Solstice coupe

[TurDz]

Better than I could have ever imagined...

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/16/new-york-08-preview-pontiac-solstice-coupe-spotted-on-pontiac/

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/solstice_targa_opt_a.jpg


EDIT: Autoblog update
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/19/new-york-08-preview-pontiac-solstice-coupe/

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/x09pn_st001.jpg
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/x09pn_st003.jpg
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/x09pn_st006.jpg
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/x09pn_st007.jpg
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/x09pn_st010.jpg
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/x09pn_st012.jpg

Too bad the Solstice/Sky needs to warm up the engine before the brakes can work.....

[shade]

That actually looks nice. Too many choices!

[ryguy]

Pontiac can do no wrong lately.

[ghambino]

Solstice totally just kicked the miatas ass.

[nevaland9]

wow, i like. it looks like a Z4M at glance.
they better give Rhys Millen one.

[[email protected]]

looks good, it will be interesting to see what people do to these in a few years.

[blasting_speed]

That looks cool Pontiac is on fire.

[0100]

WOW very cool. Can't wait to see real photos.

[brewster240]

Pontiac can do no wrong lately.


did you notice the g8 el camino thats also in the pics? apparently you didnt.

[ByeByeSti]

pontiac is actually stepping there game up it looks like. about time... soltice coupe is real badass looking

[fliprayzin240sx]

Theyre bringing back the El Camino??? Hmm...doesnt look too bad, but doesnt look that great either. Then again, thats what the el camino was all about huh? Half car/half truck...

[exitspeed]

Dude I'm so mad you beat me to this!

Looks awesome doesn't it?!

Can't wait to see the Sky version.

Yuri should be chimming in on this soon.

[Yuri]

I noticed it on Jalopnik earlier.
In the meantime, I've been sharing it with everyone I know out here.

Saturn Sky Coupe Redline?
Yes please.

[jackjack]

oOoOooOOooOooOo damn. hell yes.

[exitspeed]

Saturn Sky Coupe Redline?
Yes please.

That would seriously be the dopest coupe we've had for a REAL long time.

But even the Solstice...it looks so tits.

[TurDz]

I think it's affordability makes it even more sexy :D

[exitspeed]

I think it's affordability makes it even more sexy :D

Yep, $30k for a Redline. I believe that's with the diff. The coupe HAS to be a little cheaper. So under $30k you get a sexy 260hp RWD turbo coupe...hell yea. :bigok:

[HyperTek]

So the Holden Ute is coming as the G8 truck? too bad pontiac will take all the credit when it comes out here.. i wish they would keep the Holden name... but Holden doesnt have a name out here in the US , i can understand that might be a risk.

I think the solstice already looks good..
http://www.gripunit.com/photos/solstice/ArcenalSolstice2.jpg

[exitspeed]

And this aero...

http://images.motortrend.com/auto_shows/coverage/sema/112_2006_sema_65x+2007_Gravana_tuning_turbo_saturn _SKY+front_view.jpg

[drift freaq]

I will hold my comments till I see better pics.

[silviaguy240]

here i go again to hate on the sky some more...not a terrible car, but for the price, i think its not really worth it. looks wise over the solstice is hands down, but the comfortableness isnt that great, the tops arent that great, head room is minimal, and rear vision isnt the best either. for a stock car the clutch is really touchy, trans can be real notchy when you shift and the power delivery isnt that great, if they went with a slightly larger turbo with a lower boost setting (currently 18psi stock), and earlier max boost and it would be a decent car. but for how its set up now, the non GMS pricing of a turbo is in the 31,500-33,500 area, theres plenty of other cars that would out perform for that price.

[Sonic Motor]

the saturn looks nice, the pontiac design is still ugly.

[ryguy]

did you notice the g8 el camino thats also in the pics? apparently you didnt.

Are you fucking kidding me? The new El Camino looks GORGEOUS. I would buy one anyways. I even linked to a ginormous write up / video preview of it in the G8 thread. I think GM hit the nail right on the head by bringing the Ute to the states.

So the Holden Ute is coming as the G8 truck? too bad pontiac will take all the credit when it comes out here.. i wish they would keep the Holden name... but Holden doesnt have a name out here in the US , i can understand that might be a risk.

Bringing the G8 out as a Pontiac is definately the right thing for GM to have done. The General already has too many divisions in North America, thats why Oldsmobile was axed, remember? Theres talk of Buick or Saturn being cut too. Why shouldn't Pontiac take credit though, Pontiac and Holden are both GM.

[exitspeed]

I will hold my comments till I see better pics.

I know your not a fan of either car anyway. No biggie.

here i go again to hate on the sky some more...not a terrible car, but for the price, i think its not really worth it. looks wise over the solstice is hands down,

That's just a matter of opinion though. You state it as if it's a matter of fact.

but the comfortableness isnt that great, the tops arent that great, head room is minimal, and rear vision isnt the best either. for a stock car the clutch is really touchy, trans can be real notchy when you shift and the power delivery isnt that great, if they went with a slightly larger turbo with a lower boost setting (currently 18psi stock), and earlier max boost and it would be a decent car. but for how its set up now, the non GMS pricing of a turbo is in the 31,500-33,500 area, theres plenty of other cars that would out perform for that price.

What other car out there is small, RWD, coupe, turbo, and sharp looking? Other then the Miata, none, cause the segment hardly exists right now.

I will agree on the comfort of the interior though. LOl at the placement of the window switches. :loco:


Theres talk of Buick or Saturn being cut too.

Where ever you read/heard that, I suggest you never visit or listen to that source again. That is so far from the truth it's almost funny.

[HyperTek]

o i didnt know Holden was a part of GM.. Theres a bunch of cool Australian cars that we never got.

[exitspeed]

o i didnt know Holden was a part of GM.. Theres a bunch of cool Australian cars that we never got.

The GTO is a Holden Monaro.

[silviaguy240]

I will agree on the comfort of the interior though. LOl at the placement of the window switches. :loco:

yea, the hood release is damn near impossible to find, cant close the hood with the doors open, top is a pain to close with the windows up, lack of gauges, ebrake is kinda a pain to get to and yea, the window switches are down right pita. adjusting the seats is kind of a pain too...the ergonomics on this car are pretty bad...oh and i forgot about the weight too. ~3100lb curb weight. :loco:

but if you guys really want a hunk of junk..the regular sky is it!

[TurDz]

Yeah, lots of poor interior design flaws. Who's the hot lady who designed the interiors?

Any possibilities of GM revising the interior? I hear you have to have arms like a T-Rex to reach the windows switches, lol.

Nonetheless, I posted because the Solstice coupe is 100x better than I imagined (especially lookin at those old rendered pics).

And these cars aren't meant to be the end-all of sports cars, but a great balance between a sports car and street cruiser. ala the 3100lbs (better ride comfort).

[muddafakka]

Subscribed for moar pics.

[SimpleS14]

Theres talk of Buick being cut too.

I've heard that rumor...but it doesn't carry as much weight as Mercury being ultimately axed.

[Yuri]

The GTO is a Holden Monaro.

And the Pontiac G8 is a Holden Commodore.

If GM continues it's trends of making Pontiac into Holden USA and Saturn into Opel USA like they've been doing, then we are in for some exciting times indeed.

For once a US manufacturer is bringing us the forbidden fruit we've been longing for for so long.

GM's strategy is way better then what Ford or Chrysler is doing right now.

They are focusing on bringing us product that consumers might actually get excited over, and not just a single model, but a whole slew of them.

Meanwhile, Chrysler only has the Challenger to look forward to, and closed their Pacifica design studio, basically shooting themselves in terms of future product development, and Ford really isn't coming out with anything exciting, focusing instead on the type of plans that plagued US manufacturers earlier this decade.

While all this is going on, GM is bringing in some of it's best global products for sale in the US, such as the Holden Commodore, Holden Ute, Opel Astra, Opel Vectra, and others, as well as bringing out the new Camaro, and fastback versions of the Solstice and Sky.

Pontiac is truly becoming an enthusiast brand.
They are trying to fight BMW with the G8, and with the LS3 six speed GXP coming, BMW may have a fight on its hands in the performance arena, if not the luxury market.

I'm also excited that GM isn't afraid to have a real color palette with the G8.
you can choose from orange and purple among other bright colors.
Silver is so passe.

GM is really making some good calls right now.
They are bringing out product that makes me interested in spite of them being Pontiacs and Saturns.

[exitspeed]

^
I feel like you and I are the only ones that see this on here Yuri. I've been saying this until my face has turned blue, yet people still don't see the big picture. I can probably quote myself on here saying "what GM has done with the Saturn brand is nothing short of spectacular.". And that's the truth.

Do people understand what it takes to redesign EVERY vehicle in a brands portfolio in a matter of 3 years!? It's a tremendous feat indeed.

5 years + ago you couldn't fill one hand with exciting models from the GM brands. Now, I could ramble on and on about the, Malibu, Sky, Solstice, CTS, Astra, Enclave, Cobalt SS (turbo), Camaro, G8 and G8 ute, and on the top of the tier the ZR1 and CTS-V!

GM's plan has played out nearly flawlessly. It's only pitfall right now unfortunately is not even their fault. It just happens to be coming full circle when we are in a recession.

[ryguy]

Hell, I cannot understand for the life of me why people still have such a bias against GM. I understand that they had quality problems in the past, but if people just gave GM a chance and test drove their cars GM would be back in the black. Seriously, why people won't even consider GM products in this day and age is beyond me, in my opinion the Malibu is better than any entry level family car that Japan has to offer. I drove a brand new Camry a few weeks ago and I was completely unimpressed with it. Just wait until the GM haters start to experience these cars. The tables will turn.

[exitspeed]

in my opinion the Malibu is better than any entry level family car that Japan has to offer. I drove a brand new Camry a few weeks ago and I was completely unimpressed with it. Just wait until the GM haters start to experience these cars. The tables will turn.

I agree. The Camry feels so outdated and low budget compared the Malibu. It's just as dependable too. The interior is light years ahead of any other car in the segment and ahead of many cars that are a LOT more expensive.

People are coming around though. It's happening slowly but surely.

[scooz14]

i have seen a preproduction one of those in person, driving down the road. it is on its way!!!!

[ryguy]

Well the fact that GM has turned a profit on every other continent on Earth where it sells cars obviously makes a statement. I cant figure out why they didnt bring some of that profitability here sooner.

[Omarius Maximus]

Here you go guys:

http://www.motivemag.com/Content/uploads/1/X09PN_ST004.jpg

http://images.leftlanenews.com/content/march2008/solstice-coupe-6.jpg

Keep in mind that it's a targa, not a coupe:

http://images.leftlanenews.com/content/march2008/solstice-coupe-9.jpg

If I hadn't dumped so much money into the GTI, it would definitely be a contender for my next car.

[ALEXTHESUS*PECT]

damn that is a nice car!!!!!!!

[HyperTek]

dam targa?? then why even make a hard top.. people who want targa should jus buy the original dammmm.. lol

[TurDz]

I like it. Great proportions. Still could do without the front end (think Sky) but the rear end is amazing.

Won't buy it though due to it's non-exterior design problems that still haven't been resolved. (Interior ergo, brake booster problems, poor shifter/clutch/throttle feel)

[Omarius Maximus]

I like it. Great proportions. Still could do without the front end (think Sky) but the rear end is amazing.

Won't buy it though due to it's non-exterior design problems that still haven't been resolved. (Interior ergo, brake booster problems, poor shifter/clutch/throttle feel)

I sort of like it for the same reasons you dislike it strangely. It's unrefined, rough around the edges, a lot like a triumph tr6 or MG or some british roadster. It's that same crudeness that made me like the 240, and it's what gives cars character.

[SimpleS14]

The car has a slight old-school appeal to it. I like it and hopefully the Sky gets the same variant.


I also agree that GM is doing very well compared to the other domestic car companies. They are putting a lot of effort into their lineups and for once...I'm actually considering them for my next car. Sadly though, they still need to work on Saab which is the poor neglected part of GM. I do see they are adding a crossover, but they need to break the traditional design direction and go with something else. The new Saab 9-5 really don't look that much different from the old one.

[0100]

Looks great, but I agree with hypertek, why a targa? Makes no sense. Still love the look.

[muddafakka]

I think it looks pretty good overall. Front end could be a little longer though. It kinda reminds me of the TVR 350. Targas are nice and all but I really hope or wished they were offering this with a fixed roof. I mean, they already have a roadster, why do we need another open top variant?

If the front end looked anything near this, they'd have a winner imo.
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o254/rr_s13/TVR20T350.jpg

[Antihero983]

i'll take one in satin black, with TE37s on it.

oh and swap in a LSx.....

can someone photochop it to be satin black with like....takata green TE37s?

[0100]

^+1 on that also lower it and make the te's nice and flush.

I can't believe how much it looks like a TVR 350 from the profile.

[exitspeed]

Oh god is that hot. The rear window even has an original shape to it. But DAMN those C-Pillars are going to make some huge blind spots.

I don't care though one bit.

How does the trunk open?

I wanna see the Sky version so bad...Go GM!

[Antihero983]

bah fuck the sky, i sat in one, and it the CHEAPEST interior EVER.

id rather deal with a dodge interior than that.

[Daniel.]

I like it, but somehow I'd still take an s2k over it.

[silviaguy240]

bah fuck the sky, i sat in one, and it the CHEAPEST interior EVER.

id rather deal with a dodge interior than that.

solstice interior is even cheaper...and yea the whole brakes not working un til it warms up deal...you have like 1/4inch of pedal play before it cant go any further. has almost made a few crashes in and out of the showroom...

[Yuri]

YESYESYESYESYES!!!!!!!!
Saw this this morning over on Jalopnik.

I think it's awesome that they made it a targa.
Best of both worlds in my opinion.
I had a targa supra, and it was great to have open air driving when you wanted it , good hardtop styling when you didn't.

Check out the cool little ducktail spoiler.
Man.
There's so many cool cars coming out this year.
I just lowered the Jag, and I love it, but there are so many new models tempting me I don't know what to do.

[VROOOM]

hopefully they make the Sky coupe. i dont like the look of the solstice too much.

[TurDz]

I sort of like it for the same reasons you dislike it strangely. It's unrefined, rough around the edges, a lot like a triumph tr6 or MG or some british roadster. It's that same crudeness that made me like the 240, and it's what gives cars character.

To each their own, but I'm not paying $25k for rough around the edges and form over function interior.

[mehsilvia]

Fuck i want one of these sooo bad.

I first noticed this car when my wife was watching the "Apprentice" last year and she said "hey, come check out this nice car. its a Pontiac tho, yuk!" :keke:

I fell in love with it.

Now im hooked on the show "SetUp" on Speed. Mainly becuase of this car. I say that cause the drivers on that show frustrate the fucking shit out of me.

Im soooo tempted to sell everything, say fuck the S13 build, and just go buy one of these :wackit:

[0100]

Setup is a good show, compared to all the other dribble on speed. Could do without a lot of the drama at times but cool concept and cool cars.

[Omarius Maximus]

Oh god is that hot. The rear window even has an original shape to it. But DAMN those C-Pillars are going to make some huge blind spots.

I don't care though one bit.

How does the trunk open?

I wanna see the Sky version so bad...Go GM!

Ask and you shall recieve:

http://images.leftlanenews.com/content/march2008/solstice-coupe-2.jpg

[VROOOM]

This thread got me lookin for pics of the Sky Coupe. Couldnt find any real ones but i found a few photoshops. enjoy!
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/nismothecat/skycoupe.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/nismothecat/skycoupe2.jpg

[exitspeed]

Oh god GM has so many winners on their hands right now!

The Sky photoshop needs to have a more squared sharp edged roof.

Omarius Maximus, thanks for the pic. Makes sense now. I was looking at it this morning still puzzled.

[jackjack]

YES YES YES

:drool:

[Omarius Maximus]

Oh god GM has so many winners on their hands right now!

The Sky photoshop needs to have a more squared sharp edged roof.

Omarius Maximus, thanks for the pic. Makes sense now. I was looking at it this morning still puzzled.

No prob :bigok:

I'm actually hoping gas gets a bit more expensive. Lutz said that if gas gets any pricier, they're going to seriously consider putting the turbo 4 from the gxp into the camaro. THAT would be a hell of a car.

[exitspeed]

Pontiac Solstice Coupe to pack 300 horses?

Posted Apr 3rd 2008 2:29PM by Jeremy Korzeniewski
Filed under: New York Auto Show, Convertibles, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Pontiac, Saturn

Click above for high-res live shots of the 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe

Sporting a specific output of 130 horsepower-per-liter, the turbocharged, direct-injected Ecotec four-cylinder from GM that's featured in the Pontiac Solstice GXP, Saturn Sky Redline and SS versions of the Chevy HHR and Cobalt, is already one heck of an accomplishment. But wait... there's more -- power that is. According to Motor Trend, shortly after the Solstice Coupe goes on sale next year, the blown-Ecotec could make 300 horsepower or more, putting it in close competition with performance stalwarts such as Nissan's Z. What's more, the same engine should also be available in the convertible versions of both the Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Redline as well, paired only with a five-speed manual tranny in all applications.

This is just a rumor at this point, but MT seems pretty confident in its validity, citing higher intercooled boost along with a new fuel rail as the tech behind the power increase. The rumor does not mention if the higher-output mill will appear in other applications, though we remember something about the Camaro possibly getting a turbo-four mill as an option, and a tuner-friendly option offering 300 galloping horsies in stock form would make for a very interesting option in the pony car.

[flip3d]

The front still looks like shit. Wheres the Saturn version?! :P

[BustedS13]

love it... much more than the convertibles with their oddly shaped soft tops. the fact that it's a targa seals the deal, so awesome.

as for solstice vs. sky... it looks like pontiac designed the body with a goal of building a good looking car, and saturn designed the body with a goal of not looking like the solstice. all those unnecessary bulges and creases, tons of chrome... pretty tacky.

oh, and dual exhaust finally. about fucking time!