Pontiac Solstice Coupé

Rapper 50 Cent was on hand to unveil Pontiac's coupé version of its pretty Solstice, the musician keen to point out that the Pontiac offered the sort of performance to rival the Porsche Boxsters on the stand next door, but for significantly less money. Not that the sticker price of any of the cars at the New York Show were likely to cause any trouble for the wealthy rapper, but he was pinning his colours to the Pontiacs at the show. And, with the Solstice Coupé we can see why, the compact roadster having been turned into a dramatic coupé for the show. It's not a completely closed car either, the centre panel lifting out targa-style for some wind-in-the-hair driving. That's likely to please the drivers who find the roadster's rather flimsy roof set-up second rate, though the roof panel is too big to be carried on board when it's removed...

Like the Roadster, the Coupé comes with either a 2.4-litre four-cylinder unit with 173bhp, or a turbocharged four-cylinder with 260bhp. Looks like fun, which makes it even more frustrating that it isn't sold in the UK.

Tuesday March 25