Pontiac Solstice Roadster concept

The exterior of the Roadster is finished in gray signaling an immediate change from “traditional” Pontiac concepts. The cladding, spears and knife edges are also gone replaced by a curvaceous body reminiscent of a Jaguar more than an Aztek. 19-inch front and 20-inch rear tires and wheels fill the wheel openings and provide a good stance complementing the bulges of the body. The drop-top is a simple "one-hand" operated manual fold down that stows neatly underneath the speedster-style hard cover.

The interior is wrapped in saddle-brown leather with exterior color and titanium accents on the console and dashboard. The driver-oriented cockpit uses a two-gauge cluster with tachometer and speedometer. Other critical driver information is displayed on a small LCD screen to the right of the main cluster.

The Solstice is powered by a rear-wheel-drive 2.2-liter DOHC supercharged EcoTec four-cylinder engine generating up to 240 horsepower with premium fuel. The engine is mated to a Borg-Warner performance six-speed manual transmission, the same one used in the Corvette.
The Solstice’s basic structure started life as a derivative of GM’s global small car architecture, with several modifications for structure and balance, including extensive use of aluminum.

The front end uses a simple and reliable strut configuration with a rack-and-pinion steering system derived from the Subaru WRX, one of GM’s alliance partners. The all-aluminum independent rear suspension is derived from GMs mid-size crossover SUV family and also doubles as the mount for the rear differential, which was derived from the new GM mid-size SUVs. Unique fabricated drive-shafts power the rear wheels. While no plans exist for production, Lutz is clear it’s something that’s on his mind.

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