Lately, it seems like I'm meeting a lot of people who appear to be car enthusiasts but once I  start talking to them it  quickly becomes obvious they're only interested in automobiles as bling or status symbols - sad. Sure, they know some numbers and have been to a few races but there's something missing - it all comes off more like a gold digger on the make rather than someone who's actually had the taste of gasoline in their mouth on several occasions.

In a way, the G8 is kinda plain. It  will likely not appeal to gold diggers or bling blingers - one more reason I like it.  OK, the interior won't fool any Audi owners  but there's a refreshing authenticity to this sedan. Yes, the G8 is Australian in essence yet somehow American in spirit - and for that I love it. In a world obsessed with celebrity, TMZ and hey look at me, the G8 stands out as an anti-Hollywood, no bull kind of car. I just have one question - when can I get the keys again?

Brian Moody, Road Test Editor @ 3604 miles.

One reliable measure of a car's greatness is its ability to make you overlook the little things. Case in point: our long-term Pontiac G8 GT.

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I’ve heard a lot of great things about our G8 GT. It’s fast, it’s roomy, well built even. There’s hasn’t been much said about the interior though and now I know why. It’s not a disaster, but for $30K it’s not pretty. The cheesy dashboard gauges are utterly pointless, and the rest of the center stack looks like it was pulled from another car. The switchgear isn’t exactly top quality either.

Then again, it does great burnouts. I kind of like it.

Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor @ 2,981 miles

Order the GT version of the Pontiac G8 and this is what you'll get instead of an actual spare tire. It's a tire sealant kit/air compressor. Pontiac calls it a Tire Inflation Kit. Certainly this kit won't work if you have a serious blowout or tire gash but it should be fine for small holes and minor leaks. If it weren't for OnStar I'd be worried about not having a spare.

Brian Moody, Road Test Editor @ 2,277 miles.

After spending the last two hours in our new G8, I can honestly say I like the car. It looks good and is fun to drive. Here's what I'd add  to make it perfect  - 1) More prominent exhaust note. 2) Thicker sidewalls for the tires. 3) Larger side mirrors. 4) A subwoofer.  Before taking any of this to heart keep in mind that I like  Buicks, have a fondness for station wagons and would rather have a Cadillac DTS than a BMW 3-series. Let the hating begin.

Pluses with the G8 GT - comfortable seats, nice steering feel, very little road noise, smooth and powerful V8 and suspension that makes short work of freeway on ramps.

All weekend the G8 has averaged 20.5 miles per gallon in mixed driving. For fun, I reset the trip computer just as I left San Diego - door to door the car averaged 23.0 miles per gallon with an average speed of 72.6 mph (that's 90% highway). Traffic was light most of the time with a few heavy spots and no, I could not resist frequent passing. The transmission was in sport mode most of the time.

Brian Moody, Road Test Editor @ 2,174 miles.

While no one was looking I snagged the keys to our Long Term G8 GT. First impression - NICE! I love the look, aggressive without being garish. I can't think of the last Pontiac I truly liked. The silly wings and ridiculous interiors killed the buzz for me - this car is very good. Great ride comfort/handling balance and it appears to be screwed together quite nicely too. Blaupunkt stereo seems a little average but it may be too soon to say for sure.

I think someone's expecting the G8 to be back at the office this morning - I'm going to San Diego instead. Anyone have a favorite or dream road trip car? No fair calling the G8, I've already got it.

Brian Moody, Road Test Editor @ 1,907 miles

A Pontiac G8 joins our long-term fleet.

We've been hankering for a full-size, rear-wheel-drive, V8-powered American sedan and the G8 GT fits the bill.

It's 6.0-liter engine is capable of 361 horsepower and it is painted a nice, shiny Panther Black.

Like it?

Read the Introduction on Inside Line.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor