2006 Pontiac G6 Coupe/Convertible

If the new Pontiac G6 sedan is designed to compete with the Mazda6 and Honda Accord, then the coupe is aimed at the Acura RSX. Though a larger V-6-only model with a big 112.3-inch wheelbase, the G6's ultrafast fastback is like the Acura's, resulting in RSX-like headroom for rear-seat passengers. But the G6 is a two-door with a trunk, not a hatchback, and it'll come only with V-6s: 3.5- and 3.9-liter overhead-valve engines. The four-cylinder Ecotec engine added to the G6 sedan this year won't be available in either the coupe or the convertible, though the coupe's pricing will be competitive with midsize four-cylinder Japanese models.

The convertible doesn't look like anything else sold in the U.S., until you lower the Karmann-supplied steel vario roof. With its protruding rear headrests and a tall rear bulkhead hiding a structural brace running its width, the convertible recalls a top-down Saab 9-3 cabrio. The 9-3 and G6 share the same Epsilon platform, so that's not a big shock. But the G6 convertible is the first four-seat vario-roof car sold in the U.S. Only the much costlier Mercedes-Benz SLK and SL, Chevrolet SSR, and Cadillac XLR have them--and they're all two seaters. Expect a base price of about $28,000, not much more than conventional ragtop Chrysler Sebrings and Toyota Solaras.

The coupe and convertible will be sold only in GT (3.5-liter) or GTP (3.9-liter) trim, the latter with a stiffer suspension and conventional hydraulic power steering replacing the GT's electric steering. And the GTP coupe will be the only one of these offered with a six-speed manual. The GTs use the 4T45-E Hydra-Matic, and the GTPs use the 4T65-E Hydra-Matic, both with a manual shift mode rendered superfluous with only four forward gears. Handsome as this coupe and convertible are, their appeal will be limited by the shortcomings inherent in the G6 sedan: a chassis only fair-to-middling in its refinement levels and strong, but less-than-polished, pushrod engines. First drives coming up.