[Excelsior]

The new car was delivered to me on Friday and I took it home on Monday.

www.ddz.net/solstice/delivered
www.ddz.net/solstice/lift
www.ddz.net/solstice/day1

And down deep, I know that the Opel plant is using the same Kappa platform for the next speedster. So I am still happy about that.

 

[benncojr]

Cool, It looks like what the GT would look like if GM let Opel keep building them and sending them to the USofA. I like the $50 folded on the ground showing the ground clearance!! Is that you in the last photo driving the car??

 

[Marc]

Those Pics are great! Congrats on being a 1st 1000! I am waiting for my TPW (hopefully by PM 8/17 per my dealer) as I am #1 at my dealer in the 1st allocation as a zero zipper.

Enjoy the ride!
Marc

 

[GoinManta]

Very cool.

Is it me or does it look as if you have #14 ? That would be really early in the production.. Cool for history purposes, hopefully doesnt have a lot of early production gremlins..

 

[hallgeir]

Beautiful!! Yes, you can pretend it`s an Opel. It is GM, so... yes, you know..

 

[WOOFS-OPEL]

Pontiac has realy turned things around, between your car and the 400HP GTO I like what I see - finally GM giving what the public wants. The Chevy Colbolt has what it takes to compete in the sport compact market, bolt-on's that will give you 300+HP. It only took 10 years, come on

 

[GoinManta]

Unfortunately the GTO was a temporary solution to a big problem at Pontiac (No sports cars (especially of the V-8 Powered RWD variety).

The original plan was for a new Zeta RWD platform to spawn a 07 GTO and Impala SS (or some such Chevy nameplate). Apparently the Firebird/TransAM/Camaro names are going to stay dead, something to do with the Unions and agreement they signed when then discontinued the cars.. or some such nonsense.

Well so they could spend more into building new SUVs (which are going to be as popular as Big station wagons of the 70s in the early 80s). GM North America killed any investment on the line last year. Holden though went forward with the platform. So '07 and newer Monaros and Commodores will exist, but supposed a new GTO will not. '06 will be it's last year.

They have deemed the Solstice to be enough sports car for the Pontiac image until 2009-2010 when the next generation GTO MAY be built in the US off an slimmed down version of the Holden Zeta platform.

What blows my mind is that the Zeta platform would have been a spawning ground for a new generation of RWD cars. Yet while Ford and Daimler/Chrysler are building the hottest selling cars right now in the Ford Mustang, Chrysler 300, and Dodge Charger. GM Kills the only affordable mid-size RWD platform they had in design... ???

This leaves GM with trucks and FWD cars... they only have 3 specialized RWD platforms the Cadillac Sigma and Corvette platforms (Both are not economical mass producible platforms) and of course the Kappa platform that is the base for the Solstice, Sky and GT.

The upside to this is thier is rumor of a 2007 entry level RWD car for Pontiac based on the Kappa platform. That would rock, done right (Say something in a Manta/Ascona size and wieght) and I will trade my GTO for it..

 

[WOOFS-OPEL]

How do you like the GTO? I saw one the other day and it looked good - can you post a couple of pics? Did you see the special on Speed Chanel regarding the GTO - they put it up againest a GT Mustang and BMW 3 series, GTO whooped 'em. Good luck with it

 

[GoinManta]

I have the "wimpier" of the 3 model years. As it "only" has 350 HP and 365 ft/lb of torque (05 and 06 models have 400 and 400).

I love it.. !!! It's an awesome car and I am tahnkfull Bob Lutz was able to get it here for the few years it will exist.

Remember the name of the show on Speed Channel and when it came on? I would love to record that..

I got a few pictures of it behind Bens Manta. I can post a full set of pics sometime this week.

Charles

 

[GoinManta]

They have deemed the Solstice to be enough sports car for the Pontiac image until 2009-2010 when the next generation GTO MAY be built in the US off an slimmed down version of the Holden Zeta platform.

What blows my mind is that the Zeta platform would have been a spawning ground for a new generation of RWD cars. Yet while Ford and Daimler/Chrysler are building the hottest selling cars right now in the Ford Mustang, Chrysler 300, and Dodge Charger. GM Kills the only affordable mid-size RWD platform they had in design... ???

I noticed I seemed to contradict myself.. The story on the Zeta is that it was a project between Holden and GM NA. Opel wasn't in the plans to get a spin off of the Zeta. GM NA backed out and said they were killing the platform. Holden said "hold on a damn minute" since they were already tooling up for it for thier mid-size '07 Commodore and Monaro. Basically in a nutshell telling GM NA that they didnt make decisions for all divisions and they would build it even if GM quit the project.

Now rumor is that Bob Lutz is pushing for a '08 GTO to come from Holden based on the Monaro just like the current model. The other option is GM NA will reinstate the Zeta in a trimmed down/cheaper version (whatever that means.. ) to produce the GTO and other Mid-sized coupes and sedans.

GM NA is still hopelessly confused, and if the above isn't proof enough.. look at whats happening at SAAB. Where a simple influx of some Opels would help the brand, instead they are injecting SAAB dealers with rebadged Subarus and Chevys..

 

[soybean (R.I.P.)]

The new car was delivered to me on Friday and I took it home on Monday.And down deep, I know that the Opel plant is using the same Kappa platform for the next speedster. So I am still happy about that.

Very impressive car, and nos. 14 too. Congratulations. I bet you were counting down the hours between Fri and Mon. Jarrell

 

[Excelsior]

Cool, It looks like what the GT would look like if GM let Opel keep building them and sending them to the USofA. I like the $50 folded on the ground showing the ground clearance!! Is that you in the last photo driving the car??

pic 2593 is a pic of me.

More pics at www.ddz.net/solstice/day3

 

[Excelsior]

Very cool.

Is it me or does it look as if you have #14 ? That would be really early in the production.. Cool for history purposes, hopefully doesnt have a lot of early production gremlins..

Yes, #14 is mine and I am pretty sure that they delayed it so long for very good reasons. I am not expecting any gremlins.

 

[benncojr]

pic 2593 is a pic of me.

More pics at www.ddz.net/solstice/day3

This is the link with you in it.
www.ddz.net/solstice/delivered

 

[WOOFS-OPEL]

Here is a link to the show - I don't see it scheduled anytime soon, perhaps it can be purchased on the web site. If I see it come around again (I have watched it twice already) I will let you know.

http://www.speedtv.com/programs/297/

 

[GoinManta]

One of the guys at LS1GTO.com posted a link to a DIVX version:

http://www.damphyne.com/car/05GTO.wmv

Still downloading it.

Charles

 

[WOOFS-OPEL]

Yea, that's the show.

 

[Thom71GT]

Thats an awesome car, but I have to say... One of the last cars I would want to park my car next to at a car show would be a Lamborghini.

Still looks like you stole the attention though