Finally an owner!

[Eidolon]

I've been posting here with a signature that says "wanting a GXP" now for a good half a year, and I've been watching the G8 since late 2007, before it was ever released.

Well, now I'll finally be an owner. :)

I'm trading in the Mazda6 at Hendrick Pontiac in Cary for a Liquid Red GXP with manual transmission and sunroof. I'm also getting a 20% tint job from them. And I timed it just right to catch the beginning of the 0% for 72 months deal.

I'm sitting here at home with a stack of take-home paperwork that I filled out. Unless something goes awry, such as a trick to change the deal on me, I'll return tomorrow to finalize everything and take delivery.

Later, I shall have pics of it in my driveway!

[-Ray-]

Good luck!

[55belairgasser]

Congrats. -Lance

[MANOFSTEEL69]

Hope all goes well!
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[MoonPie]

Congrats bro, its a sweet car. That's all I can say, make sure you grab a catch can, intake and exhaust. That with a tune will really wake it up! I'm getting my new one this weekend as well! Shazam!
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[GM_Fan]

Good luck on driving it home..

[MoonPie]

Good luck on driving it home..

Yeah, right? Since I can't drive now so I may have to go straight from the dealership to the house!
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[GRRRR8]

Finally! :woohoo: I have watched you post for over a year and now the end is near. 24 hours will seem longer then this past year.

[N2G8GXP]

congrats, hope it works out

[BW G8GT]

Liquid Red GXP with manual transmission and sunroof! Lucky dog! I'm jealous!

Good luck, hope the deal goes through.

[sdown]

Post pictures asap!!!

[kjmccart]

Congrats bro, its a sweet car. That's all I can say, make sure you grab a catch can, intake and exhaust. That with a tune will really wake it up! I'm getting my new one this weekend as well! Shazam!
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Sorry but can you tell me what this "Catch Can" is?

Thx!

[MoonPie]

Sorry but can you tell me what this "Catch Can" is?

Thx!

Well, its really just preventative more than anything, it filters out and catches oil vapor being routed back into the intake manifold for combustion along with unused gasoline etc, the burning oil vapor gunks up the throttle body, pistons, valves, etc, I'm really not the expert to explain why it is needed, I just know they help. Hope that helps.
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[Eidolon]

Success!

http://www.eidolways.com/images/MyNewCar/GXP-MINE-5412.jpg

http://www.eidolways.com/images/MyNewCar/GXP-MINE-5413.jpg

http://www.eidolways.com/images/MyNewCar/GXP-MINE-5414.jpg

http://www.eidolways.com/images/MyNewCar/GXP-MINE-5416.jpg

http://www.eidolways.com/images/MyNewCar/GXP-MINE-5417.jpg

http://www.eidolways.com/images/MyNewCar/GXP-MINE-5418.jpg

0% for 72 months is a go. My credit union is still holding onto the title for my old car, so I have to get that to Hendrick when said credit union releases it next week.

Unfortunately, there was a sticker stuck to the power mirror control in the center of the console. The salesman I did business with used a cleaner and a razor blade to get that off. As you've likely guessed, there's a few scratches on that control, though they're minute. They've agreed to fix that to my satisfaction, so I'll be good to go.

[01350ta]

Congrats, love the colour.

[JerzeyGT]

http://warisboring.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/borat-mankini-62408-1.jpg VERY NICE!!!

[RamJet]

Congrats! I'm sure the wait made it even sweeter! Let us know what you run, 'cause you know you're going to run it!

[BigV8]

Congrats! What a sweet ride

[kevinm0131]

Welcome to the club. One important reminder.....Make sure to drive it like you stole it! It's too much fun!:)

Kevin

[kjmccart]

Well, its really just preventative more than anything, it filters out and catches oil vapor being routed back into the intake manifold for combustion along with unused gasoline etc, the burning oil vapor gunks up the throttle body, pistons, valves, etc, I'm really not the expert to explain why it is needed, I just know they help. Hope that helps.
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sounds good & thx for the info!

[MoonPie]

sounds good & thx for the info!

No problem, have fun in the new ride, but definitely respect her! I made the mistake of taking her for granted and paid for it! Happy Driving!
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[PolRoger]

Congratulations on your new GXP! I'm sure that you are going to enjoy the ride.

[Gris]

Congrats, nice pics, it looks really good in that setting, hope you have a garage or somewhere bird free to park it!

[Eidolon]

I DO have a garage, thankfully. I've already noticed that birds tend to like this bright color.

Here are my impressions after about a week and 300 miles of ownership.


The love for the interior has worn off relatively quickly even if it still a step up from the plasticky interior of my old Mazda6. Of course, that's not to say that I hate it.

The button for cycling through the DIC screens seems to occasionally require several presses to work, the carpet material seems like a cheaply chosen felt lacking rubber backing, and the interior plastics are occasionally soft and loosely attached. Then again, I knew this was no BMW. The leather is a bit rough and slick, still, though I'm sure it'll break in. I would disagree with complaints that the seats are inadequately bolstered, though. I personally think they're rather comfortable, and they're one part I would not ding this car for. Then again, I'm not really a small guy, so I fill the seat. :P

The radio display occasionally fails to come up when I start the car, requiring a door opening and restart. This last is a known issue that should be corrected under warranty, though.

The car does have surprisingly little wind noise at speed, which I like.
The tint job that I got from Hendrick, which they got through Formula One Tinting in Apex, is um... lacking. There's a scratch in the driver side door film, the film on the driver side rear door was pulled away slightly by the window seal on the door even though I didn't roll the windows down at all until 3.5 days after the tint was applied (let it sit overnight with the windows cracked since I'd been out smoking cigars with friends , and there's extra film around the rear windows that makes noise when rolling the windows up and down and threatens to dislodge the film along that edge of the window. I'm gonna have to get this corrected.
I DO like the radio. The ability to play MP3s and browse by folder is made of win. But as has been said many a time on these boards, it's a bit lacking in bass, at least when you crank the volume. I'll have to turn up the amp or, better yet, figure out how to upgrade the system. This is a car I plan to keep for a long time, so I don't mind putting some money into the audio system. The Bluetooth integration is VERY nifty, though.
Brakes and pedal feel? Win. Throws on the shifter and clutch engagement? Win. Engine? Um... Yeah, I don't know that I need to touch on this one. Me with this much power on a regular basis may be a very bad idea. Punch it and it goes like a banshee. Love it. This car does not encourage conservative driving! A radar detector is mandatory, so I've been looking. A friend recommended the Escort 8500 X50, and it's gotten good reviews. Might have to pick one up.

I've noticed something of a whistle at high RPMs and low speeds, though. I'm guessing it's the engine intake. I'll have to follow through on the plans to get a CAI for it. Any recommendations? Rotofab, perhaps? I also need to get a CAGS eliminator. Most of the time it doesn't bother me, since I've assumed that the GM engineers that made it calculated a good point at which to shift into 4th, so if I'm rolling around town in a 35MPH speed limit, especially behind someone driving rather slowly, shifting to save that bit of fuel is alright. But that shift into 4th is sometimes not as smooth as I'd like it to be, and when I'm not expecting it to engage, having the shifter slip in an unexpected direction in my hand is a bit jarring.

I was also pleased to hear that the Tremec tranny is rated for up to 600 lb-ft of torque. That would explain why the tranny is audible in lower gears: the gears are rather large. But that gives me plenty of head-room to work with. ;)
Suspension. On this I'm a bit mixed. The car rides very well, taking bumps in stride, though still somewhat sharply. This is another area that I've unfortunately acclimated to rather quickly, though I'm sure if I hopped back in my old Mazda I'd be amazed at the difference. The Mazda rattled your teeth over bumps, likely because it was a much lighter car. But I'm surprised at how much this car rolls in hard turns. It still holds the road and I can push it through turns much harder than I did my Mazda. But there is a significant amount of roll. This morning, taking some curves, the tail end also felt rather ... busy. Not sure how else to describe it. Could've been the ups and downs on this particular road shifting the weight around, since this was the first time I've felt it. I'll have to push it s'more and see if it happens again (such a shame, a reason to push this car; I'll manage!). Regardless, I'm beginning to consider eventually getting some Pedders upgrades to the car to control the roll.
One thing I do love? Rear wheel drive. The steering wheel is always loose, lax, and smooth in my hands. Applying power never makes it jerk one way or the other. And since the steering in this car is so light for its size, with no transaxle to hold them still, I've noticed the wheel will begin to turn to the side if the car is rolling on a gentle incline. At first I thought it was an alignment issue. But no, it's just really sensitive to the road!
One final thing I love: the rumble of the engine, all stock, is still so bassy that I can hear it reverberating in my house when the car is parked in the garage. :)


So yeah, that's my impressions after a week of ownership. Any comments or suggestions for the above, let me know!

[BigV8]

You might enjoy the ride better if you traded in an 09 GT like i did, the GT back end floated some. Great write up and pics and c.a.r.y.