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Article Comments - 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe Follow-Up Test

18 messages,  Last post on Jun 14, 2009 at 11:39 AM

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2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe Follow-Up Test - Bottom Line: Maybe we expect too much. (more)

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#16 of 18 Re: [dyzio] by pao Mar 08, 2009 (4:26 am)
Replying to: dyzio (Mar 08, 2009 1:33 am) the V-6 debate has been discussed many times...and the kappa platform by its design doesnt lend itself to a V-6 from an assembly line point of view...remember the Solstice began life as an under $20K base model car....which was the intent of Bob Lutz......sure it has grown above that.... but not sure what more you would want in the interior (futuristic) without losing the true simplistic roadster design which is what most buyers wanted in the first place...I believe Pontiac is trying to stay true to form and keep the price reasonable for both the base and GXP versions....thus you will probably not see too many changes to the platform as a whole...2011 will be a turning point for the car as production....if it is still going transitions from the current plant.....   the aftermarket is growing for the solstice.....and you can even put a V-8 in it now as well a several companies offering with S/C or Turbo upgrades, not to mention a few very good interior design shops specializing in the Solstice....
#17 of 18 Re: FACTS prove this review wrong [ikana] by jeffindfw Jun 14, 2009 (2:40 am)
Replying to: ikana (Mar 01, 2009 8:50 pm) The two different Solstices race in two completely different classes in SCCA racing. The base model Solstice that starts at $20,000 races against the Miata in the "SSB" class, and has dominated that class since 2006 when the Solstice arrived. The GXP Solstice races in the faster "T2" class, and it is the current champion of THAT class as well.   "Writing about cars for a living" does not mean these people have a clue. All these writers say the Miata handles better than the Solstice, yet facts prove that wrong. I own a Viper, so I can afford to buy a Miata if I thought it was better. I have driven a TON of Miatas while being a driving instructor. It is a great car. But, the Solstice is a better car if you want performance. The Solstice handles better, and the championships PROVE it. I'm just telling you people to stop blindly reading the bologny written by these "professional" reviewers, and go look at these cars yourself. Drive them yourself. Have an open mind. The quality in my new Nissan Xterra is HORRIFIC, and if it was built by GM, the reviewers would raise holy stink about it. BUT, because it is Japanese, it gets a free pass and it is never mentioned. I bought it because I needed a strong off-roader, so I don't care about the terrible interior quality, but I *DO* think it is unfair the way all the automotive writers are SOOO biased against American companies. Replies to this message: ikana (Jun 14, 2009 11:39 am)
#18 of 18 Re: FACTS prove this review wrong [jeffindfw] by ikana Jun 14, 2009 (11:39 am)
Replying to: jeffindfw (Jun 14, 2009 2:40 am) I just did some research on it, if you still believe that facts prove that the solstice handles better than the miata, I would be interested in seeing what facts specifically lead you to this conclusion.   First off, solstices that race in SSB are equipped with an option called Z0K Club Sport, which offers several upgrades (including suspension) that are not found on the stock car sold to the average consumer.   http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/03/its-official-pontiac-solstice-goes-road-racin- g/   Regardless of whether a similar package exists for the miata is sort of besides the point, as you have gone past comparing cars that the average person can actually buy. You're not comparing a stock solstice to a stock miata at this point.   Secondly, there is this article from Edmunds, which indicates that mazda attempted to produce an answer to the Z0K Club Sport option for the Miata:   http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Followup/articleId=124963   So without any more information than that, I can only conclude that the miata is losing to a solstice that is not a realistic representation of what is available to the average consumer. If nothing else, this might be a good indicator that SSB results are not a good indicator of what cars offer the best performance for the average consumer.   Therefore, it is now on you to prove that the base solstice handles better than the base miata, as you seem to believe. I don't understand why you threw in a statement about having a viper, and thus being able to afford a miata if you thought it was better. You're comparing a very expensive car to a very cheap one, you'd be an idiot to take a viper over a miata if it wasn't a good deal better for your criteria. Are you just trying to show off by saying that you have a viper? So what? That isn't relevant to the discussion. Neither are any allegations about bias, since I believe that I have established that the cars are not directly comparable anyway, as at least one of them (the solstice) is not an accurate representation of the base solstice you see on the road.

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