2006 Pontiac Solstice
By John Rettie
On Sale: Late summer 2005
Expected Pricing: $19,995
According to the Guinness Book of Records the Mazda Miata is the world's top selling sports car. That's not surprising as it's an affordable, fun, real sports car. However, it could lose its title within a couple of years to a Pontiac. A Pontiac, you ask? Yes, the Pontiac Solstice. A couple of years ago one of the best concept cars unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit was the Pontiac Solstice. It was conceived by Bob Lutz, soon after he'd been hired by General Motors to help turn around the auto giant's so-so line of cars and trucks. Amazingly for GM, it managed to design and build the working concept roadster in less than four months using a variety of parts culled from several cars and even an SUV. Nobody really thought the Solstice would ever see the light of day as a production vehicle, more than anything because it was not built using a platform already in production. It was a small, two-seat, rear-wheel-drive sports car. All the other small cars in GM's extensive portfolio were front-wheel drive. In addition there were no plans at the time to build a rear-drive platform for small cars. Plus, it was so cute. No one expected anything like this from GM. So it's no wonder the news that Pontiac is going ahead with the Solstice was greeted with great enthusiasm at the 2004 Detroit show. What's even more surprising is that GM gave the go-ahead to develop an all-new rear-drive platform, called Kappa. It features state-of-the-art full-length hydroformed frame rails with a stamped-steel structural tunnel to provide a solid structure. Initially the Kappa architecture will be unique to the Solstice, but it may well spawn other small sporty rear-wheel-drive cars in the future. To all intents and purposes the Solstice is GM's answer to the highly regarded Honda S2000 roadster as well as the Mazda Miata. Just check the dimensions and specs. The Solstice's wheelbase is 6 inches longer than the Miata's but its overall length is less than 2 inches greater. Although it's 5 inches shorter than the S2000, its wheelbase is almost an inch longer. The Solstice is powered by GM's four-cylinder 2.4-liter Ecotec engine that produces 170 horsepower compared to just 140 in the Miata. However, it is 400 pounds heavier than the Miata, closer in weight to the S2000. Honda's S2000 is powered by a 240-horsepower engine, but its torque rating is slightly lower: 161 pounds-feet vs. the Pontiac's 170 pounds-feet. Torque is that force that propels you from intersections and up hills. Consequently, the real-world performance of the Solstice appears to be closer to the S2000's than to the Miata's. We shall see. One of the most attractive aspects of the Solstice is its curvaceous looks. There's hardly a straight line or crease on the body. That's fine for a one-off concept car but it's difficult to recreate for a production model. GM engineers have managed to keep the concept's curves intact by using the latest hydroforming fabrication process, which has not yet been applied to a production car. (Hydroforming uses extremely high water pressure to form metal into highly rigid complex shapes.) Even the concept's clamshell hinged hood and trunk have been retained in the production model, giving the car a look unlike any other car on the road. Indeed, it was almost impossible to tell the production and concept models apart at the 2004 Detroit show where they were displayed near each other. One big advantage to the rear clamshell trunk lid is that the roof can be totally hidden in the trunk without as much as a seal giving a hint to its whereabouts. Similarly, the front hood's clamshell design avoids unsightly gaps along the top edge of the fenders. The car's clean lines are further enhanced by having the wheels pushed out to the corners, resulting in short front and rear overhangs. The 18-inch wheels on the Solstice, compared to 16-inch wheels on the Miata, make the Pontiac look even sportier. They should also improve the handling, assuming the chassis engineers do a good job tweaking the independent suspension. The track (the distance between the left and right wheels) is considerably wider than it is on the Miata or S2000. A wide track gives cars stable handling and more interior space. Solstice designers have taken styling cues from the exterior and continued the theme inside using the body color as part of a two-tone finish. The console and instrument pod envelope the driver. The gearshift is positioned so it falls to hand easily. Initially, the Solstice will only be available with a five-speed manual transmission. Good news for true sports car fans. Solstice's reason d'etre is best summed up by Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman of product development: "True to the thinking behind the original concept, the production Solstice is all about being a back-to-basics roadster with gorgeous lines and fun-to-drive characteristics." Hard to fault the reasoning or the result. And the sticker price is expected to be less than that of any rival: about $2,000 lower than a Miata and $13,000 less than an S2000. The worst thing about the Solstice? You're going to have to wait until late summer 2005 before you can buy one!
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