Pontiac
Solstice romps as a slinky new roadster convertible
Keep
that seatbelt cinched because we're working the
stubby shifter stick on a two-seat roadster with
the soft top stowed as the sports car charges through
Oregon's picturesque Columbia River Gorge.
Our romp along the river becomes so much play time,
one hand plying the five-speed manual's lever and
the other gripping a leather-wrapped steering wheel,
right foot tapping the go-pedal and the left one
pumping brake or clutch in racer fashion as the
vehicle carves clean and quick lines through apexes
of endless curves.
This new roadster convertible, riding on a rigid
platform rigged with a broad track and long-drawn
wheelbase, employs independent suspension systems
fore and aft with monotube shocks connecting to
18-inch wheels and sticky Goodyear rubber to handle
every contour of the convoluted river course.
Perfect weight balance -- the engine mounted up
front and all power directed to rear wheels with
half of the vehicle's load resting on front wheels
and the other half on the rear ones -- sets up that
sports car magic of predictable vehicle control
for a driver.
And this one looks so keen and swift with that prominent
long prow, mid-ship cockpit and a roly-poly rump
capped by twin nacelle blisters trailing behind
seatbacks.
Considering the sharp body styling and precise handling
traits of this sporty rear-wheel-drive (RWD) roadster,
one might reasonably conclude that we're driving
the latest exotic mega-bucks sportster out of England,
Germany or Italy.
That's not the case, however, because we're steering
the Solstice, Pontiac's new made-in-America sports
car in open-top roadster format that brings seats
for only two and uncompromising manners but also
affordable price tags.
Just how affordable is the Solstice?
The bottom line for a Solstice with reasonable standard
equipment nips down to $19,995.
But here's the catch: Constraints at a GM assembly
plant in Wilmington, Del., limit the production
of Solstice to 7,000 units by the end of 2005, while
advance orders of the sports car amount to double
that figure.
Thus, as Solstice comes to market in the fall of
'05 as a 2006 product the initial demand for Pontiac's
sports car far outstrips the factory's capacity
and shoppers should expect a waiting list.
GM obviously scores an instant hit with Solstice,
which our seat-time tests reveal is a serious and
pure sports car that's not only fun to drive but
quite appealing in both design and execution.
Roots of the production version trace to 2002 when
a slinky Solstice show car became the star concept
at the North American International Auto Show in
Detroit. GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz subsequently
tapped that show car for a production blitz while
demanding that the street version adhere to the
vision of forging an "affordable" sports
car. (CONTINUE...)
