no one has mentioned media bias yet? certain people are falling behind!

 

No, because the Miata will have stolen half of those people by fall.

 

Actually, there probably will be further slippage beyond the October date - which will pretty much write off the Solstice in non-sunbelt markets until Spring 2006.

 

Don't forget that there are quite a few places around the country where you can drive a Solstice year round and there will be plenty of retired and mid-life crisis people to sell to. Pontiac will need to focus the advertising there.

 

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!

worst thing that could happen. GM: August at the latest!

that gives you 3 months. That's plenty of time to fix a vert top and front bumper. I mean seriously it is. Street Rodders can build a whole one-off car with great fit and finish in that much time much less fixinig the bumper and top.

 

Yes......that's right....we REALLY want to screw up big time so we'll just delay it until fall...............after all, there are nothing but morons running GM anyway, right?

WAKE UP!

#1...you don't put it out there until it's right! (anyone see a Ford GT running around lately? NO...they can't be driven until they're fixed!)

#2...timing isn't perfect, but newsflash! Convertibles sell year 'round......esp. in states where it doesn't snow!

#3.....I find it interesting that some constantly bash us, yet can't even spell. Talk about quality.

Yes! I'm flaming some!

Memo to Pacer X -- 9.7

 

Yep. 9.7 minimum.

 

memo to Fbodfather: the delay sounds to me like a lot of "overpromesing and underdelivering" instead.

BTW, pacer's comment is exactly the reason so many people here are upset by this. GM gave itself 4 years to develop this. If they can't "do it right" in that time and have to go back to fix things past the deadline, you know what they call this in sports? GAME OVER.

 

Now that's a good reply. Of course, I should point out that Ford's suspension issue stems from some pretty unconventional technique used in producing the offending suspension members. I also know that GM was talking about a fairly unconventional roof mechanism for the Solstice.

Sometimes a little too much "innovation" can screw up your product launch. It happens.




True enough. But there are plenty of roadster sales in the snowbelt during the spring and summer months.

More importantly, GM has lost a golden opportunity for the Solstice/Sky to overshadow the launch of Mazda's new Miata.

There once was a Pontiac called the "Aztek. There also was a tribe in Mexico called the Aztecs.

Misspelling or marketing? You decide.:lol

 

Easy killer.

I can tell you this:

GM is not pleased with the situation. A very particular and non-readily-apparent mistake was made that will hopefully be rectified in the very near future - hopefully on a vehicle we all know and love.

The important issue now is to make this a learning experience and ensure that the mistake mentioned above is not repeated.

 

I see where you're coming from, however PacerX delivers a pretty direct point: Why not spend the money to do it right the 1st time, instead of having to go back and repair the damage someone did by pinching pennys where it shouldn't have been pinched???

This isn't directed at you so please don't take this personally or professionally, but GM seems to have taken as long to create the Solstice in this "fast track" development scheme as it does in a regular development cycle. GM has been making convertible tops since both you and I were in dipers and arguably has more experience in attaching plastic front bumpers than anyone on the face of the earth due to GM's worldwide volume. The C5 didn't have these issues when it came out nearly a decade ago. That would seem to indicate that somewhere along the line, something is SERIOUSLY wrong.

With the Ford GT, at least you can say it was actually rushed to market. It debuted the same time as the Solstice, however it was approved and made it to market within 18 months using all new components and alot of cutting edge technology. Solstice, despite using alot of existing GM parts and components seems destined (based on this news article) to be in showrooms right around the time the Ford GT is in it's final production year.

To the outsider, it makes the Solstice seem like a victim of what's wrong at GM, mainly a sluggish approval process, combined with people empowered to put cost ahead of quality when it comes to materials. If certain rumors are correct, this appears to be the 3rd recent instance of where there had to be intervention down the line because someone cheapened something they shouldn't have.

I KNOW that GM has some top drawer engineers and I honestly believe that GM's product & design people are now "In the Zone". But there's a section along the pipeline that seems manned with people whose sole mission in life is to do nothing more but obstruct & sabotage new products.

On the flip side, RWD convertibles DO sell year round as you mentioned, and not just seasional as some people believe. Honestly people, if you want a Solstice convertible, and you can get a good deal in December, are you really going to wait till spring or summer to buy one???

BTW: Question to Pacer or FBF: What's this thing with 9.6 & 9.7??

 

Ahh... now you know how we feel when you are cryptic

(It's probably the level of Red'a boiling point after a post or Pacer's guess at that level based on replies)

 

To think...I got flamed for suggesting the Solstice could have a problematic launch.

Either way, having the car on the Apprentice, and taking preorders last week...then delaying the car till fall is a disaster.

Just proves how hard it is to bring a car with this much content in at such a low price and maintain quality.

 

So thats maybe why they told us to stop HVAC production at work

 

This could work guys...think about it...no price gouging no market adjustment AND the Sky will be out the same time next yr...if they play there cars right it could be a hit for GM.. in Florida I see more new cars every day than I ever did in boston..so they do sell