177 hp verio valve timing, 4 cylinder. And yes, I'm sure I could fit a V8 in it! Oh! BTW around 2800lbs. W/ driver and passenger air bags, sensors in the passanger seat to gauge air bag depolyment speed and force. power windows remote locks, 6 disc CD, etc.

How do you like the targa bar look?

This car is small like the Miata. Wider track than a Z3 roadster.

Hood flips forward.

Lots of room under the hood! Chassis is aluminized!

Did you drive it home?

I really like black the best.

Rick,

one of the magazines has a tuner version with the V-8 already installed and sold as a turn key.

It might be lighfinger (sp) or at least some tuner company that is well known.

I think they used the 400hp corvette motor!


hey I know ponco means pontiac, but could you explain the origin of that slang word for me? (sorry for my ignorance)

brant

QUOTE (brant @ Mar 27 2006, 02:10 PM)

Rick, one of the magazines has a tuner version with the V-8 already installed and sold as a turn key. It might be lighfinger (sp) or at least some tuner company that is well known. I think they used the 400hp corvette motor! hey I know ponco means pontiac, but could you explain the origin of that slang word for me?  (sorry for my ignorance) brant

Pic of above mentioned car, yummy brant's right 400hp vette motor

www.malletcars.com is the tuner. $25K car + 20K conversion = 400hp ala sunbeam tiger.

QUOTE (Ferg @ Mar 27 2006, 02:21 PM)

QUOTE (brant @ Mar 27 2006, 02:10 PM) Rick, one of the magazines has a tuner version with the V-8 already installed and sold as a turn key. It might be lighfinger (sp) or at least some tuner company that is well known. I think they used the 400hp corvette motor! hey I know ponco means pontiac, but could you explain the origin of that slang word for me?  (sorry for my ignorance) brant Pic of above mentioned car, yummy brant's right 400hp vette motor

Hey, if you listen to the guys here since it's water cooled, not mid engined, and not a Porsche, it's a POS. While you're throwing it out of your garage, would ya kinda nudge it this way?

BTW, that is the fugliest convertible top ever. Quick, someone design a HT.

Nice car, checked one out Friday last week. Only problem Zero trunk space. Yes its a sports car, but a hard sell to the wife when you can't put anthing bigger than her purse in the trunk and that is with the top up, nothing fits in back with the top down. My only real complaint

I hate that car for 2 reasons.

1) I dont fit. The car may be great if you need a step stool to reach whats on top of the freezer... but not for me.

2) The dash is quite possibly the ugliest plastic hunks of fuck i've ever seen.

Pontiac is famous for fugly dashes... let me guess... pimpin' red lights in the dash as well?

A plastic hunk of fuck? Ahhh kids these days. College student. Uh huh.

Cheers, Elliot

QUOTE (Elliot Cannon @ Mar 27 2006, 08:46 PM)

A plastic hunk of fuck? Ahhh kids these days. College student. Uh huh. Cheers, Elliot

They're engineering students, not English majors

QUOTE (Howard @ Mar 27 2006, 08:51 PM)

QUOTE (Elliot Cannon @ Mar 27 2006, 08:46 PM) A plastic hunk of fuck?  Ahhh kids these days.   College student.  Uh huh.                   Cheers,   Elliot They're engineering students, not English majors

Hey, I learned that one hanging out with mechanics. My first day on the job, I asked the head tech what he thought of 914s. He said "i wouldnt touch one of those hunks of fuck"

its just stuck.

hot rod magazine and gm built one with a z06 500hp cts rear end. and all factory off the shelf

The May issue of Sports Car International has done a road test of the Solstice and they couldn't hate it enough....poor quality control,pieces falling off etc.....cheap components etc....no storage room etc....Noisy rough engine... To bad because it is a great looking car aside from the ugly and ill fitting rear section of the top when up.
GM needs a winner in the worst way and this isn't it,just another chick car and not a very good one at that.
Sorry about the chick car reference in advance

Typical Pontiac/GM. Funky styling, about 10 years behind the ball, shotty build quality, and poor resale.

They'll probably stick an LS2 in it and then kill it. Can you say Fiero, 96 Impala SS, etc?

I'd pull for GM since I believe in American companies, but they're killing me with their designs and UAW woes.

It's a neat idea though... But, I'd rather have a Miata.

Tom

I should see about test driving one on a Autocross weekend. That will give it a real report.
My guess is : under powered pushes like a dump truck too soft suspension No trunk space?? how the hell can I carry race rubber????

Hey Rick if'n you buy it make sure they don't sneak a rainbow sticker on the rear bumper as you drive out. I hear that happens to all Miatas.

For that money and now trunck space why not get an Elise.

QUOTE (Tom Perso @ Mar 28 2006, 07:42 AM)

Typical Pontiac/GM.  Funky styling, about 10 years behind the ball, shotty build quality, and poor resale. They'll probably stick an LS2 in it and then kill it.  Can you say Fiero, 96 Impala SS, etc? I'd pull for GM since I believe in American companies, but they're killing me with their designs and UAW woes. It's a neat idea though... But, I'd rather have a Miata. Tom

Another car taken out of the oven too soon "next year we will put the good engine and parts in it".... seems like GM never learns,time to get rid of Wagoner and put some smart car people in charge

This will be a future Cobra platform for the hot rodders. Mark my words. All the "off the shelf parts" from the factory to make this car real fast. Sure you can buy a Cobra ifen your Donald Trump, or Howard... ( )Not many of us would feel comfortable written that Cobra chek, But as do it yourselfer, 914 guys, a Solstice with the future of Cobra level performance may cause some ink to flow.

I agree about the funky top, but I would build a hard top to replace that rag. This is an american car, fit and build quility are typical. Let's face it kids, our 914's aren't that good either. In stock form, the early cars were under powered, soft suspension, no sway bars, and fit and finish..... We'd be right at home chasing the parts that fall off as we drive. (voltage reg. fell off my relay board once )

The car looks too wide to be a BMW Z3 chick car. I may look into building a hard top for resale. The top is uglier than a mud fence.

Who say's they can't fit into one? What are you a giant? There's as much room as the 914...

I'm not in the market to replace the Alien, But the car grabbed the hot rodder in me. Nice to flex the creative brian muscles once and a while.

QUOTE (rick 918-S @ Mar 28 2006, 10:27 AM)

This will be a future Cobra platform for the hot rodders. Mark my words. All the "off the shelf parts" from the factory to make this car real fast. Sure you can buy a Cobra ifen your Donald Trump, or Howard... ( )Not many of us would feel comfortable written that Cobra chek, But as do it yourselfer, 914 guys, a Solstice with the future of Cobra level performance may cause some ink to flow. I agree about the funky top, but I would build a hard top to replace that rag. This is an american car, fit and build quility are typical.  Let's face it kids, our 914's aren't that good either. In stock form, the early cars were under powered, soft suspension, no sway bars, and fit and finish.....  We'd be right at home chasing the parts that fall off as we drive. (voltage reg. fell off my relay board once ) The car looks too wide to be a BMW Z3 chick car. I may look into building a hard top for resale. The top is uglier than a mud fence. Who say's they can't fit into one? What are you a giant? There's as much room as the 914... I'm not in the market to replace the Alien, But the car grabbed the hot rodder in me. Nice to flex the creative brian muscles once and a while.

I know what you are saying but if you were in the market for a car of this type,right now,would you buy a Solstice? I sure as heck wouldn't especially with my wifes' experience with the last 2 GM vehicles that she owned and the awful local dealer she bought them from......needed to keep a box in the vehicles for the parts and trim that kept falling off what garbage.

GM already has a removable hard top available. The new issue of Hot Rod magazine has started a build on a LS2 powered car.

Bob

Yep the LS2 is do-able, but I'd rather wait till summer and the 240-260HP turbo ecotech motor. Zoom!

Nice lookin car, and great point Rick about the future "kit kar" platform. Nothing like having a mass produced "underachiever" with space for a SBC!

QUOTE (Brian Mifsud @ Mar 28 2006, 09:56 AM)

Nothing like having a mass produced "underachiever" with space for a SBC!

GM already did that. It was called the Fiero.

Who can say? GM may sell a ton of them....mediocrity knows no borders.....look at the Chevy Cavalier a real nothing that sold in the thousands.

Grassroots Motorsports magazine did a comparison with the Solstice and a Miata setup for AX. Both were on new Hoosiers so the tires weren't a factor and run at TireRacks test track. The Soltice did amazingly well compared to the Miata which had been modded by it's owner. They gave the win to the Miata but only by a small margin. I was impressed that GM could come out with a new car that was competitive with a well sorted car like the Miata. I think GM's poor history is clouding the opinions of a lot of people. The Solstice and Fiero really have nothing in common.

QUOTE (drew365 @ Mar 28 2006, 08:28 AM)

The Solstice and Fiero really have nothing in common.

I wouldn't say the Solstice and the 914 have anything in common either.

More like the Bristol, and the Solstice future forward.

i'll be waiting to read the second sticker. the adjusted market value will be a joke. what was the out the door price rick?

k

QUOTE (rhodyguy @ Mar 28 2006, 12:37 PM)

i'll be waiting to read the second sticker. the adjusted market value will be a joke. what was the out the door price rick? k

It was called Additional Dealer Markup at one time I guess dealers are using more sophisticated sleeze these days with AMV......People don't forget when they have been scewed ....Car dealers sure do live under a rock

QUOTE (pfierb @ Mar 28 2006, 07:29 AM)

....mediocrity knows no borders.....

Is that an original? If so it should go in the famous quotes thread.

QUOTE (jonwatts @ Mar 28 2006, 01:05 PM)

QUOTE (pfierb @ Mar 28 2006, 07:29 AM) ....mediocrity knows no borders..... Is that an original? If so it should go in the famous quotes thread.

You caught me Famous Quotes thread thought I could get away with It.

Sincerely Yours Winston Churchill

QUOTE (rhodyguy @ Mar 28 2006, 08:37 AM)

i'll be waiting to read the second sticker. the adjusted market value will be a joke. what was the out the door price rick? k

Didn't really look, something like 19000.00 base, 25000.00 as shown, didn't pay much attension to that as I wasn't a buyer. But, under 25000.00 is a bargain these days as sports cars go. (ya right listen to me... Bargain.. ) Got a pocket protector and a business card?

I priced them out here, $21,600 with everything I wanted - no dealer screw you fees.