An iconic, two-piece grille and an emblem are the sole clues on the front end that this car is a Pontiac. The bumperless, severely rounded fascia hints of early BMW coupes and convertibles. Buyers living in states requiring two license plates won't (legally) get a chance to strike a Vanna White pose to show off the sleek front look, however, as the front license plate bracket bolts smack across the middle of the split grille, transforming the front end to something just this side of ugly. Headlights and, when ordered, fog lamps are recessed into the fenders' upper and lower outboard curves, respectively. The hood rises gradually between primly proud headlights to the cowl, where it runs into a parking strip for the windshield wipers at the base of the windshield.

The forward portion of the side silhouette is strikingly similar to that of the very first Corvette, with the front overhang tautly draped over a wheel well positioned at the extreme end of the car. The stubby rear quarters resemble the current Lotus Elise sans spoiler, with the profile drawn sharply up from the rear wheel well and over the trailing edge of the clamshell trunk to aero-like fairings behind the high-back seats. The body filling the space between the wheel wells easily could have been sliced out of that same Corvette and sectioned to tuck into the Solstice's relatively short wheelbase.

Stylistically, the convertible top is a coup. Yes, the Solstice looks best with the top down, but even with it up, the side aspect shows a decent aero look. And this is with a storage system that tucks the top away under a clamshell-like, rear-hinged trunk lid covering the entire back part of the car. The trick is a couple of mini-Ferrari Dino-like sail panels bookending the vertical rear window. These do add complexity, however, and an extra step or two in opening the trunk while the top is up and in raising and lowering the top. Click the remote, and three latches pop loose, one in the center for the trunk lid, the other two outboard beneath the two wings. Fold the wings up, then open the trunk; to close, reverse the process, always remembering to latch both wings. The entire process takes less than a minute.

The rear view looks like it was sketched by somebody with an understanding of and affinity for fluid motion. Taillights sit atop the fenders, directly above pods housing the combination back-up lights and reflectors. A single, chromed exhaust tip exits through a half-round opening molded into the right end of the black mesh diffuser that runs across the bottom of the rear fascia.

The Solstice may not break new ground as a design, but is instead a sweet blending of elements of sports cars that have gone before. The result is an eye-pleasing, delightfully proportioned, almost sensuous package.