Full review:From Edmunds.com:
The Solstice we drove, however, is a dead ringer for the model shown as a concept at the 2002 Detroit Auto Show. And we were told by Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson that, save a few minor details, we were looking at what would appear in showrooms late in the summer of 2005.
The Solstice is the first General Motors vehicle to use hydroformed body panels. Hydroforming has been used to create the frames of GM's full-size pickups since 1999 and the frames of C5 Corvettes since the mid-'90s, but never for body components. Much like it sounds, hydroforming is the process of using fluid to shape metal.
The cabin is surprisingly roomy. There's plenty of foot room and the steering wheel cleared our knees and thighs by a wide margin.
Unlike some other roadsters, we didn't feel shoehorned into a tight spot for the privilege of ragtop motoring. The only complaint we'd make is that many interior surfaces, such as the cowl in front of the passenger, are too hard.
Pontiac sourced the manual gearbox from the same company that supplies the six-speed shifter for the Honda S2000.
The shifter felt good moving through the gears, with short throws to distinct engagements. The fairly fat steering wheel also felt good in our hands and is firmly connected to the rack-and-pinion steering system. Only rigorous driving would confirm this, but we suspect the Solstice's four-wheel independent suspension, forged aluminum control arms, monotube shocks, coil springs and 18-inch wheels and tires will combine to provide excellent handling response and much driving pleasure. And the standard four-wheel disc brakes should bring it down from speed quickly in a controlled manner.
At 2,860 pounds, the Solstice is no lightweight. Pontiac claims the new 170-horsepower, 2.4-liter variable-valve version of the Ecotec DOHC four-cylinder engine is enough to move it from zero to 60 mph in just over seven seconds... And, said Hopson, the Ecotec engine could easily be supercharged or turbocharged in the future.
Even naturally aspirated, Pontiac's 0-60 time for the Solstice is just about a half-second more than it takes the Mazdaspeed Miata, which we see as the Solstice's closest competitor.
The Solstice may have the edge in price. A Mazdaspeed Miata runs about $26,000, but Pontiac says even a loaded Solstice will come out under $25K. In fact, when the production Solstice was unveiled at the 2004 Detroit Auto Show, GM Chairman of North American Operations Bob Lutz promised it would cost less than $20,000. Many predicted that would be impossible.
They were wrong. "We're going to offer a model of this car for under $20,000," Hopson said. "That's a line in the sand." He assured us the base model would retail at $19,995 when the Solstice arrives in showrooms next year. The base version is not some bare-bones version, either, he said, but includes the aforementioned 18-inch alloys, four-wheel disc brakes and the aluminum sport suspension.
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http://www.edmunds.com/future/2006/.../pontiac/solstice/100380124/preview.html?tid=edmunds.h..reviews.rightbanner.1.*
