St Thomas Dragway, Ontario

The sun was shining full blast. The pungent aroma of burning rubber lingered in the morning air, and the sweet sounds of the countryside mingled with the delightful roar of high horsepower and squealing tires. Is there any better way to spend a balmy summer's day?

Well, actually yes. You could mix all the fun of the drag strip with a fine array of "personalized" GM compact vehicles, and the Canadian unveiling of the 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe.

Welcome to GM's J-Body Bash, and Compact Car Show!


Show and shine

I arrived shortly after the gates opened, and yet there was already a field full of vehicles, whose owners were eager to show off their pride and joys.

These young GM enthusiasts devote endless amounts of time, and money, to produce, what can only be described as, "personal automotive creations". They then bring their amazing vehicles to events like this to, well basically, allow others to marvel at their workmanship. In a nutshell, it's all about strutting your stuff and showing off. Then again, whenever young people and automobiles gather, that always seems to play a role somewhere.

This is probably where I should be adding, it was all different in my day, but the truth of the matter is... it wasn't. I can still remember back when my generation did pretty much the same thing. That was in the 70's and 80's, when jacking up the rear end of a vehicle and fitting huge rear tires was looked upon as being the ultimate in coolness, and yes, we really did have those fluffy dice!


Boy! How things have changed!

Of course, in my day it was a lot simpler. A nice set of wheels, jack-up bars, tinted windows and the obligatory furry dice and you were on your way. Today, you basically need a degree in mechanical engineering, and possibly one in computer electronics. At least, that's how it seems to me.

Electronics and computer wizardry plays such a huge part in customization nowadays, that it boggles my brain as to how these owners manage to cram it all into what are really rather smallish vehicles. I guess it a case of where there's a will, there's a way.

Mind you, even though the cars and the technology have changed dramatically over the years, the general concept behind customization is still there. It's all about being different from everyone else, an individual, and creating a vehicle which you can truly call "your own".

Wanna drag?

A few of the GM owners began testing their vehicles out on the strip, and as this was the first time I had ever witnessed a drag race (well, legally!), I watched in awe. This was basically a "run what you brung" kind of event, and it was pretty exciting to watch the time boards as two modified J-body GM's ripped down the track. In fact, I saw one older 80's style Cavalier turn a time that would embarrass a lot of modern high-powered sports cars.

There were also a few top-end dragsters burning up the track, which were great fun to watch, and even a young lady in a small open wheeled dragster, who looked to be around 12-14 years old. I tell you, she was one fast young lady, and I bet the boys at her school show her plenty of respect!

As GM was sponsoring the event, the company was allowing a few lucky visitors to try out a couple of its new SS vehicles down the strip. I tell you, when a company lets enthusiasts flat out drag its brand new vehicles in front of crowds of onlookers, it certainly shows that they have plenty of confidence in their products.

GM put on a grand display at the event, and had several products specialists on hand to answer everyone's technical questions. They also had a few modified vehicles of their own on show, including a radical looking Saturn race car, and a wicked looking Vibe, labeled the GT-R, which I firmly believe should go into production tomorrow morning, if not sooner!

Of course, they had another rather interesting vehicle on display also...


The 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe

What a car!

Ever since the Pontiac Solstice roadster first came on the market, it has been a favorite of mine. After all, who honestly, hand on heart, could say that they don't like the look of it, especially with the top down?

Of course, roadsters have their limitations, the obvious one being the lack of storage space. Oh yes, it's all fun and games until you need to do the weekly grocery shop, or you want to take off on that two week motoring holiday!

Problem solved....Because GM's gone and put a lid on it!!!

Now typically, (at least in my books), that means the death knell for any vehicle. After all, rack your brains and try to think of a single car that didn't look better with the roof chopped off. No, somehow, whenever a company decides to convert a roadster into a hardtop, it tends to all go sour and the vehicle ends up a complete and utter mess.

Until now that is, because the new 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe is actually better looking than the soft top version. Hard to believe eh? Well just wait until you see one in the flesh, because the car is absolutely stunning.

Honestly, the GM design team has achieved an amazing feat with this vehicle. Before seeing the Coupe version, I would never have believed that a roof could actually improve the looks of the Solstice, but it has!

In fact, it has done more than that, it has transformed it into another vehicle altogether. View it from the back, and one could be forgiven for believing it to be the latest offering from Lotus.

The way in which the designers have blended the side bodylines into the rear spoiler is simply design at its best. I'm also pleased to say that they resisted the temptation to simply bolt on the rear spoiler, which many designers might have done, to simplify the design.

Of course, that resulted in a smaller opening for the glass hatch, which does somewhat limit the size of your luggage. However, that problem can easily be solved by purchasing some soft-sided cases.

Another nice design feature on the vehicle is the removable roof panel, which lets in nearly as much fresh air and sunshine as the soft top version. The panel can be easily removed by two people, although it is light enough to be handled by a single person with practice. The panel can also be left at home if required because the Solstice Coupe comes with its own folding cover.

The new Solstice Coupe perfectly blends what we all love about the Solstice, with the addition of a lot more usable space. In many ways, it reminds me of the MGB GT which was marketed many years ago by British Leyland. That vehicle sold in huge numbers all over the world over the course of two decades, and that only featured a pull back sunroof.

I see nothing but good roads ahead for this vehicle, and I believe that it is going to be an extremely popular addition to the GM line-up.