[ThinkingManNeil]

Was watching the "Live with Regis & Kelly" show this morning (I usually only watch the first few minutes of it -- what can I say? I think Kelly Ripa's cute...) when they announced they'd be showing some of the "hot new sports cars" from the 2004 New York Auto Show, and that the Solstice would be one of the cars on the show! So I sat through the program to get a look at my dreammobile. The car segment was held to the end of the show and the Solstice was the first displayed in the studio by one of the editors from "Car and Driver" magazine. They also had three new BMW's (new 6-series, the Z-3, and Z-4), BMW's Mini-Cooper convertible, and a new four seater convertible concept from either Oldsmobile or Buick. But the Solstice was the star of the show IMHO as it seemed to elicit the most favourable reaction from the audience. I really wanted to see what it looked like with people moving around it and seated in it to get some idea of the size and space involved, and was quite happy with what I could see. I especially liked the look of the high rear deck, and it's overall size and styling (it really IS a gorgeous looking car!). Philbin was asking about whether the top was powered or manual (manual only according to the C & D chap), and what kind of baggage space there'd be (not a lot). Of the six cars displayed on the show, the Solstice was by far the best looking, best priced, and most exciting of the lot...

Neil H.

 

[Troy Roberts]

Very cool. Maybe I'll have to start watching Regis & Kelly! :lol

Seriously though, the Sosltice has the best lines of any new car introduction in a long time. Seems that a lot of people feel that way.

 

[mceb]

Thanks for the report Neil.

 

[Otravez]

My father-in-law watches that show (just to see Kelly) and I asked him about the Solstice. He said it looked good but the Cooper Convertable looked the most fun and also the Buick concept was neat. Just thought I'd share.

 

[2004 Acura TL]

I went to the Houston Auto show yesterday to see the Solstice.


Well, NOT :banghead

They said that it was in New York and not here:cryin :cryin

I'm like... can you not build TWO :confused

Oh well, they will not be out for a long time so I guess I will wait. I do have my new TL to drive around :smile

 

[solsticedreamer]

The Regis and Kelly Show is when I first got 'introduced' to my future car! However, I am only 16 years old and I have to do an awful lot of convinciing with my parents to let them spend $26,000 CDN on my first car! I have my work cut out for me! Wish me luck!

 

[solsticedreamer]

My father-in-law watches that show (just to see Kelly) and I asked him about the Solstice. He said it looked good but the Cooper Convertable looked the most fun and also the Buick concept was neat. Just thought I'd share.

True, the Cooper Convertible looked fun to drive, but out of the 4 vehicles on that episode, the Solstice was by far the sportiest in my opinion! That is one sweet car!

 

[Atomicracer83]

I never get to see that show anymore cause I work now...but I know they do that eveyr spring, I saw last yrs episode and it was very nice one....they decribe the HP how it looks the base price...all the good stuff.

 

[syth82]

I went to the Houston Auto show yesterday to see the Solstice.


Well, NOT :banghead

They said that it was in New York and not here:cryin :cryin

I'm like... can you not build TWO :confused

Oh well, they will not be out for a long time so I guess I will wait. I do have my new TL to drive around :smile

Actually there are at least two solstices out there, look carefully at the pics on the pontiac web site then at these: http://www.gminsidenews.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3230

the center counsel, hand brake, and stereo are different.
on the outside the tires are less aggressive and theres a hell of a lot less camber up front on the pontiac website pics. (those are both easily changed though)

 

[SolsticeMan]

Actually there are at least two solstices out there, look carefully at the pics on the pontiac web site then at these: http://www.gminsidenews.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3230

the center counsel, hand brake, and stereo are different.
on the outside the tires are less aggressive and theres a hell of a lot less camber up front on the pontiac website pics. (those are both easily changed though)

I suspect the one picture with the "supercamber" is a f**kup. It seems to be only present with the front 3/4 view either in the "neutral studio backdrop" or the "outside on wet pavement" pictures. At the autoshow in Detroit, the camber was not nearly as crazy.

In these pictures (supercamber ones), the left front tire looks like a chevette with 128,000 miles. The accompanying pictures of the right side show a more civilized camber. My pics from the autoshow have both sides camber looking "normal" and the same radio from the gminsidenews website - the same pics I see everywhere. They have the aggressive tire with a tread that looks like the GSD3 tread (found on tirerack.com) shown below, that was also on the "skeleton chassis" car.

The overall shape and cut-lines of the Pontiac website match the gminsidenews car. The only difference I see is tires and radio, and the door panels, the tires are definitely different from the autoshow car. The door panels are different also (the pontiac website pics are missing grab handles, i think). My guess is that the pontiac website car is a non-running design buck or something like that, and a different vehicle from the one that's being shown off.

Then there's the original showcar, which was also at the autoshow, the one with a full clamshell hood, shown orignally in 2002. But I don't count that as a real car.

So, it seems there's at least three, one of which is a "sort of" running original show car, one running "productionized" solstice, and one that pontiac was using for photos (maybe just a dead non-running car that is probably used for display studies). And the rolling "kappa chassis" car.

But, there's a pic out there of a car that has a single side exhaust, on the road (from AutoWeek, august 27, 2003),

and

largely thought to be the same vehicle here:
http://www.cheersandgears.com/boards/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=7230

Shape seems different from the "productionized" car. Maybe just the original show car with camoflage?

If so, where's the pontiac emblem scoop-divot on the side? And the original show car had a center stacked dual exhaust. And the fuel door is missing on the concept where it looks like a bare cap on the "on-road pics". Or is this another car yet? If so, there's probably 1 running show car, 1 unknown running car, 1 running "productionized" car, 1 dead show car that looks "productionized, and 1 rolling "skeleton chassis".

Any other pics? Anyone live near the testing facilities?

 

[syth82]

Solsticeman, I dont think you clicked on the download as wallpaper in the top corner of the pics on the pontiac site. If you do you'll see alot more. the center counsel and waterfall are both different (look at pic showing interior from passenger side) and the hand brake is also very different. Of course this doesn't mean a lot as far as whether it's a non-runner or another stage in preproduction, but there are deffinite differences. I personally would like to think the Pontiac site is a new pre-prod model, I like the differences there. Brake handle should be less intrusive and the waterfall blends better.