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Comments
Information on the GXP
Pictures
You can see the split in the turbine housing below.
Seriously though, the GXP sounds like it will be quite a car. If GM holds at the 4 to 5k over base, this will be a pretty serious machine at a pretty fair price.
Thanks for the diagrams. Very interesting.
granted there is a trunk in the MX-5...but the "trunk" in the solstice is workable as well..I can get two soft sided small to med duffels in the "trunk without a problem..with the top up or down for a long weekend..
performance wise I give the nod to MX-5....but again..Im not an autocross/road race person...so the Solstice has plenty of power for us.........again...all a personal choice....and remember...Mazda has had over 10 years to work the kinks out of its MX-5/Miata..
pin the dealer down..ask him how many third four month allocations he has....the sales or inventory control manager should know..not necessarily the salesman...also ask where are you in their priority list...remember you may have folks already ahead of you who want dont want the auto trans...and you all are in line for the same dealership allocations.....also get you VOMS (Vehicle Order Management System #)...that is the number assigned to your order when the dealer officially places the order in the GM system....also make sure it places the order as a "SOLD" order and not one for dealer stock...as that will price protect you as well.....should GM decide to increase the price of any options.....good luck..and stay on that dealer......for updates....once in the system..he can give you an update every Fri....the VOEH..vehicle order event history list.......GRIN....
saw it from behind - looked great. I think the rear view is better than the side view. Has an agressive stance from behind.
This one was in commute traffic on my commute and it exited at my exit, so I have a good chance of seeing it in the future and asking the owner if he is liking it.
From its 2002 auto show introduction to an early-order program that sold 1,000 cars in 41 minutes, the Pontiac Solstice has always invoked a passionate response from customers. Now, Pontiac is taking the vehicle’s combination of sensuous styling and driving exhilaration to a new level with the announcement of the turbocharged 2007 Solstice GXP.
“Creating a GXP performance edition of the Solstice is a natural extension of the capabilities of this car,” said John Larson, Pontiac general manager. “On its own, the base Solstice offers all of the qualities one would expect from a classic roadster – style, crisp handling, and spirited performance. The Solstice GXP takes that pure roadster DNA and pushes it to a new level, with a 47 percent boost in horsepower and other enhancements for a more thrilling driving experience.”
The heart of the Solstice GXP is the Ecotec 2.0-liter turbo engine, GM’s first direct injection offering in North America . It produces 260 horsepower (194 kw) and 260 lb.-ft. of torque (353 Nm),* making it GM’s highest specific output engine ever, at 2.1 horsepower per cubic inch of displacement (130 hp / 97 kw per liter), and the most powerful production engine in the Ecotec family.
A dual-scroll turbocharger with a lightweight turbine provides nearly instant power, and an air-to-air intercooling system boosts the turbo’s performance by reducing inlet temperatures. Dual cam phasing complements the turbocharging system by optimizing valve timing at lower rpm for best turbo response and quick access to engine torque.
Direct injection technology helps the Ecotec engine produce more power while maintaining the lower fuel consumption of a small displacement port-injected engine.
With direct injection, fuel is delivered directly to the combustion chamber to create a more complete burn of the air/fuel mixture. Less fuel is required to produce the equivalent horsepower, especially at normal cruising speeds, of a conventional port-injection combustion system.
The GXP’s high-performance Ecotec turbo engine is connected to a standard five-speed manual gearbox, or an optional five-speed automotive transmission. Either transmission can propel the car from zero-to 60 mph in under 5.5 seconds.
As with other members of GXP family, the Solstice GXP provides a number of standard features not available on the base model, including:
Unique front and rear fascias
High polish, dual-outlet exhaust
StabiliTrak vehicle stability enhancement system
3.73 rear axle ratio
Interior refinements including unique GXP gauge cluster and Cobalt Red seat stitching
The GXP also comes standard with a number of features available as options on the base model, including:
Sport suspension system
Four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock
Limited-slip rear differential
Power window/locks/mirrors and remote keyless entry
Leather-wrapped steering wheel with accessory controls and cruise control
Driver information center
18-inch polished aluminum wheels
Additional options include a rear deck spoiler, leather seating, sport metallic pedals, chrome wheels, enhanced audio options, including XM Satellite Radio, and OnStar.
The 2007 Solstice GXP will be available in fall 2006. Pricing has not yet been established.
Loren
Any idea how many units have actually been delivered? Can they actually BUILD that many units/year?
BTW - not only is it winter in Michigan, I'm fairly certain it is also 'winter' throughout the rest of the northern hemisphere. :P However, much of the country enjoys convertible weather almost year round. Central/south Texas being one of those areas.
But I've STILL not laid eyes on a Solstice....
Any idea how many units have actually been delivered? Can they actually BUILD that many units/year?
Sold and delivered.
They have added capacity. Looks like they are building about 550 per week and that is about 26,000 per year. BUT, when the Saturn comes out Pontiac build volume will drop. Unless something bad happens it looks like the tools will be at capacity for a few years due to pent up demand.
I cannot find how many MX whatevers are being built. Oh yea they build all Mazda's somewhere else except for the 6's
Yea, it was in the 50's here and sunny. Of course we have a summer here that you can live with. I have been to the "south" (Arizona) for a long period and it's unbearable in the summer. Good thing there is A/C!
talked to the sales mgr the 7th. he said he had heard the first day for autos was the 9th. you were right the salesman seemed clueless. salesmgr said the accoustic headliner along with onstar was constrained. told him not to order it. he said he has delivered 14 cars since oct 1. he said he ordered one the first week of Dec and received it by the end of dec, customer cancelled order because his current lease wasn't up. there was one on the lot they were getting ready to deliver, we were able to sit in to see if I fit - did. wife really liked it. he said order will be for customer at sticker - not inventory. willl give me voms# and confirm price.
talked to mgr today - said system wouldn't allow them to order an auto this week. they order on a weekly basis - can start putting orders in for the week mon - the last day they can put an order in for the week is thur. he tried again today - thur - still couldn't put it in. said will try every mon and again on thurs and will give me a call. he said every week they put in orders for a term i believe he called a commitment - he always puts in for 6 but mostly gets 2 or three. sez i'm at the top of his list once he can put the order in.
I think the Solstice will sell well. And people will also go for the turbo versions - what ever lights their fire. Maybe they could drop a Civic Si engine in there :P The coolest Solstice will be the coupe, when or if it ever arrives. Nice a stiff, cost less, will have a trunk, protection for thy head, and good slick flowing look to her. Should be able to sell them for under $20K with air.
Loren
Waitaminute waitaminute waitaminute
According to you, Pontaic has sold AND DELIVERED the initial 10k pre-orders PLUS the 3k you're reporting for December? That's a minimum of 13k Solstii on the streets.
Yet pao indicates their VIN numbers are only up in the 8k range with only around 5k units actually delivered.
Regardless, it seems like it will be awhile before production catches up with demand. Good news for Pontiac.
BTW - it's not the 'MX whatever', it's the MX-5. Most refer to it as the "Miata". And as far as I'm concerned, they build EVERYTHING 'somewhere else' since there's no auto assmebly plants in Austin (although Toyota is building a huge plant relatively close by in San Antonio for Tundra production; not that this has any relevance to this discussion).
According to you, Pontaic has sold AND DELIVERED the initial 10k pre-orders PLUS the 3k you're reporting for December? That's a minimum of 13k Solstii on the streets.
Yet pao indicates their VIN numbers are only up in the 8k range with only around 5k units actually delivered.
Do not think I said the above? Did I really say sold and delivered the initial 10,000? If I did I was mistaken.
Here is the data per Automotive News.
For the year they have sold and delivered 5445. In December they sold and delivered 2746. They are building about 545 cars per week and they built 9432 in 2005. so the Vins are above 10,000 now.
Where did I say they delivered 10,000 cars? OK, I went back and saw what happened. I copied someone elses statement to answer the "sold and delivered" question. They commented something about 10,000 units and I was really confirming my initial statement. Sorry for the confusion
I was under the (apparently erroneous) impression that when you made the remark about 3k units sold in December alone, that this was IN ADDITION TO the 10k pre-sold units. And then when you made the statement about them ALL being delivered, I thought you meant that Pontiac had delivered 13k units.
But now you're saying that for the year they've built 9432 and delivered 5445?
Hmmm....interesting. If the factory built 9432 units in 2005, and they have sold and delivered to the final consumer 5445 units for 2005, then (theoretically) they had on the dealer lots or in transit to the dealers nearly 4k units. Is this right?
4k units with December sales of around 3k units indicates (to me anyway) better than a 1 month supply on the dealer lots. Can this be right or is my logic screwed up somewhere?
If a dealer on average is selling 1 car a month (lets say there are 2200 dealers) and there are 2200 in stock (1 per dealer). And if they can only build 2200 per month (Solstice capacity) then there will always be a 30 day supply!! You could have 100,000 people standing in line but the days supply will always be 30.
Playing with the numbers gets real iffy when dealing with low volumes and a high number of dealers.
I wonder if the CHP is going to ticket folks for not having the front plate. The good looks of the front will really take a hit.
Have fun and keep the greasy side down!
Loren
Federal regulators have decided against applying new roof strength rules to convertibles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has no plans to hold convertibles to the same roof-crush requirements as vehicles with fixed roofs.
While the proposed overhaul of the roof strength standards will require more robust roof supports for most hardtop vehicles, those requirements will not be imposed on the makers of convertibles, the agency decided, since convertibles don't have roofs.
NHTSA also has decided against convertible-specific rollover rules, such as roll bars.
Several automakers have added rollover safety equipment to their convertibles. Volkswagen, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, Volvo and Honda are on the list. Some of the automakers have also strengthened the A-pillars and windshield frames to withstand a rollover.
Roll bars come in two types, stationary roll bars and mechanically or electrically operated hoop-style roll bars that pop up when the system senses a potential rollover.
The roll bar systems are far from perfect but offer some modest protection in a nasty crash and are certainly better than nothing.
Nothing, however, is the choice of several automakers. The Toyota Solara, Chrysler Sebring, Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, Pontiac Solstice and Lexus SC 430 have no roll bar protection.
The Nissan 350Z and Mazda MX-5 Miata offer roll bar hoops, but they are what racers call "style-hoops" and are not engineered to provide protection in a rollover.
I agree with German rule = roll bar. They go as far a legislating that we must accept an air bag in every car, yet nothing over the head. Strange, but there again there are a lot of strange things happening in Washington D.C.
Loren
The Solstice will sell more not just because of looks, but because a great many people feel more comfortable getting a Pontiac than a Mazda, and because it's a softer car that's probably better for most drivers. Mazda's sending more Miatas to Europe, where the Solstice's driving style doesn't match the drivers as well as the Miata (er, MX-5... it's always been called that there).
bottomline if you arent comfortable with the car..get your $2k back.....appears you are looking for a more powerful car...since you refer to the vette and twice the horsepower....dont think the mileage will be the same...solstice owners are reporting after the break in period...with 2-3K on the motor..they are getting 30MPH on the highway...and 23-26 around town .....good luck
My point was that the hardtop will not be priced much differently than the convertible. Therefore a 2 seater like this will sell more roadsters.
Most people are smart enough to know that a roadster like this will have little chance of tipping over. Few will worry about that unless they are racing it.
I often watch the CHP website which has the accidents listed as they occur. Here in California, the roll overs are frequent, and involved lots of various vehicles.
Good luck to ya, Loren
I don't think a lot of non-premium fixed-roof cars would save you in the worst of those either.
Loren
After learning that the price tag was correct, I contacted two Pontiac dealers in my area. Both said the same thing. I could look at it, touch it, smell the new car smell. I could even buy it! BUT, I would not be allowed to test drive it.
I offered that they might want to go ahead and pre-qualify me for it - to prove I wasn't just kicking the tires. No dice.
So - any of you Pontiac employees out there able to explain to me how it is that you expect me to come in, plink down $25K never having driven the car??
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.efad56e
This is not a GM/Pontiac issue. It is a dealer issue. Auto manufacturers can neither tell dealers to allow tests or not to allow tests. The dealer owns the car. The dealer does what it wants. Auto manufacturers cannot own dealerships.
There is no GM/Pontiac policy against test driving Solstices. The dealer[s] (do you know for a fact the two dealers near you are under separate ownership?) do not want to let people test drive a hot car when they know others will buy it without testing, but will not pay as much if the miles start adding on.
If you really want to test one, and cannot find a decent dealer, then you should wait for the GM drive time which will start every year in the Spring. I am certain a Solstice, Sky, or both will be available.
And I reposted here because the moderator asked me to move the topic and closed the thread. But not before another posted commented on a similar experience.
A good friend of mine did test drive the Solstice. In that instance the dealer actually purchased the car so that he may allow test drives. This friend lives 600 or so miles from where I live. So while there may not be official policy, there is obviously a push from somewhere.
By all means - pre-qualify a potential customer. Take a copy of the driver's license - heck - take the first born. The merest hint of expecting buyers to not drive a car before buying indicates to me something to hide.
its_brentwood, "Any Questions for a Car Dealer?" #15622, 18 Jan 2006 7:51 pm
Search this discussion for 'test drive' in the search box.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
If you knew that, then you sigh is best directed to your original posts, where you say this is a GM/Pontiac issue.
GM/Pontiac want customers to have the best dealer experiences possible. Unfortunately, the legal and business framework only allows manufacturers to suggest and cajole, not direct.
Auto has the added issue of state laws making it rather difficult for auto manufacturers to fire dealers. Something from what you are saying I think your dealers deserve.