Happy to say I've been doing some serious research on the Pontiac Solstice GXP Club Racer, but sad to say I may just kick the Crossfire to the curb.

The group at GM had the foresight to really support this vehicle for SCCA Club Racing and the ever growing Tuner Culture. It seems that in the short period of a year there is a slew of affordable aftermarket performance product and aero kits, with more being developed. And their efforts are paying off, with a pre-order waiting list of 9,000 GXP units.

Based on my research and the Solstice Forum, there is also a huge group of owners who are already starting to race the N/A version of the car in C Stock.

And with the introduction of a full race ready 325 hp dual supercharged version with a 5 speed manual transmission ready to hit the market in 6 months for less than 30k, I may just say signora to my Crossfire.

There is a bounty of every performance product you can imagine already. Carbon fiber aero kits, performance exhaust systems, headers, turbo kits, brake kits, you name it.

Don't go take a look at the Solstice Forum, you'll be pissed about your Crossfire.

 

Actually no, I won't be pissed. I bought (and accept) my Crossfire for what it is: a classy, sporty, cool car that you won't see on every street corner. While the performance isn't quite on par with some of the new-age muscle cars, the Crossfire does everything I ask of it without complaining. The car is plenty fast for what I use it for, which is just about everything. It has the right mix performance, luxury, and class that I was looking for. So basically what I'm saying is that I'm very happy with my decision to buy a Crossfire.

The Solstice, I'm afraid, is going to wind-up like the new Mustang -- Everybody and their brother is going to have one. They will become ubiquitous, and once the "tuner" community gets hold of them, damn near every one of them will become a gaudily-painted, boy-racer, boom car with a 6-inch tach and gauge pods on the A-pillar. That's not for me.

If you're going to start racing a Solstice I'll wish you good luck. But if you're looking for some real motorized fun, forget the car and get yourself a Honda RC-51, Ducati 999, or a Suzuki GSX-R 1000. You haven't lived until you've taken a sweeper at 100+ mph with one knee dragging the ground!

 

crossfire = mercedes, pontiac = pontiac, enough said. wait for the sky, far superior build quality. and that body kit costs 3k installed fyi... a bit much for nothing gained power wise...

 

I just saw a Solstice at the local dealer. It is sharp looking from a distance, but once you get close some things look cheap. The interior has poor fit and a lot of plastic; the door handles and locks are flimsy. Of course the car sells for 20 grand plus (some dealers are adding 5k) which is cheap by today's standards. But you get what you pay for; and a cheap car is a cheap car: GM is in no position to give anything away; so what's the car really worth?

 

What makes you think the build quality of a Sky is better than the build quality of a Solstice? I agree the Sky is much better looking but its the same car under the skin and built by the same company, GM. I wouldn't trade the quality of the Crossfire for ANY GM product I've seen in the last 30+ years except maybe the new Vette at $50,000+ and for that price the parts better be put together fairly well.

 

I'm with bobs on this. Personally I'd be hard pressed to ever buy another GM product and I've had a new vette and Z-28 among other GM products. HDDP I appreciate the fact that you like to race yours and perhaps the Solstice is better suited to that end. However I'd be willing to bet you that in a year or two Solstice will be like every other mass produced vehicle on the road, you'll see em everywhere. I didn't buy my Crossfire for speed. The car is fast enough to do what it needs to do...get me from point a to point b. The difference is there are few on the road and its a unique vehicle. That's what sets it apart from other cars on the road.
The Solstice is a nice looking car, but quite honestly I lump it in with the Miata, S2000, Z-3. They all have that "look". If that's where your heart takes you we'll miss you around here.

Pat

 

Derek, Good Luck with what ever you choose to do. I think I speak for alot of people on this site when I say that we (as a small part of the Crossfire community) have thoroughly enjoyed your on track exploits, expert movie making and camera skills, rapier wit and wisdom, and "inside Hollywood" gossip. This web site will be a less exciting place to be without your contributions, so I hope no matter what you choose to do, you still check in from time to time and keep us apprised of your adventures.
I really don't see how anybody can blame you for giving up on promoting the Crossfire on the track since it's been an up hill battle for you the whole time. I guess since Mercedes never promoted the SLK as a club racer, it probably would have been foolish for Chrysler to have tried to do so with the Crossfire. After all, when they accomplished what they set out to do with the Viper in racing, they cut it loose too. I guess they just never had any such aspirations like that for the XF in the first place.
Needless to say, even though very few (if any) of us ever planned on putting our Crossfires in harms way doing battle on our nations race tracks, we probably all live vicariously through your actions.
Like they used to say on Hill Street Blues, "Just be safe out there."

 

Bobs: About 6 months ago Ducati gave Matt LeBlanc two new 999's and we took them out to the track. I took a half dozen laps and about peed myself... LOL I'm definitely not a two-wheel racer...

I agree with your forecast of the Solstice being on every street corner, but I'm thinking of getting one strictly for SCCA. My research shows that it will be a VERY large class in the next few years, whereby the Crossfire will never.

I didn't buy the Crossfire for a daily driver. It was my intention from the beginning to turn it into a competitive track car, I missed the boat on that one. Up till a week ago, I was still considering the potential, but I realized that no matter how long I have the car, it will cost me double to make it competitive and will not have any other Crossfires to race against in SCCA. There's really no fun when you don't have a half dozen others to go head to head with.

It's a sad reality that my purpose for the car is not shared by the mfg. or the road racing community. Trust me, we have put forth some serious effort to develop support for this car from DC and after market performance mgs. And even petitioned the SCCA for its classification in T3. We even went as far as making a proposal to DC for marketing, racing and showing the car and created mock-ups and presentations. Only problem is, they don't care squat about the Crossfire and seem to only care to rid themselves of the inventory and move on.



The Solstice GXP Club Racer on the other hand is a turn-key track car with a plethora of well thought out HP and performance add-ons from both the factory and aftermarket dealers.

Reality is, GM is doing a great job promoting and supporting the Solstice. And for my purposes, it will have a large showing at SCCA events and be much more fun to have other identical cars to race against. Part of the fun of SCCA road racing is the camaraderie at the track. It's a little difficult to have a PARTY when you're the only one in attendance.

 

The fiberglass kit is $600 +/-, Carbon fiber is substantially more. At least they have body kits available !

The GXP Club Racer is dual turbo 345 hp with a 5 speed manual trans. for under 30k. I don't want to get into the pros and cons about the car for the street, I would never buy one for the street. If I buy it, I'll order it stripped from the factory and it will never see a stop light or intersection unless it's on the back of a trailer.

I don't care if the inside of the car is like a Mattel model, It would get stripped down to bare metal anyway.

 

I can't see the car being under $30K and being "race ready". I'm not doubting you Derek, but rather, GM! Also, whats this about twin superchargers.

 

GM is introducing a stripped down (gutted) SCCA version of the Solstice with a hard top (mandatory) for racing. It's called the GXP Club Racer and has dual TURBO (not SC) and specs out at 345 HP with a 5 speed manual transmission (also mandatory for SCCA racing).

Along with the power increase, the GXP Club Racer will have fully tuneable race suspension and an aero kit with adjustable rear wing, as well as upgraded braking system. Expected price is under 30k out the door.

Delivery is expected late fall this year.

 

what a great set up this would be... and a creative detailed/designed photo. very cool indeed.

 

It's a shame, we did detailed engineering drawings of the interior of the Dodge Sprinter tow vehicle which would have the rear 3rd of the van with custom work bench, storage compartments and tool chest as well as a small compressor and generator. The middle 3rd was going to be a small tricked-out lounge area with an LCD flat screen monitor that tied into an in-car data acquisition system that would have been integrated into the Crossfire. And of course the all important BEER fridge.

As you can see, we opted for the SRT6 because I finally found a manufacturer who can install a manual transmission in the car at half the price of a Renntech SC modification on the Limited.

This was only a pitch to DC and their marketing department, obviously they are not thinking along the same lines, they just want to get rid of their inventory with no muss or fuss. That is obvious from their lack of advertisement and promotion of the vehicle. Based on my extensive correspondence with them, they seem to have given-up on the Crossfire and are concentrating their efforts elsewhere.

Rumor has it that they have 20,000 units in the U.S. unsold from the '04' - '05 inventory. And who knows how many from the '06 allocation. I would rather work with Mark Hans-Richer of GM, at least he has foresight and a grasp of what promotion will help sell a vehicle and catapult it to cult status.

 

HDDP,

What is wrong with a Lotus Elise? This is just about factory ready for use with what you do. I was made for racing I saw one in Galveston actually two. It has only an aluminum floor and it is really stripped. It looks like a road racer.

 

HDDP...

You are not romancing with the idea of getting the EXIGE anymore!?!?!?

 

I drove the Exige about three weeks ago and took it through Malibu Canyon Road with the salesman. I fortunately had my helmet in the back seat of my SUV and when we returned to the dealership, I got in the car with my helmet on... I'm 6'2" 180 lbs and could not get my head in the car with the helmet on... the top is too low and the seat is on the floor boards with no place to lower it, even if you remove the sliders it won't lower enough for me to get in with a helmet on.

It needs a Dan Gurney bubble for me to race the car. I was warned about that earlier but didn't listen to them... Also, the clearance for my feet is too small I had to angle my foot on the pedals because the pan and underside of the dash was too short. Size 12's... I think the car was made for the asians !!!

If you look at the pictures of the Solstice GXP Club Racer, they already thought of that and built the "Dan Gurney" bubble into both sides of the top... Now that's thinking !!!

 

My SRT-6 is very quick and VERY RARE, too fast in most circumstances.
Good luck with your secretaries car. I.E. Mustang, Miata, Z-3, Z-4 and most mini-vans. I love having two unique and ***** to the wall fast cars. Make that 3, my wife has a G-35 coupe.
Being a GM Pontiac guy, check my sig, I have left GM. According to the news about the layoffs and slow selling models, most everyone else has also. GM what happened??

 

It's pretty simple from my point of view. No affordable racing support from the factory or AM mfg's. No other Crossfires racing or intending to race SCCA. I've waited and shaken the bushes for two + years and nothing...

Both the Limited and SRT6 are great cars for the street... Nothing sinister about my desires, just want to continue my 25 years of SCCA racing in a class that has some similar vehicles and I hate the spec Miata class and all of the other touring class cars... It's either the Solstice now or the Formula Mazda.

 

HDDP... to have access to a XFF member like yourself makes this website all too enjoyable for me... and you are not obligated to post messages here... i realize that.

the XF i drive was bought to be my daily beater... that will safely and effectively get me from point A to point B... uniqueness wasn't a prerequisite... but it turned out to be a great bonus!!! The daily grueling commute... 100 miles per day easily achieved. my 5 months, 10,500+ miles report on the XF is: "one tough little machine"...

so with that said, by nature i will tell you to keep the XF !
keep gutting it out! get it down to basics...
get those upgrades done... keep pushing the limit...
because if you replace the XF, The XF as a car is officially done... !

if D/C doesn't take notice/intere$t in you and your XF operation ...they won't have interest in any other...

so in closing... i really do understand the most practical/beneficial choice for you, so far, is the solstice... Fireamx+ is also 6' 2" ish... i don't know how you guys do it, i am 5' 10" and i "just" fit in comfortably... As far as GM support, they are more enthusiastic to see their cars/trucks cross the finish line first... than chrysler.

well if you do replace the XF... you will always have a large base of your fans still owning XFs... routing on TEAM HDDP!!!

 

I bought a solstice, and am having Mallett drop the LS2 engine into it. I love my crossfire srt, and will keep it. I just thought the styling, + the OTC GM parts bin will make this a fun car to customize. Finding more HP for the srt has been exhausting and expensive...$3,400 for a pulley and ecu...you can get a 400 hp LS2 engine for $5,500...