I'd be perfectly happy with the automatic, it's an excellent 6-speed. Have you seen this video?
Pontiac G8: It came from a land down under: Consumer Reports Cars Blog
I just can't convince myself I want to increase my car payment by $100/month for an upgrade I really don't "need." Right Brain battling Left Brain.
Admittedly I haven't driven one, as I know it will be hard to stay rational if I do, but I spent a great deal of time at the local auto show going over one. I'm a big guy so interior space is a concern and an area that my 08 Accord really excels at. I wanted to see how the G8 fared.
There were 2 different G8 GT's at the auto show. Very nice salesman from Dartmouth Motors in Newport NH answered every question I asked. He was anxious to get me in for a test drive but I tried to convince us both I was just looking.
Both cars had performance & sport packages with the 19" summer rubber. The black one had a sunroof, the white one did not.
Interior space is about equal to my 08 Accord, great elbow, leg, hip and shoulder room front and rear. I can comfortably sit behind myself. Biggest difference was headroom. The G8 roof line is lower and that, coupled with the black headliner tightens things up both physically and visually. The black car had a sunroof which eats a bit more as well. The white one I sat in had no sunroof and it made a noticeable difference. Given how tiny the sunroof is anyway, I wouldn't want one.
I thought the interior plastics were of good quality, nicely textured with decent gaps. It's no Audi, sure, but it's not a early 90's Saturn either, it did not feel "cheap" by any stretch, very much on par with my Accord.
The red and black leather was of good quality and looked fantastic, not at all gaudy as I was expecting. The seats were very comfortable, with more bolstering then my Accord seats, but not so much that they felt too tight even for me. The center console comes up higher in the G8 then in the Accord so that holds you in as well. Trunk is large enough for my needs.
The white really did nothing for me but in black, this car is so fantastic looking, wheel gaps were small, short overhangs, and the overall shape was very sporty. The wheels were a bit bland but fit the overall design well. Brake disks look HUGE behind them.
Overall I was very impressed. For a non-driving review it met or exceeded my expectations. Used ones with just a couple thousand miles go for around $20-21, right in my sweet spot moneywise. New ones can be had for 27ish and I think you'd have to go new to take advantage of the tax rebate and "GM Assurance."
http://twitpic.com/2bnfj http://twitpic.com/2bgaf
(I'm saving right now for a PM Headgasket job fwiw)