Arriving this fall with a starting price just under $20,000, the 2006 Pontiac Solstice is a terrific looking two-seat sports car, equipped with an aluminum, 2.4-liter, 177-horsepower four-cylinder engine and a close-ratio five-speed manual transmission driving the rear wheels. But with a target curb weight of 2,860 pounds compared to the Miata’s 2,500-pound measurement, it’ll feel like Kirstie Alley is always riding shotgun in the Pontiac.

That kind of muscle and mass won’t make the Solstice a rocket. Sometime after launch, it seems likely that GM will install a supercharged 2.0-liter engine under the Pontiac Solstice’s hood, a motor that generates 205 horsepower in the Saturn Ion Red Line and Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged.

Underpinning the 2006 Pontiac Solstice is a four-wheel-independent short- and long-arm suspension system, large 18-inch wheels with 245/45 tires, and four-wheel-disc brakes. ABS is an available option.

The Solstice’s manual convertible top folds flat behind a clamshell cover on the rear deck, completely hidden from view when the sun is shining into the driver-oriented cockpit. Designed to envelop the driver, the instrument panel features simplicity and quality – a departure for Pontiac. Engineers and designers reportedly spent plenty of time getting the placement and feel of the shifter just right, and with the standard manual transmission, the pedals have been placed to offer optimum heel-and-toe downshifting. When leather is ordered, the cabin is treated to an upscale two-tone treatment.

Styling is always a subjective matter, but the 2006 Pontiac Solstice is likely to land in the pantheon of the most beautiful American cars ever designed. From its honeycombed twin-port grillework to its thick exhaust outlet, the Pontiac Solstice offers a stunning blend of proportion and balance. If it doesn’t make you drool, check your pulse.