Spied: Turbo Solstice
Pontiac puts a turbo under the hood and tears up the pavement at the Nurburgring
/ By Editors of Motor Trend
/
Article provided by: Motor Trend Magazine
Our photographer snapped these shots of the Pontiac Solstice as it was taking hotlaps at the Nurburgring. Notice the lower front lights are shaped to improve air flow through the bumper and a rear lip spoiler has been added for better downforce, while a turbo tucked under the hood pulls more horsepower from the engine. Suspension and steering will be changed from the standard settings to better reflect its high-performance-oriented spirit. (Mind you, it's not as if the 2.4-liter/177-horsepower four-cylinder Ecotec powerplant found standard in the Solstice is lacking any spirit, but adding a turbo should increase output by more than 60 additional ponies.) Dual exhausts are a step up from the single exhaust standard in the Solstice currently on sale. It all adds up to a very attractive performance package, which should help it stand proud alongside its competitors, the Mazda Miata, Honda S2000, and Toyota MR2 Spyder.
(related content)
Read our first drive of the 2006 Pontiac Solstice from the pages of the October issue of Motor Trend magazine. |