Hey y'all,
I already posted this in the Solstice Forum (under my other nom de plume), but I know y'alls will be equally interested.
Aug 27th Toronto Star Test Drive review
Jim Kenzie (arguably the best car reviewer in North America) was one of the first to test drive the new Solstice. Check out today's Toronto Star Wheels section (it takes up the entire front page of the section plus a few part pages further into the section);
Here's the URL (but you may need logon privledges, so I'll post article highlights and low lights below):
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...ol=969048871196
O.K., now for the Good, the bad and the not-so-bad excerpts:
Styling:
"Solstice also reminds me a little of the lovely BMW Z8 roadster, especially from the rear three-quarter view. It is an absolute traffic-stopper everywhere it goes. "The best lines I've ever seen on a GM car!" said one admiring onlooker."
Power:
" Output here is 177 horsepower at 6600 r.p.m. — and GM points out not too strenuously that it is using the new Society of Automotive Engineers procedure for reporting horsepower, meaning these are real horses, as opposed to the inflated numbers some manufacturers continue to use. Peak torque is 166 lb.-ft. at 4800 r.p.m., with 90 per cent of that value being available from 2400 to 5600 r.p.m. These are considerably higher numbers than the new Miata (170 hp and 140 lb.-ft.) but Solstice has some extra 165 kg to lug around. With a power-to-weight ratio similar to Miata, we expected a zero-to-100 km/h acceleration time in the low seven-second range. But an impromptu hand-held sprint yielded numbers in the low 10-second range. Then again, we were at altitude with two adults in the car, but subjectively it just doesn't feel like a seven-second car".
Interior Room:
"The interior is roomy by two-seat sports car standards — taller drivers shouldn't have much trouble fitting in. The high belt line and bulbous hood again give the impression that the car is larger than it really is; shorter drivers might get that "too deep a bathtub" feeling, as opposed to Miata, which was engineered to feel small and nimble".
Seats:
"Deeply-contoured bucket seats are designed to provide good support in brisk cornering."
Trunk Space:
"The press information bravely says that there are 107.6 litres (3.8 cubic feet) of storage space with the top up. That assumes you're carrying loose sand or water; a huge hump in the middle of the trunk, presumably covering the fuel tank and rear suspension, means nothing much bigger than a small sports bag is going to fit in there. I had to remove half the stuff from my small roller-equipped carry-on bag to get it in there. Golf clubs? Only if you saw them into tiny little pieces. The press info also conveniently forgets to mention how much space there is with the top down. As in approximately, none. This drastically diminishes Solstice's utility as a real world sports car, and reduces it to a sunny Sunday afternoon play toy. It's a textbook case of style over substance."
Summary:
Driving the Solstice is a study in contrasts. I can't remember a car that I wanted to love more than this one. But there are ups and there are downs. The steering is lovely: direct, linear, light yet full of feel. On the twisty roads of the B.C. interior, the handling feels flat, nimble and secure; a full analysis will have to await the inevitable racetrack opportunity. Ride quality is also first-rate: firm but well-composed. So, full marks to the chassis chaps"
"The Ecotec engine has always been a torquey little number, but the car cries out for a six-speed manual. Despite claims that the ratios are closely spaced for linear acceleration, the engine falls into a huge trough between fourth and fifth gears, and struggles to climb its way out. And despite various vibration-reduction techniques like the balance shafts and direct-mounted ancillaries such as the alternator, the Ecotec will never be the poster child for refinement. It sounds coarse when revved hard, which is exactly what you need to do to overcome the gaps in the transmission, not at all like the sweet revving powerplant of the Miata. The transmission itself is decent, with short, crisp throws."
I already posted this in the Solstice Forum (under my other nom de plume), but I know y'alls will be equally interested.
Aug 27th Toronto Star Test Drive review
Jim Kenzie (arguably the best car reviewer in North America) was one of the first to test drive the new Solstice. Check out today's Toronto Star Wheels section (it takes up the entire front page of the section plus a few part pages further into the section);
Here's the URL (but you may need logon privledges, so I'll post article highlights and low lights below):
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...ol=969048871196
O.K., now for the Good, the bad and the not-so-bad excerpts:
Styling:
"Solstice also reminds me a little of the lovely BMW Z8 roadster, especially from the rear three-quarter view. It is an absolute traffic-stopper everywhere it goes. "The best lines I've ever seen on a GM car!" said one admiring onlooker."
Power:
" Output here is 177 horsepower at 6600 r.p.m. — and GM points out not too strenuously that it is using the new Society of Automotive Engineers procedure for reporting horsepower, meaning these are real horses, as opposed to the inflated numbers some manufacturers continue to use. Peak torque is 166 lb.-ft. at 4800 r.p.m., with 90 per cent of that value being available from 2400 to 5600 r.p.m. These are considerably higher numbers than the new Miata (170 hp and 140 lb.-ft.) but Solstice has some extra 165 kg to lug around. With a power-to-weight ratio similar to Miata, we expected a zero-to-100 km/h acceleration time in the low seven-second range. But an impromptu hand-held sprint yielded numbers in the low 10-second range. Then again, we were at altitude with two adults in the car, but subjectively it just doesn't feel like a seven-second car".
Interior Room:
"The interior is roomy by two-seat sports car standards — taller drivers shouldn't have much trouble fitting in. The high belt line and bulbous hood again give the impression that the car is larger than it really is; shorter drivers might get that "too deep a bathtub" feeling, as opposed to Miata, which was engineered to feel small and nimble".
Seats:
"Deeply-contoured bucket seats are designed to provide good support in brisk cornering."
Trunk Space:
"The press information bravely says that there are 107.6 litres (3.8 cubic feet) of storage space with the top up. That assumes you're carrying loose sand or water; a huge hump in the middle of the trunk, presumably covering the fuel tank and rear suspension, means nothing much bigger than a small sports bag is going to fit in there. I had to remove half the stuff from my small roller-equipped carry-on bag to get it in there. Golf clubs? Only if you saw them into tiny little pieces. The press info also conveniently forgets to mention how much space there is with the top down. As in approximately, none. This drastically diminishes Solstice's utility as a real world sports car, and reduces it to a sunny Sunday afternoon play toy. It's a textbook case of style over substance."
Summary:
Driving the Solstice is a study in contrasts. I can't remember a car that I wanted to love more than this one. But there are ups and there are downs. The steering is lovely: direct, linear, light yet full of feel. On the twisty roads of the B.C. interior, the handling feels flat, nimble and secure; a full analysis will have to await the inevitable racetrack opportunity. Ride quality is also first-rate: firm but well-composed. So, full marks to the chassis chaps"
"The Ecotec engine has always been a torquey little number, but the car cries out for a six-speed manual. Despite claims that the ratios are closely spaced for linear acceleration, the engine falls into a huge trough between fourth and fifth gears, and struggles to climb its way out. And despite various vibration-reduction techniques like the balance shafts and direct-mounted ancillaries such as the alternator, the Ecotec will never be the poster child for refinement. It sounds coarse when revved hard, which is exactly what you need to do to overcome the gaps in the transmission, not at all like the sweet revving powerplant of the Miata. The transmission itself is decent, with short, crisp throws."
I don't need a trunk. I've got the front seat.
