Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s chief designer, is associated with the Cybertruck, Model S, Model X and Model Y. Yet the car featured in his appearance on Jay Leno’s Garage was a modified Pontiac Solstice, fitted with a Chevrolet LS2 V8 rather than an electric powertrain.
The conversion is attributed to Mallet Performance Cars, a North Carolina shop specializing in General Motors vehicles. The reported specification is a 6.0-liter LS2 producing 400 horsepower. That is the engine’s stated output; it does not, by itself, establish the roadster’s acceleration or handling. The change brings a large-displacement, naturally aspirated V8 into a compact two-seat roadster, trading an electric car’s near-silent delivery for the sound and mechanical character of a combustion engine.
Pontiac Solstice: An Unlikely Icon
The Solstice was a rear-wheel-lead convertible developed under General Motors’ Pontiac brand in the mid-2000s. Its factory range included a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder rated at 177 horsepower, paired with a five-speed manual or automatic transmission. The later Solstice GXP used a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine rated at 260 horsepower and 353 Nm of torque; the article’s cited performance figure for that version is 0-100 km/h in 5.5 seconds.
The Solstice shared its Kappa-platform roots with the Saturn Sky and the Opel GT, sold in Europe. The Opel-badged roadster offered rear-wheel lead and the turbocharged 2.0-liter powertrain; in Spain, it was sold from 2007 to 2011. The platform’s shared engineering gave the related cars a common foundation, while each marque retained its own styling and market identity.
A Roadster Transformed
In von Holzhausen’s car, the factory four-cylinder was replaced by the 6.0-liter LS2 V8. The reported build retains the Solstice’s five-speed manual transmission and pairs the engine conversion with 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels. At 400 horsepower, the stated output is substantially above the factory figures for both the standard Solstice and the GXP, although the engine rating alone does not establish the modified car’s measured performance.
The contrast is striking: von Holzhausen’s professional work is tied to electric vehicles, while the Solstice represents a different kind of automotive appeal, engine sound, vibration and a naturally aspirated V8. A personal car, but, is not a technical statement about Tesla’s products or the direction of the wider market. It is a reminder that automotive enthusiasm can span electric and combustion-powered machines.
High-profile figures are sometimes associated with unusual performance cars outside their professional or public roles. King Felipe VI, for example, was reported driving a rare Cupra Formentor VZ5 during a stay in Mallorca; further details are available in the king’s summer lead in Mallorca.
Context and Perspective
The Solstice has become a distinctive example of Pontiac’s two-seat roadster era, while the LS2 conversion gives this particular car a markedly different powertrain from the factory versions. Its appeal lies in that unusual combination: a compact American roadster body and a large-displacement V8. As the industry moves toward electrification, the car shows that traditional performance culture remains part of the broader automotive field.
