Many of us have seen similar or even identical cars bearing different names. That’s thanks to a practice known as rebadging, during which car manufacturers slap their logos onto models built by other brands and then present them to sellers as their own products. Naturally, some rebadged cars look very similar to the original models, due to lazy rebadging exercises that fail to introduce sufficient changes between the models. However, other manufacturers go to great lengths to rework their offerings into something very different from the original vehicle. 
Many automakers find this practice appealing because it enables them to release new cars without the big expense of designing and engineering a brand-new model from the ground up. General Motors has a long history of rebadging, which may be due to its large roster of brands. So, it’s not surprising that Pontiac benefitted significantly from that arrangement before being discontinued in 2010, as several of its cars were rebadged from sister GM brands and partner automakers. On that note, we bring you five Pontiac models that were rebadged from other brands. 
For Pontiac, the Tempest was a significant model that not only helped shape ’60s-era car culture but also gave birth to one of the most important cars in the brand’s history — the Pontiac GTO. The original Tempest was renowned for offering standout features, such as an independent rear suspension, a torque tube transaxle, and an optional Buick V8 engine. Pontiac stopped building the Tempest after the 1970 model year. However, in 1987, the company decided to revive the nameplate and bring back some of that old magic as its answer to Japanese imports. 
Unfortunately, the new model was a far cry from the original car, as Pontiac chose to simply rebadge the compact L-body Chevrolet Corsica. Both the Corsica and the rebadged Tempest were built at GM’s factories in New Jersey and Delaware, and Pontiac made little to no effort to distinguish the fourth-generation Tempest from the Corsica. Thus, both vehicles looked very similar on the surface, with the most notable styling changes being a distinct grille, multicolor cladding, and the Pontiac badging. The revived Tempest was never sold in the U.S., but it was available in Canada from 1987 until 1991, when Pontiac again discontinued the lineup and replaced it with the Grand Am sedan.
As an American living in the United States, it’s reasonable to assume you may not have heard of the Pontiac Firefly, let alone know it’s rebadged. That’s because, like the 1987-1991 Pontiac Tempest, the Firefly is an obscure and often forgotten car that wasn’t sold stateside (at least not under the Pontiac brand). However, it differs from the Tempest in that it was badge-engineered from a brand that wasn’t directly part of the GM family — Suzuki. Still, the two companies were linked, as GM owned a stake in Suzuki at the time. General Motors also had a partnership agreement in place with Suzuki to develop and rebadge econoboxes, which it had problems producing in those years. 
Eventually, the deal between the two companies culminated in a joint venture called CAMI (Canadian Automotive Manufacturing Inc.), which was established in 1986. From 1989 onward, CAMI became responsible for the production of the Pontiac Firefly hatchbacks. The original base model in this case was the Suzuki Cultus. Aside from the Firefly, GM and Suzuki stuck several other badges onto the Cultus. These include the Holden Barina, Suzuki Swift, and Chevy Sprint – which was renamed as the Geo Metro in 1989 and later as the Chevrolet Metro. GM also offered a turbo version called the Pontiac Firefly Turbo, along with a U.S. market equivalent known as the Chevrolet Sprint Turbo – Chevy’s version of a hot hatch. 
It’s a more recent offering compared to the models above, but the Pontiac G5 is another rebadged car you probably forget ever existed. The G5 had a very short production run and didn’t sell many units. It was introduced in the U.S. as a 2007 model and sold through 2009 before being discontinued. Despite being available for three model years, Pontiac only managed to move a little more than 70,000 G5s, according to figures from GoodCarBadCar. 
Unlike most of the cars on this list, the G5 wasn’t repurposed from foreign markets. Rather, it was based on the first-generation Chevrolet Cobalt sold in the U.S. The Rebadged G5 was also offered in Canada and was available in either base or GT trims. The entry-level model featured a 2.2-liter, four-cylinder engine good for 148 horsepower and 152 pound-feet of torque, while GT models were equipped with a larger 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine capable of 173 hp and 163 pound-feet of torque. Owners could choose between a standard five-speed manual transmission and an optional four-speed automatic transmission with either engine. 
The Japanese-market Isuzu Gemini was a well-engineered small car, respected for its style, comfort, handling, and brilliant fuel economy. In an effort to tap into the success of the Gemini, GM rebadged the small car and offered it for sale in the Canadian market as the Pontiac Sunburst in 1985. The same car was sold in the U.S. as the Chevrolet Spectrum (later Geo Spectrum), with Isuzu also offering the subcompact car under its own branding as the I-Mark. 
Predictably, GM made only minimal changes to the Gemini, which caused the Pontiac and Chevy models to look quite similar to the original car. The Sunburst was available in Canada from its introduction in 1985 until it was discontinued in 1989 — GM ultimately filled the void with the Passport Optima and Pontiac Le Mans. Despite its many positives, the Sunburst is a rare sight, even on Canadian roads, which increases the likelihood that this is yet another one you’ve probably never heard of. 
Few performance sedans have received warm praise from hot-blooded enthusiasts like the Pontiac G8 GXP, which we previously extolled for being a glorious last gasp for the now-defunct car brand. High praise indeed. But the G8 GXP proved its worth as a car with performance and poise. Produced for the 2008 and 2009 model years, all 1,829 units featured a rumbling 6.2-liter LS3 V8. 
The engine made 415 hp and equal torque, funneled to the rear wheels via either a standard Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual transmission or an available Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic. The zero to 60 sprint took 4.7 seconds with either transmission, while the quarter mile run required only 13.3 seconds to complete, per Car and Driver. Those are impressive numbers even by modern standards, and they, understandably, made the GXP popular. But even with its fame, not everyone realizes that the Pontiac G8 GXP, like all G8 versions, was actually a VE-generation Holden Commodore. 
Following the discontinuation of the fifth-generation Pontiac GTO, Bonneville, and Firebird, GM realized the Pontiac lineup could use a bit of excitement. The company ultimately decided it wanted the Holden Commodore built by its Australian subsidiary, Holden, to fill the void of all three cars. And so, the Pontiac G8 was introduced in 2008 as a full-size sedan based on GM’s Zeta platform, with the GXP topping a roster that also included the standard G8 Sedan and GT models.

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