11:34 AM PDT on Friday, October 21, 2005

By TOM VOELK / Special contributor to NWCN.com

When is a car not a car? When it’s a savior. Pontiac, the division that “sells excitement” has had a shortage of it lately. Firebird? Gone. Grand Am and Sunfire? Old. Aztek? Well… let’s be nice and call it a disappointment. Even the lionhearted GTO was criticized at launch as a design pussycat. The glow from the two-seat Solstice may just bring the Pontiac brand back to life singlehandedly. It’s the current “it” car, folks. Demand is high. Supply is low. If you’re not on the list now it’s going to be a long wait.

NWCN

Few cars can attract double takes, stares and smiles like the Solstice.

If ever there was a perfect name, this is it. Solstice of course signifies a turning point, the time of year when the days become longer or shorter. From a metaphor standpoint that’s right on target because this car is not just a halo for Pontiac, but also a turning point for the division. If future products are this gorgeous, it signifies longer and brighter days ahead for General Motor’s performance brand.

This car is a looker but the real stunner is the price. It starts at $20,000 if you can find one for MSRP. Good luck. Even base models include things like 18” wheels and a glass rear window on a premium cloth top. Write a check for around 26K and you’ll get every option on the list. The guys at Wal-Mart have a tough time pricing stuff this low.

GM achieved this by raiding the corporate parts bin. The tranny is from the Chevy Colorado pick up, fog lamps come from the Grand Prix. Hummer air vents, Opel seats and Envoy back-up lamps are all bolted onto a new platform the General calls Kappa. This new architecture is the basis for the upcoming Saturn Sky and European Opel Lightning roadster.

In the cabin you’ll find a tilt wheel and a sweeping dash. Gauges are set deep. The three cupholders are awkward unless your elbows and knees are coffee drinkers. Storage is minimal with a space in between the seats near shoulder level. At least pockets are sewn on the front of the seat cushion and some long skinny troughs run along the sill plates.

Trunk space? Well, put the top down and the little there is essentially disappears. So the Solstice doesn’t have the creature comforts of Honda Accord. But hey, it’s a sports car. That it does very well.

Powered by a 177-horsepower Ecotech four-cylinder, a well-mannered five-speed manual directs power to the rear wheels (an automatic arrives in early spring). It easily pulls 0-60 runs in 7.5 seconds. Strap yourself into one of the nicely bolstered seats and you’ll be on the lookout for twisty roads.

It’s easy to drive this roadster at the limit. Push it hard enough into a corner and the seat of your pants can feel just when the rear tires begin to predictably break away. Lift off the throttle a skosh and it comes right back into line. I could do this all day.

Certainly comparisons will be drawn between the Miata (now called the MX-5) and Solstice. These two are poised to create a classic automotive rivalry along the lines of Mustang vs. Camaro. Competition like this is good for those of us who like sports cars.

NWCN

Gauges are set deep.

My opinion? I believe the Mazda holds an edge in overall refinement and interior material quality. Car and Driver gives the Pontiac the nod in its recent comparison. The Solstice has a more raw and visceral character. It feels more substantial (and is by some 400 pounds). Long trips would probably be made solo since the trunk, with its gas tank mounted squarely in the middle, effectively vanishes with the top down. The Pontiac tosses your hair about more at speed.

The Solstice’s ace in the hole against the MX-5 is style. Of all the cars I’ve driven in the last two years, none has attracted doubletakes, stares and smiles like the Solstice. Money may not buy love but it can certainly attract attention. With that $20,000 base price, this is a very cheap way to get noticed. It’s so seductive, even Ferrari drivers appreciate the design.

Those voluptuous body panels are shaped using hydroforming. Instead of stamping sheet metal, dramatic pieces like the clamshell hood and quarter panels are sculpted with water pressure. This is a process that up until now has been used to shape structural pieces. Solstice is the first mass-produced auto to use it on nearly all exterior panels.

Interested in the folding top? I suggest you click on the streaming video where I give a thorough demonstration. It’s easy to fold but requires you to exit the vehicle to maneuver the top. The MX-5’s roof can be raised and lowered from the driver’s seat.

Part of Solstice’s mission is to simply get you to a dealership. Like Cadillac, Pontiac is going through a renaissance. GM hopes you’ll discover the new G6 Coupe or Torrent crossover after you realize the wife and kids can’t possibly fit in the ragtop. Even the GTO has received a visual makeover. For full halo effect, Solstice appears in most ads for these cars. Sure enough, Pontiac had them on hand to drive at the event I attended outside of San Diego.

One of the side benefits to attending events like these is the chance to talk shop with the people that create these cars. Chris Ayotte, marketing manager for the Solstice is clearly jazzed about this roadster and the new additions to the Pontiac stable.

“We don’t have to make any excuses anymore for the products we have right now," he said. "We’re kind of getting our mojo back”.

The Solstice has major mojo. Unlike unlamented GM two-seaters like the Buick Reatta, Cadillac Allante, and of course the Pontiac Fiero, Solstice seems to be done correctly straight out of the box. Pontiac finally does build excitement.