We went out yesterday and drove 2 new Pontiac Solstice GXPs, a manual and a stick, both 5 speeds.260hp 2.0L turbocharged. WOW! Fun little car. Stickers are $31-32,000. She likes the Brazen orange w/ auto, leather, and chrome wheels.
Found this car on Ebay, for about the same money, probably a little more.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ponti...QQcmdZViewItem
Not real serious about any of this, but I want your valuable input. Any of you have any experience with the Solstice GXP?

 

[align=center]Hi `Wayne,[/align][align=center]I haven't driven one, but I sure would like to.[/align][align=center]When I get to the Big City, I hope that I can[/align][align=center]find one @ a dealer, and hopethey will let me drive `it.[/align][align=center]I've read several reviews, on the GXP, & Saturn Sky[/align][align=center]Redline. They `kick for a 4 Bang'in Turbo : )[/align][align=center]0-60MPH in the mid 5's : ) WoW[/align][align=center][/align][align=center]Review[/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]Adding a Bit of Brute to Cute

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TESTED 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP
WHAT IS IT? Two-seat convertible sports car.
HOW MUCH? $27,115 base; $30,284 as tested with air-conditioning ($960), OnStar with one-year subscription ($695), AM-FM stereo with 6-CD changer ($495), high-performance Monsoon speakers ($395), rear spoiler ($275), XM radio ($199), premium acoustic headliner ($150).
WHAT MAKES IT RUN? 2-liter turbocharged in-line 4-cylinder with direct fuel injection (260 horsepower, 260 pound feet of torque) with five-speed manual transmission.
IS IT THIRSTY? E.P.A. mileage rating is 19 m.p.g. in town, 28 on the highway.
ALTERNATIVES BMW Z4 3.0i, $37,175; Honda S2000, $34,845; Porsche Boxster, $46,395.
AS a car enthusiast, the worst thing you can possibly do is recommend a particular car to a friend or relative. It’s a lose-lose proposition. If the person likes their new car, then so what? They were supposed to like it.
But if the pendulum swings the other way and the engine shoots a piston through the hood on the way to the hospital to deliver the baby in a snowstorm — well, guess who’s taking the rap for that? You are, Mr. Car Expert.
Rewind to last summer, when I gave my father-in-law a ride in a Dodge Viper. He was in the market for a sports car, and I made an offhand comment to the effect of, “If you like the Viper, a Saturn Sky[b] Red Line gives you 80 percent of the performance for 30 percent of the money.”
The next thing I knew, he’d ordered this factory hot-rod version of the Sky. I immediately began researching real estate in places accessible only by floatplane. If the Red Line turned out to be more like the Flat Line, I might have to go off the grid for a while.
My recent drive in the Sky Red Line’s Pontiac twin, the Solstice GXP, indicates that I shouldn’t have anything to worry about. This is a car that’s a bit roug

 

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Pontiace GXP versus the Saturn Red Line
Beefy SUVs may be in a lot of driveways, but compact two-seat convertibles are in a lot of dreams. For almost 20 years, the go-to car in this class has been the Mazda Miata. Since then, a lot of wannabes have come and gone. But two cars that look like they’ll be around for a while are the Pontiac Solstice and its Kappa platform near-twin, the Saturn Sky, and they’re ready to take on the Miata’s legacy.

The Solstice first hit the street as a highly-anticipated 2006 model. The back-to-basics convertible was judged a little too faithfully to the theme under the front-hinged hood. Sole motivation was courtesy of GM’s 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder with 177 bhp and a five-speed manual transmission. There’s an argument to be made for the driving pleasure that comes from working a moderately-powered engine hard, but too few critics and drivers agree. Plus, as was the case with GM’s performance division, it only made sense for Pontiac to at least offer more power as an option. That’s exactly what’s happened with the addition of the GXP model, which pushes the ponies substantially to 260 bhp courtesy of a 2.0-liter turbocharged Ecotec four-cylinder engine.

Saturn entered the sports car fray with their version of the convertible, dubbed the Sky. Cutting a similar silhouette to the Solstice, but with noticeable differences inside and out, history initially repeated itself in the power department. The Sky houses a five-speed manual transmission and a naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter engine. Sky shoppers looking for greater power didn’t have to wait another year however as the 2.0-liter turbo edition followed just months later (the premier feature in the Red Line package).

You’ve probably read a dozen and one comparisons pitting the Solstice against the redesigned and rechristened Miata now known as MX-5. But how do the corporate kin compare against each other? Spend a few miles with each and you’ll learn that despite the shared DNA, they’re anything but twins.

Pontiac Solstice GXPMSRP (Base): $27,115
Engine: 2.0-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder turbo
Horsepower: 260 hp @ 5300 rpm
Torque: 260 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
MPG: City: 22; Highway: 31

Performance - 17/20
There wasn’t much to dislike about the original Solstice, save for the so-so engine response which is addressed in the GXP edition. With its 2.0-liter turbo transmitting a commendable 260 bhp and 260 lb-ft of torque, the engine response is much more than so-so. Turbo lag is minimal, so you’ll love the 0-60 acceleration of 5.5 seconds, while quarter-mile runs fly by in 14.2 seconds at 101 mph. Handling is tight thanks in large part to the 18-inch performance rubber, but steering feel and brake feedback could stand to improve. The five-speed manual’s stubby shifter features short throws and is fairly precise, though a sixth gear remains on our wish list. Overall, performance doesn’t redefine the class, but it’s plenty entertaining.

Exterior design - 14/20
Pontiac thankfully cleaned up its act over the last few years -- no more Batmobile designs that look like they were sketched in homeroom. The base Solstice looks refreshingly clean, and the GXP package doesn’t sport any unnecessary doodads. The jury’s still out on the front grille and headlight treatment. View a Solstice head-on, especially one painted Cool (silver) or Sly (gray), and the car looks disturbingly like Bugs Bunny. In

 

eh...get the saturn redline

 

Why the Redline. I've looked at both, and I think I like the Pontiac better.

 

[align=center]I think that's why GM make onemodelfor Pontiac,[/align][align=center]and one model for Saturn.[/align][align=center]They are trying to make everyone `happy : )[/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center]`Santa, in case your reading the MCF posts this season,[/align][align=center]`Space would be happy with either one [/align][align=center]I know, I know, I've been naughty, [/align][align=center]but I've also been very `good : )[/align]

 

Two words: Solstice Rocks!!!!

 

Well, we did it! We found a new '07 Solstice GXP, loaded, red, with 1,100 miles on it, but not a demo. Just a few minutes west of us. Got it for well under invoice, plus 0% interest, 'cause it's a new '07. It's got all the options, including the 18" chrome wheels. Sweet little ride, and it just might be quicker than the Rock'n Intimidator SS!
We pick it up Monday night, after it gets an alignment and Mobil 1 oil change.
I will post pics 1st of the week, after the blizzard blows thru.

 

Yeah, this snowstorm isn't conducive for taking pictures is it.

Need to drop the smaller pulley on the Solstice now... hmmm M90 upgrade from M62....

 

i thought it was turbocharged? can't put a pulley on one of those can you

that first picture looks a little like Ford's concepet Ford Shelby from the North American Auto Show a couple years ago.