8/13/2023 0 Comments Saturn redline specsOur Dynojet revealed the truth, which is an impressive 197 hp at the wheels at 6450 rpm and 169 lb-ft at 5250 rpm. The Performance Division destroked the engine, lowered its compression ratio from 10:1 to 9.5:1, bolted on a Roots-type supercharger (making 12.5 pounds of boost), stuffed in a Laminova air-to-water intercooler, and underrated it at 200 hp and 149 lb-ft of torque. That supercharged engine is a 2.0-liter version of the Ecotec four-cylinder, which is now powering all of GM's small cars in normally aspirated 2.2-liter form. They even managed to radically improve the car's electrically assisted steering and keep the price just under $20,000 in the process. They did this by supercharging the Red Line's engine, and tuning its chassis on the famed Nuerburgring circuit in Germany. That job was to transform that hemorrhoid of a car into a more refined machine that performs as good as or better than the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, Acura RSX Type-S, SVT Focus and MINI Cooper S. So if you consider what they had to start with, the engineers in the GM Performance Division should all be commended for a job well done. It's slow and crude, with the worst steering since the 1903 Curved Dash Oldsmobile, which was steered by a tiller. The ION, in its non-Red Line garb, is simply one of the most disappointing cars we've ever driven. They're the fault of the boneheads who designed the Saturn ION in the first place. In defense of the capable team of engineers that make up the recently formed GM Performance Division, most of the Red Line's flaws are not their fault. These problems range from the truly unfixable, like the car's huge 185-inch length, to the fixable, like a tachometer that's always 800 rpm behind the motor. The rest of the car, however, while not without many positive attributes, has a list of problems that keeps us from fighting for the keys. Covered in a combination of quality cloth and actual leather, they provide any sized driver ideal support and unmatched comfort. Great performance and a head-turning body style outweigh its cramped. Problems like that could be excused for the GXP, but for them to persist on a car that was $2000 more expensive was a nuisance.Supplied by Recaro, the Red Line's buckets are sized and shaped to perfection. The 2007 Saturn Sky Red Line is the ideal car for stalking in the urban jungle and attacking freeway on-ramps. Unfortunately, even under $30k it was still more than the gold standard Miata or, damningly, the GXP. Most of the negative reviews came from testers who happened to be using models costing over $30k. At a little over $29,000, the Saturn Sky wasn’t actually that expensive – at its base price. The main reason why this became more of a problem was the price. CNET made a contest out of it, challenging their personnel to deploy the top times ranged from 22 to 44 seconds. It took a ridiculously long time to deploy or to store, due to the complex process and the poor quality of the materials. In the rain it could spin out very easily if you weren’t careful, and should you hit a bump while turning you’d have to contend with the “vicious” rebound from the damping. The Truth About Cars had a particularly bad time, calling attention to the engine failures and griping about the uninspiring exhaust note. The trunk capacity was virtually nonexistent. They further elaborate that tuning consisted of “an air-to-air intercooler, a beefed-up crankshaft and connecting rods, and new pistons with cast-in oil channels.”Īgain, these were essentially Solstice problems. The 2-liter straight-four with dual-scroll supercharger installed in both cars was somewhat innovative, being GM’s first direct-fuel-injection powerplant and their “highest-specific-output engine ever”, as Car and Driver noted. Here too the Sky shared hardware with the Solstice, in this case the performance version the GXP. Manly, however, the Red Line’s changes were under the hood. It got different 18-inch rims, brake-cooling vents and some chromed dual exhaust tips. The Red Line brought some minor cosmetic changes the eponymous “red line” badge on the back and a mesh grille. If it looks a little like a Tesla, it's because it was penned by the same guy. Even its critics appreciated the styling. The Solstice was certainly memorable and bold, but the Sky looked much more like a proper sports car. The Saturn Sky was based on the platform of the Pontiac Solstice, but it was facelifted.
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