The Solstice GXP is a fantastic car. But at the end of the day 2.0L just wasn't quite enough for me. There are so many great cars on the used market that are or will soon become attractive value options. I'm curious if there is anything out there that might tempt you away from the Solstice. What do you think?
Some of mine:
BMW Z4 (E89) - relatively cheap with a great aftermarket. Reliable 600rwhp is a couple of bolt-ons away.
C7 Corvette Z51/Grand Sport/Z06 - prices are coming down. Give the C8 a year to catch up to demand and things will be even cheaper. Last chance for a manual transmission.
Audi TTRS current and previous generation - AWD 2.5L 5 cylinder with ridiculous potential. Hard to find used though. Current gen $$.
Jaguar F-type R/SVR - AWD supercharged V8, Still spendy but it's a Jag so big depreciation is inevitable.
My 1963 split window corvette. It's all original, even the fan belts with 29K original miles. I just started it up 20 minutes ago making sure the battery was up to take it out tomorrow morning.
The base C6 - particularly the early LS2 cars - are starting to get shockingly close to a nicely kept GXP in terms of price. And you get substantially more car with the 'vette. I hear they even have functional cup holders.
I can't think of too many others that would hit my target point of price/reliability/cost of ownership. The next closest would probably be a Cayman but I'm not sure I'd be happy with a base model, and the higher trim levels get expensive quickly, even used.
I had an ''07 Solstice NA, that I traded in for a new '08 GXP that I tricked out a bit (suspension and tune - 300 WHP). I got (as a gift) a new '16 Corvette Stingray 3LT Z51 and had to let the GXP go. I love my Corvette and the camaradiere I have with other Corvette owners (never really existed with Kappas like with the Corvette 'family'), but I have to say that the Corvette is bigger and faster than the GXP, and the GXP is much more nimble. and feels 'quicker.' I don't feel 'as one with the car' in the Corvette as I did with the GXP. I wish I had them both.
More than likely I'd go old school. A restomod mid year Corvette, a 3 window Ford coupe, or possible a hot rodded 50s European car. Dunno, there's so many cool cars around. But our Solstice's continue to make us happy.
Lotus Elise. Small, nimble and pretty. Was looking at them when I discovered my Sol. Colin Chapman was right. "Add horsepower and go faster on the straightaway, reduce weight and go faster all the way around the track."
Well I have the BMW Z4M, but an E86 rather than E89 which loses in the feel and handling areas. But it isn't a Solstice substitute, it is the alternate in the summer.
If all you want is more power, 400 bhp on the LNF is just plug ins away - a bit of parts swapping and a retune. And there aren't that many sports cars around any more. Forget the Jag - the dropped second hand price is offset by the cost of fixing it - I have three friends that went that way. And the Audis are also a whole other level of maintenance cost.
None of the other sporty cars have ever attracted me - the blocky Nissans etc. You might be able to find a last gen RX7 turbo, which are very good cars, but if you are the type that likes muscle car performance without having to worry about fussy things like accurate shifting and such, I think the RX7 and the S2000 wouldn't suit you (maybe you aren't that sort of owner - I am assuming based on your choice of a Corvette).
If all you want is more power, 400 bhp on the LNF is just plug ins away - a bit of parts swapping and a retune. And there aren't that many sports cars around any more.
I've fully explored that option with the direct port meth injected EFR7163 running on E54. I'm shooting for 600whp on the next platform so it's going to require more than 2L.
So I bought the GXP a couple of years ago as an inexpensive and short term car that I could play with and have some fun on a budget. I gradually stepped up along the typical modification path finally ending with a Werks EFR6758 running on E54 and the basic supporting mods: Werks intercooler...
I'm also nearly 6'7. I love small, light cars but the Solstice is about the smallest thing I can fit in. The Corvettes work but I would have to change out the front seat Cleetus-style.
TBH, nothing really comes close at the price point I paid (less than $8k CDN with only 60,000kms on it).
My dream car would be AC / Shelby Cobra (even a replica). But these are pushing $35k+ CDN used.
I also love the Jag F-type. Visually, its the only car I think comes close to the Solstice / Sky in great body proportions (after the AC Cobra).
I've bought two of these cars now. Standard and GXP. After I got my GXP that was it. That's my car. No other car tempts me. I'm thinking about buying another used one and go nuts on it.
Wifes blue and my red 2017 chevy ss. She loves splitting the time with her solstice and ss. Convertible c7 vette if the solstice was gone would probably be our next
I've always been attracted by Lotus and Lamborghini, but I'm still working class and limited to considering within my budget. I've always liked the mid 80's merc slk's, and I'd still be driving a Fiero, both if it weren't for the age and maintenance requirements. I need a daily driver.
I've had mine for a month. My situation may change in 5-10years, but I can't imagine wanting to take on a monthly payment for anything else out there.
Two people have offered to give me $3000 more than the $7000 I paid for it. I told them not a chance. Go find your own.
(not in those words... I was nice about it and suggested how to find one)
Arghh! French cars can be more frustrating than anything else (except maybe Italian cars). Had a friend that raced an R8 Gordini and another one that restored a Facel Vega. Drove them both crazy.
I have always admired the Alpines, though.
The French were funny - in car racing they would create special classes so only a French car would win. The Index of Performance and Index of Thermal Efficiency at Le Mans were created so they could win - it really pissed them off when guys like Chapman built special small engined sports racers that could beat them at it. In the 1950s, he put 1200, 1100 and 750 cc engines into basically the same car so he could run in three classes (the 750 in the Index of Performance 'battle')
Italian cars are like Italian everything else - style above function, but after that, function! So they neglect things that may be a maintenance horror show down the road, they do things like forgetting to paint the underside of steel fenders and they hand build cars that you can't buy a replacement fender for without having a body man in your back pocket. And Marelli electrics rival Lucas for (bad) reputation.
French cars, though, are idiosyncratic in the extreme. They often look ...strange... and many of the things they do or the way they are built is a bit odd. Anyone that has ever looked through a Citroen handbook that tells you to 'manipuler le champignon' (push the mushroom) instead of apply the brakes knows that.
They made a model (Citroen SM) that was largely hydraulically controlled and rivalled the Rover 2000 as a car intended to offer mechanics a holiday fund forever in terms of complexity and lack of reliability.
They made a model (2CV) that was basically a tin can with rubber band seats and a sardine tin roll back roof. with 3 lug wheels and a lean on corners like no other car. And they ade some of the strangest looking cars ever.
Our corporate engineering is now done out of Italy. Why? i don't know.
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