What people like NJSPEEDER don't seem to get is SLP is taking a name that not only has ZERO to do with the car, but also has a reputation, and marketing it to a "target audience" that won't get it. You people can talk niche markets, target audiences and the like til you're all blue in the face if it makes you feel smart, but dumb is dumb. They missed their target, same with the GTO. I understand their motives behind doing it, but their logic is flawed.
As Nineball pointed out on LS1 Tech, their target audience is pretty much the consumer buying BMW or Mercedes sports sedans or the like. Those people, aside from not knowing or giving a rat's ass about the Firehawk name, will probably frown upon it.
Not to say they're all like this, but to the average self-important BMW/Benz owner the words
Firebird and
Camaro mean low-class. If you ask them we're all a bunch of rednecks. They buy BMW and Mercedes cars to make themselves feel like high class big shots, and no matter how you package it a Pontiac will never hit that market. It'll just never be "spohisticated" enough for them.
And since Firehawk is associated with the Firebird, the new G8 will come off as the same. Not to mention the fact that, though it looked good up til 02, the Firehawk logo is a bit outdated for a new car, and the new tacky stripe or graphic package, whatever you want to call it, screams NO-CLASS.
And PS: my "one version of the world" is in your mind my son. I have no problem with the use of the Firehawk name, just not on some 4 door wanna-be sports car(it's nice for what it is but it's not a sports car). They brought CAmaro back because it was what began the GM ponycar herritage. They finally realized that it made no sense to produce 2 cars nearly identical. If you think it's for any other reason that you must have hit your head.