Pontiac’s roadster gets a roof—and not much else.

BY MIKE SUTTON

Pontiac faces a tenuous future as General Motors restructures its many fiefdoms. The automaker has said the brand once known for excitement won’t be dragged out behind the barn anytime soon, so expect Pontiac to atrophy towards a purveyor of niche vehicles outside the core lineups of Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC. The rear-wheel-drive Solstice roadster, which entered service for 2006 and received a shot in the arm the next year in the form of the GXP model and its 260-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter Ecotec four, is a good example of those niche vehicles.

Although we favored Mazda’s delightful MX-5 Miata over the base Solstice in a head-to-head comparison test, American consumers have gobbled up enough of the Pontiacs to make the Solstice the best-selling roadster in the U.S. over the past three full calendar years. Now GM is expanding the range with a coupe variant, which promises to be more practical—and even more handsomely styled—than the roadster.

Say Goodbye to the Sun

Both the Solstice coupe and roadster concepts were unveiled at the 2002 Detroit auto show, and Pontiac says the closed-roof model was always part of the product plan. Overall changes between the two body styles are minimal, with both versions sharing the same equipment, powertrains, and body panels, except for the coupe’s sloping rear hatch and new taillights, of course. An aluminum roof bow is the primary structural modification, which also allows for a four-inch-lower load floor and 5.6 cu ft of cargo space versus the roadster’s 5.4 top-up figure.

Think of it as a GTO sedan.

BY JOHN PHILLIPS

It won’t be long before Camaro owners line up in Decatur, Indiana, slavering for bonus horsepower at Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (LPE). Until they do, however, the company is tinkering with a Pontiac G8 GT. Even with Pontiac’s Premium and Sport packages tacked on, this 361-horse six-speed automatic rolls off the showroom floor for less than $33,000, a tremendous bang for any enthusiast’s buck.

To this unsuspecting Magnetic Gray sedan, the LPE guys added a Magnuson TVS MP1900 supercharger, an intercooler, a cold-air intake system whose six-inch inlet looks like a refinery pipeline, a reprogrammed ECM, and a slightly more aggressive shift map for the 6L80E automatic. Without any other alterations, the engine produced a claimed 505 horsepower and 482 pound-feet of torque. If this is as far as you want to go, the Pontiac’s price rises only $11,525.

Beyond the engine mods, Lingenfelter added an engine dress-up package, a Corsa stainless steel cat-back exhaust, and forged CCW wheels with 19-inch Michelin Pilot Sport PS2s (pot-walloping 285/35s at the rear, which stick out of the wheel wells to flick pebbles at tailgaters). Price for all mods, bumper to bumper: $18,494.

At part throttle, the Lingenfelter G8 is civil and quiet and reveals none of its proclivity for civil disobedience. But disable the traction control, and you can leave about 65 feet worth of Michelin graffiti in your wake. At wide-open whack, the blower whines aggressively, like a large caged feline in a bad mood. The beauty of the supercharger is that big muscle manifests down low—just beyond 2000 rpm, in fact—and the power band is thereafter dead linear all the way to redline. Upshifts are crisp without being intrusive, and on long freeway slogs, this blown G8 reverts to a Clark Kent cruiser.

The base Cooper pegs the fun-o-meter, if not the speedometer.

BY STEVE SILER

What can we say about Mini’s convertibles that we haven’t said before? They’re fun? Said that. Terrific handling? Countless times. And now we’re awfully close to saying that the base Cooper convertible is just as entertaining as the turbocharged Cooper S convertible.

With only a 118-hp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder spinngin the front wheels, the Cooper is nowhere near as quick as the S with its blown, direct-injected 172-hp version of the same engine. However, the Cooper convertible nonetheless comes darn close to the S in terms of sheer entertainment value, and that’s because with Minis, acceleration is only a small part of the fun.

The Guy Who Went to Austria is A Bit Miffed

Wherein a famous Italian design house produces “the world’s fastest hybrid.”

BY NICK KURCZEWSKI

Building on the sporty greenness of its wicked Quaranta concept from last year’s Geneva show, Italdesign Giugiaro has now revealed what it claims is the “world’s fastest hybrid.” Called the Namir (which is Arabic for “tiger”), the car will debut during the 2009 edition of the Geneva show. Working in cooperation with Frazer-Nash, a U.K.-based engineering firm specializing in hybrid drivetrains, Giugiaro has penned another green machine that appeals to boy-racers and eco-warriors alike.

The wedge-shaped Namir stretches 179.5 inches in length. From some angles, the mid-engine hybrid coupe has a hint of Lamborghini Gallardo to it, particularly in the rear fenders. But the dramatic arc of the V-shaped windshield and the angular cuts in the rear hood prove that, after 40 years in the business, Giugiaro can still conjure up one achingly cool sports car.

What’s new, highlights, and safety info for the 2009 Subaru Legacy and Outback.

Introduction

Subaru’s Legacy and Outback are largely identical, but the Legacy is a sedan and the Outback wears station-wagon sheetmetal. Beyond the wagon body, though, the Outback earns its adventurous name with some three additional inches of ground clearance.

Station wagons at a middle-income price point are rare. Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Saab, and Volvo all sell wagons in the U.S., but they all carry a pricing premium. Plenty of five-door hatches flood the market, but the only competition for the Outback in the low-$20,000 wagon sector is the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen. Subaru also sells an Outback Sport, but that model is based on the smaller Impreza hatchback.

Like all current Subarus, all-wheel drive is standard, as is the associated fuel penalty. Although similarly powerful to competitive vehicles, the Legacy and Outback max out at 20 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway, a function of the higher mechanical resistance inherent in all-wheel-drive systems.

Although four driven wheels are a given, powertrain choices facing potential Legacy and Outback buyers are nonetheless daunting. Available engines include naturally aspirated and turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-fours with 170 and 243 hp, respectively, and a 3.0-liter flat-six that produces 245 hp. Transmission options with the naturally aspirated four are a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual, while those opting for the more powerful turbo four can select a five-speed automatic or a five-speed manual. The higher-performance Legacy 2.5GT spec.B gets a six-speed manual. Go with the 3.0-liter boxer-six and your only transmission choice is the five-speed automatic.

Verdict

Both the Legacy and the Outback are inoffensively handsome inside and out, with their attractiveness only enhanced by their rarity relative to others in their segments. Pricing starts at a competitive level, but adding options gets expensive, likely contributing to their smaller sales numbers. They are immensely popular in more volatile climates, where their all-wheel drive—and the Outback’s additional ground clearance—make them a practical and more maneuverable alternative to SUVs and crossovers.

Keep Reading: 2009 Subaru Legacy Sedan and Outback Wagon – Review

What’s new, highlights, and safety info for the 2009 Toyota Avalon.

Introduction

Toyota’s Avalon is a full-size car for those who have graduated from the Camry. In fact, the Avalon is basically a stretched version of the previous Camry and uses that car’s 268-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode. No other powertrain choices are offered. For 2009, the Avalon lineup consists of three trim levels: XL, XLS, and Limited, listed in order of increasing luxury and price.

When the current-generation car debuted for 2005, it placed first in our comparo of six $30,000 family sedans. We praised it for its comfortable interior, ample power, and good fuel mileage. It has since been slightly refreshed and seen its gear count rise by one.

Verdict

The Avalon is a good car to go unnoticed in. The styling and driving dynamics won’t get anyone too excited, but that’s okay for many folks. Interior and cargo room is copious. Backseat occupants are treated to an adjustable backrest and plenty of room to stretch out. The car is most at home on long stretches of straight highway—just don’t fall asleep. The Avalon was recently announced as one of our Editors Choice picks in the Large Sedan category.

Keep Reading: 2009 Toyota Avalon – Review