Great looks and a great chassis are somewhat pointless if there isn't something equally awesome to mobilize the combination. In the case of Solstice, 240 supercharged horsepower will provide the "stunning thrust" demanded by Mr. Lutz. The horses are corralled within a modified, 2.2-liter GM, Ecotec 4-cylinder, double-overhead cam powerplant. Given the anticipated light overall weight of the Solstice, performance figures
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| 240 supercharged horsepower will provide the "stunning thrust" demanded by Mr. Lutz for the all-new Solstice. (Photo: General Motors of Canada) |
ought to live up to Bob's expectations. I am sure that its no coincidence that the Solstice 2.2-L supercharged 240 horsepower equals the 240 horsepower of Honda's naturally aspirated 2.2-L beast in the S2000. Pontiac's hot little four-banger may not have the refinement and high rev capability of the F1 inspired Honda inline-4, but I would be willing to bet that with a supercharger forcing wind down the Ecotec's throat, lower-end torque will favor the Solstice. Historically, the Pontiac division of GM has been considered the performance division. Think back to the original 1960s GTO and the Pontiac "wide track" marketing campaign; am I aging myself or what? Although Pontiac embarked upon a 2-seat sports coupe in the 1980s, the Fiero was short-lived and was never completely topless. Pontiac's newest creation, a true 2-seat, rear-wheel drive, supercharged roadster, is absolutely groundbreaking and worthy of serious recognition. Kudos to Bob Lutz!
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| Starting in 2006, production of the Solstice will be limited to 100,000 units over five years. (Photo: General Motors of Canada) |
We all know that ogling a roadster is no replacement for actual seat time. Unfortunately Solstice seat time is not scheduled to arrive until 2006. When it does, I predict the boys at Pontiac will have a tough time holding back the crowds of frugal sports car fans waving checks in the air in a vain attempt to seal a deal on one of the only 20,000 units anticipated per year - unfortunately the Solstice is not expected to be a high volume production vehicle. Production will be limited to 100,000 units over five years as high production runs drive up the costs, said Mark Reuss who heads-up GM's Performance Group, which developed the Solstice for production.
