Bimmer325

Awesome. Looks like they even have the Solstice Concept and GMC Graphyte in stock!

I was stuck on the flooded Bronx River Parkway for five hours on my way to school yesterday morning. I got on at 7:45 and was stopped in park until they turned traffic around going the wrong way just before 1:00. Needless to say, I never made it to school. The torrential downpours we had gotten the night before had nowhere to go as the ground is still frozen here. Our basement flooded for the first time in our 15 years of living in this house. By yesterday afternoon there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and today it's sunny and 55. Crazy stuff.

Start With Solstice A C&G Staff Commentary | by Louis Buccheri March 1, 2007 A recent trip to my local Pontiac dealer left me with an impression strong enough to inspire this article. The reaction that so struck me as I browsed Premium Pontiac's overcrowded lot? No brand offers a clearer snapshot of where GM has been, and more importantly, where GM is headed. I'd venture to say that the general public currently associates the arrowhead more with Avis than excitement, but before you write this off as yet another piece fixated on poking fun at the brand's recent past, consider the following. Amidst the rows of Vibes, G5s, Torrents and Grand Prixes gathering dust sits a car that single-handedly embodies everything a Pontiac should. It's affordable, looks great, offers competent performance—and more importantly—you can't rent one. I'm talking about the Solstice, a car so perfectly Pontiac, GM can't afford to let it's buzz burn out. I'd be insane to suggest a low-volume roadster—even one as good as the Solstice—is capable of getting the brand back on its feet. But if GM can employ the Solstice's winning formula in mainstream Pontiacs, you'll never leave the airport in anything wearing an arrowhead again. The Solstice has curves. In the automotive industry, the clothes make the man. Conservative design can camouflage an otherwise competent contender. Case in point: the now-defunct GTO hit our shores with class-leading power, rear-drive, and one of the best interiors of any North American GM product. Staid sheetmetal was the fatal flaw that kept sales from ever reaching projections. In the mind of consumers, its capable underpinnings were quite literally beside the point. There is a happy medium between overwrought and uninspired, and GM's found it with the Solstice. My neighbor—a sworn BMW loyalist—recently halted the parade of new Bimmers marching into his driveway. The car with which he chose to do so is none other than a Pontiac Solstice. It's pure, unadulterated driving experience enamored him in an era of increased assistance, excessive isolation, and iDrive. Simply put, the Solstice embodies much of what BMW used to stand for. Affordable rear-drive is a rarity in today's automotive industry, and affordable compact rear-drive is uncharted territory. Casting a clearly-defined niche that caters to these markets would not only set Pontiac apart from the competition, but it would allow the brand to secure its position within GM as well. A well-balanced lineup composed of rear—and performance-tuned front and all-wheel-drive—would allow Pontiac to reestablish an image of budget-minded performance. If the G8 that bowed this past month in Chicago is any indication, Pontiac has the right idea. Thanks to the all-new Commodore, Pontiac's rear-drive Grand Prix successor is a done deal. The G8 is the first North American application of GM’s global rear-drive architecture, a decision that speaks volumes about the General's intentions for the brand. With four doors, it will instantly appeal to a broader market than the aforementioned GTO. The availability of two thoroughly modern mills—an efficient V-6 and a potent V-8—will allow the G8 to entice both the practical and performance-minded alike. The G8 will aid General Motors in crafting a new image for Pontiac, and naysayers claiming it's design is too conservative are unfamiliar with the concept—and brilliance—of understatement. Its sheetmetal is aggressive without coming across as adolescent, and for a brand synonymous with tacked-on cladding in the not-so-distant past, that's a good thing. The G8 will serve as a stop-gap product until a North American derived flagship appears. Until then, it's a placeholder that makes perfect sense. The Solstice transcends the stigma that's kept import-buyers out of Pontiac showrooms. If GM can translate this charisma into the G6, the resulting success could be of Cadillac proportions (think CTS). The next-generation of Pontiac's mainstream midsizer will play an integral role in the repositioning of the brand, yet details regarding its future are largely unknown. Rumors regarding the revival of a rear-drive Holden Torana have sparked speculation of a sibling rear-drive Pontiac to slot below the G8. The more likely alternative is an Epsilon II-based G6. If rear-drive is out of the question, a G6 utilizing Epsilon II's all-wheel-drive capability seems like a no brainer and is a likely possibility. Pontiac's days of catering to each and every consumer are over. That's a good thing, even if the brand will ultimately be selling less cars. Think of it this way: for the first time in over a decade, Pontiac is without a minivan. The next generation Torrent will be sold next door by GMC, and the W-body Grand Prix will finally be laid to rest following the G8's arrival. As loose ends continue to be tied up (or cut off altogether), a new Pontiac will continue to emerge. A tighter focus is the key to survival, and for the first time in years, a more tightly focused—and performance oriented—arrowhead is in sight. -------------------- Contact Bimmer325 via Email

Peace...

The Mazda's headlights are all SRX if you ask me.

Worse things happened in 1998... ...like the Buick Signia Concept.

reg, you drive an Aztek. I think I'll pass on that lesson. :AH-HA_wink:

I've seen two or three within the past few days, along with a couple of Outlooks. Definitely a good sign.

Wow, that's perhaps the best shot of the A5 yet. Classy. Stunning. Gorgeous. I don't know what else to say. Anyway, comparing the A5 to the Sebring just killed off whatever credibility you had left in this thread. You're beating a dead horse at this point. We get it man, you don't like it.

Hideous.

Wow. I want it.

Not the best picture, but...

CXL rims...

Aside from cost alone, it's hard to imagine why anyone would recommend the Canyon. It's garbage. I vote Frontier.

Wow, talk about dissapointment. The original spy shots were really promising. The headlights are all 9-5, and the grille looks too tall and dopey.

Something about the side says "motorized wheelchair" to me.

Producing something that hideous takes effort. Only DCX.

I'd venture to say the lack of four-doors was a factor. The G8 will have broader market appeal than the GTO from day one.

I saw my first Edge this morning. It's certainly no looker in person.

Wrong. The limited production numbers Autoweek reported pertain to the LF-A, not the IS-F. Look for them to issue a correction adressing this in their next issue.

Agreed.

Car accidents can be a traumatizing thing. Glad to hear everyone made it out with minor injuries. It could've been much worse. The Neon looks a lot worse than my IS did.

The objective is simple. Name cars that you believe sparked a turnaround at their respective brand (i.e. Chrysler 300). Explain if possible. Go!

I'm with you. There's nothing left for GM to milk out of this platform, or more specifically, this car. Shift the focus toward the next-generation Lacrosse and get it here ASAP. The Impala SS and Grand Prix GXP can satiate buyers who simply must have 300 horses in a FWD car on a dated platform.

Judging by the above images, photoshop is not Subaru's friend. Anyway, it looks like they gave the front-fascia some more definition. I think it looks good inside and out.