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2006 Pontiac Solstice
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| Firebird tears |
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| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 22:38:20 |
| Rating |
 121 ( 29 +23.96% ) | | Author | Brian Chee |
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Description:
2006 Pontiac Solstice
Firebird Tears
Writer's Notes
2006 Pontiac Solstice
MSRP: Expected to be $19,995
Asphalt rating: 170 horsepower
Showroom impact: Classic roadster, sharp looks
Comfort: sharp, color-keyed interior
Stats:
Independent front and rear suspensions
Monotube shock absorbers
Eighteen-inch wheels and tires are standard.
0-60 in the low 7s
Perhaps most attractive, however, is the price: a Solstice at $19,995 buys you, in the words of Hunter, a vehicle that offers 4wheel disc brakes, Bilstein shocks, 18 inch wheels, as standard. Significant downgrades will likely be confined to fabric interior material and no power windows.
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They've done it now. The father of things that swoop and do burnouts in the night has built a driver's car. A little roadster toy that can take corners at high speeds and elicit squeals of joy from its occupants.
It's a Pontiac. And it goes better on a curvy road than in a straight line.
How this, Father of Firebird?
How indeed. For how the engineers and designers at Pontiac were able to make the 2006 Solstice a real car is a critical part of the story. As a result, what they've come up with - a remarkably close production version of the concept - may be one of the biggest hits of 2004 and 2005. It's one thing to trot out a hot little roadster concept in 2002 and play Wishing Well with journalists; it's another story to, just one year later, commit to it, a new vehicle architecture and a new direction for Pontiac.
That new architecture, named KAPPA, will allow GM to potentially turn out more vehicles than the Solstice - as evidenced by the concept Chevrolet Nomad and Saturn Curve. But the Solstice will be the first production vehicle. "KAPPA provided us the opportunity to have a footprint that allows us to maintain the car's proportions, to maintain track, wheelbase, cowl height, and interior space," said Jim Hunter, marketing product manager for Pontiac. "After the positive reception received by the concept car, the question came back -- how do we do it - and what can we do to minimize the cost of the architecture. That created a unique situation, and it became a new architecture," said Hunter.
KAPPA is significant because it is designed to support the short overhangs, long wheelbase and wide stance on the Solstice. This allows for improved performance, and a more comfortable interior, with increased legroom and hip room. Engineers developed a lower tube structure for the chassis and Hydroformed frame rails, which run the length of the vehicle, are the basis of the chassis. The hydroforming process uses pressurized fluid to form each frame rail from a single piece of steel, rather than several pieces of steel welded together. Additional components and stampings are added to the frame rail during vehicle assembly. A tunnel at the center of the chassis, which houses the transmission and driveshaft, is enclosed at the bottom to enhance stiffness. This built-in strength reduces chassis flex and cowl shake in a vehicle designed to be a convertible.
"KAPPA provided us the opportunity to have a footprint that allows us to maintain the car's proportions, to maintain track, wheelbase, cowl height, and interior space," said Jim Hunter, marketing product manager for Pontiac. "After the positive reception received by the concept car, the question came back -- how do we do it - and what can we do to minimize the cost of the architecture. That created a unique situation, and it became a new architecture."
So from KAPPA comes Solstice, which should attract new customers to the Pontiac brand. You want excitement? Some of the most excited people around are the ones working at Pontiac these days, because they have built a vehicle people will likely drool over, to go with the upcoming G6 and the redesigned Grand Prix. The GTO? The Solstice should ease the pain of a less than stellar Return of the Goat. It has, thus far, gone over like a lamb. GTO enthusiasts are disappointed. Prospective new buyers are not impressed.
But people will be impressed by the Solstice.
Its combination of roadster-classic looks, performance and price ($19,995) is hard not to get enthused about - flaming chicken fan or not. "From a performance standpoint - it's a drivers car in an open air format," said Hunter. "The right powertrain is in there. It's not just 0-60, it amounts to the total equation - great performance at legal speeds." Some would look at the horsepower number and disagree, though Hunter claims that 170 hp is enough from the new 2.4-liter variable-valve version of the Ecotec DOHC four-cylinder engine. Ultimately, it's not in the character of the car. The Solstice seems designed to handle the road and provide off-the-line explosions. The vehicle has independent front and rear suspensions, monotube shock absorbers and coil springs. Eighteen-inch wheels and tires are standard. According to Hunter, the Solstice should be able to go 0-60 in the low 7s, and will stack up favorably to the Mazda Miata - with an advantage in horsepower, torque and shoulder room.
From the look of it, the Solstice is a real roadster, with a classic style and a wide stance that creates a uniquely aggressive look. Front and center is Pontiac's dual port grille - and it's tough to find a car that looks better wearing it. In the back, the top disappears into a rear clamshell area. The interior is color-keyed to the exterior, and looks as though has reached a high level of quality materials and fit and finish.
Perhaps most attractive, however, is the price: a Solstice at $19,995 buys you, in the words of Hunter, a vehicle that offers 4-wheel disc brakes, Bilstein shocks, and 18-inch wheels, all as standard. Significant downgrades will likely be confined to fabric interior material and manual windows.
Then again, it all could change. Later this year, Pontiac could announce that the 'Bird is coming back, in lieu of the Solstice. Or not. Judging from appearances, reception to it and the technology behind the vehicle, it seems certain that the flaming chicken is flat out of luck. Look for the Solstice to hit dealerships during the fall of 2005.
--Story by Brian Chee |
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