• The Pontiac Solstice was one of the first products ordered by GM product czar and certified car guy Bob Lutz when he came to work at General Motors
• The original Pontiac Solstice concept car was shown as a coupe and a convertible, but it wasn’t until this year that a production version of the coupe went on sale
• The Pontiac Solstice GXP’s turbocharged engine is far more powerful than the standard engine, and is also more fuel efficient
• The Pontiac Solstice GXP accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, according to Pontiac.
• The Pontiac Solstice is covered by a 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty
• The Pontiac Solstice includes roadside assistance for 5 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first
• The Pontiac Solstice Coupe has the same amount of cargo space as the Pontiac Solstice Convertible: 5.4 cubic feet
• For added storage room, the Solstice is equipped with seats that have a webbed pouch on the leading edge of the bottom cushion
• The Pontiac Solstice comes standard with OnStar telematics with a one-year subscription to Advanced Crash Response, which automatically notifies rescue personnel via 9-1-1 about the vehicle’s location whenever the airbags have deployed
• Lowering or raising the Solstice’s roof requires opening the trunk and getting out of the car, unlike its chief competitor, the Mazda MX-5 Miata
• Raising the Solstice’s roof requires that the rear corners of the top are snapped into place on the rear deck, which means the driver needs to run around the back of the Solstice to secure the right rear corner of the roof
• The Saturn Sky is mechanically identical to the Solstice, with different exterior and interior design. A version of the Sky is sold overseas as the Opel GT.
• The Pontiac Solstice is built in Wilmington, Delaware.
• Our review car, a Solstice GXP, had an American-made engine and Japanese transmission. GM says that 61 percent of its parts were sourced from the U.S. or Canada.