Ok guys Charlie's poll on the LS2 Solstice got me thinking about something Josh said on C&G that the vette guys didn't want the Solstice on the Y-body.

What if GM had used the Y-body for the Solstice and Sky?

Lets look at a few things that could have been, OK?

Solstice gets to market withing 30 months instead of 36 and is out for a summer release.
Solstice gets LSx motor straight from GM. Perhaps 5.3 to set it apart from the Vette.
Solstice gest DOHC V6 making 250 hp with a Turbo version making 300 in GXP form.

Costs are lowered for both Corvette and XLR by parts sharing with a lower priced Pontiac.

With a smaller motor (V6) or iron block V8 a Y-body solstice wouldn't infringe on Corvette performance AND by offering it only in convertible style it could be priced less than the Corvette vert but more than the Vette hardtop.

 

You forgot:

Solstice gets a trunk.

But I think Kappa was the right decision.

 

What poll?

 

Kappa was the right choice. Pontiac needs an affordable hit more than a Vette clone. Turbo Solstice GXP will be for those that want more power and would rather have forced induction.

 

My bad it was Z28x, I hadn't eaten since like 6 the previous night (darn medical crap.)

 

From what I understand, the original Solstice on Y-Body killed the 'Vette in many aspects, which is why it was never allowed to see the light of day. Many I speak with still to this day know nothing of the program, and probably never will.

 

Corvette's "Y" body has alot of parts that would have sent the cost of the Solstice skywards.

Laminated wood floor. Rear transaxle. Extensive aluminum and titanium parts. Heavier structure engineered to withstand well over 500hp. The list goes on and on.

I have never understood the "Solstice-should-have-been-on-a-Corvette" guys. The structure for all intents and purposes is a budget Corvette chassis. Expecting to get a Corvette based car for a hair under $20,000 is a pretty wild fantasy.

If someone wants a Corvette, then just go out and simply buy one.

 

I don't think it should have cost $20K if it were on the Y-body. I fully expect it to cost north of $40K. I am just thinking out loud as some within GM did. The Solstice could have reached showrooms quicker with more power from the onset. Also cost peices for the XLR and Vette would have decreased and made them more profitable. As it stands GM says they aren't making money on base Solstices so the question remains: Would the Solstice have made as big of an impact if it were larger and on the Y-body and cost norht of $40K?

 

No to mention that it would have been much too big dimentionally. And it was specifically a design mendate to make a small nimble Toy car. C&D did a Z06/Viper and Solsitice/Miata comparo back to back and they completely back up this exact notion. With the Solstice they said they could push it much harder on the less than perfect and usually narrow streets/roads than the Corvette which they were simply afraid to push at all because it was snappy at the rear end and didn't provide that "small car goes where I point it" sensation. The Corvette on the other hand completely owned the track portion against the Viper.

Yeah, it would have made as much negative impact in that configuration as it is making positive impact in its current form. Besides just sharing parts isn't enough to bring down costs. Sometimes THERE ISN'T ENOUGH PARTS TO SHARE because they are time-consuming and therefore expensive to make. So by demanding even MORE parts, you make them cost higher, not lower. Plus, what do you care what it costs GM to make? It is SO much more important to me what I'm getting for my money. And for $25k (realistically) I'm getting a lot more Solstice per dollar than I would at $40K as a (probably poor and unloved) Corvette clone. A fake.

I agree with Guy, I don't get this controversey at all.

 

The reason for the controversy is that lots of people simply can't comprehend the appeal of a small lightweight 4-cyl sports car, like the Miata.

 

OR some people are saying that we could have gotten the Solstice to market quicker and were trying to figure out why.

Perhaps an explanation is better than bashing a lot of the time. Try it guys it just might work.

 

I dunno, saying you want it on a bigger, heavier, more expensive platform and with a larger engine just so you could have it faster shows little regard for the "small, lightweight, inexpensive roadster" concept.

They could have gotten it to market in 4 months if they just slapped a pontiac logo and solstice logo onto a silverado. It would have a base V6, RWD, 2 seats. It would be big, heavy, and stupid.

 

If you are going to be a jack*ss why even bother to post WERM? Seriously who is to say that a Pontiac Corvette was not the original idea for Solstice. Maybe the guy that drew it had a Pontiac Corvette in mind?

You know if you aren't going to contribute to a usefull discussion just take it elsewhere.

 

No, one of the reasons it is such a huge hit is because it looks like a $40,000 car but only costs $20,000

 

You're right. I'm a jackass because you don't like it when people disagree with you. Here's a tip: If you don't like it when people disagree with you, don't post on the internet.

PS: Do some research. The solstice was never intended to be an expensive car.