Rare 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe Sells At Mecum Auction
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Bowing for the 2006 model year, the Pontiac Solstice was a small sports convertible powered by the LE5 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine. Output was rated at 177 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque. The higher-performance GXP was introduced shortly thereafter, generating 260 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque from its LNF 2.0-liter turbocharged four cylinder. For the 2009 model year, a targa-top Solstice coupe joined the rag top. As Pontiac was in the process of being shuttered, the coupe would be the Excitement Division’s final new model. The Pontiac Solstice coupe would be produced for a single full model year with production totaling just 1,266 units.
Our feature Pontiac Solstice GXP coupe is finished in brilliant Aggressive Red over a black leather interior. It is said to be the tenth of sixteen finished in the red hue. Built on March 23rd, 2009, it is number 70 of 102 pre-production models.
The Pontiac Solstice GXP’s interior is awash with black leather contrasting white stitching and GXP emblems embroidered in the headrests. Having covered a scant 17,000 miles from new, the Solstice shows few signs of use. Outside seat bolsters show none of the telltale wrinkling, creasing, or wear that usually occasions low-slung coupes of a sporting nature. The carpets are clean and colorfast, and there is no sign of exposure, such as fading, shrinking, or cracking on the dash. The Solstice GXP is well-equipped with power steering, power brakes, power windows, cruise control, air conditioning, and a leather-clad steering wheel with integrated controls for the Bluetooth-capable stereo.
Under the hood of the Pontiac Solstice GXP resides the potent Ecotec LNF 2.0-liter direct-injection turbo four that produces 260 horsepower. At the time of production, the LNF was the first direct-injection engine for any American auto manufacturer. It was also had the highest specific output per cube of any production engine in GM history, making 2.1 horsepower per cubic inch. The LNF is backed by a five-speed automatic transmission.
This 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP coupe sold for $36,300 at the Mecum Auctions Kissimmee, Florida event that took place January 4th through the 15th,.
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Selling price was what it would’ve cost new. Since it was one of the pre-production coupes, it would’ve been a company car sold at a dealer auction and then sold as certified pre-owned, so the owner definitely did not pay sticker. Nice little profit. The Kappas have already been showing signs of being a good car to invest in, especially the coupes.
I remember checking out the Solstice in 2006 or 2007 at a local dealership and disliked low seats and small the read window was. Ending up buying a used BMW Z3 convertible instead.
Beautiful car!
Slight correction, could not have been the first DI engine by GM. I had a 08CTS that had a 3.6DI. Purchased sept 07. Not sure if any other domestic had a DI pre-dating the CTS. GXP may have been the first Turbo DI, the caddy was not turbo-charged.
The 2.0 LNF Turbo appeared at the same time in the Cobalt SS, HHR SS and the Solstice and Sky Turbo.
Who downvotes facts? Lmao.
Folks that just don’t know better. It matters little.
Once again, GM missed the boat on this car. Although Pontiac is now gone. If they had built this car with at least, a V6 and really, a small V8, it could have possibly kept the division alive a while longer. GM at the time, was so messed up, they didn’t get much right at all. To loose both Pontiac and Olds at the same time, was very sad. Now we have Chevy, that the looks are so bad. Buick, that isn’t much better. And then, Hip Hop Caddy. They are so far off, it’s like a blizzard of ugly. Now, we have all the excitement of looking forward to EV’s. Wow!!! Where are Guys like DeLoreen and the likes, when we need them?
I had the turbo, and it was plenty quick enough and fun to drive.
Look this was not a Corvette nor would GM let Pontiac have a V8 in this car.
This car was built to compete with the Miata and it was built at a very difficult time when GM was broke. It is amazing that it was even built at all.
The car was built by Lutz from the parts bin. The engine from an HHR and Cobalt. The rear end from a CTS, The driving lights from a GTP the rear back up from a Envoy. The Transmission was one like Honda Used in the manual.
The truth was in todays economics there is just not enough money to run all the divisions GM had and do it right. That was a big part of their down fall.
Pontiac stopped being Pontiac with the last Fiero. Olds Died when they lost the RWD Cutlass.
The Trouble is GM never knew how to get the divisions to work together. They often were at odds with each other and did more damage than good.
Delorean was moved to Chevy and saddled with the Vega when it could not be fixed. He left. His engineers tried to keep working with cars like the 455 SD and the Fiero by breaking rules. After the Fiero most of his engineers he left retired. They knew Pontiac was over.
As for the EV unless you have a way to increase MPG and cut emissions more and meet the regulations in what is now 1/3 of the states where they are eliminating ICE you had better present the plan.
I suspect Delorean would be all over the EV and trying to find ways to make better handling and lighter if he were still alive. The speed is already there.
Actually the cars of this era that were done via the GM Performance Division were some of the best cars GM ever did. SS Trailblazer, HHR SS, Cobalt SS, Cadillac V series, GTP Solstice turbo etc. There were others that got the GM Performance plate under the hood.
I had the GM PD Turbo upgrade on my SS and it put out 300 HP and 215 FT LBS. The Solstice could be fitted with the same kit and had 335 FT LBS of torque. This made the Solstice a low thirteen second car. I saw 23 pounds of boost.
On the over the counter PD turbo upgrade:
Yup. You are correct. I remember hearing about that. Very few people knew about that. The Solstice was a heavy car for it’s size and function(market) like the Fiero, and making it/them heavier with a V-8 didn’t make any sense.
If Chevy killed the V8 Fiero you know this was never in the cards for the Solstice.
Yes Pontiac built and tested a Fiero V8 till management at GM demanded it crushed.
Pontiac engineers were always knee capped unless they broke rules,
Zero percent chance a V8 solstice would have kept Pontiac around any longer, that is just plain ignorance.
Clueless guy talking. More at 11.
I grew up in the neighborhood right next to the Wilmington Boxwood GM plant, many of my friends fathers worked there when I was growing up. I drove past this plant almost every day going home and as for this Pontiac solstice, coupe I only remember seeing just a few in the lot, a rare car indeed
GM is building a great 4 cylinder 300 plus HP. One thing GM has always done well is Powertrains. I loved this and the Saturn version. Fast fun and didn’t cost a lot
I tried to sit in the car in the dealer showroom. A shoehorn couldn’t have helped me get in.
must be a really big boy. I am six foot 250 on a good day and fit in them much easier than I expected.
I’m 6’3″ and didn’t fit…not even close. I really liked the look though. Kind of like a Thomas Cheetah. I’ve got to agree with most though…Pontiac was a lot of fun while it lasted. Too bad…
Same here, 6’5 and 280, couldn’t close the door.
I always liked the Sky better.
We always considered one but the drivers seat room wasn’t ideal for anybody 6 foot plus. A tweak here or there and this car would fit in today better then days past.
Solstice died too young. It would be a great name plate to bring back as an EV. There aren’t really any small affordable convertible EVs in North America
would you buy a Wuling? affordable and EV is something difficult to find in general, but to get their I think many of the things we expect as amaericans would have to be forgone. https://gmauthority.com/blog/2022/08/first-ever-wuling-mini-ev-cabrio-officially-revealed/
I’ll take a 1970 Ram Air IV Trans Am in Lucerne Blue. Pontiac hit their looks and performance zenith with that car.
Would be nice to have a rwd 4-cyl from gm. Add a manual transmission for fun and took around in.
gm does make a RWD 4-cyl , with a six speed manual. It’s called Camaro and is available with a drop top.
Great article, GM Authority! Thank you for publishing it.
GM could still be making the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky, and both would sell today. Simple, affordable, fun, no frills, American classic sports car. Not everyone wants or needs a Corvette.
Same drive train I have in my hhr ss.
It has the GMPP( GM PERFORMANCE PACKAGE). Only complaint is the short 1st gear.
I have a 2006 Solstice in the garage. A little info for those that are not up close and familiar with it.
With the top up it is very noisy inside. The ride is rough. Lots of road noise inside the car. Very crude compared to the Miata. Handles fairly well but feels very heavy. Steering is very heavy.
I had to buy a special super low profile jack to get under the car. If I jack one side of the up the other side comes up too. So if I jack up the drivers side the passenger side come up too. The unibody is that stiff. The car came with 18” tires back in 06.
If you get in the car you need to be a contortionist to reach the seatbelt as it will be behind you.
The top folds down into the trunk area. But with the top down there is only enough room for a beach towel or two in the trunk with the top.
It’s almost easier to roll out of the drivers seat onto the ground and then get up than any other way out of the car.
The engine is noisy and very unrefined. Revving the engine past 6k sounds very destructive and is a waste of time.
Now it’s not all bad. It’s kinda cool to drive it around with the top down. And it does look cool because there isn’t many around.
I have a friend with a Miata and I have driven it very aggressively. It was fun. It is light the steering feels light. The transmission is a close ratio. And it shifts like butter. Even the doors on the Miata feel very light.
The top can be put down or brought up without getting out of the drivers seat. And it’s not powered.
The top takes no space in the trunk so you still have lots of storage space.
But I wouldn’t trade the Solstice for the Miata. There is something special about the Solstice.
Well many of of the complaints you list are those of 98% of all sports cars.
The Miata is a well designed car that was well funded to be built. Most lower priced sports cars never get the funding they need and often have issue due to it.
But the Miata as good as it is is still not perfect. It could use more power and often things break on it like door handles and such.
GM did well on the Solstice as it had no real money to build the car. They keep the price down and kept the show car styling. But they paid a price with using the styling as is and parts bin parts. But over all the car is not bad.
Sports cars are about the drive not the trunk space.
My Fiero is so low I had to buy short ramps to get a low jack under it. It rides firm and has no power steering. Space inside is great. The cable shifter get bad after 50 K miles. Getting out of the car is not for the old.
The trunk may hold a small bag of golf clubs but not much else. Also do not haul Ice cream back there.
Perfect car no but with the T tops out and on a warm summer night there is no better feeling than hammering a road around the local lakes.
Sports cars are about the drive.
Cool you have the Fiero
I look pretty funny getting out of the Solstice…
We have an 06. My wife liked them so a few years back we found a nice copy. As said above the seat belt is a pain. I am 6 foot but fit nicely in it. The car is for adequate in the power area. It is a stick so it is a blast to drive. I think folks forget that this is a sports car and trunk space and this and that go out the window. To me the way it is set up reminds me of a refine C3 Corvette. I have a 71 convertible and you can see the engineering genetics everywhere just updated and somewhat refined.
GM is building a great 4 cylinder 300 plus HP. One thing GM has always done well is Powertrains. I loved this and the Saturn version. Fast fun and didn’t cost a lot
I have the exact same solticein my garage. 12000 miles, bought it new. When I take it out people think it is a porsha
I have never understood why people like porsh. Ugly over engineered German crap.
Same as BMW.