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Sky Coming Too Soon???? A Topic of Discussion.

5K views 71 replies 24 participants last post by  SolsticeMan 
#1 ·
Up until a few days ago I knew of the Saturn Sky, had seen it, and wasn't all that impressed. [JMO, but the Solstice is a beautiful artistic design, while the Sky looks more like a hodge podge of leftover parts, but that's another discussion]. I figured it was just typical GM having multiple look alike cars as usual.

But I originally thought that with the Solstice being a 2006, and the Sky being a 2007, there would be at least a year between the 2 coming out. Now it appears the Sky might be out in February, which puts it less than 6 months on the heals of the Solstice. Am I the only one out there who thinks this will actually hurt, not help? I know it helps automakers bottom line to build cars with like parts etc, and they all do it to some extent, all the time. Except I think with GM they take that to the ridiculous extreme. How many different versions of 1 mini-van or SUV can 1 company build before profits actually deminish? GM always pushes that to the limits, so when will it stop with this car? I mean, will there be a Hummer Kappa?

Bottom line, I just think that by putting out the Sky so soon it will take away some of the mystique surrounding the Solstice. Since the Solstice is being made in such limited quantities, some people might/will not have even seen one by February. I guess I just think it's a shame that GM is finally putting out something that has the potential to be Vette like classic, and they are going to ruin it by double dipping their chip.

Am I alone?
 
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#2 ·
I think there's definitely potential for supply problems, but GM has promoised this car as well as the Solstice, so at this point in time, even if they wanted to delay it's release, I don't think PR wise that they could afford to. Other than for the immediate future where it is going to be difficult to meet demand, I think these cars are different enough to coexist and be profitable for GM.
 
#4 ·
Easy to say - unless your order falls into the Sol/Sky mixed production :( . Anything that would delay my delivery is just WRONG :devil:
 
#6 ·
Hey, this is GM. If any company can make duplicates of the same car, it GM. :yesnod: At least these look a little bit different. Although, not different enough.


F-Body - Camaro/Firebird
J-Body - Cavalier/Sunfire,Sunbird,J2000/Firenza/SkyHawk/Cimarron
N-Body - Grand Am/Malibu/Alero
W-Body - Grand Prix/Impala
 
#7 ·
They've been doing it for a very long time. Go back to the 1930's and look at a 1938 Chevy, Buick, Olds, Pontiac and you will see a basic resemblance. If it can be accomplished effectively, you just can't argue with the economics of it.
 
#8 ·
The Solstice is just about sold out until the Sky is released, and most people don't even know about either one yet (none on road yet, no major advertising, or other way to get word around). So I do not think adding the Sky is at all a problem.

Also, judging by the people on this forum, and the Sky fans on skyroadster.com (our Sky sister site), these two cars are really appealing to and attracting two different buyers.

There is more than enough room in the lineup for both.

Look at it this way. 20K Solstices is not meeting the initial demand. 20K Solstices plus 10K more Sky's will help move GM closer to meeting the roadster demand.
 
#12 ·
stang said:
Hey, this is GM. If any company can make duplicates of the same car, it GM. :yesnod: At least these look a little bit different. Although, not different enough.


F-Body - Camaro/Firebird
J-Body - Cavalier/Sunfire,Sunbird,J2000/Firenza/SkyHawk/Cimarron
N-Body - Grand Am/Malibu/Alero
W-Body - Grand Prix/Impala

People who have read my threads in the past know that I think the two models look "TOO MUCH" alike. And everyone would beat down on me :cuss: and said they are absolutely nothing alike. :willy: They are just built on the same platform. Thats the only similarity people were saying (scoff). Then they berated me for say that the two were basically the same car, with different body styling (hard lines/soft lines), as if I was insulting the one model by comparing it to the other.

Anyways, I don't mean to bring back that argument, but i will point out once more, that just because they are the same platform doesn't mean that GM had to make them look as similar as they have.

And my example is from Hyundai:

The Sonata and the Sante Fe are built on the same platform.

A sedan and a SUV.

Think about that the next time somebody says "of course they are gonna look a little similar, because they are both built on the kappa platform".


You may all go ahead and start bashing me again :)
 
#13 ·
ateam_77 said:
I would think they could at least get the back log of the Solstice caught up before getting the sky in the mix.
:agree: I may be wrong, but I don't think there will be more than 3-4k Solstices out by end of December! The build rate isn't very impressive. Why start a new car at the same plant when they can't fill the existing Solstice orders? That means more delays for people who have been waiting FOREVER for the Solstice...Now they will be delayed even longer because resources are going to be used to bring a different car (Sky) to market with similar features? Soundz crasy to me! :leaving:
 
#14 ·
Bonzo said:
I know it helps automakers bottom line to build cars with like parts etc, and they all do it to some extent, all the time. Except I think with GM they take that to the ridiculous extreme. How many different versions of 1 mini-van or SUV can 1 company build before profits actually deminish? GM always pushes that to the limits, so when will it stop with this car? I mean, will there be a Hummer Kappa?
I'd have to say that just because a car is built off of the same platform doesn't mean that it is the same car. Stylistically they are very different. They will appeal to different groups. GM said that they will eliminate overlap in vehicles, but this is not overlap. If you were to look at the Yukon and Tahoe that is overlap. They not only use the same platform, but their body is near identical. The only real difference comes in the interior. You can't say that about the Solstice and Sky. Body styles are very different (understanding that they are both roadsters). Saying that they are the same is like saying that the Solstice and S2000 are the same.
 
#15 ·
TerpFan has a point - if you're bored, you can read my long posts over on skyroadster.com about how I think the sum of both of the cars is better than relying on either one exclusively.
 
#16 ·
We're moving off topic here, no doubt, but the conversation's leading this way and I'm going to say it...

Would GM have been better off to use the Kappa platform in the form of a coupe rather than simply another roadster? I like the Sky a lot, but would a coupe or small wagon/hatch have been a better use of the extra capacity?

At first, I would have said yes, why build another roadster when all that will do is cheapen the Solstice (i.e. divide the potential fanbase into two segments), divide the roadster "pie" further, and waste resourses on an identical car. Now, however, I'm starting to think that the Solstice and the Sky seem to be attracting two different buyers. Lots of people on Miata.net dis the Solstice styling but seem to really love the Sky's. Also, I'm guessing the potential market for a(nother) roadster is still bigger than that for a RWD coupe or wagon.

Tony
 
#17 ·
kiljoy said:
Would GM have been better off to use the Kappa platform in the form of a coupe rather than simply another roadster? I like the Sky a lot, but would a coupe or small wagon/hatch have been a better use of the extra capacity?

At first, I would have said yes, why build another roadster when all that will do is cheapen the Solstice (i.e. divide the potential fanbase into two segments), divide the roadster "pie" further, and waste resourses on an identical car.
:agree: I think you had it right the first time. I like the looks of the Sky, but, frankly, it's little more than a "me too" product for Saturn. GM would have been better off waiting a year or two and giving Saturn a Kappa coupe, sedan or wagon.

As for the somewhat prevalent idea around here that the Solstice and Sky are attracting "completely different buyers"... I think that's more myth than reality. The fact remains that the Sol and Sky are mechanically identical and priced similarly. Neither Saturn nor Pontiac is a "prestige" nameplate. Only time will tell, but I wouldn't be surprised if the demographics of Sky and Sol buyers turn out to be more or less identical.
 
#18 ·
Let's Get Real Soltice 2006, SKy 2007

OK let's not all :grouphug: here.

If you have a Solstice on order for 6 months and it finally shows up February 2006 as a 2006 model while somebody ordering a Sky now gets a delivery date of March 2006 for a 2007 Sky, don't you think, just maybe the Soltice buyer is going to feel like he has been riped off.

We are the ones who have suffered through the delays in production etc. Why should we embrace the Sky, when it benefits from the problems solved on the Sol, gets delivered pre model year as opposed to being late, etc. etc. etc.

And don't tell me to order one, they can't hold a candle to the Sol in the looks department.
 
#19 ·
stang said:
Hey, this is GM. If any company can make duplicates of the same car, it GM. :yesnod: At least these look a little bit different. Although, not different enough.


F-Body - Camaro/Firebird
J-Body - Cavalier/Sunfire,Sunbird,J2000/Firenza/SkyHawk/Cimarron
N-Body - Grand Am/Malibu/Alero
W-Body - Grand Prix/Impala
don't know the body names, but what about

Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban/Escalade
Trailblazer/Bravada/Envoy & more I don't know the names of cause I can't keep track (like a Saab version)
 
#20 ·
Fortyninenorth said:
OK let's not all :grouphug: here.

If you have a Solstice on order for 6 months and it finally shows up February 2006 as a 2006 model while somebody ordering a Sky now gets a delivery date of March 2006 for a 2007 Sky, don't you think, just maybe the Soltice buyer is going to feel like he has been riped off.

We are the ones who have suffered through the delays in production etc. Why should we embrace the Sky, when it benefits from the problems solved on the Sol, gets delivered pre model year as opposed to being late, etc. etc. etc.

And don't tell me to order one, they can't hold a candle to the Sol in the looks department.
That would be very frustrating indeed. Better hurry back to the dealer and move your deposit over to Saturn for a 2007 vehicle.

Really, does it matter that you are getting a model year late? I remember when ordering a new BMW in Germany the wait was over 18 months. Sometimes you recieved the current model year sometimes you ended up with the previous year's model. If you a not looking to sell within 3 years it won't matter as the resale value tends to level off between 4-6 years.
 
#21 ·
Liam1694u said:
People who have read my threads in the past know that I think the two models look "TOO MUCH" alike. And everyone would beat down on me :cuss: and said they are absolutely nothing alike. :willy: They are just built on the same platform. Thats the only similarity people were saying (scoff). Then they berated me for say that the two were basically the same car, with different body styling (hard lines/soft lines), as if I was insulting the one model by comparing it to the other.

Anyways, I don't mean to bring back that argument, but i will point out once more, that just because they are the same platform doesn't mean that GM had to make them look as similar as they have.

And my example is from Hyundai:

The Sonata and the Sante Fe are built on the same platform.

A sedan and a SUV.

Think about that the next time somebody says "of course they are gonna look a little similar, because they are both built on the kappa platform".


You may all go ahead and start bashing me again :)
:agree: How about a Nissan Maxima and the Nissan Murano? They are also from the same platform.

The one area on the Sky that simply should have been changed that was left off the change list was the rear trunk lid. It should either have been flat, or it should have had trapazoidal "bumps". I think most people will agree with me on that, even the Sky people???? If they had made it flat, they might have changed the roof so it could fold different, be more compact, have a useful trunk space, maybe be motorized, and have an easier/better removable hard top. That could have been the major Solstice vs. Sky debate, but how it is now it's all about smooth vs. edgy. I also think the tail lights and the door shape are all wrong on the Sky.

Liam1964u, I'm not sure about your name, but I agree with you totally, they look too much alike, which has been one of GM's major problems for 100 years.

But hey, I have to give GM credit, they finally got it right for once. It took years for them to potentially screw up and do this copy cat thing to the Vette, but at least when they did it they got a Cadillac XLR!!!! With the radically different body, interior, and all together totally different engine, no one would suspect they are based on the same platform.
 
#22 ·
SolsticeDesire said:
I'd have to say that just because a car is built off of the same platform doesn't mean that it is the same car. Stylistically they are very different. They will appeal to different groups. GM said that they will eliminate overlap in vehicles, but this is not overlap. If you were to look at the Yukon and Tahoe that is overlap. They not only use the same platform, but their body is near identical. The only real difference comes in the interior. You can't say that about the Solstice and Sky. Body styles are very different (understanding that they are both roadsters). Saying that they are the same is like saying that the Solstice and S2000 are the same.
When you say it "is like saying that the Solstice and S200 are the same," now you are the one who's exagerating. Comparing the Solstice to the S2000 is like comparing apples to pears. They are not the same on anything except that they are both fruit. Now comparing the Solstice & Sky are like comparing Granny Smith apples to Red Delicious Apples. If you can't see that then you need better glasses. I like the Sky, but it is the Solstice's step child. Not the red headed unwanted one, just it's step child. I wish we had someone on this forum (and maybe we do) that went to CCS (Center For Creative Studies) in Detroit, or some other major automotive design school, and I'm sure they will agree that the Sky is nothing more than a redue.
 
#23 ·
Fortyninenorth said:
OK let's not all :grouphug: here.

If you have a Solstice on order for 6 months and it finally shows up February 2006 as a 2006 model while somebody ordering a Sky now gets a delivery date of March 2006 for a 2007 Sky, don't you think, just maybe the Soltice buyer is going to feel like he has been riped off.

We are the ones who have suffered through the delays in production etc. Why should we embrace the Sky, when it benefits from the problems solved on the Sol, gets delivered pre model year as opposed to being late, etc. etc. etc.

And don't tell me to order one, they can't hold a candle to the Sol in the looks department.
:agree: Awesome.

The Sky a year later would be okay, but hot on the heels of the Solstice is just too fast for EVERYONE.
 
#24 ·
Aardvark said:
:agree: I think you had it right the first time. I like the looks of the Sky, but, frankly, it's little more than a "me too" product for Saturn. GM would have been better off waiting a year or two and giving Saturn a Kappa coupe, sedan or wagon.

As for the somewhat prevalent idea around here that the Solstice and Sky are attracting "completely different buyers"... I think that's more myth than reality. The fact remains that the Sol and Sky are mechanically identical and priced similarly. Neither Saturn nor Pontiac is a "prestige" nameplate. Only time will tell, but I wouldn't be surprised if the demographics of Sky and Sol buyers turn out to be more or less identical.
Good line, "a me too product." I think GM should have skipped over Saturn and gone straight to a Buick version. They are using the Sky to help them with their new "Saturn isn't the cheap plastic thing it used to be campaign," but I don't think it's going to do much there. For Buick to have it next, it could have been totally redone and priced in the $35,000 - $40,000 market. Just think: hard top (or at least automatic roof), killer looks like maybe a Cadillac XLR (slightly more rounded), the V6 (or turbo) as standard, and things like heated seats and memory adjusting automatic seats. Now that WOOD make TIGER drool.

Also agree with your accessment of the "completely different buyers." The fact that they are supposedly building less Sky's says GM wants it to be even more limited. Probably because it's like the Mustang II? NAWWWWW. It's not that bad, I'M JUST KIDDING!!!!!
 
#25 ·
Fortyninenorth said:
If you have a Solstice on order for 6 months and it finally shows up February 2006 as a 2006 model while somebody ordering a Sky now gets a delivery date of March 2006 for a 2007 Sky, don't you think, just maybe the Soltice buyer is going to feel like he has been riped off.
I would not be surprised if they change the MY on the Solstice to 2007 when the Sky production starts. I mentioned in another thread that it would not make much sense to have a 2006 and 2007 being made at the same time on the same line.
 
#26 ·
Darn Deacon, I was going for the all time record of 5 posts in a row to myself.

Just kidding!!!!!! :lol:
 
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