TC
aka TomCat
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2005
- Messages
- 11,432
Well, I went to the Phoenix International Auto Show this weekend. They had a few Corvettes to mess with, including an Atomic Orange Z06 which was just beatiful to see in person and sit in. I loved the way the cockpit feels. It hugs you. I can't imagine pushing 200mph in that thing. I got to sit in a few other cool cars as well. BMW M6 and Z4M. Audi RS4 and S6. Porcshe Cayman S. Merc SL55AMG, SLK55, CLS63. Sadly, Ford didn't have any GT's or GT500's to mess with.
While I was at the show I made it a mission to spend alot of time checking out the cars I want for my next vehicle. Solstice, Sky, S2000, MX5, RX8, 350Z, GTi, WRX, and even an MS3. I'm glad to report that I can easily fit in all of them, despite being 6'2" and 195lbs. Even the S2K was big enough, despite banging my knee on the steering wheel trying to get in. Everyone who says they're too small must need a diet and a gym membership.
So after the Show, my brother-n-law wanted to test drive an STi WRX, since he really wants to move up from his regular WRX. Well, we ended up stopping by a Pontiac dealership and I ended up test driving a Solstice. They had a beautiful dark green full-spec model out front, along with a couple black and blue models. I was nervous to drive it at first, because the last time I drove a sportscar with a manual, the clutch and throttle were very sensitive and I had trouble driving smoothly without making the car jerk. The only other manual I've driven in the past 2 years was in my brothers 1989 Ford Bronco II, so I was nervous about it, especially in a busy part of Scottsdale across from a Ferrari dealership. But the car was very easy to drive. The shifts were very short and precise with a solid, but light movement. The clutch was perfect, not as light as some I played with at the car show, but not nearly as heavy as my brother's WRX. The throttle was very responsive, but the clutch made it all very easy and smooth to drive, even for someone like myself who's unfamiliar with the car and rusty with manual transmissions. The car was nothing short of fantastic. The steering was just great, almost too great, in fact. You had to keep close attention to where you're going, because any little tiny small slight movements to the steering wheel and the car would react immediately. It definitely felt like a true driver's car. You sit very low in the car, so it fells very wide. The area we ended up test driving around was near the Phoenix Zoo and the surrounding area is protected wilderness, for the most part, so there was this fantastic twisty little desert road in the middle of Phoenix for me to drive the car. And I'll tell you, it was heaven. The Solstice felt absolutely flat as a board in the turns. And it felt like the tires were glued to the road. It was just an amazing car to drive and it felt very comfortable in the short time I had with it. I didn't feel the least bit cramped, I had plenty of room all around, even put the top up to see how much head room I'd have, and I'm glad to say there was probably 2-3 inch's of extra space up there. I had to move the seat all the way back and the steering wheel up, but the car felt tailored to me. It was perfect.
It's not a particularly fast car. 0-60 takes a tad over 7 seconds. But it felt really good power wise. For a 4banger with 177hp, it pulled nicely and made a good sound. Of course, it doesn't have much weight to pull around. Even the brakes felt strong. There is the GTP turbo model, but I would be more then happy with the NA model. The car I drove had the full leather option, and even though I never really liked leather, I would definitely get it when I buy my Solstice, if only for the leather wrapped steering wheel. It was weird pulling back into the dealership and steeping out of the car. It seemed like a wide car when driving it, but you step out and look down at this little sportscar you were driving. It really is like a mini-Corvette.
Now I just need to test drive a Mazda MX5 for comparison.
While I was at the show I made it a mission to spend alot of time checking out the cars I want for my next vehicle. Solstice, Sky, S2000, MX5, RX8, 350Z, GTi, WRX, and even an MS3. I'm glad to report that I can easily fit in all of them, despite being 6'2" and 195lbs. Even the S2K was big enough, despite banging my knee on the steering wheel trying to get in. Everyone who says they're too small must need a diet and a gym membership.
So after the Show, my brother-n-law wanted to test drive an STi WRX, since he really wants to move up from his regular WRX. Well, we ended up stopping by a Pontiac dealership and I ended up test driving a Solstice. They had a beautiful dark green full-spec model out front, along with a couple black and blue models. I was nervous to drive it at first, because the last time I drove a sportscar with a manual, the clutch and throttle were very sensitive and I had trouble driving smoothly without making the car jerk. The only other manual I've driven in the past 2 years was in my brothers 1989 Ford Bronco II, so I was nervous about it, especially in a busy part of Scottsdale across from a Ferrari dealership. But the car was very easy to drive. The shifts were very short and precise with a solid, but light movement. The clutch was perfect, not as light as some I played with at the car show, but not nearly as heavy as my brother's WRX. The throttle was very responsive, but the clutch made it all very easy and smooth to drive, even for someone like myself who's unfamiliar with the car and rusty with manual transmissions. The car was nothing short of fantastic. The steering was just great, almost too great, in fact. You had to keep close attention to where you're going, because any little tiny small slight movements to the steering wheel and the car would react immediately. It definitely felt like a true driver's car. You sit very low in the car, so it fells very wide. The area we ended up test driving around was near the Phoenix Zoo and the surrounding area is protected wilderness, for the most part, so there was this fantastic twisty little desert road in the middle of Phoenix for me to drive the car. And I'll tell you, it was heaven. The Solstice felt absolutely flat as a board in the turns. And it felt like the tires were glued to the road. It was just an amazing car to drive and it felt very comfortable in the short time I had with it. I didn't feel the least bit cramped, I had plenty of room all around, even put the top up to see how much head room I'd have, and I'm glad to say there was probably 2-3 inch's of extra space up there. I had to move the seat all the way back and the steering wheel up, but the car felt tailored to me. It was perfect.
It's not a particularly fast car. 0-60 takes a tad over 7 seconds. But it felt really good power wise. For a 4banger with 177hp, it pulled nicely and made a good sound. Of course, it doesn't have much weight to pull around. Even the brakes felt strong. There is the GTP turbo model, but I would be more then happy with the NA model. The car I drove had the full leather option, and even though I never really liked leather, I would definitely get it when I buy my Solstice, if only for the leather wrapped steering wheel. It was weird pulling back into the dealership and steeping out of the car. It seemed like a wide car when driving it, but you step out and look down at this little sportscar you were driving. It really is like a mini-Corvette.
Now I just need to test drive a Mazda MX5 for comparison.
177hp to lug around 2900lbs is... a lot to ask for from the engine... for aperformance car that is...
