- 825
- Charlotte, NC
- CosmicMS3
- I2valve
2002 Sunfire GXP Concept
First Looks
Oh yes, you just finished speeding through the A-License tests without regarding what color trophy you receive. The infamous drum roll plays and a new car begins to slowly come into view out of the shadows. Its the Pontiac Sunfire! But wait now, before you begin demolishing this cars status solely for being a FF before even driving it, hear me out. The Sunfire is not a bad looking car in my opinion. It is much more attractive than its brethren Cavalier which has failed to make an appearance in any of the GT games. It appears very aerodynamic with its low-lying front fascia, sloping roofline and smoothly curved rear end. One can tell just by looking that this is definitely a Pontiac. However, we must not forget that this is also a concept car.
Test Drive: Nurburgring: 907.998
Like I mentioned before, this is the Sunfire GXP Concept. Although the car information reveals little about this car except for the fact that it is a 192hp, Supercharged L4, a little research reveals that the current base model Sunfire comes with a 2.2l 16v DOHC engine. While this may not be the exact engine available in the Concept car, I believe it safe to say that this is probably the same engine with an added supercharger, which Pontiac loves to do anyways (i.e. Grand Prix GTP). Anyways, back to the review. The first thing you will probably notice is the redline in the GXP is whopping 5500rpms. You press the throttle to find that while the revs act quickly, there isnt much room to extend the pleasure.
Now while driving, you will find that the brakes are probably the most exceptional feature on this car. While the softer suspension helps by pushing the weight to the front wheels, the GXP seems to stop on a dime. This, in turn, leads to this car being better driven in a slow-in, fast-out technique while cornering. Also, while understeer appears to be only moderate with this technique, any amount of understeer can be easily fixed by letting off the throttle and quickly correcting the steering. Yet, a major downfall of this car is that it only has 4 gears, and when the car does shift, the rpms drop near the 3500 mark making for a not so enjoyable driving experience.
Final Thoughts
Although this car is a concept, it can still compete in a few events in GT4. Most obviously would be the FF Challenge and Sunday Cup but whats the fun in that? What makes this car fun to drive is its aftermarket. Stock, I dare say that this car isnt the most fun thing I have ever driven. Its not bad but definitely not the most enjoyable. After tuning this car you will find that it actually behaves quite well to your actions. After all, Pontiac is GMs action division.
Should this car be in GT4? No; straight up. Maybe if PD decided to put in a Concept Cup (like mentioned before) or a Supercharger Series, this car feel more at home. But with an engine that seems like its struggling, a crappy gearbox and mediocre handling, I find it hard to constitute its appearance in the GT series even with lesser horsepower cars like the Mirage making a showing. Dont get me wrong though, while this car may be quick, it is definitely not fast and deffinatley not an enjoyable drive.
First Looks
Oh yes, you just finished speeding through the A-License tests without regarding what color trophy you receive. The infamous drum roll plays and a new car begins to slowly come into view out of the shadows. Its the Pontiac Sunfire! But wait now, before you begin demolishing this cars status solely for being a FF before even driving it, hear me out. The Sunfire is not a bad looking car in my opinion. It is much more attractive than its brethren Cavalier which has failed to make an appearance in any of the GT games. It appears very aerodynamic with its low-lying front fascia, sloping roofline and smoothly curved rear end. One can tell just by looking that this is definitely a Pontiac. However, we must not forget that this is also a concept car.
Test Drive: Nurburgring: 907.998
Like I mentioned before, this is the Sunfire GXP Concept. Although the car information reveals little about this car except for the fact that it is a 192hp, Supercharged L4, a little research reveals that the current base model Sunfire comes with a 2.2l 16v DOHC engine. While this may not be the exact engine available in the Concept car, I believe it safe to say that this is probably the same engine with an added supercharger, which Pontiac loves to do anyways (i.e. Grand Prix GTP). Anyways, back to the review. The first thing you will probably notice is the redline in the GXP is whopping 5500rpms. You press the throttle to find that while the revs act quickly, there isnt much room to extend the pleasure.
Now while driving, you will find that the brakes are probably the most exceptional feature on this car. While the softer suspension helps by pushing the weight to the front wheels, the GXP seems to stop on a dime. This, in turn, leads to this car being better driven in a slow-in, fast-out technique while cornering. Also, while understeer appears to be only moderate with this technique, any amount of understeer can be easily fixed by letting off the throttle and quickly correcting the steering. Yet, a major downfall of this car is that it only has 4 gears, and when the car does shift, the rpms drop near the 3500 mark making for a not so enjoyable driving experience.
Final Thoughts
Although this car is a concept, it can still compete in a few events in GT4. Most obviously would be the FF Challenge and Sunday Cup but whats the fun in that? What makes this car fun to drive is its aftermarket. Stock, I dare say that this car isnt the most fun thing I have ever driven. Its not bad but definitely not the most enjoyable. After tuning this car you will find that it actually behaves quite well to your actions. After all, Pontiac is GMs action division.
Should this car be in GT4? No; straight up. Maybe if PD decided to put in a Concept Cup (like mentioned before) or a Supercharger Series, this car feel more at home. But with an engine that seems like its struggling, a crappy gearbox and mediocre handling, I find it hard to constitute its appearance in the GT series even with lesser horsepower cars like the Mirage making a showing. Dont get me wrong though, while this car may be quick, it is definitely not fast and deffinatley not an enjoyable drive.
