So finally picked up my Mean GXP last night, and after driving it home, to work, out to lunch, I have formed some very basic impressions of the car:
Engine: although this is brand-spanking new motor (less that 40 miles on it so far) I'm pretty impressed with it's smoothness and power delivery. That said, i've not used more than 25% of the throttle, and I have been short shifting at 3-4K. What is impressive is the motors pull at low revs, in high gear. It's very smooth if you let the revs drop to 1500 in fourth and then feed in throttle. I'll comment on the power and revs once I get past the break-in period.
Suspension: This is really the area where the solstice shines. Compared to my MY00 S2000, the ride is a lot smoother; the S2000 was very "jiggily" over small road imperfections, to the point where it was almost distracting. The GXP, in contrast, is extremely well damped, and it seems that the springs and dampers are extremely well matched. The steering is nicely weighted and very accurate. I've not yet cranked the car into a corner yet, but in driving on some back roads this morning I got a decent feeling of what the front tires were doing. My overall impression, so far, is one of stability and predictability. Stock S2000s were terrible with factory alignments - I'm going to take the GXP to my alignment shop and put a basic "performance" alignment on it and see how that changes things. In the spring the AutoX alignment will go on, and I'll really see what she can do.
Interior: Overall it's very nicely shaped, and quite comfortable. It is roomier than the S2000; however the seat bottoms could be longer (this is a complaint i have with nearly all cars, but at 6'2 i've learning to live with it.) The interior materials are hard; but at least the colors and textures match up well, and the impression is one of durability. And yes the power window and door switches are poorly located (but you knew that).
Exterior, Top, Trunk: OK, the exterior is lovley, and the panel gaps are very good. Infact the doors fit so well that I have to slam them a bit harder to avoid getting the "door ajar" message. The top looks good, and on mine fits extremely well. As for putting it down, or putting it up, well, um, yeah. Compared to the S2000 (which had one of the slickest power tops I've ever seen - 7 seconds from top up to top down) the GXP's top is not quick - I will certainly not be lowering it at a stop light. However the look of the car with the top down is fantastic - infact asside from some much higher priced convertables, it's just about perfect. I will be curious to see if any holes develop in the top - my S2000 developed a hole, just past the driver's side window, after about 3 years.
I do love the fact that the Solstice has a glass rear window and a rear defroster. The earliest S2000s had a plastic window which was the source of no end of problems. I had mine replaced after 4 years because it got cloudy; I had to buy a special pad for the top well to keep it from getting scratched; it was almost impossible to keep clean.
I'm not going to harp on the trunk. But it was a challenge to put my gym bag, breifcase, jacket, and lunch bag in it.
So what's the overal verdict? Excellent. Apart from the issues I new the car had going in, there have been no surprises. Once I get a few more miles under my belt I'll write a more detailed performance review.