Before Franz von Holzhausen became best known for shaping Tesla models including the Model S, Model X, Model Y, and Cybertruck, he worked on a very different kind of car. One of his earlier designs was the Pontiac Solstice, a compact American roadster created during General Motors’ push to inject fresh energy into Pontiac.
Von Holzhausen recently brought a particularly unusual Solstice to Jay Leno’s Garage, and this one is far removed from the modest four-cylinder roadster Pontiac originally sold. His personal 2006 example has been converted by Mallett Cars and now carries a 400-horsepower LS2 V8 under its clamshell hood.
That engine came from the Corvette, effectively turning the roughly 2,800-pound Solstice into a pint-sized V8 sports car with a manual transmission. Leno summed up the experience quickly after getting behind the wheel, remarking that the car had plenty of power and felt remarkably well sorted.
The Solstice also has personal significance for von Holzhausen. He and his wife previously owned another example that was lost in a California wildfire, leading him to search for a replacement before finding this exceptionally clean V8-converted car.
The Solstice Started As A Secret GM Design Project
The original Solstice was born from an internal GM design competition launched after Bob Lutz joined the automaker in the early 2000s. The goal was to create an attractive, affordable two-seat roadster that could help rebuild Pontiac’s performance image while targeting a starting price around $20,000.
Von Holzhausen said the project was kept under unusually tight secrecy inside GM. Only a small group of designers and executives were allowed into the locked studio where the car was being developed, partly because the idea of another two-seat GM sports car raised concerns among Corvette insiders.
Keeping costs low meant raiding GM’s existing parts catalog wherever possible. The production Solstice consequently used items such as GTO fog lamps, existing GM door handles, and other off-the-shelf hardware while its dedicated Kappa platform incorporated hydroformed structural components to maintain rigidity.
Mallett Added The Engine Pontiac Never Did
Pontiac launched the standard Solstice with a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder producing around 177 horsepower. Later GXP models added a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with considerably stronger performance, yet Pontiac never installed the V8 that enthusiasts inevitably imagined.
Mallett Cars decided to fix that by offering an LS2 conversion using the same 6.0-liter V8 found in contemporary Corvettes. Von Holzhausen’s car produces approximately 400 horsepower, giving it well over twice the output of the original base engine.
The conversion reportedly cost roughly $20,000 on top of the price of the donor Solstice. Mallett also upgraded supporting hardware including the radiator, suspension, clutch, and brakes, creating something intended to behave like a complete package rather than a crude engine swap.
It Still Looks Almost Factory
One of the most impressive aspects of the conversion is how little visual evidence there is that something unusual is hiding underneath. Von Holzhausen removed much of the Mallett badging, leaving the Solstice looking nearly stock unless someone knows exactly what to look for.
Leno was particularly impressed by the engine installation, saying it appeared almost factory-built. The LS2 adds roughly 150 pounds compared with the original four-cylinder arrangement, but von Holzhausen said the weight distribution remains around 53:47 because some of the additional mass sits farther rearward.
The car also wears staggered 19- and 20-inch wheels inspired by the wheels von Holzhausen used while developing the original design. He wanted his personal example to resemble the proportions and stance of the early sketches as closely as possible.
Jay Leno Comes Away Impressed
Once on the road, the character of the car changed completely. Leno praised the V8’s torque, tractability, and sound while noting that the Solstice remained easy to drive around town instead of becoming temperamental or excessively aggressive.
The roadster still uses its original manual transmission, a gearbox derived from the Chevrolet Colorado pickup, though Mallett fitted a stronger clutch. That combination gives the car a surprisingly straightforward personality until the throttle opens and the 400-hp LS2 reminds everyone that this is not an ordinary Solstice.
Von Holzhausen admitted that despite spending nearly two decades at Tesla, he still appreciates the sound of a V8. Leno seemed even more enthusiastic, repeatedly describing the little Pontiac as a genuinely great car and encouraging von Holzhausen to keep it.
For a model that disappeared along with Pontiac itself, the Mallett Solstice offers an intriguing glimpse at what might have happened if GM had pushed the platform further. A Corvette V8, lightweight roadster body, rear-wheel drive, and manual gearbox make a convincing argument that Pontiac had the foundations for something seriously special.
Would you rather own this 400-hp V8 Solstice or a stock Corvette from the same era? Let us know in the comments.