skyepilot said:
so a sky is the same as the sol, except for the cosmetics, and a sol gt is the same as a sky rl, except for the cosmetics?
skye', for the most part, you've got it basically right.
Sky and Solstice are 2.4 liter 177 hp engine. Both are available as automatic or manual, and share most of the under-the-skin stuff. Single outlet exhaust.
The SKY Redline/Opel GT and Solstice GXP are 2.0 liter direct inject 260 hp twin scroll turbo engine. Both availabe as automatic or manual trans.
Now, the SKY features a lot of stuff standard (like power mirrors/remote keyless entry/power windows...) that you have to option on a Solstice. You can't get a stripped-down SKY (you can actually order a $20,000 Solstice with crank windows, no AC, no power stuff and not even cruise control or floormats...)
The interior and exterior are very different in many respects - but suprisingly similar in others. for example: the top is not model specific (interesting, huh?)
As far as taking Solstice body panels and interchanging them with a SKY - it's not very likely. There are significant differences in the hood cutlines and decklid cutlines. The entire rear quarter is attached to the hydroformed structure with structral adhesive - pretty unlikely to remove and exchange, even if you could get another one to retrofit onto it.
I think the doors have similar attachments between the two, they may actually share parts, but they look different. The SKY is actually overall longer than a Solstice, meaning all the front end supporting structure must be significantly different between the two (the brackets and stuff that holds the front fasica on and in place).
If there is one thing, though, that really separates these cars, and their prospective customers it is the STYLING.
These cars drive similarly, they weigh close to each other, they share a majority of running components, yet the stying is so devisive that people here don't like the personality of people over on solsticeforum - entire threads get made that argue the SKY is better than the Solstice or the Solstice is better than the SKY...
This is, in my opinion, badge engineering at its penultimate BEST!!!! A great running car (sure it has quirks, but even these quirks are nearly common - the gage placement, steering wheel, storage/trunk volume, even the window switch placement...), and an AWESOME experiment for an engineer/scientist as myself.
You don't have to go thinking "let's see, you can get the SKY with this doo-dad, you can't get it on the Solstice, but I like the look of the Solstice better... ah for another 6 grand I'll just go get an S2000...."
Nope - you just look at one or the other, and...
...let's all say it together - I've said it fifty times here and solsticeforum:
"go buy the car you fell in love with!!!" :thumbs:
(BTW - I did find out there is no Z0K option for the SKY - so if you're looking for a crank window non-AC low option SKY BUT with upgraded suspension and ABS and LSD - you can't get one... apparently, Saturn is not focused on supporting racing, which will prolly not bode well for a good racing section here...)
