Making good on a concept presented at the 2002 Detroit show, Pontiac is at last set to deliver a production version of the slick Solstice coupe, due in showrooms early next year
Like the roadster, the base coupe uses a normally aspirated 2.4-liter Ecotec in-line four-cylinder engine, good for 173 horsepower, and the hot-rod GXP model packs a 2.0-liter turbocharged Ecotec engine with 260 horsepower, matched to a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic gearbox.
Unfortunately for would-be racers expecting the hardtop to be a Solstice-style take on the track-ready Corvette Z06, Pontiac's coupe actually weighs a little more than the roadster. The targa-style roof features a removable magnesium-frame sheet-molded composite panel that weighs 31 pounds and comes with a home storage case, and there's a foldable soft insert for the unexpected deluge.
One area where the coupe does shine when compared with the roadster is cargo capacity. With no top mechanism to claim what might otherwise be a trunk, the car reveals 5.6 cubic feet of space — including an under-floor compartment — through a glass liftback.
More photos after the break, courtesy of Pontiac.
