It almost happened. The plan was very close to being a done deal, but then shit hit the fan. Pontiac shut its doors, a result of GM's bankruptcy. And when those doors were permanently shut, any chance for a ute version of the short-lived Pontiac G8 went completely out the window. For that matter, the G8 itself was also a casualty. Pontiac's death was an utter shame for many reasons, in particular because it was beginning to find itself again after so many years selling poorly rebadged Chevys.

The Holden Commodore ute, based off the Commodore sedan which was then rebadged again as the G8, could have served as the 21st century El Camino. Yes, it would have been badged as a Pontiac, but it was a model that would have served that brand well. Combined with having rear-wheel-drive, a 6.2-liter V8 that's good for nearly 425 horsepower, and that desired coolness factor, a Pontiac G8 ute could very well have been a solid sales success. Clearly those Australians know how to build performance, and Americans would have greatly benefited. Sure a ute isn't as useful as a real pickup truck, or even a crossover/SUV for that matter. But a V8-powered G8 ute would have been a great tire smoking burnout toy.