Dick Splash Posted September 11, 2004 Share Posted September 11, 2004 My dealership should be receiving its first Pontiac G6 this month. It has a new GM 3.5 V6 engine, stacks of leg room and has aggressive European styling throughout. The seats are made by a French company that designs and makes them for Rolls Royce, Audi, Mercedes and BMW. The optional large panoramic room is designed and made by a German company that makes them for Mercedes and the Cadillac XLR. The car wouldn't go amiss in Britain with a Vauxhall badge on it. Over here in the US, the local culture feels that Pontiac is an old persons car, but GM are having a huge makeover and this little baby will be arriving on the shelves next October. Starting at just under $20k, the most expensive will be $23,500 !!! DS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Posted September 11, 2004 Share Posted September 11, 2004 The Solstice is only $20k... but you have to use premium fuel... no thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob The Nailer Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 Hideous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Splash Posted September 12, 2004 Author Share Posted September 12, 2004 The Solstice is only $20k... but you have to use premium fuel... no thanks. Hmmmm......all of the official GM literature I've read about it hasn't mentioned the requirement of premium fuel! The last I saw was it will have a new 2.4 Ecotec, 4cyl, rear wheel drive engine, which will produce 170hp. The 04/05 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP with the Competition Group package performs better on premium, but runs perfecty well on regular unleaded. Perhaps that applies to the Solstice. I've learnt a lot about car culture over here in the last two years of selling them. The about to be launched G6 for example, looks like a European car and has a number of main features actually designed in Europe, but it is made in North America and therefore is a 'domestic' product. However, two popular cars; the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord are in the same class as the G6, are similarly styled, both sport a Japanese badge and are both made in the US, yet they are classed as imports. Interesting that, because of the badge, the 'US made' import holds a better resale value. I've had some ideas to give the car some exposure when it arrives, one of which is to cover the car's badges with question marks and drive around the town, campus and shopping areas. Teenagers and early twenty year olds in this town typically want a Jeep Wrangler [males] or an Accord or a Camry [females]. It's a bit of a 'uniform' really, especially those that go to the local university. Another uniform around here is the dress sense of that same group. The lads will wear jeans, a baseball cap pulled low over their head and either trainers [sneakers] or sandals ....and the girls will wear jeans, or shorts and a t-shirt sporting the university or sorority, trainers or sandals. It's as though the town's full of clones I dunno......British students typically aren't as well off, certainly don't have a car and are a lot more stylish. Different cultures I suppose! DS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyro_Monty Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 I dunno......British students typically aren't as well off, certainly don't have a car and are a lot more stylish. Different cultures I suppose! You're damn right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 The soul of any worthy roadster is the powertrain. The Solstice is powered by a rear-wheel-drive 2.2-liter DOHC supercharged EcoTec four-cylinder engine generating up to 240 horsepower with premium fuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parabellum Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 Solstice looks like yet another Porsche ripoff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Splash Posted September 12, 2004 Author Share Posted September 12, 2004 The soul of any worthy roadster is the powertrain. The Solstice is powered by a rear-wheel-drive 2.2-liter DOHC supercharged EcoTec four-cylinder engine generating up to 240 horsepower with premium fuel. Yes i saw that as well Crims'......but; Hmmmm......all of the official GM literature I've read about it hasn't mentioned the requirement of premium fuel! DS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 Right, it's probably not required to use premium, but to get the full 240 ponies you're probably going to need to use the expensive octane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XavierOnasis Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 Increase in octane != increase in HP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteKnight77 Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 Increase in octane != increase in HP. No. Increase of octane=decrease in burn speed to reduce spark knock. It also increases carbon formation in low compression engines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XavierOnasis Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 Err, != means "not equal to." I was saying that increasing the octane does not equal an increase in horsepower, particularly a 70hp boost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRP 56 Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 Increase in octane != increase in HP. No. Increase of octane=decrease in burn speed to reduce spark knock. It also increases carbon formation in low compression engines. Very true. Octane increase reduces spark knock. I have read where dyno pulls with high octane did increase horsepower readings compared to low octane fuel. The one I'm thinking of is where they ran a Dodge Neon R/T on both 89 octane and 94 octane and it showed a few extra HP on the dyno charts for the 94 octane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schenkanator Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 For the benefit of those that don't program occasionally. = sets something as being equal to (ie a=b sets the value of A to be B) == checks if something is equal to something else (ie a==b returns 1 if A and B are identical, or 0 if they are not). != checks to see if two things are different (ie a!=b returns 0 if a and b are identical, and 1 otherwise). So basically, what XO said is right. He just should have explained himself better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteKnight77 Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 Hey, I never took more than pre-algebra when I was in school. I had never seen the != symbol before and thought it a typo. I's just a mechanic and don'ts know my maths symbols, I's just likes to fixs cars man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Splash Posted September 13, 2004 Author Share Posted September 13, 2004 ######.........what have I started.......a ###### contest For the record, there is no 'official' mention of of an increase of H.P. beyond 170!!! DS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connie lingus Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 Greetings! I thought I might add that all of the above statements might be true---if this were only a straight combustion engine. However, the OBDII diagnostics will often compensate for increases and decreases in fuel quality, by controlling the air/fuel mixture ratios. This can negate the benefits of using a higher octane. That is is why many people choose to modify their ECU's with special electronic chips designed to fully utilize the premium fuels by increasing air intake and getting a hotter burn. Also these chips override speed governors. ph34r: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteKnight77 Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 However some of those chips may not be totally legal to use. If you are in a state with emissions testing (like GA, NY, PA or CA to name a few) that actually test the emissions from the tail pipe, you could fail, specially on the loaded dyno tests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobblers Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 I'd rather go for a Mazda 6. You get good performace, coupled with great fuel ecconomy. Spec is also very good, with some very neat and original features to boot. And typically follows the trend of being yet another reliable Toyota. And best of all, the prices are very good ann all specs as well!! And I've had Vauxhalls before, but never really liked 'em that much. Astra M Reg 1.7TD. Good engine, but not reliable at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schenkanator Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 However some of those chips may not be totally legal to use. If you are in a state with emissions testing (like GA, NY, PA or CA to name a few) that actually test the emissions from the tail pipe, you could fail, specially on the loaded dyno tests. Thats why (down here at least) if you change your ECU (not chip it, fully replace it) you KEEP THE ORIGINAL. Same thing goes for exhausts, etc. Put the original back on before you go for the test. Odds are nobody will notice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Splash Posted September 14, 2004 Author Share Posted September 14, 2004 (edited) Amazing news yesterday........Oprah Winfrey gave away 276 of them to each member of her studio audience; Oprah Winfrey Show That was probably why she visited the Orion plant in Michigan on the 2nd of September. DS Edited September 14, 2004 by Dick Splash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Splash Posted September 19, 2004 Author Share Posted September 19, 2004 Our first G6 arrived yesterday morning Photos to follow. DS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 Amazing news yesterday........Oprah Winfrey gave away 276 of them to each member of her studio audience; Oprah Winfrey Show That was probably why she visited the Orion plant in Michigan on the 2nd of September. DS yeah for some reason they are telivising that crap at prime time tomorrow night Lousy Oprah, if she really cared she'd give me a new car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pz3 Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 shes like the 5th richest person in america or somthing.... id take a free g6 with the taxes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 Err, != means "not equal to." Interesting! In the UK "not equal to" is expressed by <>, at least I think it is, it's been a long time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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