There's a problem with convertibles. Unless you live where it's always warm, you can count on having the top up most the time. Most convertible soft tops in the up position leave much to be desired when it comes to sex appeal. The Solstice didn't fare much better. While the two humps behind the headrests looked cool with the top down, this forced the soft top to be oddly shaped and ended up looking like it didn't fit quite right.
Much like the Z3 coupe and the Z4 coupe, the hardtop changes everything, but it still has a removable targa top. That's the best of both worlds. Pontiac 1, BMW 0. The shape is instantly classic, reminiscent of the Jaguar E-type, but instead of having a British flare, it has a hot rod attitude, truly embracing Pontiac's "driving excitement" slogan. There's one design element that really exemplifies this attitude: the side windows. They look chopped. No one else can own that look. It is very American, and very hot rod. You might as well be driving the Batmobile (Micheal Keaton) as far as visiblity goes, but this blog isn't about ergonomics, it's about aesthetics, and this thing is pretty. That forward slopping line is what separates the Solstice from other "cute" convertibles.
On to the criticisms, I would have liked to see the third brake light integrated into the spoiler. Speaking of the spoiler, I like it from the side view, but not the rear 3/4 view. Other than that, the car looks great from every angle. Unless it's yellow. In which case, it's best viewed from below. Or at night. In a dark alley.
I am really impressed by this fine example of American design. It's not trying to be Japanese or European, and even more impressively, it's not retro. Yet, it embodies the elements of what makes our retro hot rods so appealing. It's raw. It's aggressive. It's unapoligetic. It's driving excitement.
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2 comments:
I really really like the design too. It is beautiful in person (they had one being demoed at the autoshow).
I have been meaning to ask you something for a while. Would it be possible for these designs to both look sweet AND have visibility around the c pillars/rear. It is the same deal as the crossfire...it looks great, but you cannot see out of it enough for competent navigation.
My father keeps looking at these nice-looking convertible vehicles as "post-retirement fun cars" but I cannot endorse anyone purchasing these IF they are planning on driving them. So, is the obstruction necessary for exterior beauty? Is it possible to have a sweet design that has huge visibility (besides the Pacer and Omni). :) (yes, that was mostly sarcasm--I do kind of dig the Pacer).
i think it's the safety that they engineer into these small cars. the window sizes themselves are reasonable. not ideal, but reasonable. add all the interior plastic and the windows are inset more than six inches from the inside. that means the line of sight makes your reasonably sized window the size of your wallet. go sit in an old MG coupe and you'll see plenty out of similarly sized windows. on a side note, maybe we need to become better navigators.
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