2007 Holden Commodore SSV

It's official: The Pontiac Grand Prix's replacement-dubbed G8-will be sourced from Holden, GM's proud and plucky Australian brand. Trust us, this is good news. As first revealed in our October 2006 cover story, this ballsy sport sedan represents the return of rear-drive, manual-transmission offerings and engine choices that'll make you forget about today's tepid, rental-lot favorite.

Didn't Pontiac try the captive import thing with the GTO that just went out of production? Yes. Whether you liked the nouveau Goat-we did-draw few conclusions about the G8 from that experience. The latter is being developed on General Motors's from-scratch, rear-drive global chassis architecture, dubbed Zeta (the Holden version is called the VE platform in Australia). It's a different kangaroo from either of GM's previous OZ-to-U.S. transplant projects.

The Commodore lineup is the heart of the Holden brand. The previous generation was a top-seller for nearly a decade. GM invested around $800 million U.S. into its replacement, launched down under last summer to strong reviews. In addition to the Pontiac version's unveil at the 2007 Chicago auto show, it'll form the basis for Vauxhall sedans in the U.K. and Opels in Germany. Of greater importance to muscle-hungry Americans, it provides the foundation for the reborn Chevrolet Camaro, and we're sure it'll do the same for a future Impala SS.

Riding on a 114.8-inch wheelbase, the VE's overall size and packaging will have you thinking 5 Series; check out the shape of the rear-quarter window. The Commodore's design is clean and muscular, with a wedge-shaped body and strong fender flares. There's good stuff here: a super-stiff chassis structure, independent suspension front and rear, four-wheel disc brakes, power rack-and-pinion steering, and the bandwidth to tailor and equip the car for basic transportation or tire-melting.

Initially, Pontiac will serve the 2008 G8 in two flavors, based on choice of powertrain. The standard model, likely to be called simply G8, will be powered by GM's familiar 3.6-liter, 24-valve, DOHC aluminum V-6, rated at about 260 horsepower. It'll be offered with a choice of a six-speed manual transmission or a five-speed automatic. You 545i types on a budget will head straight for the Gen IV V-8-powered variant, which will be named G8 GT. That means the also familiar 6.0-liter, all-aluminum, overhead-valver similar to the GTO's. Choose between a six-speed manual or GM's fabu six-speed, multimode automatic transmission, which offers standard Drive, Sport Drive, and manumatic control. Outputs have yet to be finalized, but expect around 360 horsepower.

Since we won't be testing the G8 for a while, we traveled to OZ in search of wheel time. Our Commodore SS V-radiant in its Ignition Orange metallic paint-was equipped with the V-8 (362 horses in Holden trim), manual transmission, and optional 19-inch alloys. It's the topline mainstream Commodore, not counting even higher-performance HSV (Holden Special Vehicles, analogous to Chrysler's SRT or Mercedes-Benz AMG) models. The SS V also gets standard leather upholstery, automatic climate control, a trip computer, and a host of other details optional or not available on lesser variants.