Japan's finest tests Miata vs Solstice

[big blue]

Part 1

Part 2 (meat of the program)

Best Motoring International is a major car enthusiast show/magazine in Japan and the drivers for the show are/were professional drivers with loads of racing experience. They test the Solstice vs the Miata and no matter what nationality the car is, they base the winner on how it performs and today the Solstice wins. I like how they give the explanations for their decisions so it doesn't make them baseless fodder for their viewers.

It's interesting to see American cars from another country's POV and moreso by drivers who know what they're talking about. That's why I like to watch Top Gear and BMI as I don't mind the country bashing, any show anywhere in the world uses comedy in some form. When American cars start gaining praise in other countries, you know the carmakers are doing something right. Way to go GM, hail the Solstice

Edited August 28, 2006 by big blue

[Flybrian]

Great videos. Thanks for sharing!

[NOS2006]

That's awesome! I only watched the second one, but it's good!

[Sajeev Mehta]

Cheaper, faster and easier to drive. That's awesome!

[Cory Wolfe]

"No, no.. you see... the media is biased and self loathing! Even in Japan! That's why it won!"

Heh... Anywho.. That's cool.

[nzr]

Wow, they liked it!

[Sixty8panther]

Very cool... I'm just in awe of these cars. They look

so good in traffic next to all the POS jelly-bean FWD

sedans that litter the roads these days.

[pow]

Cool.

[PurdueGuy]

I liked the banter at the end where they started scheming about how to get GM to sell the Solstice in Japan. THAT says something!

[Cadillacfan]

One thing I have to note: I find it funny that they don't worry about the details of the car like interior and trunk space and focus more on driving. Something that American mags should take note of. This is a sports car, not a family sedan.

They could easily sell the solstice overseas as a Chevy model. GM better hurry the hell up with a RHD model. Not only for the Solstice but for the SKY too. Then Britain could get the Vauxhall GT and Holden would benefit too.

This shows that when GM really commits to producing a nice car with great styling, the end product can be extremely competitive.

[zete]

The track time might explain why the Solstice won the SCCA, too. The driver says it's just easier to drive and there's less rowing to do on the course. They were both impressed, what with the Solstice being cheaper, faster, and easier to drive. I'd love to see their reaction to the Turbo Sky and Solstice.

And, I agree with them, with a car like this GM can make inroads into Japan. The commentators admit that the Solstice is well built and except for some teething pains will be a great car. I think it shocked them how good it is compared to the incumbent.

Of interest, a couple of weeks ago someone parked a new Miata at the course I was playing. A guy saw it and parked his new Sky next to it, and then went off to play a round. People flocked to stare at the Sky making comments on how much better it looked than the old Miata. I didn't have the heart to tell them it was a new Miata (MX-5). Unless you're in the know it's hard to tell the difference between the last version and this one, unless you have the old model and the new side-by-each.

The Sky simply looked brilliant. The most common comment was that folks couldn't believe it was a Saturn.

[loki]

cool, that'd be a great way to keep up demand after it slows down here. hopefully they'll test the gxp also and it'll be on YT.

jokingly, think saturn will come out w/ a sky GL? lol

[jrockb4]

They should build up love for teh Solstice in Japan by winning some drift events :-> That is a gret review, it sounded like the Miata could be more fun to drive (if you like all the shifting) but that the Solstice was definitely easier and faster. You could see some of that in the first run where the dirver was complaining about the lack of torque. Can't wait until he gets his hands on a redline or GXP!!!!!!!!

[pow]

Apparently, '07s get a shorter 3rd gear.

[Endo]

They should build up love for teh Solstice in Japan by winning some drift events :-> 

185959[/snapback]

http://www.driftlive.com/?p=124

Check it out

The track time might explain why the Solstice won the SCCA

Won the SCCA? Which event did it win. The SCCA runs a huge number of different racing series.

[97regalGS]

Very cool... I'm just in awe of these cars. They look

so good in traffic next to all the POS jelly-bean FWD

sedans that litter the roads these days.

185701[/snapback]

your drivel is almost on the same plane as buickman. and easily as tiring.

[DetroitNut90]

Solstice > Miata. Nice. They're both cool little roadsters.

[hyperv6]

Gee, they worried more on overall performance and prices VS cup holders and trunk capacity!!

At least someone has their sports car priorities right!

Good job Kayto, keep up the good work!

[mystik]

Wow...its kind of funny seeing the Japanese be so indifferent towards the nationalities of the cars and just accept both as driving machines. The Solstice was faster, cheaper and better. Couldnt be more bluntly put. In an American magazine itd go something along the lines of "The Solstice showed the tail-lights to the MX-5 around the track but the funky ergonomics inside and the pathetic excuse for a rear trunk diminishes the little difference in lap times between the two, so thus we give the nod to the MX-5". Very straightforward review of both cars. No over embellishment to fill up 5 pages of a magazine.

[big blue]

Gee, they worried more on overall performance and prices VS cup holders and trunk capacity!!

At least someone has their sports car priorities right!

Good job Kayto, keep up the good work!

186028[/snapback]

Isn't it refreshing? :AH-HA_wink:

[quantum110]

Won the SCCA?  Which event did it win.  The SCCA runs a huge number of different racing series.

185999[/snapback]

They run Showroom Stock B they won the race at Grattan in Michigan...set a track record for the class too.

[PurdueGuy]

jokingly, think saturn will come out w/ a sky GL?    lol

185824[/snapback]

Well, it would have slightly more power than the regular Sky (same engine, electric motor assist), though weight would go up, and there goes that last tiny bit of trunk space... if it weren't for the trunk space, it could almost be feasible.

[Imaj]

GM should sell the car in Japan.

[quantum110]

Well, it would have slightly more power than the regular Sky (same engine, electric motor assist), though weight would go up, and there goes that last tiny bit of trunk space...  if it weren't for the trunk space, it could almost be feasible.

186234[/snapback]

Honestly, I think they could do something like the Tesla Roadster. Fot those who don't know what a Tesla roadster is, it's a full electric car based off the Lotus Elise. The car does 0-60 in 4s, get 250 miles to the charge, and recharges in as little as 3.5hrs.

Although, because of weight, it wouldn't be as fast as the Tesla...and would be significantly more expensive than any typical roadster...I think it would make a great "Flagship," if you will, to the GL Lineup.

Edited August 30, 2006 by quantum110

[bowtie_dude]

If every GM vehicle had as much passion and caring built into it as the Solstice and Sky do, GM would have no worries about their future. They were giving a Sky away at the autoshow I went to over the weekend ($100 tickets, I didn't enter) and I got an upclose look for the first time. Its easily the best overall vehicle GM has built in a long long time. Its execution, from exterior to interior to drivetrain, is flawless.

[5.3Avalanche]

I find it ironic how the Japanese like the Solstice better and we here in North America (well, the magazines anyway) like the miata better. A quote from the video, "the Solstice is cheaper faster and easier to drive"....there ya go. We should get the Japanese to do our magazines and tv shows from now on. I would love to have a Solstice.

[FAPTurbo]

We should get the Japanese to do our magazines and tv shows from now on.  I would love to have a Solstice.

188717[/snapback]

We'd get people screaming and crying that they're taking our Magazine and Filmmaking jobs

[GMman]

Isn't it refreshing? :AH-HA_wink:

186117[/snapback]

My sentiments exactly.

Hard to believe the car mags dogged the lack of trunk space instead of heralding the unbelieveable sports car attributes that have been superbly engineered into this beautiful car...

[C.H.U.D.]

I wonder if anyone's screaming "bias" over there.

[ToniCipriani]

They could easily sell the solstice overseas as a Chevy model.  GM better hurry the hell up with a RHD model.  Not only for the Solstice but for the SKY too.  Then Britain could get the Vauxhall GT and Holden would benefit too. 

This shows that when GM really commits to producing a nice car with great styling, the end product can be extremely competitive.

185813[/snapback]

I'm all for selling the Solstice overseas, but please not a Chevy version. Keep it as a Pontiac.

[CARBIZ]

Look, we can debate about brand confusion in North America all day long, but I am convinced one of the reasons Toyota is so successful is that they don't have brand confusion. A Corolla is a Toyota around the world. Period.

GM needs to become the same around the world, if it is to succeed. In South America, GM is Chevrolet. In China, it is Chevrolet and Buick. In Europe and the rest of Asia, it is a hodgepodge. I had a customer from New Zealand last week and he was only dimly aware that Holden is GM. We have a lot of "new Canadians" in this area, and it certainly would be a benefit to have someone from Asia buy a Chevrolet because they recognize it from home. Instead, they buy a Hyundai because they recognize THAT from home.

[Mr.Krinkle]

My sentiments exactly.

Hard to believe the car mags dogged the lack of trunk space instead of heralding the unbelieveable sports car attributes that have been superbly engineered into this beautiful car...

193114[/snapback]

i couldnt agree more. its a damn sports car people. lack of room and practicality!

from a 2 seater??!!?! when did those words ever belong in the same sentence.

i guess it comes down to the grass is greener. or something like that.

you can tell it really hurt that guy to say he liked the pontiac better.

oh and carbiz, i think chevy and gm in general may be a bit more particular in the way in which they name their cars after the nova.

"no va" in spanish isnt the best name for a car...

[HarleyEarl]

your drivel is almost on the same plane as buickman. and easily as tiring.

186000[/snapback]

Coming from you, that's quite a compliment to buickman and sixty8.

[Detroit-diesel]

Look, we can debate about brand confusion in North America all day long, but I am convinced one of the reasons Toyota is so successful is that they don't have brand confusion. A Corolla is a Toyota around the world. Period.

GM needs to become the same around the world, if it is to succeed. In South America, GM is Chevrolet. In China, it is Chevrolet and Buick. In Europe and the rest of Asia, it is a hodgepodge. I had a customer from New Zealand last week and he was only dimly aware that Holden is GM. We have a lot of "new Canadians" in this area, and it certainly would be a benefit to have someone from Asia buy a Chevrolet because they recognize it from home. Instead, they buy a Hyundai because they recognize THAT from home.

It's funny that you say that, because the whole video they called the Miata Japanese when Mazda is owned by...wait for it...wait for it...FORD. My god it's like the civil war all over again.

[siegen]

They look so good in traffic next to all the POS jelly-bean FWD sedans that litter the roads these days.

The Solstice is a jelly-bean, what are you talking about? :AH-HA_wink:

I agree that it is nice looking (except for the front, I like the Sky's front end much more).

[ZL-1]

I wonder if anyone's screaming "bias" over there.

LOL, I was thinking just that.

[balthazar]

The Solstice is a jelly-bean, what are you talking about? :AH-HA_wink: I agree that it is nice looking (except for the front, I like the Sky's front end much more).

In this case I am sure the intent was that most other cars on the road look alike (aka: as do jelly beans), while the Solstice is very unique & distinctive.

I for one would never choose the Sky over the Solstice; relatively, it's too conventional.

[Intrepidation]

I admire how they evaluated these cars on their performance and took into consideration their purpose rather than bitch about the lack of cupholders or trunk space like our own automotive journalists do.

[ToniCipriani]

I take the Solstice over the Sky, simply because Solstice is available in its "pure" form, i.e. base model. I don't think the Sky has a Club Sport package.

If it did, I might take the Sky.