We first went up to Bonneville in October 2003 to see what this quest for speed was all about.  Our main focus was the joint effort between the legendary team at the So-Cal Speedshop and General Motors Performance Division.

This team transformed a stock Saturn Ion coupe and its Ecotec four-cylinder engine for their first attempt at Bonneville record setting.  We followed their high-speed efforts for over a year.

General Motors gave the project a green light to help introduce its new four-cylinder, Ecotec engine.  They wanted some mainstream hot rodders to show that four cylinders could perform in the land of big V8s.  GM hoped this would give the new powerplant some street cred as it was rolled out for many of its smaller cars around the world.  Stock, the Ecotec develops between 140 and 200 horsepower.  After the magicians at GM Performance and Shaver Racing were through with it, the Saturn’s four cylinders were ready to roar with about 800 horsepower.  It had some extra boost just in case.  GM published a manual that would let all of the racing wannabees beef up their own engines.  Gentlemen start your wrenches.

The GM/So-Cal collaboration also built a concept vehicle (a tribute to So-Cal’s famous record breaking Belly Tanker from the 1950s) and a turbocharged push truck to haul their gear and get things going at the starting line.

Their main goal was to break the existing G/Blown Fuel Altered class record of 183 miles per hour held by a Honda Civic.

“This class is running in G Blown Fuel Altered, meaning under 2 liters, blown meaning either turbocharged or supercharged, fuel is anything but gasoline. In our case, we’re running methanol and altered is altered production body,” said David Bolognino, Project Manager for GM’s Performance Division.

Their first run topped the Civic by 7 mph but to make it official they had to at least make a second pass.  The average of the two fastest runs would be their official time.

This is a hurdle that has stumped many racers.  The machines can only take so much top-speed punishment.  It’s not uncommon to see engines blow, axles snap and worse on a second run.  And your car is impounded between runs.  No modifications are allowed.  If it holds up you get a shot at a record.  If not, there’s always next year.