Pontiac says this is enough power to get the new 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP from zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 13 seconds flat at 108 mph. Not bad for a car that is expected to sticker for "just under $40,000," according to Brian Shipman, the Pontiac G8’s product manager.

In addition to the extra horsepower from the retuned LS3 V8, the 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP also gets something else that no other G8 has — an optional manual transmission. It’s a Tremec TR6060 six-speed, and it’s the same MM6 version used in the base-model and Z06 Corvettes, which means it has the customary (but annoying) fuel-saving skip-shift feature. On the bright side, this gearbox runs through a set of 3.70:1 rear-end gears in place of the G8 GT’s taller 2.92:1 ring-and-pinion, which should deliver much quicker acceleration. A six-speed 6L80 automatic is the standard transmission. It comes with 3.27:1 rear-axle ratio, and as with the manual-equipped models, a limited-slip differential comes standard.