What combines hauling stuff with hauling ass?!? Why Pontiac’s new G8 ST sport pickup of course. From the front it’s a Pontiac G8 with its sport sedan styling and sports power V8 engine. Out back though, it’s a different story as the G8 ST has a working pickup bed in the back.

Already a popular class in Australia and New Zealand, which is the home market where this car was originally designed as a Holden, these sporty little pickup’s are a perfect fit for us Americans. Work and play in one package! Not only can you really utilize it’s bed for heavy duty use, but it also provides modern sports car handling thanks to it’s thoroughly modern underpinnings.

Pontiac’s original plan was to offer the ST with only the 361-horsepower 6.0-liter V8 from the G8 GT sedan. But the company will now give in to fuel economy pressures and also offer the 3.6-liter V6 when the ST goes on sale late in 2009 as a 2010 model. Instead of the same 3.6-liter 256-hp unit that is currently the base motor for the G8 sedan, the ST and (beginning with the 2010 model year) the sedan will get the direct-injection version of the 3.6-liter that makes slightly more than 300 hp in various applications, including the base Camaro motor and the upgrade Cadillac CTS engine.

Now you don’t even need to get the V8 to get decent power. Trust us, 300 ponies is nothing to laugh at my friends. Pricing for the new G8 ST has yet to be announced. Still,  inside sources say it’s close enough to the sedan that a potential buyer can consider the ST and not be out of his budget if he was originally looking at a regular G8.

Pricing had yet to be announced but look for the new “trucks” to hit showrooms as early as spring of next year. The G8 ST should prove to be the real alternative to the work truck.

Above: Half work, half play…..