Pontiac Solstice reality beats ‘virtual reality’ any day
PORTLAND, ORE. — The Pontiac Solstice is one of the most exciting new vehicles introduced by General Motors in a couple of decades – if not THE most. It is a real sports car, offering real driving fun, and strikes a stunning visual pose from every angle, and looks far more expensive than its $25,000 price tag.
A Corvette or Viper are “real†sports cars, they command price tags over $50,000 and are impressive primarily because of enormous engines that produce enormous power. But enormous engines or mind-blowing gobs of horsepower aren’t required to be a true sports car for the masses and produce exhilarating driving pleasure – as the Mazda Miata MX-5 has proven during a 15-year lifespan as the only true sports car under $25,000.
With the introduction of the Solstice, the Miata no longer owns that domain by itself. You could say that we now have the winter solstice, the summer solstice, and, because the top fits well and snugly, a year-round Solstice.
The Solstice was first revealed at the 2002 Detroit Auto Show, where it was voted the “best concept car.†After only 27 months, the car springs to life in the real world, retaining all the elements of the concept while springing to life in about half the four or five years that normally is required. We climbed aboard a fleet of Solstices at the media introduction near Portland, in the Columbia River Gorge that provides some stunning roadways on both sides of the river separating Oregon from Washington. We didn’t discriminate, driving on both sides.
The Solstice sits low and wide, with an aerodynamically rounded front end, and a mesh-screen dual-opening grille wrapping up from the bottom, not unlike the look of an electric shaver. The silhouette is particularly appealing because the rear end is chopped off abruptly, right behind the rear wheel opening, and an extra styling trick is the dual sculptured humps tracing back from the two bucket seats.
GMÂ’s global powertrain team came up with the idea of the Ecotec several years ago, when severe high-tech competition demanded that a compact, overhead-camshaft four-cylinder would be a necessary component to the hope of building competitive small cars. Opel of Germany, Saab of Sweden, and GM had a project center in Norwich, England, and the first Ecotec was a 2.2-liter in the 2000 Saturn L. Opel put the same engine into four of its models for 2001. The 2.2 version now comes on the Chevrolet Cobalt, with a supercharged 2.0-liter version in the Cobalt SS and the Saturn Redline, and a turbocharged 2.0 is the Saab 9-3 engine.
For the Solstice, the Ecotec has enlarged bore and stroke to measure 2.4 liters, and it adds variable valve-timing for a broader torque range, and other electronic upgrades, and will be built in Spring Hill, Tenn., at GM PowertrainÂ’s assembly base. It has 177 horsepower at 6,600 RPMs and 166 foot-pounds of torque at 4,800 RPMs.
In an impressive display of cost-effective innovation, there was no existing adaptable platform, so the Solstice starts with a unique base, featuring hydroformed tubes running full-length on both sides, and a center-tunnel spine to make the structure more rigid. The sculptured body required something beyond the ordinary sheet-metal presses, so GM came up with a method of hydroforming — using high-pressure water force to bend and shape the curves of the large body panels.
While all the significant parts give the Solstice its flair and personality, GM also wisely went to its existing parts bin to reduce cost. The doors, for example, came from the new Cobalt. The air conditioning controls came from the Hummer H3. The gauge package came from the Cobalt, but with several alterations. The transmission is taken but revised from the Canyon compact pickup. The seat frames came from the Corsa, built in Mexico. And the rear differential came from CadillacÂ’s Sigma platform. But none of the parts-bin parts intrudes on the uniqueness of the Solstice.
The whole is a whole lot more than just the sum of those parts for the brainchild of General Motors vice president Bob Lutz, who came on board and immediately instructed Pontiac to come up with a reasonably priced sports car that could be a halo car for the brand, and, in fact, for all of GM. The final result is a car full of innovations, with very few shortcomings, and possibly none that rise above the nuisance/nitpick level.
I like the interior layout, but for some reason, designers put bright chrome circles around all the instruments, and dropped them down into individual tunnels. Recessing the gauges reduces reflection off the gauge lenses, but the chrome creates glare of its own. And the fuel gauge is recessed about four inches, where one inch would do, and it’s so far down its little tunnel that it is difficult to read – and more difficult because its little tunnel is aimed up where only a 9-foot driver can read it straight on.
Such complaints are certainly minor, and easily overlooked because of the fun-to-drive quotient. Solstice is quick enough, shifts smoothly, handles superbly, and has that charismatic feel that it makes it seem that it can anticipate your driving instincts.
With a sticker price of $25,000 for a well-equipped model, $27,000 if you add GMÂ’s OnStar system, the Solstice undercuts flashier sports cars like the Honda S2000, Porsche Boxster, BMW Z4, or Mercedes SLK. But it canÂ’t avoid running head-on into comparisons with the Miata. You could consider acceleration about equal, although the Solstice 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder is almost 20-percent larger than Miata’s 2.0. The drop-top is more difficult to lower on the Solstice because you have to hop out and lift the rear lid before manually folding the top into its receptacle, whereas you can lower or raise the Miata top with one hand from the driverÂ’s seat.
The Solstice five-speed manual transmission feels good, but the Miata offers a five-speed stick as standard, and either a five-speed automatic with paddle-shift controls on the steering wheel – or, a six-speed manual as options. The Solstice may not need a six-speed, but it might have been wise to offer one, just for those who will compare, and who might like to run at lower revs on freeway cruising.
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Automobile magazine compares the Solstice and Miata, and claims the Solstice ran 0-60 in 7.3 seconds and the Miata 7.4. Car & Driver, meanwhile, has the Solstice at 7.2 seconds, and the Miata in a swift 6.5 seconds. The disparity gives further evidence to my theory: If a car feels quick, it is quick enough, as perception becomes more important than reality. Both cars feel quick, which elevates the rookie to instant status. Miata is into its third generation and 16th year of refinement, while the Solstice, as a rookie, deserves credit for earning comparison.
I missed the virtual introduction of the Solsitce on television when it was featured on “The Apprentice.†The difference between reality and reality shows is as distinct as the difference between a true sports car, and creating the illusion of a sports-car experience. Reality is something we live, day after day, while movies and TV shows should be a chance to watch professional actors follow an actual script that might range from compelling to silly, but offers an escape from reality.
In reality shows, producers bring in normal (?) citizens to do strange things. A few weird ideas replace scripts, and unskilled civilians replace real actors – and their salaries. So I vowed to never watch a reality show, and I’ve upheld it, even though every network seems to have filled their schedules with competing reality shows. I realized how pervasive the genre had become when I spotted a promotion for “The 40 Best Reality Shows.†I had no idea…
Anyhow, Pontiac got contestants on The Apprentice to try to develop a promotional brochure for the Solstice, in a brilliant move no promotional brochure could match. Coinciding with that show, the public was offered a 10-day, early-order program for the Solstice, and the first thousand sold in 41 minutes, while 7,116 Solstices were sold in 10 days, with 40,000 consumers registered.
But forget the virtual introduction. In the real introduction, at one point on our drive route we could look one direction and see Mount Hood, and another direction and see Mount Ranier, and Mount St. HelenÂ’s and Mount Adams were also within view. Very impressive. Mount RanierÂ’s peak towered above its own personal clouds, as you look at a real-world attraction. Our bright red Pontiac Solstice, in the foreground, looked poised to take off, as a real-world automotive attraction. If thereÂ’s any symbolism there, Pontiac is welcome to it. It beats virtual reality every time.
(John Gilbert writes weekly automotive reviews; click on the search feature of www.jwgilbert.com to find archived reviews of recent years.)
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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