OK, so about a month ago or longer, we started to hear rumors of this GM/Pontiac Drift Event.... short after that, we got a call from our friend Andy Williamson from Theory Communication and Design - inviting us to the event to cover it for Tunerzine. It all sounded interesting enough, so we RSVP’d - as this was an invite only party, and made our ways to the unveiling!
The party was on Thursday night, April 27th held at V20 a club in Long Beach. The atmosphere was very professional, as there was a good mix of people from fellow drfiters, to manufacturers, to a load of other media folks. There was plenty of excitement leading up to this event, as people really wanted to see what Pontiac was going to unveil. Many people expected them to unveil a Solstice as their new drift car, but man, even if you knew that was what they were going to unveil, it still wasn't as good as seeing it in person. The car looks really good, and with added sponsorship from Red Bull, has an intriguing vibe to it.
Also displayed was the new Pontiac Solstice GXP, which is a turbocharged version of the Solstice. Yeap, you heard that right. A turbocharged Ecotec motor in the new ‘07 Pontiac Solstice GXP boasting around 270HP from the factory. This is the car that the new drift car is being modeled after, and no doubt a very interesting addition to the Tuner market. Stay tuned here, and as we find out more about the new GXP, we’ll keep you informed!
The event was very well received - media and company execs snapping photos and talking to Rhys Millen and the Pontiac Reps - it definitely showed that there was something going on! It's always a lot of fun watching people get involved in the Tuner scene, and usually O.E.'s don't really get it all that well, but this Thursday night, everything just seemed to “click”. Now let's see how well the new Pontiac GXP Drift Car performs on the track. Rhys Millen is a proven driver and Formula D Champion so I'm sure it will be fun to watch!
