Podcast Reveals Solstice Details
2006 Pontiac Solstice
In our new podcast, host Deb Ochs interviews Clay Dean, director of design for small and mid-size vehicles, about the Pontiac Solstice, which goes on sale later this year. He talks about its development process, what colors it will come in, what’s the deal with those bumps on the back, and what the roof will look like.
One new feature of the Solstice is that you won’t need a transmitter or cassette adapter to listen to your iPod through the sound system. Its radio includes an auxiliary input jack for an iPod or other audio source. The radio will also come standard in the Chevrolet HHR, Impala and Monte Carlo, the Saturn Vue and Ion, the Buick Lucerne and the Cadillac DTS. There’s an interesting discussion of it at Autoblog. Tell us what you think of the podcast and the radio.
Paste this URL into your RSS reader to get the podcast:
http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/podcast/gm_fastlane_podcast.xml
Or download the MP3
[Editor's note: In his original interview about the Pontiac Solstice, Clay Dean gave inaccurate information on two aspects of Solstice performance. Its correct 0-60 acceleration time is 7.2 seconds, not 5.4 seconds. And it does not "pull over a g of lateral acceleration when cornering," as he said. The correct number for its lateral acceleration is 0.9 g -- enough to press you back in your seat -- but not close to a full g. The MP3 has been edited to remove the incorrect information.]
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Great to hear how easy the top on the Solstice will be to operate, but as we get so close to production how about an official picture of a Solstice top in the up position. By the way, a higher performance version and an available automatic will be must have versions to keep the momentum going once this car hits the market.
Please give us more information about marketing and sales efforts for Canada. I want to buy one of the first 1000 cars, but don’t know if that program is only available to american dealers.
Yeah, TOP UP PHOTO! I’m seriously looking into getting a Sky when they are available (I like the lines MUCH better, as does my GF), but we need a top up photo.
As for automatic: The miata has an automatic, but its only for rental fleet sales. So you can do a car like this manual only.
But since GM is probably going for a broader market, and the “manual only” does get rid of some customers for the Miata, an auto may be necessary.
Blog infomercials.
I checked out today’s post at the GM Fastlane Blog. It’s about their new podcast:In our new podcast, host Deb Ochs interviews Clay Dean, director of design for small and mid-size vehicles, about the Pontiac Solstice, which goes on sale…
0-60 in 5.4s? The current information everyone’s seen so far says 7.2s for that.
GM Auxiliary Input
Podcast Reveals Solstice Details .
I agree that it is more important to build one too few Soltices than one too many, but let’s be prepared this car is going to be hot and long waits to get one of these is only going to frustrate people. One other thing, this car needs some hotter colors like fusion orange, and yellow jacket, oh pictures of the top please…
I for one am very pleased to hear about GM putting auxiliary input jacks in there cars. Currently I use a external FM modulator for my iPOD and that is annoying. Not to mention the sound quality is lacking. With a auxiliary input jack alot of fuss and hassle is axed. Nice idea.
I’d heard about the input jack the other day and think it’s a great addition! I can’t wait for my solstice to show up and now I know i’ll be able to use my ipod makes me even happier!
22 Million iPod Users Can Get Lifestyle in General Motors Auto
Not to mention that they can get the podcasts too. Bob Lutz points us to the direct interface from iPods to 2006 Pontiac Solstice radios with additional discussions at Autoblog. Regardless of the mechanics of the interface, that’s selling lifestyle.
New GM podcast hits the right spot
GM posted a new podcast to the GM FastLane Blog yesterday – and hits the right spot with content, production and presentation that validates the concept of this rapidly-emerging medium as a business communication tool. In the style of talk
What a car! It will be a huge hit. What is the total weight of the car? A step in the right direction. Keep it up.
oh thank god, your discussing the colors it comes in!!
glad to see GM has their priorities straight…
0-60 in 5.4 seconds?
In a 2860 lb car with 177hp?!
Is that even possible?
Acceleration is more relative to torque than horsepower, so yes.
It’s great to see the Solstice nearing production. The influence that Lutz is bringing to GM is finally being seen in our showrooms with the new GM products. The podcast is great for anyone that is looking for a better understanding of the Solstice conception & its importance to both GM & Pontiac. It will certainly be a huge hit for Pontiac. I would certainly like to see it with the top up, as would most, & I’d like to get an idea of how tall someone can be to fit into the car with the top up.
Oops, very good catch, Caddy Edge. The correct 0-60 time for the Solstice is 7.2 seconds. Maybe Clay was thinking of the GTO.
http://www.pontiac.com/gto/index.jsp?brand=home&pagename=home
Thanks, Jim – but I have to share credit for that catch with Brentil from the day before.
Josh,
We’re having a great discussion about this over at SolsticeForum.com and have found some engineering rule-of-thumb calculations that suggest a 2860 lb Solstice would need around 250+ hp to acheive the 5.4 second 0-60 time. Perhaps this is an indicator of what the rumored high-performance model will have.
Using these same calculations, the 177hp model would run 0-60 in the mid-7’s.
Not having an automatic trans option from the start is a huge mistake. I understand the purest roadster fan will want the manual, but there will be many people that want the Solstice as an everyday driver. You will lose sales, even if an automatic is introduced later, because your potential buyer will have settled for something else by then. I would love to buy the Solstice for my wife, but I KNOW she won’t drive a manual.
The AUX input on the stereo is a great idea, and should be available across the board.
I love the Solstice and currently drive a Bonneville SSEI and had a ‘66 Lemans Sport in high school in ‘69, but today’s announcement that GM might be killing off the Pontiac Division sure doesn’t make me feel very good about putting my hard earned bucks down on another one. Say it ain’t so, Bob!
I need to make a second clarification regarding the podcast. Clay Dean said the Solstice pulls “over a g of lateral acceleration when cornering.” In fact, only the Corvette ZO6 is capable of this. The lateral acceleration of the Solstice is actually 0.9 g, which is still darn good, but nowhere near a full g.
–Jim Hopson, Pontiac
I think it is fantastic that an aux input is being put in on the front of the stereo head unit. I suggest that you not wait until a vehicle redesign to add this capability to current models. Every car should have a head unit with an aux input in the front and every car that has a CD player should be capable of playing MP3s from the CD. Every car with a DVD drive should be able to play 5.1 encoded music DVDs (DVD-A, DTS, etc.), Dolby 2.0 DVDs, DVDs with MP3s, and CDs with MP3s.
Looks like Mr Lutz promise of an affordable under $20,000 roadster met deaf ears for the Canadian market.
GM Canada has tacked on an average of 36% on the US base price and all the options. This is at a time when the official exchange rate is in the low 20% range. The worst example is if you want the leather package, you will have to pay 100% more in Canadian dollars vs US list price.
Jim, There is another GM car besides the Zo6 than can pull more that 1g. A 1988 modified fiero gt with a 400 hp
Lingenfelter Corvette engine owned by a contract engineer who happens to work at GM can pull 1.17g’s.
I love the Solstice. Why did you make the Sky more aggressive? Pontiac should have the more aggressive styling. I hope the Sky doesn’t steal the Solstice’s thunder.
Ditto to Steves comment?
Why give the company with less followers (saturn) the better looking auto and leave your “performance” division with the bland exterior. It is a wonderful machine and idea but again you seem to have a way of shooting yourselves in the foot. Now I know I wouldn’t buy one, I can see me driving down the road in my Pontiac…only to see a better looking saturn?? Is that possible??
GM seems alot like my sister, 4.0 but lacking common sense. I still haven’t figured out the purpose of the SSR. The retro styling idea was great. A fixed top on a standard 360 platform with the 2800 four and a 5-speed at under 20 makes way more sense than the 44 I see on the sticker.
I was going to sell my MG and buy a Solstice until I saw the gauges. They belong in a minivan, anyplace BUT a sports car. Sorry
What part did GM’s IBM supercomputer (a cluster of p655s and p5-570s) play in the accelerated development of the Solstice? I’m the Marketing Manager for the p655 and would like to think it made a major contribution in crash test simulation, etc.
When can I get a solstice.. where do I sign up for the wait list.. I’m completly stoked about this car.. I think it’s the best looking pontiac sence the 68 firebird and 69 GTO classic “large” front grille and all
What is up with AC being an option, and a $900+ one at that? I am 99 percent sure that I will buy a Solstice, but making AC and ABS options makes me feel like I’m being nickel and dimed on the price.
I hope the AUX input is better engineered than the one offered on the SAAB 9-3SS. It has a different ground than the cigarette lighter, so if you try to charge/power your iPod while using the AUX in connector, you get ground loop feedback.
I disagree about the Sky v. the Solstice. I find the lines of Solstice much more curvaceous/sexy. It seems to be gracefully molded-yet still cute with classic coolness, as compared to Sky which seems carved from a chunk with straighter edged modern masculine blockiness. Love the iPod input and MP3 CD changer – what I’ve been wishing for in my next car.
I’m curious to know whether the Solstice will be offered in a body style other than the Roadster. If memory serves, the 2002 concept was more of a coupe-hatchback design that evoked visions of the old Jaguars, and today’s Chrysler Crossfire. It would be neat to see that design on the roadways, in addition to the currently planned body style of the Solstice. Just a thought.
Does anyone know what the biggest difference between the SOLSTICE and the Saturn SKY will be.Does anyone know what the top speed will be and the actual 0-60 time is.Mike
Since its debut at the 2002 Detroit Auto Show, the Pontiac Solstice had not only made enthusiasts drool, but commoners as well. The 2006 Pontiac Solstice: Hot, Hot, Hot –that’s my initial reaction, and this ride continues to dazzle me, since then. This car seduces the senses and makes you ache for that steering wheel.