Buzz. It’s what carmakers enjoy when they’ve got a product that gets people talking, whether it’s based on styling, performance, price, or technology. As simple as it is, buzz is probably one of the few four-letter words not uttered by Pontiac dealers in recent years. That changed with the release of the first pictures of the 2006 Pontiac Solstice, a roadster that shot a bag of AB-negative into an extremely anemic brand.

Priced at $19,995 (including a $575 destination charge), the 2006 Pontiac Solstice comes equipped with a 2.4-liter, dual overhead cam, four-cylinder engine putting out 177 horsepower and 166 lb.-ft. of torque. The only available transmission is a five-speed manual. Tunes comes standard via a basic audio system with a single-disc CD player; a Monsoon sound system, six-disc CD changer, MP3 player, and XM satellite radio are all optional. But you don’t have to pay extra for the auxiliary iPod jack – that’s included in the sub-$20,000 base price.