Has anybody seen the new Cheetah out there? The styling has a little Solstice Coupe in it and since I have the Coupe, anything that resembles my car gives me a kick. For about a hundred grand you can have a Solstice look! Oh well, off to the dealer to get mud flaps, Mobil One oil, and a cia.
Hmmm ... they all came from the same place and all 3 look strikingly similar to me.
Look at tail lights, license plates, and the killer . . . gas caps. Three different cars, two coupes and an open cockpit version. All three hoods are different also. Check the vents behind the doors, different wheels & tires, outside rear view mirrors, there's a bunch of other stuff too numerous to write down.
Has anybody seen the new Cheetah out there? The styling has a little Solstice Coupe in it and since I have the Coupe, anything that resembles my car gives me a kick. For about a hundred grand you can have a Solstice look! Oh well, off to the dealer to get mud flaps, Mobil One oil, and a cia.
Ditto what others have said. The Bill Thomas Cheetah dates back over 40 years, and was originally designed as a Chevy based answer to the Ford Cobra: re small car with very big engine and power. Generally, the Cheetah was not a successful race car, at least nothing near what the Cobra achieved.
Was a VERY popular 1/24 and 1/32 scale slot car, back in the day, sold by the Cox company. Those are very, very collectible in good condition.
The current Cheetah is just a way to try to repop the old cars and make a nickel.
Predating the Sol by 40 plus years, if anything, the Sol Coupe has a little Cheetah styling in the rear, not the other way around.
The Chrysler Crossfire probably resembles the Cheetah even more, from the A pillar back.
The originals were horrible cars, but could be quite fast. A friend raced one, but swore he should have had his head read when he went from a nice manageable 57 Corvette to that brute.
I wouldn't own one on a bet - and am not sure why anyone else would want to either, except for racing. They aren't beautiful, they are fugly. Lots of much more interesting cars out there in replica form.
__________________
Current fleet:
1958 MGA Twincam (race car)
1962 MGA Deluxe Coupe
1969 MGC roadster,
1957 Jamaican bodied MGA
1965 Jensen CV8,
1971 Jensen Interceptor
1969 Lamborghini Islero S
1988 Pontiac Fiero GT
2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe
Not really sure what the Chevrolet Coupe reminds me of .... IMO it just doesn't have the same sexy look as a Kappa.
The Cheetah did inspire Solstice designer, Franz von Holzhausen, to draw the Solstice shape. This according to page 14 of The Pontiac Solstice book by Gary Witzenburg. Franz saw a Cheetah at Pebble Beach Monterey Historics in 2000 along with E-Type Jags and other classic sports cars. Returning to work from Pebble Beach Wayne Cherry gave him the assignment of designing a new roadster that eventually became the Pontiac Solstice. Thus the resemblance to the Cheetah. And thank a E- type Jag for your forward opening hood. Franz's Solstice design is Pontiac perfection that will eventually grace future Pebble Beach shows.
The Cheetah is not significant because of its styling (duh) or because of its race pedigree (spotty) but because it represents a different era in sports car racing...where a guy could bolt together something in his garage and go racing against the big boys.
Somebody said it looks like a kit car. Of course it does, in a way it WAS a kit car. It was home built, limited numbers, and because of that no two were alike. The original Cobra wasn't much more than a kit car, but because Shelby had Ford backing it was able to be taken to the next level.
Look at the race cars back then: Scarab, Lotus 23, Cheetah and others...they were just guys building race cars and going racing.
Now when you look at F1, or even ALMS or LMP, the cars all look pretty much the same. Designed in the same wind tunnels, all using basically the same chassis, and computer controls. Boring.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Linear Mode
