Pontiac Solstice Targa to Be at NYAS
Leftlanenews.com reports that Pontiac will show a targa version of the Solstice at the New York Auto Show. A targa would be welcome; ridding the model of its fidgety folding canvas roof thingy. But will putting the panel in the trunk totally kill the Solstice's other bugbear: less storage space than the Bugatti Veyron's Hermes purse? I'm thinking yes. LLN also reports that GM is considering a Solstice coupe. Sometimes a new bodystyle can jump start sales of a car. Other times, it just adds to the 176-day supply of Solstii sitting on dealer lots. If you think that a sad stat– buyers were paying big ass premiums for this car just two years ago– consider the fact that GM hasn't even begun work on a second generation Solstice, or announced any improvements to the car's too much grip not enough fun driving dynamics. The GM's old next big thing ain't so big; it's just small, that's all.
Immensely bored law student. I've also got 3 dogs.
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Pontiac still should have called the Solstice the "Fiero." Another great example of an awesome GM idea left to languish at the hands of the beancounters. The 1988 V6 edition was absolutely incredible. Some years ago, I met one of the members of the design team for the Fiero, and he still was upset that GM watered down the concept by the time it arrived in 1984.
Ugh, fiero. I would suggest a targa coupe with a hatch could add storage space, AND end the lousy roof problems. Mini pontiac vette anyone? The real trick would be making it more fun to drive though. Sounds like smaller wheels might be in the recipe?
What does it matter what type of roof the damn thing has? These cars are crap. I've never been a GM fan, but I almost fell in love with this car when it came out. That is, until I started reading reviews. Not a single review, IMO, has been good. Fast is great, but first and foremost, a sports car should 1. Stay glued around the corners and 2. Brake like crazy (without fade!!). I can buy a used sedan and hit the same numbers going forward, but sadly the same used Sedan can out-brake and out-handle this "sports coupe." Hard-top, Targa, T-Tops (my favorite), Convertable, these things are all aesthetic. Fix the suspension and brakes, then we can talk (I do like what I've read about the Turbo engine, though).
Well, I am really not a fan of the styling or interiors of the Solstice. Now, the Saturn version is really handsome but suffers from the same interior issues... nasty plastic, no storage, LOUSY after-thought cup holders... need I go on? The worst offense may be the top/trunk... neither of the two items should even qualify... the trunk is a mess of mechanicals and a tiny tiny space to shove something in... not even a shoe box would fit. That is just plain LAZY engineering.