It’s a nice dream, the 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP. And from the stage at the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show, it looks real enough, sitting there in its yellow finery, bolstering GM’s claims that yes, they are building cars that people can get excited about owning. Ah - yes. About that ownership thing. What’s real on stage will be a reality for only the lucky few who get to purchase one this fall, and a silent nightmare for those poor souls caught in the waiting list netherworld. Come on -- you can’t even buy a regular Solstice, so buying a high-powered GXP model will be like winning the lottery.

But all the same and all things equal, this is the Solstice that enthusiasts have been anticipating, the one GM put a priority on when it became apparent that the Mazda MX-5 was still more fun to drive. Not so much, not anymore, as long as you’ve got that GXP badge on the back and GM’s Ecotec 2.0-liter turbocharged engine under the hood.