It’s hard to imagine General Motors fighting with the Mazda Miata now, but fifteen years ago, that’s precisely what happened. So, the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky came into being. Even though the two are behind the Japanese car described above, aftermarket companies need to use GM’s V8 drivetrain lineup better. This 2006 Solstice changed into a “Solbra” is a good example. The company is one of many that do V8 upgrades on the Kappa platform, but it needs to be clarified if it’s still in business. The LS3, LS7, LS9, and LSA are some of these choices. The Solstice is an LSA-powered model with 556 supercharged horsepower and a six-speed Tremec T56 gearbox currently up for bid on Cars and Bids. They paid at least $42,000 for all the work that went into fitting the new drivetrain, but I wouldn’t say I like some of the changes to how this car looks. I had a Sky Redline and a Solstice GXP before I bought my C7. They were one of the few roadsters of the time to come from the factory with more speed than they needed. The Sky and the Solstice could have 260 horsepower, but the NC Miata could only have 170. Also, a factory change could bring it up to 290. On the other hand, the Kappas were about 3,000 pounds heavier than the Miata, which only weighed about 2,500 pounds. That’s where V8 swaps come in, and a Kappa has a lot of room for one. Even though the new engines add weight, it’s only about 100 to 200 pounds, which is a fair price for much more power. The only big worry is that the tires are too small. Since these cars have few excellent aftermarket wheels, it’s hard to put on a giant tire without it sticking out past the hood. This Solstice looks like it has stock wheels, so it won’t be able to use all its power. But the Sky/Solstice has better safety if it rolls over, so everything is fine. I’m just joking. They don’t exist. Even though the Solbra will die out, their trades are well done. The original gauges still work, and you can even use an OBD reader to pass an emissions test without damaging the interior. This Solstice is the one to buy if you want a V8 swap. But a 2JZ is put on top of the stock engine in these cars. You can get more horsepower by getting a tune from a third party. Buy a Sky or a Solstice, for instance. You decide what to do.
