Pontiac Solstice

[rhumber]

Just read this in Autoexpress mag (also see http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/preview...y.php?id=31766)

It says in the article it will eventually replace the VX220.

Engine: 2.2 litre supercharged
Power: 240bhp
Price: £15k (est)
Top Speed: 155mph
0-60mph: 5 secs

Looks good for a car that is £15k, but the engine is in front mounted instead of in the middle like on VX220, but still rear wheel drive, uses the same engine as Astra Coupe but it is supercharged.

Also another interesting article is that traffic light cameras are to be doubled up as speed cameras - interesting revenue generator, wonder if they'll paint them yellow also?

[PipSqueak111]

I wouldn't bet on it being 240bhp when it comes out in 2004 if I were you. Talking to a guy from V*uxh*ll HQ, he said they're running the 2.2 Ecotec supercharged engine 'reliably' at 180-200PS (176-197bhp) in the Solstice. That suggests that the concept may be running 240bhp, but that a production version might be a little down on that, probably closer the 200bhp mark.

As for the 15K price tag, I think you can safely add around 5K to that by the time it's released over here.

Phill

Mmmm, nice. I can see why it's due to replace the VX220.

[cziepe]

The supercharger would be an interesting addition to our 2.2L engines, wouldn't you say pip? :devil:

Or after reading the list of problems with Pipsqueak's VX220, maybe just another thing to go wrong...

[cziepe]

Only problem i've had with mine is the rattling door and misting rear lights.

Not had any problems with mine... (6700 miles in 15 weeks).

[PipSqueak111]

Originally posted by cziepe
The supercharger would be an interesting addition to our 2.2L engines, wouldn't you say pip? :devil:

Ohhhhhh yes!


I'd much prefer a supercharger over a turbo for the consistent power curve. I should imagine the new turbo will be very scary in the wet when the boost comes in!

[PipSqueak111]

Originally posted by Toonman
Or after reading the list of problems with Pipsqueak's VX220, maybe just another thing to go wrong...

It's not really the faults with the car that are the problem, it's Lotus' and Vauxhall's inability to fix them.

Take the leaking doors for example. My Leon's doors leaked (who's didn't? ), and my dealer fixed them in one day. On my VX, the dealer had it in for 7 days and failed to fix it, and now they have had it in for a further 10 days and counting. If it's not fixed this time I think I'll explode!

The Yahoo VX220 Group board is just a string of stories about Vauxhall's lack of interest in fixing problems with the car. It's very infuriating when the car is just so great.

Current problem ratio stands at 78 days of ownership with the car off the road/in the dealers for 29 of those days.
And to think, I didn't buy the Cerbera because I was told it would spend more time off the road than on it If I'd only known then what I know now...

Phill

Er, unless I'm missing something; no faults = no need to spend large periods of time off the road...

[PipSqueak111]

Originally posted by Toonman
Er, unless I'm missing something; no faults = no need to spend large periods of time off the road...

No faults should = no need to spend 'short' periods of time off the road!

Specialist low-volume sportscars like the VX are going to have problems, it goes with the territory, but they needn't be a big issue if the dealers and manufacturers are on the ball and sort them out efficiently.

It's a car from one of the World's biggest manufacturers - GM. But whatever, if you're happy to accept a car with faults.

The last one I had that was troublesome, I chopped it in after 9 months, for another make with a better rep for reliability...

[PipSqueak111]

Originally posted by Toonman
It's a car from one of the World's biggest manufacturers - GM. But whatever, if you're happy to accept a car with faults.

The last one I had that was troublesome, I chopped it in after 9 months, for another make with a better rep for reliability...

The bits from GM are the engine, gearbox, steering rack and control stalks, which (touch wood) are working perfectly. Most of the car apart from that is Lotus designed and built. Hmmm, Lotus - Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious! I'm beginning to see that this idiom could be true!

Including the new Turbo model, there'll only be approx 4-5,000 VX220s/Opel Speedsters built in total worldwide. Other manufacturers will knock that or more out of a new model in under 6 months. Problems in these higher volume models obviously surface much quicker and more repeatedly, so patterns of faults are determined and remedied much more quickly. The low volume of the VX means this is a longer process and unfortunately, we end up sitting on our hands waiting for the problems to be picked up. I just wish V*uxh*ll were better at actually fixing the problems.

Getting back to the actual thread (or kind of), the Solstice shouldn't be such a problem. The car will hit the yank market as well as the European market, so should be produced in higher volume on a larger scale.

Phill

Low volume/High volume. I still believe a car should be trouble free. Guess I've been spoiled over the years...