The contest to name Pontiac's G8 Sport Truck concept is over. From the many impassioned cries to name the truck 'El Camino' or any other sort of retro-creative nomenclature, the marketing gurus chose this: the 2010 Pontiac G8 ST.
How clever. As you've already surmised, the 'ST' stands not for 'Standard Transmission' (no manual here, folks, only a five-speed auto) or 'Super Thrust' (a GXP version isn't currently in the cards), but 'Sport Truck.' Hey, isn't that what it was originally called? Crazy.
Although we're not fans of the alphabet soup naming system used by many automakers, this does make sense. Yes, the car's got sport - what, with a 361-hp 6.0-liter V-8 and rear-wheel-drive. And certainly, it's a truck. Okay, at least it is somewhat - there may be a 73.9-inch long cargo bed out back, but don't mistake it for something built for stump pulling.
And we do prefer the ST name over 'El Camino.' Although the die-hard Elky fans may wish for a revival of their nameplate, it'd be rather unusual to see a Chevrolet moniker on a Pontiac vehicle. We've seen the opposite happen in Europe (Chevrolet Trans Sport, anyone?); the result is anything but pretty.
The G8 ST is technically a 2010 model, but expect to see the 'ute' in Pontiac showrooms in early 2009.