[Scott88]

Just wondering if GM has any plans to offer a removeable hardtop in the future?

Living in Texas, I would rarely drop the top from July through most of Sept, and then again from December through February. So... a hard top for those months would be a great thing.

Any rumors/news??

 

[1994SC2]

You may find this thread about a Sol hardtop of interest: http://www.solsticeforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14614

 

[Luke Sky Watcher]

Same for me. Too hot in FL from July to Sept plus all the rain. Need 3 months for a HT.
:cheers:

 

[C20LET_50]

Removable hardtop

Living in Germany I would like to use a hardtop for the winter month Nov til April. The ZOK looks nice but it's for racing only. There is no use of the trunk any more because of the clamshell design.

There are some disign ideas from the SolForum member Chewievette in a coupe style like the Z4 Coupe with the use of the trunk.
http://www.solsticeforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10725
I personally prefer the EDAG design which looks a bit like the Z3 Coupe.
http://www.edag.de/pr/press/News_Item.2005-12-21.5929/en/view

For both styles of tops it's needed to remove the trunk hood first and replace it with the hardtop. It's needed to store the hood until you change to soft top again. Because of the difficult unbolting and rebolting it should be best for most people to let the dealer do this. Maybe it will be also possible to store the hood/hardtop at the dealer for the time it's not in use. If someone needs more trunk capacity you can take out the soft top for that time.

Hope the demand for hardtops is high enough that GM or aftermarket manufacturers will decide to go in production.

 

[Crimson Avenger]

So far, the hardtop is a racing only hardtop.... for Solstice only

The top lacks weather seals, and doesn't allow the trunk to be opened.

It's not designed for regular highway use, the top that GM is selling is a purpose built racing top that meets the requirements for SCCA Showroom Stock B category safety requirements.

To get one, you can order one, but you must be a currently licensed SCCA driver, and they require your SCCA license number to sell it to you. (This is being done so that the tops do wind up in the hands of racers who will use the for racing)

Also, keep in mind to, that the profile of the mating surfaces for the top may be slightly different for the Solstice than for the Sky, and while it might be possible to get the top to fit on the Sky with it's more angular aero head fairings, I am willing to bet some modification of the top would be necessary.

The link posted above by 1994SC2 to the Solstice forum has a great deal more detail about this purpose built Carbon Fiber racing only top.

Here's that link again courtesy of 1994SC2: Solstice Hardtop Z0K? [SSB Z0K Racing Solstice Pics]

 

[Axel]

The top on the Red Bull Solstice is looking pretty sweet:

I also like the roof on this photoshop of the Sky:

 

[C20LET_50]

The top lacks weather seals, and doesn't allow the trunk to be opened.
.....
Also, keep in mind to, that the profile of the mating surfaces for the top may be slightly different for the Solstice than for the Sky, and while it might be possible to get the top to fit on the Sky with it's more angular aero head fairings, I am willing to bet some modification of the top would be necessary.

That's for shure that you allways have to design slightly different tops for the Sol and for the Sky like the different windshields.
And with solutions like the EDAG top you also need two because of different rear part of the trunk hood. But at first someone has to build one.

 

[bradyb]

I was at the book store last week and I quickly thumbed through this month's Hot Rod to check out their LS7 Solstice article. In that article they mentioned a company that would be selling hardtops, does anybody get Hot Rod?

 

[REDSKY]

Where did you get the Photshop pic Axel?

He that's a great HARDTOP pic of the Sky Axel...did you do that in Photoshop?
If not can you direct me to where you saw it?

I myself worked on a photoshop Hard Top pic of the Sky long ago...

Enjoy the pic...I think the Sky looks great with it.....just wish it could be a fold down hard top but there is no way in hell it would fit in the trunk...:lol:

 

[Axel]

Redsky,

Your chop looks great! I could picture that's how it would look as a retractible hardtop convertible.

A couple of other coupe chops that have been around a long time:

source: hvtm.hu

 

[Axel]

another Opel hardtop photoshop:
(looks a lot more like $60K instead of $25K in these clothes)

 

[C20LET_50]

.....
I myself worked on a photoshop Hard Top pic of the Sky long ago...

Enjoy the pic...I think the Sky looks great with it.....just wish it could be a fold down hard top but there is no way in hell it would fit in the trunk...:lol:

:thumbs: Great looking design, maybe not everybodies taste without the wings, but with such a short top it's possible to use the trunk with the top on.
Problem is to find a good engeneered solution to fasten the top at the rear end and a manufactuerer to build.

 

[REDSKY]

Thanks Ax

Dude those pics are killer...thanks for sharing....

Looks like those Rims are actually the high priced Wheels you can get on the Sky right? What do they want for them like $2,000.00 or so?

If the Sky becomes THE major model for Saturn over the next few years can you imagine what the 2012 Sky will be looking like?

I can't imagine but I have a good feeling it will be a mixture of all these pics...I would also imagine they will have a hard top that retracks and I will also say the SKY motor will be a V6 powerplant PUSHING 300-350hp...

I think by that time we will be a few years into the new 400+hp Camero, Mustang and Challenger and 500+HP stock Vett.....Hummm...I wonder where the stock Viper and Z06 Vett will be...600+hp stock?

God help us all
:lol:

 

[Axel]

REDSKY,

I know these aren't hardtop chops... but they do give ideas of future body styles/kits for Kappa cars. I think the stock Sky looks great, but nothing wrong with these puppies either!! These again are Opel chops from hvtm.hu (they love the headlight "eyebrow" look there..lol)

Can't imagine GM producing a Kappa car looking as good as #1... if they did, Corvette sales might take a serious nosedive...

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

 

[Crimson Avenger]

Great photo-concept mock-ups!

REDSKY,

I know these aren't hardtop chops... but they do give ideas of future body styles/kits for Kappa cars. I think the stock Sky looks great, but nothing wrong with these puppies either!! These again are Opel chops from hvtm.hu (they love the headlight "eyebrow" look there..lol)

Can't imagine GM producing a Kappa car looking as good as #1... if they did, Corvette sales might take a serious nosedive...

I'm very impressed with all of these designs. There's not a bad one in the bunch.

I would not have thought of putting a winged dragon on the hood of #3, but that one is much better than the old firebird that GM used to put on the hoods of Trans AMs. It's a lot more subtle and therefore more tasteful.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[TexSon]

The top lacks weather seals, and doesn't allow the trunk to be opened.

I agree. I bought a hardtop for my '71 Vette, but it has access for the "trunk" area behind the seats. The Sky does not. WIth the hard top on you have no trunk access. Let me say that another way, if you think the storage is limited now, you will not have the trunk space with the hardtop on. It takes 2 folks or a top lift to remove the top, which means if/when you have a nice day you can't just drop the top and enjoy the convertable. You are driving in a trunkless hardtop.

 

[C20LET_50]

I agree. I bought a hardtop for my '71 Vette, but it has access for the "trunk" area behind the seats. The Sky does not. WIth the hard top on you have no trunk access. Let me say that another way, if you think the storage is limited now, you will not have the trunk space with the hardtop on. It takes 2 folks or a top lift to remove the top, which means if/when you have a nice day you can't just drop the top and enjoy the convertable. You are driving in a trunkless hardtop.

Don't agree, there are solutions possible with the use of the trunk, take a look at the links in my post #4 or take the short top solution from Redsky in post #9. Maybe someone out of the aftermarket decided to produce one of them.

 

[C20LET_50]

Just wondering if GM has any plans to offer a removeable hardtop in the future?
...
Any rumors/news??

Can't believe that nobody offers a usable hardtop for normal customers (not racers) - winter is coming soon :lol:

There are more and more Kappas on the streets in US, is there no demand for removable hardtops?

 

[Robotech]

Lahk...why would you need a hardtop, duuude? Is lahk...tubular to have tha top down all year brah! Come on, soak in the sun, mahn...



(Gotta love Cali sometimes...not often...but sometimes...)

 

[ineedmorebotox]

I was reading on the Sol website that Pontiac is making the removable hardtop in 2007. Something about they have to have a production model hardtop to qualify for the racing hardtop Sol ??? What do you guys know about this? I would love to have a removable hardtop like the BMW's.