The trend toward creating cute and sexy little roadsters has endured for decades, and the demand for fit-like-a-glove cars with sportiness, economy and power is on the upswing. General Motors has addressed this niche successfully with the Pontiac Solstice as well as its twin sister, the Saturn Sky, a deluxe two-seater with its own personality, utilizing an upscale interior and more power.
Looking compact, cool and swift, the Saturn Sky is 161.1 inches long, 71.4 inches wide and 50.1 inches high on a 95.1-inch wheelbase. That’s a low car to slide in with the top up, but after you have put the manual top down, it is an easy hop in and out. Putting the top down also adds to your visibility rear sightlines are poor when the top is in place.
Adding more brawn, style and handling to the mix is the Red Line version of the Sky. The Red Line takes the basic rear-wheel drive Sky, underpowered at 177hp, and pumps it up with a 2.0-liter I-4 Ecotec fuel-injected turbocharged engine. It is GM’s first direct injection engine offered in North America and it is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The throaty system thrusts out 260 hp and 260 lbs.-ft of torque. That was enough to propel my 2990-lb. Sunburst Yellow test vehicle from zero to 60 in 5.6 seconds, on my way to a 14.4-second quarter-mile. The vehicle is EPA rated at 22mpg in city driving and 31mpg on the highway, and my seven days of taking this convertible along the countryside in Central Pennsylvania and Maryland during hot, humid summer days and nights earned an average of 29.4 mpg.
Handling on autocross tracks and in traffic on Interstates and windy roads showed agile response, stable balance, good acceleration in all gears and a soft suspension.
Differentiating the Red Line from the standard Sky version is hydroformed longitudinal frame rails for a stiff body that allows for a better feel of the road. The Red Line also distances itself from the Sky roadster with dual exhaust with chrome polished outlets, 18-inch polished aluminum alloy wheels, and specific front lower fascia with large brake cooling vents and black headlamp bezels.
Inside, upgrades include a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, unique seatback and floor mat embroidery, metallic sill plates, stainless steel pedal covers, Red Line-specific gauges and a digital boost gauge included in the Driver Information Center.
Cozy inside, even with the top up, you have 38.4 inches of headroom, 42.7 inches of legroom and 52.7 inches of shoulder room. There’s plenty of room for safety items inside with dual-stage frontal air bags, GM’s Passenger Sensing System, four-wheel disc brakes with standard ABS, side-impact door beams, three-point safety belts with pretentioners and load-limiting retractors.
As for trunk space, well you have to make some sacrifices for small convertibles, and a pizza and a few cans of soda just about fill the cargo area.
The Redline is high-tech indeed and performance and handling are attended to with such technical hot buttons as standard torque-sensing limited-slip differential, StabiliTrak electronic stability control, performance-tuned suspension, four-wheel independent short/long arm suspension for optimal handling and stability, coil-over Bilstein monotube shocks for excellent wheel control and road isolation, hydraulically assisted rack-and-pinion power steering for quick, responsive vehicle control, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS for optimum stopping performance, wide track for added stability, low center of gravity and superior handling, and a near 50/50 weight distribution for balance and good push from the rear-wheel-drive system.
But the focal point of a Red Line from Saturn is the engine. The Ecotec turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, GM’s highest specific output engine ever at 2.1 horsepower per cubic inch of displacement and the most powerful engine in the Ecotec family. Gasoline direct injection technology helps the Ecotec engine produce more power while maintaining the lower fuel consumption of a small displacement port-injected engine. With direct injection, fuel is delivered directly to the combustion chamber to create a more complete burn of the air/fuel mixture. Less fuel is required to produce the equivalent horsepower, especially at normal cruising speeds, of a conventional port-injection combustion system. Direct injection technology works well with turbocharging and helps deliver a great balance of power and economy.
Base priced at $28,425, standard items include the cloth convertible top with rear glass window, rear window defogger, projector beam headlamps and foglamps, air conditioning, power locks, windows and mirrors, remote keyless entry, cruise control, remote trunk release, adjustable, leather wrap steering wheel, tire sealant and inflator kit, standard radio and wheels (upgraded with option packages), P245/45R18 performance tires and one year of OnStar Safe and Sound.
The only add-ons were a deluxe AM/FM radio with CD/MP3 and Monsoon premium audio system ($590); 18-inch chrome-plated aluminum wheels that replace 18-inch polished aluminum wheels that were standard ($545); leather seat inserts ($475); XM Satellite radio service ($199); Premium Sunburst Yellow paint ($195) and a destination charge of $600. That brought the bottom line to $31,029, a very aggressive price for the trendy niche.
This is one trend worth perpetuating and Saturn Sky Red Line is doing its part.
Visit http://www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
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