New 300kW LS2 Beira Breckland Pontiac Solstice

[JoeT]

New 300kW Brit Sports Car Bows

Chris Gable
3 June 2008
www.wheelsmag.com.au

Built on GM's compact rear-wheel-drive platform, the Beira Breckland boasts an LS2-Tremec drivetrain and sub-five-second oomph.

It’s built on the same platform as GM’s Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roadsters. But, thanks to the 300kW LS2 under its long nose, the just-announced Beira Breckland should be able to blow its donor cars into the weeds.

The Beira officially debuts at this week’s annual Motorexpo car show in London’s Docklands and, according to its UK-based builder Breckland Technology, first cars go on sale in left-hand-drive in November. Price should be around £55,000 ($114,138) in the UK.

Breckland already has some runs on the board as it already builds such low volume British sports cars as the Mosler. It also has been smart enough to pick up and modify GM’s compact rear-wheel-drive Kappa platform, which means the thing has been crash-tested to US safety standards. Ditto the LS2, which meets current US emissions regulations.

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[MrJamesMc]

So since it's British, Clarkson won't knock it regardless of the fact it has a GM basis?

[Aych Es Vee]

that looks fantastic for a re-bodied vehicle!

[powervette]

Originally Posted by MrJamesMc

So since it's British, Clarkson won't knock it regardless of the fact it has a GM basis?

who cares about opinions of this clown?
I remember he praised the Mustang engine in the MG Rover, but didn't say a kind word about it when TopGear was testing Mustang.

[mbukukanyau]

Originally Posted by Aych Es Vee

that looks fantastic for a re-bodied vehicle!

The Seats stiching sucks in a way only the british can manage to make em suck

[redTT]

Car looks stunning, I especially love the stitched seats.

Clarkson wont even sit in that car much less drive it, still, I love Top Gear. Americans are so touchy when it comes to TG.

I wonder which one would win the Beira or the clubman/streamliner.

[bone]

It should be soundly bashed by Clarkson. For goodness sake it isn't even RHD and its price is outrageous.

[burningsquirrel]

if there ever truly was a baby corvette.... this would be it lol. hey, can we have this and call it a chevy? too bad it won't happen. i like that body a lot, but i'd keep the seats we have now.

[jlt0x]

It would be interesting to see the order list at Mallet's shop in Ohio.

After seeing the Solstice dressed in a svelt British suit, I'm impressed. The Kappa platform has so many possibilities...but GM's policy of "Corvette is King", has definitely hindered the progress of possible credible global competitors in the low-volume market.

[blaksabb]

has this been pulled? None of the links work for me. Can someone attach pics.

Sounds like old new since Chuck Mallet has stuffed every kind of LSx motor in the Soltice/Sky since day one.

[Rick_VT]

So why dont Pontiac stuff a V8 in the Solstice and do a limited run of attention getting cars??

[CadiEldo67]

That shifter looks a tad high, its comfortable in stock form, I wonder if it would be anything like a Fiero?

[L32 To Go]

This speaks well for the Kappa platform competency validating Solstice and Sky as formidable road machines, especially if the Beira price commands well over 110k. That should somewhat quiet the critics who never fail to expound Solstice/Sky negatives such as insufficient number of cupholders and trunk space, and most of all, lack of power operated top. Mallett already has been installing small block V8s, so did Hot Rod Magazine and I would love to see Roush get into the act.

And I haven't even mentioned the drop-dead gorgeous looks of Solstice and Sky. Not just my opinion, but hardly a day goes by without somebody commenting on the looks of my Sky.

However, I just can't see how Beira got to be called a Pontiac Solstice. Don't get me wrong, Solstice is just as much of a car as Saturn Sky under the skin. But Breckland obviously did not start with a Solstice body and then add Sky headlights, side panels and the dash. If anything, they may have started out with an Opel GT which shares body styling with Sky with minor exceptions.