The G8 Comes Back to the US

The G8s return is said to be in the works, but what should it be called?

According to several sources a rebadged G8 (known as the Holden Commodore in Australia) will be coming back to the US as early as the 2012 model year. Those very same sources report that the proposed model name will be - I can't believe it - the Chevelle. On the one hand you would think that GM would have learned from the response that the 2004-2006 GTO received, but on the other hand its latest model names aren't exactly iconic. While GM would like to draw upon its rich history to create some sort of nostalgia that would in turn boost sales for the new four-door, is it worth angering its loyal fans by using the name on a car that is not even a vague attempt at recreating the legendary muscle car?

My take: the current Malibu and the Impala are almost the same car. Make this the new Impala with three engine choices – 3.6L V-6, 5.3 or 6.0L V-8 and 6.2L V-8 – with the latter being the high performance (SS) model. Seems simple enough, and will definitely make the 94-96 Impala crowd happy that they have a RWD V-8 again. Plus with the G8-based Caprice already on the way for Police duty, there would definitely be a nice sense of symmetry (with the 90s models).