Wednesday 7th October 2009

DeLorean Set To Rise Again?

US company considers a new future for the Pontiac Solstice

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The Solstice roadster could survive the death of Pontiac as part of a proposed revival for the DeLorean brand.

According to a report from Jalopnik in the US, the current owner of the DeLorean nameplate - the Texas-based DeLorean Motor Company - has produced these renderings of a striking composite of the two defunct brands.

Currently the 2009 Pontiac Solstice is, along with Pontiac itself, being wound down by parent company GM. The brand is on death row and should have totally disappeared by the end of 2010, spelling the end for its entire nine-car line-up.

The DeLorean Motor Company is a young organisation set up by eccentric Texan entrepreneur Stephen Wynne to care for the surviving DeLorean DMC-12s still in existence, after the original company went into receivership back in 1982. At the moment they simply offer servicing, restoration and parts for original DMC-12s (does this include flux capacitors, we wonder?) but, as well as releasing these renderings, DMC has apparently also acquired a Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe for evaluation of the mooted project.

John DeLorean worked for Pontiac throughout much of the 1960s, and was largely responsible for that era's iterations of both the GTO and the Firebird. While the modern DeLorean Motor Company may have nothing directly to do with the man himself, it does seem appropriate that the Solstice might survive with his name.

 

[qube_TA]

Isn't the Solstice to survive as the Saturn Sky?

I know it never got good reviews but I always thought it was a cracking looking thing.

[[AJ]]

That's ace! Despite the DeLorean being rather crap, thanks to Back to the Future it's an icon that I have a soft spot for. It would be great to see a modern day iteration (as long as it worked better than the original!)

[300bhp/ton]

qube_TA said:

Isn't the Solstice to survive as the Saturn Sky?

I know it never got good reviews but I always thought it was a cracking looking thing.

I'd beg to differ I've read some really good reviews of them.

[Wadeski]

Saturn's dead as a brand as well, so it wont survive very long!

[kambites]

I've seen some very positive reviews of the Solstice too, comparing it favourably with the MX5.

[LuS1fer]

Naming a new car after a drug dealer - very smart, they're supposed to be getting rid of brands, not creating them. Otherwise they should consider other sub-brands like Hitler, Manson and Ku Klux Klan.

It would make far more sense to simply absorb it into the Chevrolet brand as a "mini" Corvette in the US and a halo car for the European Chevaewoos now they've binned Vauxhall and Opel which used to sell this car as the GT.

[Marc W]

It wouldn't be owned by GM. Delorean is a completely separate company not a GM brand.

Edited by Marc W on Wednesday 7th October 15:03

[LuS1fer]

Good point. Skim reading is not a good way to read articles.

Still an odd decision to call a company after a drug dealer and to "make the GM connection" especially since the name is now forever connected to fraud and failure and of course Delorean had nothing to do with this car at all. Might just as well call the MG TF a Delorean.

On the other hand, Maybe a Drug Delorean. Free Coke with every car purchased. Star it in a new film with Amy Winehouse as the heroin... and have a racing version where they try to shed a few grams. Has Gordon Brown been approached to invest?

[tridave]

mmmmmm

Lotus to come back to F1

Now another Delorean cash cow project.

conspiracy theories please

[Dr G]

kambites said:

I've seen some very positive reviews of the Solstice too, comparing it favourably with the MX5.

Until the European magazines got it then slated it for stodgy dynamics

[JumpinJack]

I'm not overly convinced from the looks of those renderings... but perhaps when they upgrade from using 'microsoft paint', my opinion might be swayed.

[Bizzle]

88 Miles an HOUR!

Edited by Bizzle on Thursday 8th October 10:03

[kambites]

Dr G said:

kambites said:

I've seen some very positive reviews of the Solstice too, comparing it favourably with the MX5.

Until the European magazines got it then slated it for stodgy dynamics

Autocar seemed quite impressed with it.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/FirstDrives/Va...

Edited by kambites on Thursday 8th October 10:05

[Oily Nails]

had to be done

[Lord Flathead]

Great Scott

[GhostDriver]

Going by those artists rendering, I'd drive everywhere in reverse

[Man-At-Arms]

roads?
where we're going we don't need roads !

[GTRene]

It looks like the "new" DeLorean also gets wingdoors...looking at the shape of the door.

The Pontiac Solstice coupe I realy liked....







[mail]2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe
Get the great looks of the convertible without soft top with the 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe ($TBA). Available in standard (173 hp) and GXP (260 hp) versions, the coupe is pretty much mechanically identical to the convertible, save for the roof. You won't have to give up all the open-air fun with the coupe, however — it sports a removable hard targa top, and a soft fabric panel to put in place if the weather gets bad while the hard top is at home.

[/mail]

GTRene

[Justin_Tvr]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN0WBv0Omgs&fea...

[ZesPak]

title said:

US company considers a new future for the Pontiac Solstice

I see what you did there.

On topic: Needs gullwing doors!!

edit: because I can't spell "topic"

Edited by ZesPak on Thursday 8th October 11:06