When Kendra's team smoked the team of pre-psychotic Chris and douchebag Alex on the "Pontiac Solstice challenge" in last night's "The Apprentice," we watched closely to see what kind of reception the sexy roadster got. Not surprisingly (especially since Pontiac had its checkbook out) the car won raves from both contestants and an impromptu "focus group" of more out-of-work actors than a midtown Starbucks. Sure, it's a looker, but will the Solstice run with the, er, little dogs? It seems GM executives are worried about a dropoff in sales after the buzz wears off.
Pontiac Will Tweak Solstice to Take on Miata in SCCA
AutoWeek is reporting that Pontiac plans to offer enough factory performance options to make the roadster competitive with the Mazda Miata in SCCA races, and thus a draw for enthusiasts who may be disappointed with the base car's pedestrian four-banger. Also, Mark Reuss, executive director of General Motors' performance division — during a panel discussion at the SAE World Congress — showed a picture of a hardtop coupe, labeled the 2007 Solstice GT. He said he's pushing for a hardtop version, which would qualify the Solstice to be raced. Edmunds, which apparently has its own "Deep Throat" inside GM, is reporting the hardtop version will be released next year.
Early Ordering for Solstice
According to The Car Connection, prospective early adopters can get in line (virtually) to buy one of the first 1,000 Solstices. Starting at 2 p.m. today, would-be buyers can register on www.pontiac.com/apprentice for the chance to buy one of the first cars built, which Pontiac will mark with special badging and a certificate of authenticity.
Related:
Pontiac s Solstice Stars in Apprentice [internal]