Now that some of the irrational exuberance surrounding the launch of the Pontiac Solstice has faded, and with the imminent arrival of the Opel GT, it is high time to re-examine the latest intel. on GM's Kappa car.

Brief recap: Bob Lutz challenges his designers to come up with a halo car for the division that's supposed to 'Build Excitement' and has just axed its pony-car flagship. A few months later, out pops the gorgeous Solstice, overwhelmingly adored by the press and buyers alike.

Brit Simon Cox designs a Vauxhall version, the Lighting, which can't be built in - you guessed it - right-hand drive. It becomes the basis for the Opel GT and, now that Saturn has been twinned with the German division, the Sky.

Having spent two weeks with both a Solstice and a Sky, we're in a good position to pass along some findings. Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Let's begin with what the Kappa does best: turn heads. The car is simply stunning in person; and without exception, street-side critics liked the Sky more than its Pontiac sibling. This bodes well for the beautification of UK and European roadways.

Second, the chassis is terrific. This is especially rewarding in that the Kappa is quite heavy at around 1300kg, and a bit of a parts-bin lash up. Rigidity is very high; there's no scuttle shake to speak of, even over railroad crossings. This has allowed the chassis boffins to engineer a pleasant, absorbent ride that is the equal of the Mazda MX-5's.

There is no handling penalty either. Not only are grip levels exceptionally (perhaps too) high, but the stance is neutral without ever being twitchy. Turn-in is precise; understeer notable only by its absence. Despite having no stability control - which will come on the turbo version - rear grip is never in doubt, and when it does run out it does so in a benign, easily correctible fashion. The steering is on a par with the Mazda's too, having decent weighting and speed, but suffering a dearth of real feel.

The brakes are excellent; in heavy road use we couldn't induce fade, and the pedals are well arranged for heel/toe action. The manual gearbox is quite pleasant, offering short throws and a precise action; it takes something with a truly exceptional 'box, such as an S2000 or MX-5, to make it feel in any way lacking. Also, the ICE is excellent, with enough power to sound decent even at high, top down speeds.

Alas, the rest of the Sky isn't quite as clear. The 2.4-litre ECOTEC four-banger is unrefined and harsh; though it can propel the Saturn to sixty in just over seven seconds it never displays the proper enthusiasm that bespeaks a true sportscar powerplant. Here's hoping its turbocharged sibling, with 260bhp (instead of 177bhp) and a bushel more torque, will make this a non-issue.

Perhaps most distressing - not to mention disappointing, considering the goodwill generated by the Sky's sexiness - is the haphazard build and simply atrocious quality. Both the Solstice and Saturn examined had numerous bits of trim boasting gaps big enough to see the sky through, and a general level of fit-and-finish more appropriate to an Eastern Bloc vehicle.

The materials are also consistently below par. Add to this that the clamshell bonnet constantly shimmies over bumps, and that the rear deck lid on both vehicles was plagued by loud squeaks and rattles within a few hundred miles, and one must conclude that despite the best efforts of its world-class engineers, the General's bean counters are still in charge of product at the end of the day.

Much has been written about the fussiness of the top design, and we must concur; the trunk is also difficult to access and offers limited real-world options for storage. That said, many of us have become too pampered and must remember that there is often a price to pay in practicality for sultriness and sex appeal.

Let us hope that by the time the force-fed Opel edition is released these issues will be addressed, allowing drivers as well as onlookers to enjoy the car's other considerable charms.