DCaley said:
I've read a good deal on this and the Solstice site about the missing top for these cars. I've seen some interesting and amusing rumors. But people. Manual soft tops just aren't that hard to develop.
Take a look at the chassis pixs. Those from the rear show twin vertical members in the middle of the trunk over the diff. All those nice holes are attachment points for something. Engineering that did not come for free. That isn't at all like my old 73 MGB. Nor a Miata. Or any other soft top I know of.
The gas tank is clearly behind the seats. Look.
The exhaust system is underneath. Look. See for yourself.
Check out the mule pix and you will find four unpainted steel discs in the corners of the trunk lid. Look like some sort of attachment points to me.
How about prototype hinges that release?
Check out the trunk pix from recent car shows. Look for attachment points on the side of the trunk opening about half way back. I've never seen a car with those. Have you?
Check out the Opel Tigra. It has a dual acting trunk with side struts in about the right places. It opens at the front to swallow a power hard top, and from the back to swallow golf clubs. The G6 offers the same arrangement.
The Sky will be $5K more than the Solstice...
The Sky appears to be a twin of the new Opel GT. An artical on the net for that car showed a hard top... Have not been able to find it again. Sorry.
I may be wrong, but there is considerable evidence out there for a power hard top on the Kappa. So don't go ordering any hard top just yet.
A little mystery is a good thing.
Thanks Bob!
Well, you're a bit off on a lot of the stuff. In the end, we'll see, but here's some guidance.
First, don't use the mules as any guide, I heard there was no hinges and the rear decklid was "racing pinned" on. Having seen a few of them around SE MI up reasonably close, I'd say this is true.
The gas tank is not behind the seats on the
production car. It is behind the seats on the chassis "skeleton" car, but it only holds enough fuel to move it around, few gallons or less. I'm assuming this was done because they wanted you to see the differential and a fuel tank sitting on top would have obscured it.
A 'vette-type fuel tank, I'm assuming, would have been too cost prohibitive (dual senders, saddle shape with two low points... etc...).
Manual tops with weird things like buttresses
are hard to develop.
Yep, exhaust is underneath.
The solstice only has a rear-hinged trunk - no dual hinge, no dual opening. The Sky won't be much different - the attachments for the AFBTS's are still present on the Sky, which tells us the Sky will have the same roof. These add a significant amount of complexity and take a tremendous amount of volume (between the AFBTS accomodations and the rear-hinge).
All "photos" of the Kappa "Opel GT" were photochops. No real hard top Opel GT's exist. You can see where they 'chopped the photo.
So, no, I'm not suspicious. And if you're holding your breath for a an OEM hardtop, retractable hardtop, or a powered soft top, I hope you're an oyster diver, 'cause you'll be holding it a long long time.