We constantly get our readers submitting their cars to us in an attempt to get featured for an article. It’s difficult sometimes to select the ones that get picked to the ones that don’t – usually all of the cars look great. But if you want to get your ride featured on LSXMag, then we also look at the total package; what’s done to it, how the car is used, and most importantly, what is the car’s story?

Justin Young’s G8 looks sinister in this shot.

Justin Young’s 2008 G8 GT (track car)

Recently, one of our readers by the name of Justin Young submitted a selection of photos of his 2008 G8 GT. At first glance, it seems to be just your average G8, with a lowered stance, a killer set of wheels and tinted glass. But dig deeper, and you quickly realize that looks can be deceiving.  You see, Young’s G8 is not just some daily driven show queen, or your average bolt-on Pontiac. It’s actually a daily-driven 700+ horsepower powerhouse.

Now if this car looks a little familiar to you it should, as we covered it at great length back in November of 2012. Since then, Young’s been busy. Very busy. When you last saw this car, it was putting down a healthy 576 HP to the rear tires, which we admit, is quite respectable for a family car. But Young is like the rest of us – more is never enough.

He decided to keep the ProCharger P1-SC, but this go around, the engine went under the knife with new valvetrain components that include LS7 lifters, PAC valvesprings, ported (on the exhaust side) LS3 heads, and an upgraded camshaft with some unique duration specs. Everyone, including engine builders/tuners, told him he was crazy for his camshaft selection. 

However, Young did his research, and had one ground that would give him the perfect balance of performance and drivability that he was looking for. With the ProCharger’s boost level set at 12 PSI the G8 put down 707 HP to the tires with 24 degrees of timing on E85 – making it the highest-horsepower G8 with a P1-SC that we know about. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, this car still uses it’s stock 6L80E gearbox with a Yank 3200 RPM stall converter.

To the casual observer, this looks to be another L76 with a ProCharger bolted on. But there’s a bit more going on under that grey hood…

Wheldon Boyd’s 2008 G8 GT (drag car)

Wheldon Boyd is another one of our avid readers. He’s one owner who loves his G8 and its performance potential just as much as someone who bought a ’69 GTO brand new and still owns it today. He was also persistent enough to continually get in touch with us, and as a result, his car made its way into this story.

What’s even more ironic is that while these two G8’s are polar opposites in a manner of speaking, the owners of these two cars are friends – neither of whom had any idea that either had submitted this information to us. While Young’s G8 is built for the daily commute, autocross and road racing circuit, Boyd’s Pontiac is a drag car with the luxury of being a daily driver.

You’ll find a ProCharger underneath that hood, just like Young’s, but rather than a P1-SC, Boyd’s car has a D1-SC strapped to the engine. Speaking of which, prior to the blower, Boyd was all about taking the all-motor/bolt-on route, until he “hit a wall” with his modifications and power output of 449 RWHP. 

Once he realized the power of boost, the engine has undergone a complete transformation; the DOD camshaft and fuel system was removed altogether, and a COMP Cams custom grind 223/239-610/623 bumpstick with a lobe separation angle of 113 went in its place.

The stock block and heads remain, but a Rossler-built 6L80E with a Yank 3200 RPM stall converter went in place of the factory unit. Throw in a 4.1-inch pulley into the mix and this combination is good for 705 HP and 616 pound feet of torque with only 10 PSI on the gauge. Not too shabby, and the fruit of Boyd’s efforts should reward him with a high 9-scond pass once he gets the suspension dialed in.

So, if you’re one of those that still doubt the potential of the Pontiac G8, or has hangups about a “4-door sports car,” then look no further than these two. They might just make you reconsider.