Not to be out done by the other cars mags, Automobile has checked in with their impressions of the England test drive with a short article on page 117. 2 New pictures as well.
Couple of quotes...
"the Pontiac Solstice is a terrific little sports car that can easily handle a lot more power than the base 2.4 liter Ecotec"
"The driving position is nicely sorted, making heel-and-toe shifting natural. Compared with the Mazda Miata, which is cramped for bigger people and which you tend to sit on rather than in, the Solstice envelops the driver with lots of room. In that respect, it feels more like a baby Corvette than a bigger Miata."
"Wind flow around the cabin, even with the windows down, is brilliantly managed, with hardly any backdraft making it into the cabin."
"The 170-horsepower engine has lots of midrange pull, decent top-end power, and a sporty rasp under hard throttle that's easily the best exhaust note we've heard from an Ecotec. Our only criticism is that the engine is rough around the 6000-rpm mark, lacking the sweetness of the best Japanese fours."
"The five-speed gearbox is slick, with short throws and a naroow gate. The ratios are nicely spaced, although fifth gear is very much a cruising overdrive."
"The base car should give Mazda a lot to think about, with a 250-horsepower-plus turbo version coming later should be a humdinger. Just fix the sterring please."
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2006 VIN #30, first 1000 series, black exterior, sand/steel interior
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