Pros:  Looks, Interior layout, Suspension
Cons: Performance, fuel economy

The G8 looks good, especially from a three-quarters angle from the front or rear. It has a long, low, lean stance that’s very attractive, especially in the “liquid red” color of our tester.

The G8 sports a comfortable interior, though the rotary knob of the seat-back angle adjustment was a pain. The knob proved too small and required too many turns to affect adjustment. While it feels good, the interior looks bland with lots of flat surfaces and no highlights. Controls function easily and fall readily to hand.

The G8’s big 6-liter V8 is awfully quiet. No performance gurgle as might be expected from such a powerplant from the General. Also not present is the screaming performance such an engine would normally have. The G8 virtually leaps off the starting line, but feels pretty breathless as the revs climb. The G8 is no slouch, as the horsepower figures and 0-60 mph time shows. It just feels labored as it runs through the gears.

Suspension is on the stiff side, but not excessively so. It deals with bumps fairly well, but there isn’t the suppleness to be found in most competitors from across the Atlantic and some from the other side of the Pacific. Steering is slow enough to be noticed, but not too bad.

Rear wheel drive is refreshing in an FWD dominated world, and, to be honest, it’s the powertrain setup American manufacturers handle best.

The G8 GT is a nice entry. A pretty good car that would be more palatable with a nice V6 and better fuel economy.