Thank you Mr. Lutz!
When Bob Lutz, GM's chairman of North American Operations, told his staff to "Keep it simple, pure, and beautiful and it will be easy to love," he wasn't talking about
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| General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz drives out onto the stage in the new 2006 Pontiac Solstice Sunday, January 4, 2004 at the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Center in Detroit. (Photo: General Motors of Canada) |
his favorite meatloaf. He was actually describing the basic tenets to be applied to a roadster concept, entitled the
Solstice. In addition to these laudable terms, good old Bob also insisted upon a stunning amount of rear-wheel drive thrust and handling, at a ridiculously low sticker of $20,000 USD. Judging by the photos and press material accompanying the new Solstice, Bob was hardly ignored by the design team and engineers who worked at a frenetic pace to create a production-ready concept within four-months. As I reviewed the pile of information related to the Solstice, I pinched myself and drank a mug of
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| This 2006 Pontiac Solstice production vehicle, remaining true to the original Solstice concept, was built from the ground up in less than four months utilizing GM's new rear-wheel drive Kappa architecture. (Photo: General Motors of Canada) |
stout coffee to ensure that I wasn't in some sort of automotive nightmare in which Bob Lutz was tempting me into damnation with a Mazda Miata priced Pontiac-built super-roadster. I mean, what well-grounded automotive fanatic would buy the notion that Pontiac would, or even could, produce a high-performing, poor-man's Boxster or
S2000, and sell it at close to econo-car prices? Coffee and pinch marks aside, the Solstice is a sensuously designed 2-seat, wind in the hair, roadster. Take away the split Pontiac grill dominating a curvaceous nose and thoughts of a European origin are kindled. Is it Italian or German, no it must be French? Oh so sorry Pierre, the Solstice is pure American mettle.
