Autoblog

Red Bull drifts through downtown Atlanta

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 10 May 2011 20:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hyundai, Pontiac, Racing

Red Bull Peachtree Drift Battle in Atlanta - Click above to watch the video after the break

According to the company's slogan, Red Bull is supposed to give you wings. Apparently, all it gives Rhys Millen and Ryan Tuerck is smoke... tire smoke that is, and lots of it.

The two drivers - Millen in his Hyundai Genesis Coupe and Tuerck in his Pontiac Solstice Coupe (may it rest in peace) - were flown out to the Georgian capitol to take part in the Red Bull Peachtree Drift Battle, which, as you may have guessed, takes place down Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta.

There's isn't really a winner to this staged race, except for perhaps all the innocent bystanders who got a much-needed injection of excitement into their routine daily commutes. See all the tire-smoking action in the video after the break.

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Red Bull drifts through downtown Atlanta originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 May 2011 20:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barrett-Jackson 2011: First and last 2010 Pontiac Solstice on the block *UPDATE: W/Video

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:55:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Auctions, GM, Pontiac

First and last 2010 Pontiac Solstice at Barrett-Jackson 2011 - Click above for high-res image gallery

A great cry of weeping and teeth-gnashing could be heard around the globe after General Motors decided to put an end to the Pontiac brand a few years back. Of course, that also means the last several machines to roll down the line could potentially become collectors items.

Does that include the 2010 Pontiac Solstice Coupe or Convertible? That's tough to say, but something of a precedent could indeed be set tonight at Barrett-Jackson as the very first and very last 2010 Solstices are going up on the auction block, sold as a pair.

First up is #1 of 12 Solstice GXP Coupes built in 2010, in Kinetic blue with an interior in black leather with matching blue accents. It's also the only Heritage Coupe built with a manual transmission. Up next is the very last 2010 Solstice built (of 20 total), a Kinetic Blue Convertible.

Check out both the Coupe and Convertible models' official auction pages on Barrett-Jackson, and watch Speed's live online coverage here.

*Update: Check out a video of the auction after the break.

Gallery: The first and last Pontiac Solstice cars produced at Barrett-Jackson 2011

Continue reading Barrett-Jackson 2011: First and last 2010 Pontiac Solstice on the block *UPDATE: W/Video

Barrett-Jackson 2011: First and last 2010 Pontiac Solstice on the block *UPDATE: W/Video originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Finally Official: Pontiac is dead

Jeff Glucker — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Pontiac

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

Pontiac has been dead for some time now, at least from a manufacturing point of view. The Vibe was the last vehicle to roll of a Pontiac assembly line, marking the end of new car production for the brand in August of 2009. However, the former automaker has been stuttering and mumbling to itself while lying in its death bed. After all, new cars still needed homes and buyers eventually ponied up dough for the keys to the ghostly souls of a marque that once built the king of muscle cars: the GTO. Now, though, the very last new Pontiacs have been sold and the brand is completely, officially, no-doubt-about-it dead.

In an act of ~~lunacy~~ mercy, retired police officer Ed Dieffenbach drove over 1,100 miles to trade in his Chevrolet Silverado on one of the last Pontiac Solstice Coupes left in the country. Driving from Miami to northern Florida, Mr. Dieffenbach helped put an end to the brand's suffering while also putting a somewhat stylish two-door in his driveway. We're sure he'll have years of fun with the Solstice, as long as he doesn't need to use the cup holder... or stow the roof... or look back.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe

Photos copyright (C)2010 Sam Abuelsamid / AOL

[Source: The New York Times]

Finally Official: Pontiac is dead originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe: Great moments in cupholder history

Alex Nunez — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., GM, Pontiac, Humor

2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe's weird cupholders - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you've ever driven a Pontiac Solstice, you know that it's a very pretty but extremely flawed car. In the interest of getting the concept car's look exactly right in production form, GM had to make a host of compromises, which manifest themselves in a number of ways.

You all know about the roadster's ridiculously recalcitrant top mechanism and dearth of usable space for both humans and cargo. What you may not be aware of is that inside the cockpit, there are three cupholders. One is actually semi-usable - it pops out of the transmission tunnel on the passenger side but is a bit flimsy and threatens to dump on your passenger's lap. In the convertible, the other two are mounted in a pop-out tray below the storage bin between the front seats. Perhaps they were designed by someone with a cruel sense of humor. Or maybe by a fan of comic books, because unless one possesses the flexibility of Reed Richards, it's essentially impossible to reach for a drink nestled in one of them without incurring some sort of sports injury.

After our man Sam Abuelsamid reviewed the 2009 Solstice GXP Coupe, I got to spend a week with one myself. (My car had a manual gearbox - the only difference between the two). One of the first things I noticed about the interior is that the tray with the useless cupholders is absent from the space between the seats. I opened the owner's manual and, sure enough, the only cupholder mentioned is the one in the tranny tunnel. But while loading the "trunk" (as it were), I discovered an undocumented feature. Well, two of them, actually.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe

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2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe: Great moments in cupholder history originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2008: 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe live reveal [w/VIDEO]

Dan Roth — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:46:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Coupe, GM, Pontiac

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

A self-effacing and impeccably dressed Bob Lutz took shots at the old Pontiac during the live reveal of the 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe. Busting on the arrowhead's former taste for cladding and Iron Dukes in the "excitement" product line, Lutz confidently strode alongside a silver 2009 Solstice GXP Coupe as it rolled out amidst fanfare provided by the Young Lords. Strobe lights flashed, music blared - it was like catching the last act of Kimmel, complete with Pontiac Garage signage. The Solstice Coupe replaces the world's flimsiest soft-top setup with a composite targa panel. 50-Cent also made an appearance and touted the performance of the GXP-trim Solstice, saying "It's faster than a Porsche Boxster. For $30,000... pick this one, not that one," while pointing at the Porsche display. The look of the Solstice Coupe is definitely zoomy - think of a C3 Corvette left in the dryer too long and you get the idea. Inside, the feeling is perhaps slightly less claustrphobic, but the general low-budget interior continues, though the GXP on the stand was wearing leather on the seats. The price of entry will still be a bargain when you look at the style it buys (official pricing hasn't been announced) - and the Coupe may even have enough trunk for an overnight bag.

Gallery: 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe - Live Reveal

Continue reading New York 2008: 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe live reveal [w/VIDEO]

New York 2008: 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe live reveal [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lutz definitely up for a Solstice Coupe

John Neff — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:09:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Pontiac

The gents at Winding Road (you remember those guys, right?) got up close and personal with Bob Lutz at a recent media event and asked him directly about whether or not a coupe version of the Pontiac Solstice was still in the works. The answer Lutz gave was guarded, but it clearly indicates a coupe was part of the plan all along and that, at least Lutz, still wants to build one that looks just like the concept that debuted back in 2002 (shown above). It seems that in order to make the business case for the Solstice sound, the coupe was left off the table at the first go round. General Motors will likely sit down to review the success of the Sostice so far and determine whether or not more economies of scale can be realized with another Kappa model, which at that point a Solstice Coupe will likely get a green light. Lutz goes on to call the decision to build a coupe "logical" and adds it would be very good for racing, which is an area in which the Solstice is enjoying some early success already.

[Source: Winding Road]

Lutz definitely up for a Solstice Coupe originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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