NYIAS 08: 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe

[68 L79 elco]

another GM product that was a home run , that a GM threw the ball back on to the field , someone seriously needs to kick LUTZ IN THE NUTZ , and send him packing back to CHRYslac !!!!!!

they already had the seals in place for a vette style rear hatch , even the body lines are still there , had they done that there might have been enough room for the hard top , plus you would be able to get any items rolling into the far corners

how the hell you supposed to remove the tail light when a bulb goes out ? remove the whole dam top ?

while the new top helps the look of the solstice , its still a chick car ! GM needs a sky version and still needs to bring the NOMAD version out

i could do a better job that Mr PUTZ , and for less money

[logansowner]

Originally Posted by goatgary

How the hell is nylon supposed to be heavier than steel and glass?

The convertible version of most cars is heavier because of the extra parts needed to keep it from snapping in half without the rigidity of a roof. THe roof itself is light, but the extra steel to keep it straight isn't.

But I never took into account that this car was designed as a vert first, not second like most cases, which was said by a GMI staff member.

[5.3Avalanche]

Looks great, functional, and you still get that convertible-esque driving experience. Why is everyone complaining? How did they take the cheap way out?

[5.3Avalanche]

Originally Posted by minnfang

How is this the cheap way out? Less than perfect packaging, but not cheap. A targa is a nice setup - anyone who has ridden in one knows that it blows away a sunroof. You don't see the bodywork behind you, it's basically like riding in a convertible. A targa cheap? Yea like Corvettes, Ferraris, Lambos, etc.

The C-pillar/hatch frame/rear spoiler is one sexy piece of bodywork! My only complaint about the styling is that the side windows look like mail slots (same issue on the convert). The side windows should be about an inch taller; then the roof wouldn't have to curve down over to the sides so far and look so heavy.

My biggest problem is that there is NO headroom in these things. That's mostly my problem - GM didn't make me so !@#$%^&* tall.

Ya, the back of the roof structure looks to be a bit above the head rest. I'm 6'5" and I wonder if I'd hit that with my head??

[usa1]

I like it. It's cool that they rear fenders and fascia are the same as the convertible. You'd never guess it from the pictures.

Mark

[Slideways]

Originally Posted by 68 L79 elco

another GM product that was a home run , that a GM threw the ball back on to the field , someone seriously needs to kick LUTZ IN THE NUTZ , and send him packing back to CHRYslac !!!!!!

they already had the seals in place for a vette style rear hatch , even the body lines are still there , had they done that there might have been enough room for the hard top , plus you would be able to get any items rolling into the far corners

how the hell you supposed to remove the tail light when a bulb goes out ? remove the whole dam top ?

while the new top helps the look of the solstice , its still a chick car ! GM needs a sky version and still needs to bring the NOMAD version out

i could do a better job that Mr PUTZ , and for less money

I'm sure the thought of a Corvette-style hatch never crossed anyone's mind at GM. I'm sure that it would have proved to be a cheaper and easier and ensured thousands of more sales, but someone at GM thought, "Screw it, if a keyboard jockey with poor typing skills can do it better, and for less money, why would we even bother?"

[91Saturn]

Originally Posted by SJZ3

I agree with you. Creating a targe is not a "cheap" way out. If GM was doing cheap, they would have stuck with a plain coupe, like the concept.

Wrong. For the record, I like this vehicle, but GM's own engineers have essentially admitted that it was the cheaper approach.

"We originally wanted to do it as a coupe," says Jim Fleming, who oversaw the car's design. "But there are a lot of legal ramifications to taking a convertible and making it into a fixed hardtop. It would be much more involved, because you'd have to change all your front header structure, windshield, and all those pieces. We'd have to look at roof-rail air bags, pieces like that, and that gets into a big technical challenge. So as we started working on the program and what it would take to do it, a targa became the natural choice."

http://www.automobilemag.com/auto_sh...upe/index.html

[genjy]

Originally Posted by 91Saturn

"We originally wanted to do it as a coupe," says Jim Fleming, who oversaw the car's design. "But there are a lot of legal ramifications to taking a convertible and making it into a fixed hardtop. It would be much more involved, because you'd have to change all your front header structure, windshield, and all those pieces. We'd have to look at roof-rail air bags, pieces like that, and that gets into a big technical challenge. So as we started working on the program and what it would take to do it, a targa became the natural choice."
http://www.automobilemag.com/auto_sh...upe/index.html

I knew GM designers had the sense. Too bad there were engineering and cost constraints.

Targa FTL.

[minnfang]

What is wrong with a targa? If you want a coupe, just leave the top on. The added structural rigidity of a coupe over a well built targa only really matters if you are competitvely racing it on a track, or are jabber jawing it during a bench racing session.

[Saturn69]

Originally Posted by 91Saturn

Wrong. For the record, I like this vehicle, but GM's own engineers have essentially admitted that it was the cheaper approach.


http://www.automobilemag.com/auto_sh...upe/index.html

Yes, and it was also the quicker-to-market approach as well.

[paul8488]

What's better, a Solstice targa at $25,000 or a coupe at $30,000? GM has to consider which will make them more money. It's nice to think they'd always build what enthusiasts want, but are any of us in this thread ready to plunk down a premium over the targa for a real coupe? If no one's going to buy it there's no point building it. I think this targa is a fine compromise for a low-volume vehicle... if you don't like it without the top lock it in place and throw away the key... tada! Solid-roofed coupe!

[Butz]

This is the car I want! This is what Pontiac is all about!

[72lemanscvbl]

I like it. I really like the Saturn interior better, but this is an interesting trade off. I'm dying to own another convertible, but as a 3rd "fun car," a t-top or targa makes a lot of sence for me. I was kinda hoping for a t-top camaro at some point.

[BrickTamland]

I think it looks very cool. I like the fact that it is a Targa.

[crooner214]

I wanted a Sky until today. Now I want this in dark blue, please!