| Saturn Sky: Sneak Peek |
26 Jun |
Somebody at General Motors must love Saturn. One hundred year old Oldsmobile was killed off in favor of bringing the Saturn brand in-house. Up until the early part of this decade, Saturn was a separate automaker, wholly owned by GM. Now, as a bonafide GM division, the Saturn line is finally getting some much needed new models including the Sky roadster, the focus of this preview.
In the early 1990s, dent resistant polymer cars with the S designation began to roll of a factory line of a new plant located in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Several things were unusual about the project. The first was the company: Saturn. As a wholly owned but separately managed GM company, the Saturn initially escaped GMs often overbearing culture and began to produce cars on its own far removed from Detroit. The second unusual point about the company was the cars itself: compact, import-fighting models designed to withstand the onslaught from Japan of low priced, high quality cars. Available in coupe, sedan, and wagon the cars quickly caught on in part for their engineering as well as for their no hassle, no haggle pricing. The sticker price on the car was the price customers paid, making a visit to the Saturn show room a pleasure and not a chore.
As time has passed, the S series grew old and was replaced by the compact ION series. In addition, a midsized sedan and wagon, the L series, briefly served as the larger car in Saturns extremely limited line up beginning in the late 1990s. The L series, based on an Opel platform, was retired in 2004 and replaced by a 7 passenger crossover vehicle, the RELAY. In addition, Saturn had introduced an SUV, the VUE, which is still in production today.
All of this translates into a limited line up, too limited in fact to compete successfully with other car lines. Enter the Saturn Sky.
The Saturn Sky, much like the already introduced Pontiac Solstice is a two seat roadster. Based on GMs new Delta series platform, the Sky, which will officially make its debut next spring as a 2007 model does something that no other Saturn has ever done: generate excitement.
Similar in size and looks to Hondas S2000 Roadster, the Sky will come equipped with 18 inch alloy wheels, a manually operated soft top, a reverse opening clamshell hood, leather bucket seats, and four wheel anti-locking brakes. Standard engine will be a 2.4 170hp I4 paired with either a 5 speed manual or 5 speed automatic transmission.
Prices for the new Sky should come in at several thousand dollars higher than the Pontiac Solstice as the Sky is targeted and equipped slightly upmarket. MSRP starting around 25 thousand dollars is likely; only 10-12,000 models will be produced annually.
Other models are being planned for Saturn, but the Sky represents a fresh departure from what has long been perceived by many as a staid moniker. Judging by many published reports, the Sky is a step in the right direction and we can only hope that the other new models planned for Saturn generate at least half the hype of the Sky.
Tags: Automaker, Bonafide, Car Lines, Crossover Vehicle, Delta Series, Gm Division, Gm Saturn, Haggle, Onslaught, Pontiac Solstice, Quality Cars, Resistant Polymer, Saturn Line, Saturn Sky, Series Platform, Sky Roadster, Sneak Peek, Solstice, Spring Hill Tennessee, Sticker PriceRelated posts
read comments (0)| Saturn Sky: Sneak Peek |
21 Jun |
Somebody at General Motors must love Saturn. One hundred year old Oldsmobile was killed off in favor of bringing the Saturn brand in-house. Up until the early part of this decade, Saturn was a separate automaker, wholly owned by GM. Now, as a bonafide GM division, the Saturn line is finally getting some much needed new models including the Sky roadster, the focus of this preview.
In the early 1990s, dent resistant polymer cars with the S designation began to roll of a factory line of a new plant located in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Several things were unusual about the project. The first was the company: Saturn. As a wholly owned but separately managed GM company, the Saturn initially escaped GMs often overbearing culture and began to produce cars on its own far removed from Detroit. The second unusual point about the company was the cars itself: compact, import-fighting models designed to withstand the onslaught from Japan of low priced, high quality cars. Available in coupe, sedan, and wagon the cars quickly caught on in part for their engineering as well as for their no hassle, no haggle pricing. The sticker price on the car was the price customers paid, making a visit to the Saturn show room a pleasure and not a chore.
As time has passed, the S series grew old and was replaced by the compact ION series. In addition, a midsized sedan and wagon, the L series, briefly served as the larger car in Saturns extremely limited line up beginning in the late 1990s. The L series, based on an Opel platform, was retired in 2004 and replaced by a 7 passenger crossover vehicle, the RELAY. In addition, Saturn had introduced an SUV, the VUE, which is still in production today.
All of this translates into a limited line up, too limited in fact to compete successfully with other car lines. Enter the Saturn Sky.
The Saturn Sky, much like the already introduced Pontiac Solstice is a two seat roadster. Based on GMs new Delta series platform, the Sky, which will officially make its debut next spring as a 2007 model does something that no other Saturn has ever done: generate excitement.
Similar in size and looks to Hondas S2000 Roadster, the Sky will come equipped with 18 inch alloy wheels, a manually operated soft top, a reverse opening clamshell hood, leather bucket seats, and four wheel anti-locking brakes. Standard engine will be a 2.4 170hp I4 paired with either a 5 speed manual or 5 speed automatic transmission.
Prices for the new Sky should come in at several thousand dollars higher than the Pontiac Solstice as the Sky is targeted and equipped slightly upmarket. MSRP starting around 25 thousand dollars is likely; only 10-12,000 models will be produced annually.
Other models are being planned for Saturn, but the Sky represents a fresh departure from what has long been perceived by many as a staid moniker. Judging by many published reports, the Sky is a step in the right direction and we can only hope that the other new models planned for Saturn generate at least half the hype of the Sky.
Tags: Automaker, Bonafide, Car Lines, Crossover Vehicle, Delta Series, Gm Division, Gm Saturn, Haggle, Onslaught, Pontiac Solstice, Quality Cars, Resistant Polymer, Saturn Line, Saturn Sky, Series Platform, Sky Roadster, Sneak Peek, Solstice, Spring Hill Tennessee, Sticker PriceRelated posts
| Pontiac Solstice: Edmunds.coms Most Significant Vehicle of the Year |
10 Jun |
The Pontiac Solstice has bagged an award just recently. It was named the Most Significant Vehicle of the Year for 2006. This award was given by Edmunds.com. Edmunds.com is one of the premier online resources for information about autos and vehicles and other things related to the automotive industry. This award is also part of the fifth annual Edmunds.com Consumers Most Wanted vehicle awards.
Last November, the Pontiac Solstice already received the same award. Now this time around, when the consumers judged vehicles, it again bagged that same title. This exemplary vehicle has gained and took almost half of the consumers votes. It was followed by the Honda Civic, and the Chevrolet Corvette.
According to Karl Brauer, the editor in chief of Edmunds.com, Its always interesting to tap into the minds of consumers. These annual awards provide insight into consumers collective impressions while the Edmunds.com Forums and our social networking web site CarSpace give glimpses into individual opinions every day of the year. Brauer also added, The domestic automakers made some real traction this year among the consumers who voted. Domestic vehicles won twice as many awards as they did last year a good sign for Chrysler, Ford, and GM.
The Pontiac Solstice is a creation of General Motors and has been in production starting this year. It is a sports car and holds only one body style a roadster that holds two doors. It has been built using the FR Kappa platform and its power comes from a 2.4 liter Ecotec I4 engine. Its competitors include the Nissan 350Z, the Honda S2000, the Mazda MX-5, and the Chrysler Crossfire. This vehicle has been designed by Wayne Cherry.
Tags: Automotive Industry, Body Style, Chevrolet Corvette, Chrysler Crossfire, Day Of The Year, Domestic Automakers, Domestic Vehicles, Edmunds Com Consumers, Glimpses, Honda Civic, Honda S2000, Karl Brauer, Last November, Mazda Mx 5, Networking Web Site, Nissan 350z, Pontiac Solstice, Social Networking, Solstice, Two DoorsRelated posts
| New Roadster Coupe Model For Mazda MX-5 |
30 May |
The British International Motor Show has become the venue for many auto manufacturers to bring to the publics and the motoring worlds knowledge new inventions, innovations, cars, and vehicles. And because this is such, many car followers and aficionados have certainly made sure that they attend such great events.
And for the 2006 British International Motor Show, the Mazda Motor Corporation is out to make sure that the motoring public knows one of their newest creations the Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe. The company even presents this newest vehicle as a vehicle that opens up a new dimension of fun and versatility for people who love open top sports cars. Something you surely would be looking forward to.
The Mazda MX-5 is known by other names. Do not be confused but all the following names refer to only this roadster Mazda Miata, Eunos Roadster, and Mazda Roadster. It has been built using the FR convertible and has been produced since 1989. The MG F, Pontiac Solstice, Toyota MR2, and Saturn Sky are a couple of vehicles in the market that compete greatly with this Mazda roadster. Keep in mind, though, that this new one that the auto manufacturer would be sending out is actually part of the third generation of Mazda MX-5s. Owners find it easy to locate replacement parts and performance parts for even the newest models. Where you can find auto parts Mazda Navajo is also where you can most certainly find parts and accessories for this cool roadster.
With the new Mazda MX-5, any driver could surely enjoy the performance that this car could bring out. The style is also unique and quite breath-taking. But for this new model of the Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe, anyone who looks at it would find that it holds the exemplary Power Retractable Hard Top. This hard top is actually the very first of all hard tops to be electrically retractable. And yes, it does not take up much space when the top is down.
Tags: 5s, Auto Manufacturer, Auto Manufacturers, British International Motor Show, Coupe Model, Eunos Roadster, Mazda Miata, Mazda Motor, Mazda Motor Corporation, Mazda Mx 5, Mazda Navajo, Motoring Public, New Dimension, New Inventions, Newest Creations, Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, Sports Cars, Third Generation, Toyota Mr2Related posts
| NADAguides Editors Release Favorite Summer Vehicles For 2006 |
25 May |
NADAguides (www.NADAguides.com) is one of the leading sources of information on vehicles on the World Wide Web. And just recently, this source of vehicle information has released and announced the favorite summer vehicles as per the likes and favorites of their editors.
Fun in the Sun Vehicles is the name given to such a list. And for this year, 2006, the editors of NADAguides have chosen vehicles that they claim would surely bring about thrills. The editors hand-picked the vehicles themselves and they picked the best vehicles in seven categories that were separate from each other. With the wide range of vehicle choices at present, the editors surely had a grand, yet hard, time looking for the best for each category. Just imagine how it would be like choosing the best Infiniti car parts for your vehicle.
The favorite Fun in the Sun new car for this year is the 2006 Pontiac Solstice GXP convertible. The lead auto expert at NADAguides, Mark Perleberg, even commends the vehicle by saying, This year its all about having fun and the 2006 Pontiac Solstice GXP is definitely an enjoyable ride.
Going to the sport utility vehicle, or SUV, segment, the editors had chosen the 2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. It was even a unanimous favorite among all the editors. With this vehicles abilities to tread on on-road and off-road, surely, it is not much of a surprise that it was picked.
As per the highline exotic Fun in the Sun vehicles, the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT received the spot. Even Don Christy, Jr., who is the president and the CEO of NADAguides, found this vehicle to be a dream. He even states, The 2005 Porsche Carrera GT is a thrill-seekers dream.
The mentioned three vehicles are just about half of the whole list. The 1965 Lincoln Continental convertible took the spot for the Fun in the Sun collectible car. For the motorcycle segment, the 2006 Suzuki M109 was pronounced as the groups favorite. For the favorite recreation vehicle, the 2006 Fleetwood Gearbox S4 300 FS was picked. And the Party Cruiser 32-I/O in the Sun Tracker series was chosen as the
Tags: 2005 Porsche Carrera, 2005 Porsche Carrera Gt, 2006 Suzuki M109, Auto Expert, Collectible Car, Fun In The Sun, Infiniti Car, Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, Lincoln Continental, Lincoln Continental Convertible, Nadaguides, Pontiac Solstice, Pontiac Solstice Gxp, Porsche Carrera Gt, Recreation Vehicle, Sport Utility Vehicle, Thrill Seekers, Vehicle Choices, Wrangler Unlimited RubiconRelated posts
| 2007 Saturn SKY: The Wait Is Over |
26 Nov |
After months of nonstop hype, the 2007 Saturn SKY is now entering dealer showrooms. This two seat roadster marks an important turning point for the Saturn brand long identified with building nondescript, but dependable vehicles. With an MSRP of $23,690, the SKY is certain to sell for several thousand dollars over the dealer’s sticker price as demand is expected to far exceed capacity. Lets examine the Saturn brand and the car behind the hype to see if the SKY was worth the wait.
Since Saturns first cars became available in 1990, the brand has attracted a loyal following of owners who liked the companys simplicity and consumer friendly dealer network. Indeed, Saturns no haggle pricing revolutionized the relationship between dealer and customer changing the typical adversarial business transaction into a partnership benefiting buyer and seller alike.
Originally, Saturn was established as a separate company, but wholly owned by General Motors. The idea behind Saturn was that the company would build import fighting small cars to compete against the likes of Toyota and Honda. The S-Series, made with ding proof polymer side panels was an immediate hit and Saturn relied exclusively on this line of compact coupes, sedans, and wagons for nearly a decade before a second, larger model was introduced.
The dream of keeping Saturn separate from GM eventually died and the brand was brought into the GM fold to be managed much like Chevrolet, Buick, etc. are today. Indeed, the Spring Hill, Tennessee factory, which was exclusively designed to build Saturn vehicles remains in business, but many of the divisions cars are now being built elsewhere including the SKY.
So, the SKY has caught your attention, has it? Who could blame you? Pictures of the SKY have been circulating heavily online for months and it is certainly an attractive vehicle. Based on GMs new Kappa platform, the SKY shares some components with the earlier released Pontiac Solstice, another two seat roadster. The SKY, however, has its own look with a very pronounced fender peak and sleek body style. Here are some of the attributes of the SKY:
-Front engine, rear drive, two seat roadster
-50/50 front/rear weight distribution
-Manually operated cloth covered top folds down into the trunk
-Front pivoting hood
-2.4L I4 engine producing 177 h.p. paired with a 5 speed manual or 5 speed automatic transmission
-18 inch wheels; 4 wheel disc brakes with ABS
-Power galore: air conditioning, locks, windows, doors, AM/FM/CD, etc.
The SKY was priced and designed to compete against two other roadsters, the Honda S2000 and Mazdas Miata. Although the SKY is technically a sister car to the Solstice, it appears that it is better suited to compete against the Japanese brands as the Saturn roadster comes fully equipped and incorporates a sleeker body design. Taking nothing away from the Pontiac, the SKY is definitely the more competitive of the two.
For Saturn, the SKY improves the brands image immeasurably. Much in the way that the Corvette is a halo car for Chevrolet the SKY will be the same for Saturn. Production will be limited to just 10-12,000 vehicles annually and purchasing a SKY will likely mean buyers paying well over sticker price for their car. Indeed, some reports are indicating dealer mark ups as high as $5000 in the face of stiff demand.
Beyond the SKY, Saturn will also be introducing a second new vehicle this year, the Aura. Replacing the L-Series, the Aura midsize sedan borrows heavily from GMs European division, Opel, and incorporates the bold design of SKY in its front end.
Yes, the days of being known as a builder of compact plastic cars in Tennessee is over; a new Saturn is rising and if all the hoopla related to the SKY is any indication, Saturns future is certainly very promising.
Tags: 2007 Saturn Sky, Attractive Vehicle, Business Transaction, Chevrolet Buick, Coupes, Dealer Showrooms, Dependable Vehicles, First Cars, Haggle, Pictures Of The Sky, Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, Saturn Vehicles, Sedans, Separate Company, Several Thousand Dollars, Small Cars, Solstice, Spring Hill Tennessee, Sticker PriceRelated posts
| 2006 Pontiac Solstice Cruises Down The Road |
23 Nov |
From the brand that produces cars that boast of exemplary performance, the 2006 Pontiac Solstice is indeed one of those vehicles that draw lots of attention. Indeed, as a sports car, this vehicle sure is nimble and also offers excellent handling. It also has finesse that most sports cars do not even know how to define. And for sports car lovers, the 2006 Pontiac Solstice is one of the most affordable sports vehicles in the market.
Produced by General Motors and marketed under the Pontiac brand, the Pontiac Solstice is new to the market. In fact, it has just been in production starting this year, 2006. It is a sports car that has been built in one body style which is the roadster with two doors. The FR Kappa platform was used in building this sports car and it also has been equipped with a 2.4 liter Ecotec I4 engine. Assisting in its performance is a five speed Aisin AR5 manual transmission system or a five speed 5L40-E automatic transmission. Designed by automobile stylist Wayne Cherry, the Pontiac Solstice is going to be considered as a competition by cars like the Nissan 350Z, Honda S2000, Mazda MX-5, as well as the Chrysler Crossfire.
The 2006 Pontiac Solstice certainly looks like the classic sports cars from the 1950s which is coupled up with its own share of uniqueness that the overall effect leads to an original design that is a blend of the past and the future. This sports car also offers the best kind of comfort that most sports cars do not offer. Because of its long wheelbase, passengers do not have to be cramped and uncomfortable once inside the cabin. Packed with features for entertainment and for comfort, a ride inside the 2006 Pontiac Solstice is going to be very interesting.
Tags: Automatic Transmission, Body Style, Car Lovers, Cars From The 1950s, Chrysler Crossfire, Classic Sports Cars, Exemplary Performance, Five Speed, Honda S2000, Manual Transmission, Mazda Mx 5, Nissan 350z, Original Design, Performance Pontiac, Pontiac Solstice, Solstice, Sports Car, Transmission System, Two Doors, WheelbaseRelated posts
