CarBrandLogos archive · Pontiac · 2005

PontiacSolstice

A pretty, rear-drive roadster killed by the end of its own division.

Photo: IFCAR · Public domain

The story

A defining chapter in Pontiac history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Pontiac Solstice, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

Bob Lutz arrived at General Motors determined to get emotional products back into the showrooms, and the Solstice was among the first results. It came from a 2001 concept drawn by Franz von Holzhausen, with Vicki Vlachakis and Wayne Cherry involved, and GM did something unusual: it put the concept into production looking very much like the concept.

2006 Pontiac Solstice interior · No machine-readable author provided. Sfoskett~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 3.0

Design and engineering

The car went on sale in 2005 on the new rear-drive Kappa platform, a front mid-engined two-seat roadster with a 2.4-litre Ecotec four, later joined by a turbocharged 2.0-litre in the GXP that gave it genuine pace. A targa-roofed coupe followed. A Saturn Sky version shared the mechanicals.

2006 Pontiac Solstice trunk · No machine-readable author provided. Sfoskett~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 3.0

2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP coupe rear -- 11-13-2009

In production

It was let down by packaging rather than concept. The boot was almost unusable with the roof folded, the manual hood was awkward, and the interior betrayed how tightly the budget had been drawn. Even so it sold reasonably and reviewers liked how it drove.

2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP coupe rear -- 11-13-2009 · IFCAR · Public domain

Legacy

Production ended in 2009 with 65,724 built, not because the car had failed but because General Motors went through bankruptcy and shut Pontiac down. The Wilmington plant that built it closed with it.

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Produced

2005–2009

Units built

65,724

Engine

2.4&nbsp

Designer

Franz von Holzhausen (2001)

Technical specification

The Solstice, in detail.

Production: 2005–2009; 65,724 produced
Class: Sports car
Body style: 2-door Roadster (automobile); roadster ; 2-door targa top; targa Coupé; coupe
Layout: Front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Engine: 2.4 L GM Ecotec engine#LE5; Ecotec LE5 Inline-four engine; I4 (Petrol engine; gasoline) ; 2.0 L GM Ecotec engine#2.0 LNF (Z20NHH Opel); Ecotec LNF Turbocharger; turbo I4 (gasoline)
Transmission: 5-speed Aisin Seiki; Aisin AR5 manual transmission; manual ; 5-speed GM 5L40 transmission; 5L40-E automatic transmission; automatic
Designer: Franz von Holzhausen (2001) ; Vicki Vlachakis ; Wayne Cherry
Assembly: United States: Wilmington, Delaware (Wilmington Assembly)
Manufacturer: General Motors