Autoblog

Rumormill: DeLorean Motor Company considering rescuing Pontiac Solstice?

Noah Joseph — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Pontiac, Saturn, Rumormill, MISC

DeLorean Motor Company Pontiac Solstice renderings - Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors has made a science out of sharing platforms. So when the company's Kappa platform was introduced for a new rear-drive roadster to be distributed across three different motor divisions, you'd have figured the program was pretty safe, right? Unfortunately for the workers at the Wilmington Assembly Plant which manufactured the Kappa roadsters, those three divisions were Pontiac, Saturn and Opel - three units which the General has either sold or shut down. Which is a shame, because a perfectly good rear-drive roadster platform is a heck of a thing to waste.

In one of the strangest rumors we've heard recently, however, our compatriots over at Jalopnik report that the DeLorean Motor Company (yes, that DeLorean Motor Company) is considering buying the plant and the platform from GM and putting it back into production as a new DMC.

The company's current management is speculating whether their founder, who had a long history with Pontiac, would have tried to save the dying motor division, and are reportedly encouraged by the prospect of putting the Willmington workforce back to work. At this point, there's no telling how realistic the prospects are - after all, today's DMC does little more than service the old DeLoreans and word 'round Detroit was that the Kappas were notoriously costly to build and something of a money pit.

Either way, the company has reportedly acquired a Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe for closer consideration. And we're sure there's an aftermarket garage out there somewhere that could outfit the coupe with gullwing doors...and who knows, maybe even a little Mr. Fusion for flex-fuel capacity.

Gallery: DeLorean Solstice renderings

[Sources: Jalopnik and Facebook]

Continue reading Rumormill: DeLorean Motor Company considering rescuing Pontiac Solstice?

Rumormill: DeLorean Motor Company considering rescuing Pontiac Solstice? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: The Sky has a limit after all, as GM Kappa production ends

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:58:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Plants/Manufacturing, Pontiac, Saturn

Pontiac Solstice GXP - Click above for high-res image gallery

Old saying: The flame that burns twice as bright burns only half as long. Having driven our share of Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roadsters, we can't honestly declare them to be brightly burning flames. Oh, they have their good points, but the market's worst folding top mechanism and rampant parts-sharing to keep costs in check have taken their toll on the promising droptops. What we can say, however, is that every Kappa platform vehicle is fabulous looking. Even the badge job Opel GT and Daewoo G2X.

Which is why, however small, there's a tiny tear in our eye because of the news that General Motors is shuttering its Boxwood Road plant in Delaware. It makes sense: the bankrupt automaker has euthanized Pontiac and is looking to sell Saturn. Furthermore, sales of the cramped, near-trunkless (or very odd) roadsters didn't exactly keep GM out of the red. Speaking of color, the boys over at Saturn Fans report that the last Kappa to roll off the line was a silver Solstice roadster. We just hope that "Good GM" doesn't look at the end of the Kappa platform as proof that small, sporty, rear-wheel drive convertibles are a dead end. Regardless, reach behind the seat and grab a cold one to pour out for a dead, albeit awkward, homie.

Gallery: Review: 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP

[Source: Saturn Fans]

REPORT: The Sky has a limit after all, as GM Kappa production ends originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe goes quick, just don't look back

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Coupe, Pontiac, Reviews

2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe - Click above for high-res image gallery

Climb into the Pontiac Solstice Coupe and there's an unsettling feeling of familiarity. We've been here before. And after driving off, it all begins to gel, although it has nothing to do with our previous stints in the drop-top variant. The Coupe feels like the unruly offspring of a night of passion between a C4 Corvette coupe and a Dodge Viper. And while the Solstice is nowhere near as large or as powerful as those two American icons, the DNA of both is undoubtedly present in this little machine - for good reason.

It's no coincidence that the history of the Solstice spans the Bob Lutz era at General Motors. After Lutz joined GM in 2001 to guide its product development, one of the first tasks he assigned the design staff was to create a new concept for the Detroit Auto Show. The Solstice was born, a stylistic hit was made and the convertible was rushed to production. Now, as Lutz is winding down his time at GM, the Solstice and the entire Pontiac brand are also fading off into the sunset. In many respects, this Solstice is symbolic of what was right and wrong with GM and Pontiac. And our time with the Solstice Coupe is a telling tale about the final new model from a vanishing brand.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe

Continue reading Review: Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe goes quick, just don't look back

Review: Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe goes quick, just don't look back originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pontiac G8 GXP, Solstice Coupe - Future collectors items? [w/POLL]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:01:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Classics, Convertible, Sedan, Performance, Pontiac, Lifestyle, Specialty

2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Like so many former GTO or Trans Am owners out there, will there be a day when you look back at the 2008 Pontiac G8 or Solstice as "the one that got away?" Probably not, according to Rob Hunting, General Manager at AutoTrader Classic. Despite the fact that the G8 GT is an excellent performance car, it's not really all that rare. Same goes for the Solstice. Furthermore, neither nameplate carries a significant amount of cachet - incidentally, that's something that was completely lost when GM inexplicably dropped classic names like Bonneville, Grand Prix and Grand Am.

We're not going to disagree with that assessment, but it may not be the whole story. If sales figures alone can predict a future classic, perhaps we should rush out and put a new Solstice Coupe GXP in our driveway. We spoke with Pontiac's media relations manager, Jim Hopson today, and he informed us that "well under 5,000" 2009 G8 GXPs are expected to roll down the assembly line before it's all said and done. Even more rare will be the 2009 Solstice Coupe. Somewhere between 750 and 800 total Solstice Coupes will be built this year (interestingly, all with sequential VIN numbers), and about three-quarters of those will be optioned with the high-performance GXP trim.

We're not making any recommendations here, but if any current Pontiac vehicle is ever likely to become collectible in the future, we'd put our money on the 2009 Solstice GXP Coupe, followed closely by the 2009 G8 GXP. Care to make any predictions of your own? Take our quick poll below and drop your fellow commenters a line.

View Poll

Gallery: 2010 Pontiac Solstice Coupe

[Source: USA Today, Pontiac]

Pontiac G8 GXP, Solstice Coupe - Future collectors items? [w/POLL] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEMA 2008: Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe Concept in the flesh

Drew Phillips — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Coupe, GM, Pontiac

Click above for a high resolution gallery of the Solstice GXP Coupe Concept

GM gave us an early look at its Solstice GXP Coupe Concept a few days ago, but we made sure to stop by the GM display to check out the coupe in person. We're glad to say that it's just as attractive in person, and we hope the graphics kit is an option when the coupe goes on sale later next year. Already available from the GM Performance Parts catalog is the Stage 2 performance kit and cat-back exhaust that bumps output to 290 hp. This particular Solstice also features blue accent stitching on the seats and race-style pedal covers. Check out the gallery below for the live shots from the show floor.

Gallery: SEMA 2008: Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe Concept LIVE

SEMA 2008: Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe Concept in the flesh originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: Solstice-based Lamborghini Murcielago replica

Dan Roth — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Auctions, Etc., Lamborghini, Pontiac

Click above for gallery of the Solstice Lamborghini

It seems that the world is determined to make Pontiac two-seaters suffer the terrible fate of poor transmogrification into half-baked exotic replicas. Fieros are the common victim, but this yellow spud is the result of some Idahoans attacking a Solstice. With the top down and yellow paint making you squint, it's evocative of the Lamborghini that it's attempting to rip off, but it's all over when the top goes up and that telltale Solstice convertible-top-cum-baseball-cap sees the light of day. We can't find any mention of the donor Solstice being a GXP, which would support the seller's claim of a $32,000 starting point. Additionally, a Solstice with an automatic is abhorrent, but a Lamborghini, even a replica, with an autobox is just asking for ridicule, especially when you've fiddled with the exhaust to make the note extra annoying. Lastly, we can't fathom why you'd drop the $70K these guys want for some homebuilt thing, when you can get a real Lamborghini for $27 grand.

Gallery: Solstighini

[Source: eBay]

eBay Find of the Day: Solstice-based Lamborghini Murcielago replica originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pontiac: G8 and Solstice not being canceled

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Pontiac, Rumormill

Click above for hi-res gallery of the Pontiac G8 GXP

Pontiac hopes to clear things up with a post on Pontiac blog regarding the future of its current products, namely the G8 and Solstice. It was just the other day that rumors of the brand's two rear-wheel drive vehicles possible being canceled hit the interwebs, and we dutifully reported on the story as we always do. According to Pontiac, though, those rumors are nothing more than speculation and should not be taken as gospel unless you hear it from the horse's (or Mr. Lutz's) mouth, which we have not. Still, the rumor in question indicates that the G8 will live on at least another five years, assuming it continues to sell that long, but would not be replaced after that. This could still be the case. Likewise, the Solstice has not been canceled, but it's replacement in GM's lineup still seems unlikely given the low volume of sales the vehicle attracts. In short, nobody can predict the future, but sometimes the handwriting on the wall isn't that tough to read.

Gallery: 2008 Pontiac G8 GXP - Live Reveal

[Source: Pontiac Underground]

Pontiac: G8 and Solstice not being canceled originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RWD Pontiac G8 will be dead in five years

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Pontiac

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT

It looks like things will be getting a lot less exciting at Pontiac, as some reports indicate that the erstwhile performance brand will be losing its best performers. Despite the fact that the G8 sedan has seen nothing but positive press from the media, including your humble scribes here at Autoblog, the realities of fuel economy and the global economy appear set to kill off the rear-wheel drive performance sedan in the prime of its short life. GM will reportedly not renew the G8 after its Holden-sourced chassis architecture is redesigned following a planned five-year run.

The Pontiac Solstice in both coupe and convertible forms is also unlikely to see a second generation. Unfortunately, the Solstice, Saturn Sky and their Opel spin-off don't generate enough sales to support another go-round, which could leave Pontiac with exactly zero vehicles with overtly sporting pretensions. While the G6 may be a decent car, it and a Cobalt derivative in the form of the G5 and a rebadged Aveo known as the G3 do not a BMW competitor make. What does this mean for the future of Pontiac as a brand? We'll see.

Gallery: Review: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT

[Source: Inside Line]

RWD Pontiac G8 will be dead in five years originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: GM kills the Kappa II platform

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, GM, Rumormill

The ruthless pruning continues, with GM Inside News reporting that the rear-wheel-drive Kappa II platform has gone to heaven before ever touching this mortal coil. Back in 2004, a vehicle line executive said "The Kappa architecture is a great platform for sporty, driver-oriented applications around the globe." Apparently, not one for which GM could make enough different models to actually earn some money.

Reasons for the sequel platform's demise are allegedly that the first hydra-formed Kappa is just too expensive to fabricate; the cars based on it use expensive, hydra-formed parts; assembly requires inordinate amounts of human labor; and GM didn't make its money back fast enough to justify the investment in a new RWD - read: thirstier - platform.

The current Kappa's suspension and design geometry aren't shared with any other car;, the platform was created to accept one engine, the Ecotec 4-cylinder; and it served under only four varieties of the same car: the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, Daewoo G2X and Opel GT. It was a lot to ask such a limited platform to achieve the volume's GM needed with cars on expensive underpinnings that didn't demand expensive prices. And if the rumors are true, then your Solstice GXP could be worth more than you expected, and sooner than you expected.

[Source: GM Inside News]

Rumormill: GM kills the Kappa II platform originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pontiac Solstice Coupe to pack 300 horses?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Pontiac, Saturn

Click above for high-res live shots of the 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe

Sporting a specific output of 130 horsepower-per-liter, the turbocharged, direct-injected Ecotec four-cylinder from GM that's featured in the Pontiac Solstice GXP, Saturn Sky Redline and SS versions of the Chevy HHR and Cobalt, is already one heck of an accomplishment. But wait... there's more -- power that is. According to Motor Trend, shortly after the Solstice Coupe goes on sale next year, the blown-Ecotec could make 300 horsepower or more, putting it in close competition with performance stalwarts such as Nissan's Z. What's more, the same engine should also be available in the convertible versions of both the Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Redline as well, paired only with a five-speed manual tranny in all applications.

This is just a rumor at this point, but MT seems pretty confident in its validity, citing higher intercooled boost along with a new fuel rail as the tech behind the power increase. The rumor does not mention if the higher-output mill will appear in other applications, though we remember something about the Camaro possibly getting a turbo-four mill as an option, and a tuner-friendly option offering 300 galloping horsies in stock form would make for a very interesting option in the pony car.

[Source: Motor Trend via eGMCarTech]

Pontiac Solstice Coupe to pack 300 horses? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feds investigating Solstice GXP, Sky Redline brakes

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Recalls, Safety, GM, Pontiac, Saturn

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received around 40 complaints from owners of the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Redline regarding the vehicle's braking performance. According to the owners, too much pedal effort is required to slow the vehicle down when the engine is cold. This may correlate with a TSB issued by General Motors back in December that advised dealers to recalibrate the braking control computer on both models. The system uses the stability control module's pump to increase hydraulic pressure when engine vacuum is low.

The investigation is in its preliminary stages, so no recall is in effect yet. However, NHTSA has one case of a crash involving one of the two models that could be attributed to the problem.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Feds investigating Solstice GXP, Sky Redline brakes originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Convertible, Pontiac

2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Pontiac Solstice is the crown prince of the General's lineup. With curves and flares, bulges and rakes, it's the modern equivalent of the Coke bottle aesthetic of yesteryear. Sure, some may prefer its sheetmetal sibling the Sky, but regardless of your chosen chariot, they're both head-turners. When the Solstice was introduced last year, however, it lacked the firepower to back up its sex-on-wheels image. Until now.

Gallery: Review: 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP

Continue reading Review: 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP

Review: 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Jun 2007 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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