what do you think about the saturn sky/pontiac solstice?

[Jacobfox]

Let me set the record straight here... the reason why it only has 5 gears is b/c Lutz (head honcho at GM) originally wanted 6, but the nature of the engine is such that 6 gears make no performance difference and actually slow you down (in this car) b/c you have to shift lots to keep it in the powerband with the 6-speed. Or so he says...could be a fat load of GM bullshit as usual. There will be a redline edition as well as a GXP pontiac version (powered by the same 250hp ecotec as in the VXR220)... as these are the first RWD redline or GXP cars made, we Yanks may be able to expect some decent american top down fun w/out terrible torque steer or a wallet-busting price. However, I'm not expecting much...there's a reason why I drive an evo :lol: . Also, it's supposed to cost about $20k, which is like 10000 pounds. It will cost more when it comes to europe, but still will offer top-down thrills for cheap. Also, it will be badged Opel GT when it comes to Europe, and this will be its name in the UK too, resurrecting the Opel badge in the UK. The majority of this information came from Car magazine in the UK or from MPH in the US.

 

[Raven18940]

6 speed trannies are a pain in the butt anyway, I'm glad that was dropped. What I don't understand is why it's a saturn of all things? Why not a chevy? Saturn isn't a brand I attach any kind of performance to.

 

[YF19pilot]

Personally I think these platforms will be great cars. I prefer the look of the Saturn over the Solstice, mainly because it has the look of the Opel/Vauxhall Speedster.

My grandfather likes the looks of the Solstice, which isn't bad looking, but looks too much like GM ripped off the Dodge Copperhead Concept (any remember that one?). So I'm buying him one for his birthday (well, a 1:18 scale version )

 

[BlaRo]

Even Car and Driver likes the new Solstice. And Car and Driver always inevitably ranks GM last, or near-last, in every single comparo they're in. They liked it better than a Miata! What is this world coming to?!

 

[astroboymoto]

I suspect GM is utilizing Lotus tub chassis technology but is keeping quiet about it so as not to confuse Americans that think America makes the best cars...

If you compare the chassis', it kinda appears like the Solstice is a back to front Elise 8)

 

[bihus]

The Saturn (who owns Saturn? GM?)

Yes - GM created the Saturn brand

Fark! How many manufactures are under the GM umbrella?? Holden, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Buick, Saturn, Vauxhall....err cant think of anymore

Opel, Hummer, GMC, Saab, Oldsmobile, Cadillac.... :lol:

And the best of all, Daewoo... :lol:
I think that in Brazil there was some cars branded GM, too.

 

[p0w3r]

GM also markets ISUZU, Suzuki, and Fiat in some nations

 

[bartboy9891]

they arent even american. the Sky is actually a rebadged version of a Vauxhall that is supposed to be the "grown-up" VX220. they are decent cars, but i would rather have the MX-5.

 

[bihus]

GM also markets ISUZU, Suzuki, and Fiat in some nations

GM had a tie with fiat, but not anymore.

 

[Redliner]

The Saturn (who owns Saturn? GM?)

Yes - GM created the Saturn brand

Fark! How many manufactures are under the GM umbrella?? Holden, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Buick, Saturn, Vauxhall....err cant think of anymore

Opel, Hummer, GMC, Saab, Oldsmobile, Cadillac.... :lol:

And the best of all, Daewoo... :lol:
I think that in Brazil there was some cars branded GM, too.

You are right! We had some cars badged GM, but nowadays they?re all badged Chevrolet

 

[Gophermuncher]

they arent even american. the Sky is actually a rebadged version of a Vauxhall that is supposed to be the "grown-up" VX220. they are decent cars, but i would rather have the MX-5.

Actually the sky, and vauxhall are based on the solstice concept car that made the rounds at auto shows. The vauxhill isn't even going to be built, it was just another concept car based on the solstice concept car concept (a concept based on a concept lol)

All these cars, btw, are based on GM's brand new Kappa platform.

 

[Gophermuncher]

The Saturn (who owns Saturn? GM?)

Yes - GM created the Saturn brand

Fark! How many manufactures are under the GM umbrella?? Holden, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Buick, Saturn, Vauxhall....err cant think of anymore

Opel, Hummer, GMC, Saab, Oldsmobile, Cadillac.... :lol:

And the best of all, Daewoo... :lol:
I think that in Brazil there was some cars branded GM, too.

You are right! We had some cars badged GM, but nowadays they?re all badged Chevrolet

don't forget that they own Subaru, Saab, Monaro, and Vauxhill too. It's small wonder that GM is the world's largest car manufacturer lol. Basically all american cars on the road that aren't jeeps, dodges or chryslers are either Fords or GMs

 

[bihus]

The Saturn (who owns Saturn? GM?)

Yes - GM created the Saturn brand

Fark! How many manufactures are under the GM umbrella?? Holden, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Buick, Saturn, Vauxhall....err cant think of anymore

Opel, Hummer, GMC, Saab, Oldsmobile, Cadillac.... :lol:

And the best of all, Daewoo... :lol:
I think that in Brazil there was some cars branded GM, too.

You are right! We had some cars badged GM, but nowadays they?re all badged Chevrolet

don't forget that they own Subaru, Saab, Monaro, and Vauxhill too. It's small wonder that GM is the world's largest car manufacturer lol. Basically all american cars on the road that aren't jeeps, dodges or chryslers are either Fords or GMs

Subaru isn't part of GM, afaik. AndMonaro is a model of Holden, then converted to Vauxhall, and to Pontiac GTO.

 

[Dark_Templer_102]

Subaru is part of GM, juts not fully owned

 

[patrick10]

the 5 stars in the subaru(besides the big one) stands for 5 different companies that are part owners.

 

[empowah]

The LS2 in the Monaro is a very compact V8, since it doesn't have OHCs and all, and it does fit in the Solstice. An aftermarket tuning company is making several of them, though it might upset the weight distribution of the chassis. I guess that's what the Corvette is for.

GM are deciding whether to drop in the Cobalt SS/Saturn ION Red Line 2.0L supercharged 205 hp four, or the Astra VXR's 2.0L turbocharged 240 hp four.

This standard version has 177 horsepower...

 

[Raven18940]

GM are deciding whether to drop in the Cobalt SS/Saturn ION Red Line 2.0L supercharged 205 hp four, or the Astra VXR's 2.0L turbocharged 240 hp four.

Being American they'll probably choose the supercharger.

 

[BlaRo]

I just have to say that I love this design. It's the quintessential simple, pure, roadster, from the least likely source ever. I would have had a better time believing that it came from Land Rover than the king of rebadging, the company that has churned out the Aztek, the Grand Am and Cavalier/Sunfire that have been the same since the Pleistocene era, Buicks of all shapes and sizes, and the Avalanche.


Everybody has a right to be cynical; think of all the GM cars that could have been great. Yet think about it: if it was designed in Italy it would have been one of the greatest cars ever. It came from an American company, so it's ugly and slow and boring and cheap, etc. That's what people are going to think. 30 years of mediocrity has fed the world that idea; well, I hope this car (and its inevitably rebadged sibling) help to change it slowly. I hope GM gets their shit together and produce a great worldbeater car that will make even the Brits notice, though the cynic in me says that it'll take them about 20 more years and a few kidnapped engineers from Honda and Toyota to do that, and even then.

 

[empowah]

Ah ha, found the link for the LS2 Solstice:

http://www.mallettcars.com/solstice-conversion.htm

"Six-thousand 'cc' in a car the size of a shoooooe!"

 

[patrick10]

i know chuck mallett. hes a cool dude that is flat out into cars. his dad took us all around the mallett shop where they had a supercharged mostler. if you think that the mostler that beat the 999 on fifth gear is fast, then you gotta see this thing. apparently from what they said, its 100 lbs lighter and has 750 hp. i remember him saying that it holds the track record for street legal car on some track in PA. they even drove it all the way to the track, set the lap record, and drove it home. if they do tghis solstice anything like their other cars, it will be amazing. great company with great people.

btw they have a 259 mph corvette gran sport