Pontiac was nice enough to have me and a few others down to Arizona to put their new Grand Prix GXP to the test around the road course at Bob Bondurant School of High Speed Driving last weekend. Here’s a review of the weekend.

I’ll start with the people.

I got to meet a lot of screen names I’d never had the pleasure of meeting, spend time with some I had only spent a short amount of time with before and see friends I don’t get to see enough of. It was great to put faces to some names. What a kick in the ass group to hang with.

I was sure when we started the autocross that all these drag racers would have cones flying everywhere. I was totally wrong. Everyone pulled through the course pretty well. Mike Walters got a cone award he didn’t deserve. He wasn’t anywhere near the cones. Ed Morad broke every rule in Autocross and pulled out a win. Go figure but I guess it’s fitting. I might have kicked some ass on the go-kart track but one guy kept blowing by me. I heard he’s from North Carolina and is Robert Yates’s son so I guess I shouldn’t feel too bad.

Thanks have to go out to Larry Pryg from Pontiac for the invitation, opportunity, coordination of the event and being a part of the team that made the car what it is. Jim and Phil from Pontiac for their time and knowledge, answering all the questions coming at them from every direction. To Mike Napurano and Chris Green for helping Larry to coordinate the event. To Roger Sears for doing what he did to make this car what it is. As fun as it was, it would have been better with Roger there. To everyone who attended for a great time, the people really made the event. Last but not least to Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving for their hospitality, professionalism and courtesy. Put a trip to Bondurant’s on your wish list and just pray you get an opportunity to spend some time there, you’ll never forget it.

On to the car. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I get to drive some pretty nice stuff on the road course somewhat regularly; V8, rear wheel drive, 6 speed. Corvette, GTO, even a Lotus and a Viper. So a FWD automatic isn’t something that I get goosebumps anticipating. But if someone invites me to a nice track to run a car hard, I don’t need to be asked twice, especially if that someone is with Pontiac and they’re inviting me to Bondurant’s.

Two words really come to mind fast. Balance and braking. It was evident early on that the car was very well balanced. Roger Sears pulled a coup getting the larger wheel/tire combo on the front of this car. I was able to pull some very nicely balanced 4 wheel drifts in a couple of corners, one good enough to scare the crap out of one of the track personnel coming out of the last turn onto the straight with some really good speed. A huge part of the handling capabilities are due to that wheel/tire setup. Anyone with a FWD car that is looking for handling should take notice of this setup.

The brakes have been mentioned plenty but are worth mentioning over and over again. Big, badass brakes are just sexy. They were jumped on hard, over and over again and just kept their poise. They are the best brakes you’ll find on any American sedan and better than what you’ll find on most sport coupes as well. A very well engineered package. Again, something Roger Sears should be applauded for.

The Bilsteins are incredible. I haven’t seen anyone mention it but these are a direct bolt on to the 97-03 GP as well as the 04/05 GP. Kudos to the team for not only getting those on the car but getting them done right. Another engineering feat conquered.

The 5.3L was sweet. Smooth and powerful, it is a nice package. To tell you the truth, I forgot all about the DOD during the drive on the highways. I never noticed it at all which could be because it was very seamless or because with Napurano and I at the wheel, it never kicked in. As mentioned, the exhaust was sweet. Listening to the car pull away at full throttle, it sounded like a Grand Prix should sound. I have a new answer to all those people who ask us how to make their Grand Prix sound like a V8…go buy a GXP, you’ll have a Grand Prix that sounds like a V8.