2008 Pontiac Solstice GXP

It's too soon to tell if there's a new sheriff in town. But, the first year sales success of the Pontiac Solstice is, at the very least, a wake-up call for the sports car market. After 17 years at the top of the top-down charts, the Mazda Miata was outsold in its segment in 2006 by the newcomer Solstice (19,710 to 16,897). Pontiac celebrated the victory with the addition of a second, Solstice model for 2007. And, what better way to celebrate success than with excess. Most notable among the features of the new GXP was the mass infusion of horsepower. Pontiac upped the under-hood ante by 47 percent. The four-cylinder, 2.0-liter Ecotec engine was turbocharged to the tune of 260 horsepower (@5,300 rpm) and 260 lb. ft. of torque (@2,500 rpm).

Styling

One year later, changes to the GXP for 2008 are few. The convertible top has been upgraded (the formerly optional acoustic top headliner is now standard equipment), a tire pressure monitoring system is also standard and a pair of hues is added to the color charts.


Outside, Solstice retains its swoopy, shrink-wrapped shape. The sweet, two-seater starts with a compact, wedge form. The front clip is wrapped low and tight around the front wheels, and features a Pontiac traditional split grille. Balancing the picture is a slightly taller tail, with a molded, hard faring rising behind the seat headrests. Eagle-eyed observers can tell a GXP from standard models by the blackout grille and small air dam in front, and the revamped rear fascia with double-barreled stainless exhaust outlets. In all, Solstice is a sheetmetal hottie, and our test car looked good in a coat of "Mean Yellow." Yes, Mean Yellow. Pontiac says that the color choices were "each inspired by a personality trait." Logically, then, if Pontiac offers two-toning in the future, it will be inspired by split personalities—something to keep in mind, if encountered on the road.

Interior

Inside, the snug Solstice cockpit is comfortable and purposeful, if a bit storage-starved. The driver faces a pair of deep, chrome-ringed binnacles, housing a red-lit speedo and tach, and framing an undersized (and happily, underused) fuel gauge. Rheostats handle the HVAC control chores, with stalk-accessed lighting and wipers. A button and dial array works the sound system, with redundant controls on the steering wheel. Seating is supportive and legroom long enough for a six-footer at full stretch. Some cabin ergonomics require more carpal gymnastics than one would like. Power window switches are located not nearly far enough down the armrests to be reached naturally. The cup holders and a small, covered center storage bin are both stationed in the middle, behind the passengers, requiring a distracting, over the shoulder move to access.


Solstice ignores the stampede to retractable hardtops, opting instead for a lined, cloth lid. The profile of the raised top doesn't harm the car's looks when up, and it suffers less of the traditional, c-pillar blind spot than most convertibles that come to mind. The top lowers manually, disappearing under the curvy, hard boot. You sit low in the high-waisted Solstice, and wind flow in the cabin is not excessive. The top can be a bit fussy when it comes to raising and lowering, and when down, cargo capacity drops from 5.4 cubic feet to a seriously small, 2.1 cubic feet. We can only imagine what already-strong Solstice sales might look like, were the trunk large enough to hold golf clubs or a weekend's worth of luggage, top down.