[2KWK4U]

Anyone here know if the Solstice is supposed to be at the Kansas City Auto Show? The show is March 3rd-6th. I'll be in St. Louis next week, and I'm considering making the 3-1/2 hour drive out to KC just to see the Solstice in the metal since it wasn't at Baltimore, and I missed Philly and DC.

The KC auto show page isn't clear as to whether it will actually be there or not. They have it on their page, but It doesn't say it'll be there for sure. They also have the SKY on their page... with a picture of the old sky concept car. :skep:

 

[jimmyo]

The Solstice has been on KC television in the ads for the auto show, so I'll bet it will be there. I'm going Friday 3/4 to see it for myself.

 

[2KWK4U]

I'll probably be there Thursday then. Leaving to head back out East on Friday or Saturday. If it's not there, I'll post Thursday night in this thread.

 

[brentil]

Remember to storm the stage and get inside that trunk!!!

If you can't get that open always ask them to open smaller things they might not get in trouble for that we haven't seen much of. Like the glove box, the footwell cup holder, the compartment between the seats. Oh, ask them to roll the windows up too if they can. Of course always try to get as close as you can and slide a camera up underneath the back end to look for fuel tank pics.

Good hunting men!!!

 

[2KWK4U]

News from the KC autoshow

Went to KC today... Pics to follow when I get back to Baltimore.

Quick notes:

1) New color! Liquid Silver Metallic. Apparently they had the black one lined up for the show, but brought this one in instead. I'm almost certain this isn't the same grey one they've been showing. It was completely monotone. The windshield surround and the area between the headrests and decklid were the same color as the rest of the body.

2) I got 'em to try to open the cupholder on the center console (passanger's side) but it apparently wouldn't open.

3) I got 'em to open the little compartment between the seats. No trunk release latch there in this one.

4) I got 'em to fold the passanger's seatback forward . Oddly enough, there's no compartment evident at shoulder level, but there is a subwoofer in the bottom cavity.

As I said... pics to follow.

I got all of this through absolute SHAMELESS begging and pleading with every GM rep I could find there. For those who are going, the man to talk to is Mike Bonadanna (not quite certain on the last name). He's the guy who knew the most about the car, and apparently the one with the most authority. Luckily, he was also the loosest with information, and gave it up with full knowledge that I would be posting info and pics to this forum. (He knows about us... they ARE watching!).

One disheartening thing Mike did say, and I don't wanna believe, is that in his opinion we may not see it in showrooms until as late as September. He based that on everything else from GM lately being introduced about a month behind schedule. He says after production starts in mid May, expect 8 weeks before the first one is fully assembled... no word on what the additional 8 weeks are for. I didn't question him too much on that because frankly I didn't wanna hear it.

Edit: Oh yeah, when I mentioned to Mike that someone got trunk-open pics from the SLC show and posted them to the forum his comment was *frown* somebody's gonna lose a job over that one.

 

[mceb]

Wow, good digging 2KWK4U ! Silver would be nice to see.

Hope he's not right on the delays but maybe they will be going very slow in beginning for quality reasons.

 

[RODEO]

I think the top is the reason for the delay:lol:

 

[2KWK4U]

I think the top is the reason for the delay:lol:

I got the impression from Mike that the top is still somewhat of a problem, but I can't recall everything he told me. Should have brought a video camera or tape recorder! Had no idea I would actually get to talk to someone that might know MORE about the car than I did.

Funny thing. When I got there, there was a local dealer spouting misinformation. He was telling some poor guy that it will have a retractable hardtop, and... this is a whopper... that when it comes out with an automatic trans it will come with a gas-guzzler tax :lol: :willy: :glol: :brentil:

The guy pretty much called the dealer a bonehead and told him he should figure out the difference between a Solstice and a GTO.

 

[waiting]

Sweet! Maybe this will help me decide between the dark grey with silver stripes or the silver with dark grey stripes. I should be there Friday afternoon to collect my own pics. I'm thinking I should bring a towel to mop up my drool.
BTW nice job 2kwk4u on getting them to do those things for you. Do you think they removed (or never installed) the trunk release or will it be somewhere else? Why do you think the cupholder wouldn't open? I thought maybe with the new color could be a closer to production car.

 

[brentil]

Awesome news. I can't wait to see your images!!!

 

[SolsticeMan]

...4) I got 'em to fold the passanger's seatback forward . Oddly enough, there's no compartment evident at shoulder level, but there is a subwoofer in the bottom cavity.
...

From this pic: http://www.solsticeforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=162&size=big&sort=2&cat=3014

you said the subwoofer is in the lower cavity? Seems like it's either not much of a subwoofer, or maybe it uses the upper cavity as a resonator?

Just wondering.

 

[mceb]

I thought maybe with the new color could be a closer to production car.

Yup, silver is one of the production colors...could be a true production model we see now

 

[2KWK4U]

From this pic: http://www.solsticeforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=162&size=big&sort=2&cat=3014

you said the subwoofer is in the lower cavity? Seems like it's either not much of a subwoofer, or maybe it uses the upper cavity as a resonator?

Just wondering.

I was trying to figure that out myself. It can't be larger than a 6" speaker wiht that small of an enclosure. I suppose it's possible that the upper chamber is part of some sort of bandpass enclosure, but I doubt it. I couldn't see an actual speaker cone, just the grill, so I can't say what size the woofer is. Mike kept raving about how good the stereo sounds. That's kind of a shame because I had all but convinced myself that I could live without upgraded audio options. Might still just stick with the base-level stereo system and use that space to double my cargo-carrying capacity :lol:

Mike also confirmed for me that the inflator kit is where we've seen it (driver's side of the trunk) and that the "hump" is the gas tank. He hinted that he could show me the trunk, but I couldn't take pictues of it. But that's about when a crowd started gathering around it.

As for the cupholder, they say maybe it's just a representation at this time and there's no cupholder present. I do believe this one to be closer to production-spec than the black one. Mike told me that the black one is the most "fragile" of the show cars. I'm not sure, however that this one isn't simple one that we've seen already with a different paint job. I found it odd that they told me the black one was there that morning before the show opened, and they replaced it with the liquid silver at the last minute. I figure they may have been unsure if the paint would look good and be cured in time for the show. I suppose it could just as well mean that they weren't sure if they would get a brand new show car built in time.

Oddly enough, though, Mike told me that this one was VIN number x001, as in the FIRST show car they buillt, which led me down the "repaint" train of thought.

 

[Fformula88]

Thanks for all the detective work! Great job! I hope the Sept rumors are not true!! Interesting that they are still talking about problems with the top too. I wonder if that is still old information, or if they still have not gotten it worked out!

 

[AeroDave]

Good job 2KWK4U. They would do all that but not let you sit in it? I can understand hiding the trunk and top for now, but why they won't let people sit in them is getting me worried. What are they hiding about the way you sit in it? Nothing would get people more fired up at a show about this car, and make them forget about the top and trunk, then a sit behind the wheel IMO. Why the mystery around this car?

 

[Rickady88GT]

If I were GM I would not let people sit in it. I was at the LA auto show and saw a GM car that was open to the public, and the public was not nice to it. The seats were already getting worn and it was getting dirty fast. Show cars that are are dirty and wornout dont make good show cars. Then there are the #&%[email protected]*^% that vandalize the cars for fun. Now as far as letting a few select people get in? That can go bad too. If you let one in the people will line up to get in and bug you to death with "I might buy one if I like the way it feels?" "I am realy tall and would buy one if I can fit?" " I am over sized and would buy one if I could fit?" and on and on and most of them dont even plan on buying one anyway. I would feel sorry for the poor guy that has to put up with all that all day.
A show car that you dont have a replacement for has to be hands off. You cant let your only car (only one at that show at that time) get vandelized or worn out and dirty. That kind of "show car" would realy look bad for GM. Then there are the ones that wont respect the rules. Tel them they cant touch this or that and they do anyways? How would you feel about letting this kind of person in your car?

 

[jimmyo]

Just got home from the KC Auto Show with pictures and some news. The presenter stated that GM is telling all the Pontiac dealers that the first 5 cars that they receive can be sold at no more than sticker price. She said GM knows that dealers will try to gouge the customers. Also got a picture of the glovebox.

 

[brentil]

Woo-Hoo great pics!!! New color and we've never seen the glove box open before. Do you know how tall the lady sitting in the car is?

 

[jimmyo]

She must have been at least 5' 8", maybe taller. She said she wished she could let me sit in the car, but liability issues prohibited it. That's probably why it's on the tilted stage. Lets you see more of the inside and lets them claim they are worried about my safety.

 

[Fformula88]

Thanks for the pics! Does the blond come standard in the passenger seat? :lol: