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Pontiac Puts a Lid on the Solstice

Pontiac has just gone and done what so many called on Mazda to do with its

It's not just a coupe, it's a targa. (Photo: Pontiac)

roadster, the MX-5 Miata... they've announced that a coupe version of their popular Solstice roadster is going into production. Pontiac hinted at a Solstice coupe with a concept in 2002, but we haven't heard much rumbling about it since. Recently introduced at the New York auto show by one of the oddest combinations since Lee Iacocca and Snoop Dogg appeared together in Chrysler TV ads three years ago, GM's product guru Bob Lutz and gangsta rapper 50 Cent unveiled the latest version of Pontiac's halo car to the public.

Hardtops that turn the Solstice/Saturn Sky roadsters into coupes have been out in the aftermarket for a couple of years now, but they are costly and heavy, so this is a positive turn for coupe lovers.

With the new coupe, open-air motoring hasn't been completely forgotten as it comes with a removable, lightweight (it's constructed from magnesium) targa

Open sky means you don't lose that roadster feeling. (Photo: Pontiac)

top. Many will likely opt for the coupe over the roadster because it will probably be less fussy than the current Solstice soft top, but there are other reasons to go with a hardtop over a convertible. For one, coupes are usually stiffer structurally and make better performance cars. Minimal structural changes were needed to turn the car into a Coupe, but the rear taillights are new, as is a new rear liftgate that allows access to more cargo room than in the current roadster.

Another reason why some opt for two-door hardtops is styling, and in this respect the Solstice Coupe looks very good and will without doubt turn heads, but then again isn't drop dead gorgeous like BMW's M Coupe. From the side, the hardtop Solstice is proportioned like a true sports coupe, with a long hood and short rear deck, and with that in mind it will

Cargo space is actually improved with addition of the coupe structure. (Photo: Pontiac)

most likely possess the blind spots inherent in a coupe's design.

The Solstice Coupe will come in both regular (naturally aspirated 2.4-liter) and hot (turbocharged 2.0-liter) trim levels, which equal 173- and 260-horsepower respectively in today's roadster. Interestingly, with the MX-5 vanquished in sales by the Solstice Roadster, GM now has its sights set on Nissan's 350Z, which it calls a key competitor to the Solstice GXP Coupe.

There's no word on whether or not the Solstice's Kappa platform sister car, the Sky, will gain a hard roof, but you can bet Saturn dealers will be making their voices known if Pontiac's version tears up the sales charts. And those Pontiac dealers will be happy to sell you a Solstice Coupe in about a year's time, when it appears in showrooms.

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