As from a previous post, the Solstice is my favorite car in the Pontiac linup right now. Sporty lines, good bang-for-your-buck power and performance, and a small price tag make this a very desirable car.
Now, they have added another option for it, offering a removable hard-top in coupe form. Taking the lines from the original coupe concept, it does well in sharing the convertible's sporty curves. I think it is a much better layout, especially with the added structual rigidity that comes with a hard top. The weight sacrifice? A mere 20 pounds.
The rear has a bit of a Volvo C30 vibe to it, but looks good in its application.
This is the first photo of the car with the top removed. Pontiac has done a good job continuing the lines from the windshield. This rear cargo area is much greater in size than the convertible version, as well. Wind noise reduction should be substantial.
The interior looks the same, only the rear roof overhangs the seats.
Price should be similar to the Convertible version. Pontiac claims the GXP coupe will start at $28,000, which is a couple grand less than it's topless counterpart. Early reports from Saturn are that there will not be a coupe version of the Sky. I think this is the right thing to do, I'm not sure how aesthetically pleasing the rear canopy design would be on the Saturn.
The G8 sport truck is bringing back the el Camino in true fashion. Fashioned after the G8 and riding on the same platform, Pontiac cut off the trunk and rear seats of the G8 and added a 6'2" pickup bed. It is available with a soft tonneau cover, although a hard tonneau could be in production.
The interior looks the same as the G8 sedan, just with a window right behind the front row of seating. With the popularity of pickup trucks, and the huge concentration on gas mileage, this could be a home run for Pontiac. The only issue I forsee is towing capacity, which can't be anyhting over 2000 pounds with a car's frame and driveline.
No figures have been released about pricing, although I would assume something in the $25,000 to $30,000 range.
It's nice to see these designs coming from American auto makers. They're starting to think outside the box, and even bring back some retro designs into today's marketplace.
