less than five seconds while still providing a superior on- and off-road experience, important for those true Jeep aficionados!

Initially developed as a spin-off of the smaller Jeep Cherokee, the Jeep Grand Cherokee quickly created a name for itself with its spacious interior, comfortable ride, natural-feeling steering, luxury materials, safety features, legendary Jeep off-road capability, and on-demand acceleration. Its secret to a comfortable ride, while still allowing for great speed and off-road performance, lays in the stiff unibody chassis coupled with an advanced four-wheel drive system. Built upon a stiff car-like chassis, the Grand Cherokee is lighter than if it had been built on a truck-style body-on-frame design. Advantages to the car-chassis base include less weight for better fuel economy, easier entry and exit, safety, and better on-road handling.

Even with the improvement in on-road handling, one of Jeep Grand Cherokee’s top capabilities is off-road performance. Owners can choose from one of five engine types, including a diesel engine, and one of three four-wheel-drive systems. Instead of independent suspensions, the Grand Cherokee utilizes Jeep’s Quadra-Coil suspension combined with four links and coiled springs. “Consumer Guide” ranks it as a class leader when it comes to off-road capabilities, even though the Grand Cherokee also provides a comfortable ride for long-distance on-the-pavement travel.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee ranks five stars for federal government crash tests in addition to incredible acceleration, maneuverability through urban settings, roomy interior, stylish design, and off-road capabilities. Standard accident avoidance features include electronic stability, four-wheel traction control, front and side-curtain airbags, roll-over sensors, anti-lock brakes, brake assist, tire pressure monitoring system, enhanced accident response system, and SmartBeam headlamps that adjust the brightness of the high beam based on oncoming traffic. Other options include a ParkView rear back-up camera, ParkSense rear back-up system, High Intensity Discharge headlights, Hill Descent Control, and Hill Start Assist.

Safety ratings, roomy interiors, towing ability, off-road handling, and enhanced two-wheel or four-wheel drive capabilities are great features of the Grand Cherokee that cannot be touched by a sports car or competing SUVs in its class. Even while noting the differences, the similarities between the two vehicles are striking. Like many sports cars, the Grand Cherokee can move from 0 MPH to 60 MPH in less than five seconds. It feels secure and precise when traveling around high-speed curves, the steering feels natural, and stiff suspension underpinnings reduce the body roll while delivering a confident ride. A tight turning radius is an added improvement from the original models, making the Grand Cherokee nimble when parking in a lot or crawling the over trails. Smooth transmission shifts, strong braking ability, and powerful engine options provide the Jeep Grand Cherokee a raw feeling of power. In spite of this, luxury car and capability are not an issue, as the Grand Cherokee has been found equal to or better than the Porsche Cayenne or Land Rover car in independent studies. In comparing the reliability and price of the vehicles to the Grand Cherokee, both fall short of being reliable and stand too high in price. The Grand Cherokee also withstood a side-by-side comparison to the Audi R8 and was found to be capable of giving the R8 a run for its money.

In addition to handling performance, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has many luxury features that are found in many sports cars. The Grand Cherokee boasts options such as heated front seats, remote stereo controls on the steering wheel, driver’s side memory system for two different drivers, auto-dimming rear-view and side mirrors, quality carper, soft leather trims, and powerful stereos. The body style evolved from a hard edge style to a softer rounded look while retaining the chiseled strength of the original version. Interior space has been described as the size of an indoor hockey rink, while providing bins and pockets throughout for plenty of storage space. The interior remains refined, even with the large space and areas for storage. SIRIUS backseat TVs and MyGig entertainment systems are a few of the electronic upgrades available for the Grand Cherokee, allowing children to be fully occupied during long trips. The SIRIUS TVs boast first-ever-in-vehicle streaming video technology, offered exclusively by Chrysler. With luxuries like these, the Grand Cherokee creates a pleasant atmosphere for your family as you drive to your destination.

With all the high gas prices out there, hybrid vehicles are continuing to become more popular among drivers. There are a few luxury hybrid choices out there, and the Lexus GS 450h hybrid seems to be the most popular of those choices. Check out some of the features of the Lexus GS 450h hybrid.

The first thing to realize about Lexus’s GS 450h hybrid is that the vehicle wasn’t solely designed to be a fuel-efficient hybrid. The fact of the matter is that as a Lexus car for sale, this line is expected to consistently develop more impressive and sophisticated vehicles, be it gas-powered or hybrid. This is no exception, as the GS 450h is still a high-performance vehicle, able to keep up with any other luxury sports car or sedan car for sale. As a result, car enthusiasts will always continue to enjoy and be comforted by driving such a smooth and valuable vehicle.

Considering that Lexus is a name under Toyota car, the technology in the GS 450h is just as up to date as is to be expected. The Hybrid Synergy Drive from Toyota is the technology that makes the acceleration much easier to achieve. Since the Drive technology can generate combined horsepower of 340, the GS 450h can rev and blaze down the road like any other sports sedan.

The GS 450h handles like any other sports car, with being able to reach 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and then can come to a full stop from 60 mph in only 123 feet. At its top speed, the Lexus GS 450h has been recorded at 131 mph. Part of what makes that so possible is the Mark Levinson system and the CVT technology utilized in this Lexus vehicle.

This hybrid runs quietly, smoothly, and with the top speeds for hybrid vehicles today. The Lexus GS 450h set out to bring together high-end performance vehicles with the eco-friendly necessities of the environment. And Lexus has succeeded in creating an elegant, chic, playful, smooth and luxurious vehicle has wins over other hybrid cars.

The handling itself of the vehicle is extremely precise, with a suspension system to match. A speed-sensing steering wheel and the double-wishbone suspension in the GS 450h create the precise handling you’ve come to expect from a Lexus.

In 2007, Consumer Reports reviewed the GS 450h and it was determined that this vehicle was an overall success, ultimately quite reliable. Thanks to that report, people took note of Lexus’s hybrid sedan, looking at the environmental factors of the car.

The EPA rated the gas mileage for the GS 450h at 22 mpg in the city, and 25 mpg on the highway. While not quite as good as Toyota’s Prius, the GS 450h is still better than its conventional counterpart. The difference really shines through in city driving, where the hybrid gets 22 mpg and the conventional only gets a paltry 19 mpg.

The fuel-efficiency factor of the Lexus is easily accessible and obvious in the car’s design, inside and out. Most notably it is in the two electric motors that operate during specific situations in tandem or separately from the gas engine. This way, the ride you experience is a seamless transition from one form of energy to another, while silently reducing harmful emissions and lowering gasoline consumption.

The safety feature of the GS 450h are high-tech and near pre-cognitive when you need them. This hybrid utilizes a Pre-Collision radar system to detect oncoming vehicles. This way, even your vehicle can help you prevent collisions or incidences and in the event it can’t, prepare for oncoming trauma. In fact, the safety features are prominent from the moment you step into the vehicle. You may not notice at first, but the moment your foot is on the brakes, decelerating, you can feel the seatbelt retract and the brake assist is instantly activated. As far as active, not passive, safety systems, you would be hard-powered to find one as extensive as in the GS 450h.

In the event of a crash, the hybrid is standard with dual-stage airbags in every location that would be able to protect you and your passengers in the event of a crash. The vehicle has airbags placed so that in the event of frontal impact, or other major collision incidences, everyone is protected on all fronts.

The next question is the one of price, and be very aware that it is a hefty. At the base cost, expect to pay about $54,655. That cost is already $10,000 higher than a conventional gas-powered Lexus GS, but considering the car’s quality and brand, the price is nearly to be expected. After all, it is a Lexus, and the brand is known for expense, luxury and high-end quality.