However Lutz wished one thing else that not solely value much less however might compete straight towards among the finest sports activities automobiles of all time, the Mazda MX-5 Miata. The Pontiac Solstice (and its Saturn Sky and Opel GT company siblings) had been revealed in 2004 and hit the market the next 12 months.
The Solstice was Pontiac’s first two-seater because the Fiero, which was discontinued in 1988. A lot to Pontiac and GM’s delight, the Solstice was an instantaneous hit with each the media and the general public. Amongst different awards, it was nominated for the North American Automotive of the Yr award. In its first 10 days of availability, round 7,000 orders had been positioned. GM initially solely deliberate to construct that precise quantity of models for first-year manufacturing, however excessive demand made the corporate improve manufacturing to 10,000.
On paper, the Solstice has all the things going for it: a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive structure, a normal five-speed handbook transmission (a five-speed computerized was optionally available), and a decently highly effective engine, a 2.4-liter inline-four with 177 horsepower and 166 lb-ft of torque. The roadster weighed just below 2,900 kilos, although its NC technology Miata competitor tipped the scales at about 2,500 kilos.
