CD Article: 2008 Pontiac Solstice GXP

[LQRV1675]

I was amazed to read that the Solstice was claimed to be better looking than the Boxster,and the Miata.
IMO,the Solstice is just plain UGLY.
The front view is too plain.
It needs something added to get rid of that droopy nose look.
And the rear view looks just dumb.
I think G.M.wanted it to look like a racing car from the 50s or 60s.   

[rrocket]

Artic artic artic ever heard of a company called Toyota? and the cars they have produced?

Hmmm lets compare the Solstice to the only contemporary 'Toyota' that would compete with the Solstice: MR-Spyder

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=44465/pageId=4
"Trunk space is an absolute joke, with a tiny little cubby behind the seats providing 2.8 cubic feet of unaccommodating space. Loading it is a multi-step process and a royal pain in the patootie - you have to exit the car, fold the seat, then open the door of the bin. There's also a dismally sized well beneath the front hood that shares space with the spare tire, but it seems more of an afterthought to disguise a design flaw."

Sure it had a better top design..... but it was still U G L Y top up or top down.

At least GM traded off the trunk size for looks.

PS - the same Edmunds comparison review has yet another example of that awesome fanboy 'Toyota' quality......
"As noted in the introduction, we had problems with a recalcitrant linkage problem, which took 10 minutes at the Toyota dealer to solve, but it was disconcerting nevertheless, having to drive for about seven miles on hilly curves stuck in fourth gear." LOL

Is that the same Spyder that beat the Miata at Edmonds in a comparo??   

FWIW, I never liked the looks of the Spyder much either....But nothing a body kit can't smooth out....

[wing]

That top is brutal, sounds like Peter had the same problem with his tester as I had with mine last year and this is a different car -- I was under the impression mine was just messed up.

 I had to use a sledge hammer to get the top to lock  and I am NOT exaggerating one bit!

[articsteve]

The MR2 was ahead of it's time.  It would be a huge seller right this moment with fuel prices for regular at $4.00 a gallon in the US.

Measuring 153.0 inches nose to tail and 66.7 inches across, the MR-Spyder is about as wide as Toyota's last-generation MR2 but some 11 inches shorter. Spanning 96.5 inches wheelcenter to wheelcenter, it also has a 2-inch-longer wheelbase for better stability. Suspension duties are handled by a coil spring strut at each corner, while vented disc brakes supply stopping power. The MR-Spyder is also fitted with an innovative electrohydraulic power steering system that saves weight and offers enhanced feedback. Keeping the entire package in solid contact with the road are healthy 205/50 front and 215/50 rear tires on 16-inch cast alloy wheels.

Powering this trick Toyota is an all-new 1.8-liter aluminum DOHC four-cylinder engine equipped with the firm's VVT-i variable valve timing package. Making 140 horses and 127 pound-feet of torque, it's mated to a sequential five-speed manual sport-shift gearbox that has both a conventional gear lever and steering-wheel-mounted up/down buttons but no clutch pedal. Toyota claims this setup cuts shift times virtually in half. In early factory tests, that combo was sufficient to push the speedy Spyder 0-60 mph in just over 7 seconds.

Although clean and relatively simple, the MR-Spyder's well-tailored passenger compartment is hardly short on creature comforts and incorporates a healthy dose of brushed aluminum accent trim throughout. Dedicated Sybarites can pack the forward vertical element of its center console with a full range of high-end audio equipment, while hardline performance types may opt to remove it altogether as a weight-saving measure. Admittedly at its best operating in the alfresco mode, the MR-Spyder's lightweight manually operated top can be quickly deployed from under the rear hard tonneau cover to fend off inclement weather. There's sufficient storage space underhood and behind the seatbacks to accommodate the weekend needs of a pair of light travelers.

[Mitlov]

The Solstice GXP has bucketloads of badass (260 turbocharged horses and a chassis that can easily handle more), but no damn practicality and cargo space compared to a Miata.  The MR2 had bucketloads of badass (what does MR stand for?  Yeah, that's what I thought), but no damn practicality and cargo space compared to a Miata.  Sounds to me that, once again, GM and Toyota are opposite sides of the same coin.  But that won't prevent the penis-waving contest from continuing, will it?

[rrocket]

Hey...I was just saying..in the shootout the MR2 beat the Miata..that's all I said. 

Kinda surprised you don't know what MR2 stands for:

Mid engined
RWD
2 Seats

[articsteve]

Mid engined

I'd love a Japanese RELIABLE mid engine toy.

[articsteve]

But that won't prevent the penis-waving contest from continuing, will it?

and why would we want that?   

Don't dispair MITTO, Toyota, the master of all, will be bringing something great to the US market in 2010 using a 2.0 valvematic motor.

[initial_D]

I sure hope Toyota will be making something more exciting than the current lineup. Just the though of the models makes me kinda sleepy. 

Side note, on my last visit to the US, did saw a couple of the MR2 Spyder on a used car lot, very reasonably priced as well.

[Mitlov]

Hey...I was just saying..in the shootout the MR2 beat the Miata..that's all I said. 

Kinda surprised you don't know what MR2 stands for:

Mid engined
RWD
2 Seats

It was a rhetorical question.  I was saying it had bucketloads of badass because it's a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive configuration.

[Mitlov]

But that won't prevent the penis-waving contest from continuing, will it?

and why would we want that?   

Some of us actually like having new conversations from time to time instead of having every single damn thread dragged down by the same half-dozen people arguing the same Toyota-versus-GM arguments again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again...

[drederick]

The MR2 was ahead of it's time.  It would be a huge seller right this moment with fuel prices for regular at $4.00 a gallon in the US.

So ahead of its time no one wanted it, right? LOL

[Mitlov]

The MR2 wasn't a sales disaster because it was "ahead of its time."  The Miata was similarly low-power at that time.  The MR2 was a sales disaster because you had to choose between your toothbrush and your underwear when you went on a road trip...much like GM's Kappa roadsters today.  That effectively restricted sales to the hardcore enthusiasts...and we make a lot of noise on the internet but there aren't many of us out there.

[initial_D]

No trunk space in the MR2, sounds familiar.

[TopGun]

Mid engined

I'd love a Japanese RELIABLE mid engine toy.

OK...here it is!  A Lotus Elise...in a tasty California trim...with a Toyota 1.8 L engine!

http://www.lotuscars.com/california_car.html

[articsteve]

I should have added "reasonably" priced.

[safristi]

 Arctic cut out thas toothpaste and undergutchies fer 40 Years...and it's perfectly reasonable......  I'm assuming the position ROTUS FROWER so honny....

[initial_D]

Mid engined

I'd love a Japanese RELIABLE mid engine toy.

OK...here it is!  A Lotus Elise...in a tasty California trim...with a Toyota 1.8 L engine!

http://www.lotuscars.com/california_car.html

I should have added "reasonably" priced.

Cheap like BPorsche.

[Greg B.]

The MR2 wasn't a sales disaster because it was "ahead of its time."  The Miata was similarly low-power at that time.  The MR2 was a sales disaster because you had to choose between your toothbrush and your underwear when you went on a road trip...much like GM's Kappa roadsters today.  That effectively restricted sales to the hardcore enthusiasts...and we make a lot of noise on the internet but there aren't many of us out there.

Twenty years ago I bought a first-gen MR2 new. Trunk space wasn't really a problem for 2 people -- you could get a golf bag (or 2 carry bags) in the rear trunk, or 12 dozen beer, and then there was the front trunk for soft-sided things. No, the problem was its absolutely abysmal reliability and build quality. So much went wrong with that car -- which was babied, not beaten, and always serviced at the dealer -- it was ridiculous. Assorted rattles and leaks, windows falling into the door, 3 stereo failures, assorted minor stuff, major engine and transmission problems within 3 years, and finally, the evil rusties. Fun car to drive, bad car to live with every day.

That car was a real kick in the head for the much-vaunted invincible Toyota quality.

[Mitlov]

The MR2 wasn't a sales disaster because it was "ahead of its time."  The Miata was similarly low-power at that time.  The MR2 was a sales disaster because you had to choose between your toothbrush and your underwear when you went on a road trip...much like GM's Kappa roadsters today.  That effectively restricted sales to the hardcore enthusiasts...and we make a lot of noise on the internet but there aren't many of us out there.

Twenty years ago I bought a first-gen MR2 new. Trunk space wasn't really a problem for 2 people -- you could get a golf bag (or 2 carry bags) in the rear trunk, or 12 dozen beer, and then there was the front trunk for soft-sided things. No, the problem was its absolutely abysmal reliability and build quality. So much went wrong with that car -- which was babied, not beaten, and always serviced at the dealer -- it was ridiculous. Assorted rattles and leaks, windows falling into the door, 3 stereo failures, assorted minor stuff, major engine and transmission problems within 3 years, and finally, the evil rusties. Fun car to drive, bad car to live with every day.

That car was a real kick in the head for the much-vaunted invincible Toyota quality.

I was talking about the most recent generation, the Boxster look-alike.  Wasn't the first-gen a coupe anyway?