2009 Pontiac G8 Base Sedan 4-door 3.6l on 2040-cars

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One of Burt Reynolds' favorite cars could be yours

LOS ANGELES — One of Burt Reynolds' favorite cars is going up for auction in June along with some of his cowboy boots, hats, sports jackets and other items from his estate, Julien's Auctions said on Friday. The two-day auction in Beverly Hills, authorized by the actor's family, comes almost a year after the death at age 82 of the charming star who was one of Hollywood's favorite actors. The highlight of the auction is a 1979 Pontiac Trans Am car that Reynolds used on photo shoots and drove on the Bandit Run cross country rally, which re-enacts the journey at the center of his 1977 film "Smokey and the Bandit." The car, which Reynolds co-owned with his business partner Gene Kennedy, is expected to fetch up to $500,000 at auction, Julien's said in a statement. Two pairs of leather cowboy boots — one red and one yellow — are also offered for sale with estimates ranging from $800 to $2,000 a pair, along with two cowboy hats. Reynolds started out as a football player at Florida State University (FSU) before injuries suffered in a car crash wrecked his hopes of a professional career. But his attachment to FSU remained strong. The auction includes several custom or personalized FSU baseball, basketball and varsity jackets. Other highlights include an oil on canvas painting of the actor's favorite horse titled "Cartouche," which carries an estimate of $20,000 - $30,000. Other art works, furniture and dozens of personal items are also being offered for sale. The auction will take place in Beverly Hills on June 15 and 16, and will be preceded by a public exhibition of some of the items from June 10-14. Reynolds, who was also known for the 1960s television series "Gunsmoke" and the movies "Deliverance" and "Boogie Nights,"" died of a heart attack in Florida in September 2018. Reporting by Jill Serjeant.

Junkyard Gem: 2008 Pontiac G5 Coupe

In the grim early days of the Great Recession, the situation at GM's Pontiac Division didn't feel so great but there was some cause for optimism. The Solstice still had a certain glow, the Holden Commodore-based G8 had just arrived, and vehicle shoppers could stride into their local Pontiac showrooms and choose from eight different models bearing the iconic arrowhead badge. Yes, there were still new Torrents and Grand Prix and Vibes for sale in 2008, and of course the Cavalier-twin Sunfire had been replaced by the Cobalt-twin G5 by that time. Here's one of those G5s, found in a Colorado Springs car graveyard. It wasn't long after this car was built that everything went to hell for Pontiac. In April of 2009, GM announced that the Pontiac Division would be "phased out" over the next few years. Just to drive home the point, GM itself filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy five weeks later. GM had already offed Oldsmobile—a marque dating back to 1897, making it nearly 30 years Pontiac's senior—five years earlier, so everybody knew there would be no reprieve in this case. Just to confuse everybody, Pontiac dealers offered a G3-badged Chevy Aveo (aka Daewoo Kalos) to sell alongside the G5 for 2009, but by 2010 there were just two new Pontiac models still standing in the United States: the G6 and the Vibe. Just over 70,000 G5s were sold in the United States during the 2007-2009 model years, making these cars fairly rare. The Cobalt/G5 ignition-switch fiasco of the mid-2010s really hammered their resale value at the time. Sometimes the definition of "Gem" refers to historical value, not the happier kind. Speaking of ignition switches, the key is still in this one. That generally means that a junkyard vehicle is a dealership trade-in or insurance total that couldn't sell at auction. This one is a base model, which listed at $15,675 (about $22,040 in 2023 dollars). The snazzier G5 GT started at $19,850 ($27,911 now) that year. The engine in this car is a 2.2-liter Ecotec four-banger rated at 148 horsepower and 152 pound-feet (the GT got a 2.4 with 171 hp/167 lb-ft). A five-speed manual was standard equipment, but the buyer of this car paid extra for the automatic. GM stuck these little "Mark of Excellence" badges on the fenders of its vehicles starting in 2005, then ditched the idea in 2009. I have vivid memories of this logo from the seatbelt buttons in my parents' 1973 Sportvan Beauville.

Rent the 1967 Pontiac GTO from the XxX films now on Turo

The process of renting a car usually ranges from mildly annoying to "I'm calling corporate to get you fired." Plainly, it sucks, but sometimes you're left with no alternative. Turo, a peer-to-peer carsharing network, has created what's essentially the AirBnB for cars. Like AirBnB, the quality and variety of the rides varies based on location. If you're in Tucson, Ariz., in the next week, go check out this 1967 Pontiac GTO convertible before the release of XxX: The Return of Xander Cage. Promotions and marketing aside, this is still the opportunity to drive one of the original muscle cars. It's not clear if this is an original GTO or a Pontiac Tempest that was converted, but does it really matter? Old cars never drive as well as you hope, so, as long as it looks and sounds awesome, who cares? The owner listed on Turo is Xander C., Vin Diesel's character from the XxX franchise. This is the car that was used in the original 2002 film, and from the photos it appears to be in better shape than many other movie cars. The exterior is mostly stock, with some slight modifications to the lighting, wheels, exhaust, and trim, with the addition of a funky looking hood scoop that the listing claims shoots flames. It's not clear if it functions as an actual intake because there aren't any notes about what rests under the hood. The listing does ask for premium fuel, so more than likely it's some variation of a high-compression V8. Inside, the dashboard looks like someone raided the AutoZone accessory aisle. There are gauges, dials, toggle switches, and readouts galore. The listing also claims the Goat is packing a rocket launcher and a weapons stash under the seat. $999 per day isn't cheap, but it's less than you'd pay for a day with one of the rent-an-exotic shops you see in Los Angeles or New York. If you're not in Tucson or the price is a little too steep, Turo has what it's dubbed the Adrenaline Collection. The name may be hyperbole, but the lineup of cars is actually really solid. A quick glance reveals a 2015 Lamborghini Huracan, 2001 Ferrari 360 Spider, and a 1969 Jaguar E-Type. The car list keeps expanding, so if this proves popular, look for more cool stuff in the future. Related Video: News Source: Turo Read This TV/Movies Pontiac Performance Classics