jaje

actually gm will build one and rebadge it twice to make 3 total sports cars...but it is supposed to take 4 years

http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/021209/autos...rtscars_1.html

DETROIT, Dec 9 (Reuters) - General Motors Corp.(NYSE:GM - News), out to prove it can build an affordable sports car, will announce early next year that it will produce the Pontiac Solstice, a two-seater that won design awards as a concept vehicle earlier this year, company officials said on Monday.

GM is also expected to build a Buick and a Saturn model derived from the small sports car, part of Vice Chairman Bob Lutz's efforts to add excitement to the company's car line-up, which has been criticized for being too bland.

"It gives the company some personality, and that's really what (Lutz) has been able to do. This certainly speaks to his legacy at GM," said Jeff Schuster, director of North America forecasting with J.D. Power and Associates.

Officially, GM has not confirmed production of the Solstice or the other two small sports cars -- the Saturn Sky and the Buick Bengal -- which already have won extensive coverage in automotive enthusiast magazines.

Mark Reuss, executive director of GM's performance division, told reporters last week that the business case for the Solstice was still being worked on.

GM will decide next year whether to build the Saturn Sky convertible, a four-seater that debuted at the Chicago Auto Show in February, Jill Lajdziak, Saturn vice president of sales, service and marketing, said in a speech to the Automotive Press Association of Detroit last week.

BENGAL FIT FOR A TIGER

GM officials and news reports said late last year that GM killed the Buick Bengal concept due to potential production problems and escalating cost estimates. But company officials have said recently that GM has revived the Bengal, a concept roadster with 2+2 seating -- with a small third door behind the driver's seat -- that was inspired by golfer and Buick spokesman Tiger Woods, and it is also expected to go into production.

None of the three cars is expected to arrive until 2006 at the earliest, despite GM's claims that it is speeding up decision-making and product development.

"They need to come out sooner with that," said Rebecca Lindland, senior market analyst with Global Insight, formerly DRI-WEFA. "They've got a great opportunity with Bob Lutz out there, but they've got to get them out soon."

Lutz unveiled a coupe and convertible version of the sleek-looking Solstice at the Detroit auto show in January, just five months after the former Chrysler Corp. executive arrived at GM. Developed by a small team of designers, the Solstice went from a sketch on paper to a drivable concept in less than four months, part of Lutz's vision to streamline and speed up the vehicle design and development process.

"WHAT'S THE DELAY?"

Weeks after unveiling the rear-wheel drive car, which won the "Best in Show" award from industry magazine AutoWeek, Lutz reorganized GM's product development group.

That leaves analysts questioning why it will take another four years for the first of the cars to arrive.

"What's the delay?," Schuster asked. "If the decision is coming this early, why are we waiting?"

The delay could be due to the difficulty of selling the Solstice at Lutz's target price of around $20,000 and converting the front-wheel drive components used for GM's current small cars to the rear-wheel and all-wheel drive sports cars.

Automotive analysts said they expect GM to target sales of 20,000 to 35,000 Solstices a year and perhaps 15,000 to 30,000 of the Saturn Sky. The Bengal is expected to sell in low volumes, perhaps around 10,000, they said.

Despite reducing costs by making three different vehicles using similar parts, making the business case for the small sports cars is difficult, said J.P. Morgan Chase analyst David Bradley.

"In a period when the accountants are in charge, they generally cut those (sports cars) back. When the product guys take over, you get those things coming out again," Bradley said.

98CoupeV6

I'm glad they've finally decided to build the Solstice...now if they can keep the weight down and give it a refined engine and a decent interior, I'll take it.

kazi

Solstice sounds very cool, but it leaves me wondering, is GM all about rebadging and rehashing? Seems like about 95% of their products is one way or another a rebadge/rehash of another.

MrFatbooty

I'm all for light weight RWD cars even if they are made by GM. Well as long as they don't break too often. I see it as sort of a competitor to the Miata and MR2 spyder if only in size and driveline layout.

The Miata pricing structure continues to piss me off. You can't get ABS on the base model which is no big deal. But if you get the sport package which includes a limited-slip diff, Bilstein shocks and bigger brakes then you can't get the convenience package which has such "luxury" items as cruise control and power windows. If you want ABS at all you have to step up to the LS model which does provide a 6-speed and comes standard with leather and the convenience package. Add the sport package and ABS (which is a freaking OPTION!) and you top $26 grand. All I want is the sport package, ABS and the convenience package. Not leather, not the spiffy stereo, not the electrochromic mirror, not the wood steering wheel or any of that crap they saddle the LS with.

Oh well, if GM can undercut the Miata by a few grand and make it even slightly easier to get the performance options without piling on useless luxo crap I'd probably buy it.

yianni64

Ditto. The Solstice is pretty much everything I want in a car I could afford. Hope it's a turbo-4. If I (same goes for a lot of you) are willing to buy the thing, GM better know they sure have done something right.

As for the Saturn, theres no need for that.

velfarretokyo

Personally I'm all about brand loyalty haha. I'd still be weary of GM's build quality, after all, cars aren't just about performance and speed (altho that is 90% lol). Like Dodge's new Neon SRT-4, yeah its got the performance aspect but would I take it over a more expensive RSX? You gotta be kidding me!

yianni64

well yeah, duh. I mean its got to be decent quality and such, but if it was really cheap i wouldnt expect Audi grade interior.

asianautica

Exactly, you get what you paid for. When you paid $20k for a car, you can't expect it to be as refine as a $23k car and still out perform it in many areas.

jaje

the only reason why the neon is so expensive is b/c you get a lot of engine and a tuned suspension for that car but the rest of the body/interior/build quality is still at neon standards

asianautica

Yeah true, that's what I'm saying... either you can pay them to tune the engine and the suspension or you can pay them to tune the interior quality. But for a $20k car, it's not enough $$ for them to tune both.