Pontiac Solstice.
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Yes, Pontiac is dead. And there won’t be another Solstice. And yet, why not dream a bit?
I test-drove the Pontiac Solstice for a week many years ago. And I have to say this was one of the most fun weeks I’ve ever had driving these press cars. A memorable few days thanks to this great-looking, affordable, and wonderful fun car.
And this was only a first-generation model . Which came out in 2005. I would imagine that if Pontiac was still around, and the Solstice was still in production, it would be in its 3rd or even 4th generation by now. And an even much better car.
I think the Pontiac Solstice looked fantastic. Its designer, Franz Von Hlozhausen is now much more famous for being the head of design at Tesla. As expected, the Solstive wasn’t a huge hit. However, I don’t think it was really meant to be. 1st year sales were pretty good with over 21,200 units. But that quickly went south with around 4,800 sold just 3 years later. (By the way, Mazda only sold 8100 units of the Miata last year…)
The amazing low starting price of around $23,000 was achieved by smartly using many components from other GM cars. Like the rear axle and automatic transmission from the Cadillac CTS. The same engines are in many other GM models like the Pontiac G6, Chevy Malibu, and many more.
The Solstice died when Pontiac was killed. Which is really too bad. Since then, the Mazda Miata has been once more the only affordable 2-seater convertible available.
While it would be very hard to make a business case for a new 2-seater convertible from a dead brand, it’s not impossible. I never thought I’d see a new Hummer model either. We now have 2.
Basically thanks to the Ultium platform it seems to be able to offer and size combination known to man. A new Solstice based on the upcoming small Chevrolet Bolt EV is something that could be done. And again, being based on the Bolt it wouldn’t be really expensive.
I say why not!
Vince: Which style did you prefer – the Pontiac Solstice or the Saturn Sky? (I think that underneath, they were probably the same car?)
The Sky was also great ( I Think it was sold as an Opel in Europe). But I did prefer the Solstice design.
Nice rendering
I got one new a 2008 I just hit 30000 miles love that car I haven’t put a dime in it yet
I still have my 2008 Pontiac Solstice GXP. I love this car so much. Just drove it today with the top down. The five speed turbo engine is really fun to drive.
I GOT A SOLSTICE IN 2007. IT WAS THE STOCK VERSION BECAUSE ALL THE GXP MODELS WERE ALREADY SPOKEN FOR. $35 K WAS THE ASKING PRICE. I HAD TO WAIT AND GOT A 2008 TURBO CHARGED VERSION, WHICH WAS A DREAM TO DRIVE AND HANDLED GREAT. SHOCKED THE CORVETTES AND CAMAROS TOO. ADDED COLD AIR INDUCTION IN FRONT OF THE RADIATOR AND A MODIFIED EXHAUST FROM THE DEALER. 140MPH GOING UPHILL WITH PLENTY OF PEDAL LEFT. I STILL HAVE IT WITH ONLY 19 K MILES ON IT. NEVER BEEN OUT IN THE RAIN. STILL MY BABY !!!
I had the Sky Redline(TURBO). Then I had the TURBO upgrade to 290HP by the dealer for $600…… $600 bucks for an extra 30 HP is cheap & the warranty was still good.
An Engineer on the Sky Forum said it was really 325 HP— 290 advertised!!
Probably for insurance purposes.
Loved that car, ended up trading for a 2015 Black Mustang GT Convertible …..
07 gxp, factory approved_dealer installed turbo upgrade, red_auto,18k,fun,fun, fun
I’ve owned 4. Bought new 5 sped base in 07. Was just under $20 k. Didn’t like the racing clutch in the 08 gpx. So got a gpx auto….love these cars
Worthless Bob Lutz vanity project, never should have existed.
I was selling Pontiacs and GMC pickups when they were introduced, it was a tough sell,( Aztec too!) even though kinda sporty, they were really underpowered, shifting was at best average, I could go on, but it was reliable, somewhat economical, and looked ok, would I buy one , sorry, I’ll keep SS Camaro! Lol drive fast and reckless!
My 2008 GXP with 12,900 miles resides in my garage. When I take it out it always gets great comments. Love the car, especially the Monsoon sound system. It’s a blast to drive!
I was a salesman for a Pontiac and GMC dealer when they introduced the solstice, it was a very hard sale, in 6 months I sold 1, it was a fairly good looking car, not extremely economical, needed a V-8, better transmission, and a touch more comfortable interior, not a money maker, not a good trade in, but all in all I gave it 5, not anything id buy, but I did have a Camaro SS , now that was a car!
I have a 2006 stock love it 5 speed manual great two seater to scoot around town with 70,000 miles 4 cyclender
I still have a 2008 Solstice. Such a fun car to drive in the summer months. GM should think about reviving something like that (rendering). I don’t matter what you call it – Chevy Solstice, Buick Solstice or Cadillac Solstice.
I had a 2007 GXP convertible I traded it in for a 2009 GXP coupe I shall have the coupejerry and it’s just got 20000 miles on it
To me the rendering doesn’t carry the same spirit as the solstice. It looks like just another convertible for for the upper middle class to toss golf clubs in the trunk of, not the Miata competitor it was intended to be.
I still own a 2006 Pontiac Solstice 5 speed convertible fun little car it looks great 70,000 miles but it’s been nothing but a piece of junk with everything breaking down on it transmission is going to hell had replaced a differential thermostat twice the clutch pack for the rear end so the twice had replaced the catalytic converter 6 months after I owned it the thing’s been nothing but a pain in the butt a real bad car but I still own it and I still
This is quite amazing to see how many people enjoyed this car! As I mentioned in the article, this was one of the most fun I’ve ever had driving. The Turbo/5 speed combo was great.
After having a couple Camaros and Mopars in my early years, I managed to latch on to a 69 OPEL GT. LOVED IT. A few decades passed. And a Solstace GXP was on my bucket list. Got an 08 GXP 2 years ago. It flies. Great looking and handling. When the modified turbo kicks in it’s like a rocket!