The ins and outs of car production can be quite confusing nowadays, for example: The 2009 Pontiac G8 is actually an Australian made car, built by Holden, who are a subsidiary of US based General Motors. Fortunately the actual G8 itself is less on an enigma.

Confident lines and an aggressive grill and head lamp design make the G8 stand out on any street, and I’ll even go so far as to say it does the BMW style better than BMW themselves. Underneath the bodywork is a chassis used in a number of Holden’s large Australian Cars.

The G8 comes in two trims; the standard and the GT. The standard offers a 256-hp 3.6-liter V6, while the GT has a 361-hp 6.0-liter V8. A 5-speed automatic transmission is standard on the standard, and a 6-speed automatic is standard on the GT. The basic engine provides a suitable amount of power to keep the G8 feeling powerful.

Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, curtain side airbags, and front side airbags. There is also a range of entertainment / utility systems built in including OnStar assistance, Satellite radio and a wireless cell phone link.

Though the industry may be complex, the 2009 Pontiac G8 is not. It’s a well built car with decent quality parts and design, so you can’t go far wrong. Fuel economy is somewhat lacking, but it’s roughly comparable to others in its class.