Saturn Sky News **Redline Previewed by C&D (page 9)**
03-22-2006, 05:04 PM
#161
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Sometimes, I think the average Saturn customer is a member of the American Balloon-Humping Association. No-haggle pricing and lackluster product ... yep, there are good reasons why Saturn dealerships always have a ton of excess inventory.
Maybe the ABHA needs more members, and Saturn 'preferred customer' accounts as a benefit to members? Especially because Saturn dealers LOVE balloons in their showroom. [tacky as all heck]
Maybe the ABHA needs more members, and Saturn 'preferred customer' accounts as a benefit to members? Especially because Saturn dealers LOVE balloons in their showroom. [tacky as all heck]
03-30-2006, 02:00 PM
#162
Burning Brakes
General Motors will unveil three new Saturns at the New York Auto Show, according to Vice Chairman Bob Lutz. The first announcement will be the Saturn Sky Red Line, which the company previewed today with a single image. This version “takes a strong-performing roadster and makes it a screamer,” wrote Lutz in a posting on the company’s corporate weblog. “We’re talking about an Ecotec 2.0-liter Turbo four, making 260 hp and 260 lb.-ft. of torque.” According to Lutz, it is the GM’s first gasoline direct injection offering in North America. The Red Line also adds a few stylish tweaks, such as standard 18-inch polished aluminum alloy wheels and dual chrome exhausts. It will be in showrooms this fall.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/03/...ne-two-others/
03-30-2006, 06:00 PM
#164
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Originally Posted by slyraskal
^^ damn that's a lot of power and torque out of a little car.
Especially the 260 lb.ft of torque out of a 2.0 litre engine!
Especially the 260 lb.ft of torque out of a 2.0 litre engine!
03-31-2006, 08:13 AM
#165
Burning Brakes
The Saturn vehicles making their world debut in New York include:
The Saturn Aura, which goes on sale this summer, brings the new design of Saturn into a fun-to-drive sport sedan, with bold exterior styling and high levels of interior refinement.
The Saturn Sky Red Line, arriving at Saturn retailers this fall, adds extra power and performance to Saturn’s new signature roadster with a 260-horsepower 2.0L direct-injection turbo.
The Saturn Outlook is an eight-passenger crossover vehicle that strikes an ideal balance of style, size and capability. Outlook, which goes into production later this year, is built on GM’s new crossover vehicle platform.
A Saturn concept vehicle that will provide an indication of how the brand’s new design cues will continue on future vehicles
03-31-2006, 08:50 AM
#166
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Whatever. Extremely high demand didnt stop Scion from offering cars at no haggle pricing. You just couldnt find them anywhere.
GM is retarded. Sky owners who pay 3k over are retarded. So I guess it all balances out, right?
GM is retarded. Sky owners who pay 3k over are retarded. So I guess it all balances out, right?
03-31-2006, 12:56 PM
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Originally Posted by SakiGT
GM is retarded. Sky owners who pay 3k over are retarded. So I guess it all balances out, right?
03-31-2006, 01:04 PM
#168
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i think what is GM's problem though is that they were the ones that gave Saturn the "no haggle, no hassle" reputation. So it seems they are going back on their word because people who will pay MSRP aren't going to get a Sky.
But that no haggle policy is stupid. I said it before and I'll say it again:
EVERY Dealership has a no-haggle policy...it's called MSRP.
But most dealers/automakers don't go around telling everybody that...so when they do have a popular model and the dealer sells it over MSRP, people aren't as likely to bitch.
But that no haggle policy is stupid. I said it before and I'll say it again:
EVERY Dealership has a no-haggle policy...it's called MSRP.
But most dealers/automakers don't go around telling everybody that...so when they do have a popular model and the dealer sells it over MSRP, people aren't as likely to bitch.
04-11-2006, 08:01 AM
#169
Burning Brakes
SATURN EXPANDS SKY LINEUP WITH RED LINE PERFORMANCE VARIANT
NEW YORK – Saturn continues its product revitalization with the 2007 Sky Red Line performance roadster, which is debuting at the 2006 New York International Auto Show. The Red Line, available at Saturn retailers this fall, builds on the Sky’s established performance character, offering even more power and sportier driving dynamics combined with a bold design and driver-focused interior.
The Red Line gets a boost in performance from an Ecotec turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, GM’s first direct injection offering in North America. It produces 260 horsepower* (194 kw) at 5300 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. of torque* (353 Nm) at 2500 rpm, making it GM’s highest specific output engine ever at 2.1 horsepower per cubic inch of displacement (130 hp / 97 kw per liter) 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.
Other Red Line technical highlights include:
Standard torque-sensing limited-slip differential
Standard StabiliTrak electronic stability control
Performance-tuned suspension
Technical elements also standard on the 2007 Sky roadster include:
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 excellent stopping performance
Wide track for excellent stability and superior handling
Near 50/50 weight distribution for balanced handling
Structural tunnel design and hydroformed longitudinal frame rails for a stiff body that results in greater vehicle responsiveness and better overall feel
The Red Line also features several unique interior and exterior differences compared to the Sky roadster, including 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.
The interior features a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, unique seatback and floormat embroidery, metallic sill plates, stainless steel pedal covers, Red Line-specific gauges and a digital boost gauge included in the Driver Information Center.
The Sky Red Line has numerous safety features, including 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, and more.
04-11-2006, 09:02 AM
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Originally Posted by mrdeeno
After seeing those pics, if I was a saturn dealer, I'd DEFINITELY overcharge for that hot bee-yotch!
04-11-2006, 03:25 PM
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Originally Posted by joerockt
That cockpit is pretty uninspiring. And how many auto makers are gonna keep copying that silver trim on the steering wheels 
This is a saturn...that cockpit is TITS compared to the crap they've been shatting out and calling an interior.
04-11-2006, 04:20 PM
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Originally Posted by mrdeeno
This is a saturn...that cockpit is TITS compared to the crap they've been shatting out and calling an interior.
05-16-2006, 12:49 AM
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Road Test Review: 2007 Saturn Sky - - BY AARON ROBINSON - - Source: CarandDriver.com
Highs: Son-of-Vette styling, handles as if it were lighter, many comfort items standard.
Lows: Toilsome top; slam and slam again doors; dude, where’s my trunk?
The Verdict: Sky pilots will love the looks and handling but may chafe at the compromises.
The “different kind of company with a different kind of car” that General Motors launched in 1990 with a $3 billion shower of cash and a sickly sweet marketing campaign soon became the same old company selling last year’s car. A decade slipped away before Saturn produced a second product line, the lackluster L-series. The subsequent Vue and Ion have only smoldered, and the division’s engineering and marketing bureaus, once independent, have been fully absorbed into the monolithic mother ship. The revolutionary notions that were espoused in the glowing Hal Riney ads — a separate company within GM of eager young minds, the teaming of disputatious labor and management, the one-price dealers — wound up feeling mostly like missed opportunities.
Here comes the 2007 Saturn Sky, and with it, Saturn’s long-foretold revival goes back onto the front burner. The Sky arrives not a minute too soon. Although GM appeared to give up on Saturn, the division’s dealers — who are generally liked by customers, or at least those filling out J.D. Power and Associates dealer-satisfaction surveys, where Saturn consistently rates with Toyota, Honda, and even Lexus — didn’t give up. The dealers moved 213,657 Saturns in 2005 against competitors with better reputations and better cars with better resale values.
And now GM is taking a renewed interest in its giant ball of gas. Saturn, the official transportation of coupon-clipping pensioners and unemployed psych majors, will become a distribution network for urbane Opels from the Continent. Saturn never saw the sun shining so bright, never saw things goin’ so right.
At least, that’s the giddy feeling people get when first gazing at the Saturn Sky. After they ask who makes it. After we respond. And after they say, “Really? Saturn?”
It’s true. GM product czar Bob Lutz smote the earth and up sprang the pipsqueak Kappa platform, a fascinating potpourri of hydroformed steel tubes and stampings, aluminum control arms, and GM-parts-bin bits. The Kappa is now experiencing cell mitosis. First it sired the Pontiac Solstice roadster (December 2005), and now it gives life to a Saturn cub-Vette. The Sky, assembled alongside the Solstice in Wilmington, Delaware, is 3.9 inches longer than the Pontiac but otherwise virtually identical dimensionally. It is the Sky that will sell in Europe as the Opel GT, having been styled in GM’s Coventry, England, studios by Simon Cox, the chief artiste behind Cadillac’s 2001 Cien show car.
The Sky takes up where the Solstice’s clean, orbicular shape leaves off. Extra design trinkets include forward-canted side vents, faux hood vents, multiple grille openings with dashes of chrome, and a rear undertray with incorporated backup light. The headlights and the taillights are busied with proliferating lenses — the Sky has projector-beam headlamps, the Solstice doesn’t — and chrome spears. The lonely “Sky” badge adrift on the rump looks like an afterthought. Why couldn’t it have been neatly embossed on the bumper?
If the Solstice strikes you as too unorthodox, too unembellished and original to be a GM design, the Sky is happy to restore your sense of normality.
Saturn intends the Sky to rise above the Solstice (don’t worry, the next cars, the Galileo and the Kepler, will explain everything), in that the Sky’s base price of $23,690 is $3200 higher than the stripper Solstice’s. The extra nip gets you air conditioning, ABS, cruise, power everything (except the top, which is manual in all Kappas), keyless entry, floor mats, an alarm, and OnStar for a year. Taken together these options cost $3355 on the Solstice, which also doesn’t have the Sky’s fancy swabs of “piano black” interior trim to spruce up what is otherwise a concerto in hard plastic.
The Sky has other differences. The exhaust is slightly quieter, the top insulated with another layer of acoustic material. A more Stay-Puft ride results from a longer suspension travel and shorter jounce bumpers. The refinement is turned up a notch over the Solstice, and it’s noticeable. Over pavement holes the Sky’s suspension lets the body down with softer landings. Lumps aren’t as obtrusive. Dig into the throttle, and the burring from the DOHC 16-valve 2.4-liter four is more muted, its 6900-rpm redline less of a raspy thrash than in the Solstice. GM’s Ecotec swings a big stroke and will never be confused with a zingy sports-car engine. In the Sky, the harshness is better hidden.
At 2940 pounds, our phone-book-yellow Sky was 63 pounds more massive than our last Solstice tester and 515 pounds more portly than our last Mazda MX-5. No shocker then that the Sky demanded 7.3 seconds to make 60 mph and wouldn’t be bullied to its 88-mph quarter-mile in less than 15.9 seconds. Flog as we might, we couldn’t duplicate our last Solstice sprint times (6.7 seconds to 60 mph, which somehow matched the MX-5 it was being compared against).
We’ve run the clock on three Kappas now and believe the Sky’s performance to reflect the effort buyers can expect from the rated 177 horsepower. Those who require more fun in the sun can wait for Saturn to uncork the Sky Red Line this fall, equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo making 260 horsepower. Pontiac will have its Solstice GXP, and prices should start in the higher 20s.
Until then, the Sky’s chief assets will be its looks and stiff chassis, which kept the car flat and planted while chasing hairpins in the Santa Monica Mountains behind Malibu. Compared with a Mazda MX-5, or indeed a BMW X5, the Sky feels wide and the seats set deep in the body. The vibe, enhanced by the view forward of bat-wing fenders, is distinctly Corvette without the V-8 thunder. Steering feel, critical to a roadster’s street credentials, proved worthy of tight roads with fast-changing cambers and pitching pavement. The large wheel jigs and tugs just enough to keep drivers on the tires’ wavelength. The Sky turns with commitment and holds a tight line through corners with no squealing or sloppy body motions.
Gerbil-grade power means frequent downshifts and long periods with the pedal buried. A shifter that slides precisely and feels better than a pickup truck transmission has a right to is close enough to the wheel to be flicked with a fast hand motion. Danger is virtually unknown. When the grip breaks, it does it gradually, predictably, and in sports-car style from the rear. Catch the little slides with a little gas and a little countersteer, and push on with one big grin.
Eventually, a few clouds catch up to the Sky. Saturn small-car product manager Steve Mertes says styling is the No. 1 reason for purchase of a convertible. That overarching fact is perhaps why GM sacrificed common sense in a few places. The interior has tidy forms but ergonomics on par with a game of Twister. The window buttons and mirror control reside closer to your elbow than your fingers and require an uncomfortable wrist wrench to operate. The cup holders are almost useless, the gauges too small and dark in the bottom of their tubes.
Assuming your right arm doesn’t have quadruple joints, you’ll have to corkscrew around and open the small cubby between the seats with your left hand — a move called the John Denver, in honor of the singer who died while attempting the same thing in his airplane. Top down, the twin fairings of the trunklid cast a striking profile, and the cabin is nicely insulated from wind. But the top’s design and operation may put you in too foul a mood to fully enjoy it. First, someone must get out to operate the top, an imposition MX-5 owners will smirk at as they two-finger their tops from the driver’s seat.
Also, the Sky’s top never stacked neatly, having to be pushed down against its will in order to get the lid closed. Because waterproofing the Sky depends on the interference fit of miles of thick rubber seals, multiple slammings were required of the trunk and doors before anything would latch. At times the Sky feels less like a car than an overstuffed suitcase.
Speaking of which, you can leave those at home. GM claims five cubic feet of trunk space with the top up, perhaps with a supercomputer adding up all the odd crannies around the carpeted mound that is the fuel tank. Unless your bag can deform into the shape of a poster tube, it’ll be no more welcome in the trunk than it would be around a coffin already in its hole.
Complaints duly noted, the Sky drives well despite its weight and catches stares under blue skies. Many will find more to love in the crafty MX-5, but the Sky’s styling and standard features make it the first sunny patch in Saturn’s long winter of discontent.
COUNTERPOINT
MITCH McCULLOUGH
The Saturn Sky looks like fun. Okay, I prefer the clean, pure design of the Pontiac over the sporty and aggressive styling cues of the Saturn (never thought I’d say that), but I like the Sky. The handling is balanced, and there’s plenty of grip, but the weight of the car and the softness of the suspension mean it squats and dives. It lacks the agility of the Mazda Miata, and heel-and-toe braking and downshifting are awkward. But it’s a nice cruiser. Drop the top, and life is good. It manages driveway transitions and bumpy roads comfortably and feels more refined than the Solstice. For that reason, I’ll take the Saturn over the Pontiac. (Never thought I’d say that, either.)
BARRY WINFIELD
After long anticipating a drive in Pontiac’s Solstice, I was fairly disappointed by the car when I drove it during the ’06 10Best Cars evaluations. To my mind there was not a single aspect of the car that had been executed correctly. But this Sky seems an altogether different proposition. Despite a similarly coarse and buzzy engine, a somewhat heavy and obstructive shifter, and the same tight cockpit confines, the Saturn version feels altogether better integrated. The revised ride-and-handling compromise lends a new sense of harmony to the car. It ain’t an MX-5, but it’s okay.
Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door roadster
Price as tested: $25,850
Price and option breakdown: base Saturn Sky (includes $575 freight), $23,690; Monsoon audio package (includes 6-CD in-dash changer and 7 Monsoon speakers), $890; Premium Trim package (includes leather seats, steering-wheel audio controls, metal sill plates, and stainless-steel pedals), $750; XM-satellite-radio capability, $325; extra-cost paint, $195
Major standard accessories: power windows and locks, remote locking, A/C, tilting steering wheel, rear defroster
Sound system: Monsoon AM-FM-satellite radio/CD changer, 7 speakers
ENGINE
Type: inline-4, aluminum block and head
Bore x stroke: 3.46 x 3.86 in, 88.0 x 98.0mm
Displacement: 145 cu in, 2384cc
Compression ratio: 10.4:1
Fuel-delivery system: port injection
Valve gear: chain-driven double overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder, hydraulic lifters, variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing
Power (SAE net): 177 bhp @ 6600 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 166 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
Redline: 6900 rpm
DRIVETRAIN
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Final-drive ratio: 3.91:1
Gear, Ratio, Mph/1000 rpm, Speed in gears
I, 3.75, 5.2, 36 mph (6900 rpm)
II, 2.26, 8.6, 60 mph (6900 rpm)
III, 1.37, 14.3, 98 mph (6900 rpm)
IV, 1.00, 19.5, 123 mph (6300 rpm)
V, 0.73, 26.7, 110 mph (4100 rpm)
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 95.1 in
Track, front/rear: 60.7/61.4 in
Length/width/height: 161.1/71.4/50.1 in
Ground clearance: 3.6 in
Drag area, Cd (0.42) x frontal area (20.0 sq ft, est): 8.8 sq ft
Curb weight: 2940 lb
Weight distribution, F/R: 53.1/46.9%
Curb weight per horsepower: 16.6 lb
Fuel capacity: 13.6 gal
CHASSIS/BODY
Type: unit construction
Body material: welded steel stampings and hydroformed steel
INTERIOR
SAE volume, seats: 50 cu ft
luggage, top up/down: 5/2 cu ft
Front-seat adjustments: fore-and-aft, seatback angle
Restraint systems: manual 3-point belts, driver and passenger front airbags
SUSPENSION
Front: ind, unequal-length control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Rear: ind, unequal-length control arms with a toe-control link, coil springs, anti-roll bar
STEERING
Type: rack-and-pinion with hydraulic power assist
Steering ratio: 16.4:1
Turns lock-to-lock: 2.7
Turning circle curb-to-curb: 34.9 ft
BRAKES
Type: hydraulic with vacuum power assist and anti-lock control
Front: 11.7 x 1.0-in vented disc
Rear: 10.9 x 0.5-in disc
WHEELS AND TIRES
Wheel size/type: 8.0 x 18 in/cast aluminum
Tires: Goodyear Eagle RS-A, P245/45R-18 96V M+S
Test inflation pressures, F/R: 29/29 psi
Spare: none
C/D TEST RESULTS
ACCELERATION: Seconds
Zero to 30 mph: 2.5
40 mph: 3.9
50 mph: 5.5
60 mph: 7.3
70 mph: 10.2
80 mph: 13.1
90 mph: 16.6
100 mph: 21.9
Street start, 5–60 mph: 7.7
Top-gear acceleration, 30–50 mph: 16.7
50–70 mph: 12.4
Standing 1/4-mile: 15.9 sec @ 88 mph
Top speed (drag limited, C/D est): 123 mph
BRAKING
70–0 mph @ impending lockup: 174 ft
HANDLING
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.86 g
Understeer: minimal moderate excessive
FUEL ECONOMY
EPA city driving: 20 mpg
EPA highway driving: 28 mpg
C/D-observed: 16 mpg
INTERIOR SOUND LEVEL*
Idle: 53 dBA
Full-throttle acceleration: 79 dBA
70-mph cruising: 73 dBA
*From Pontiac Solstice, C/D, December 2005. The Sky couldn’t be tested for sound because the rear glass was shattered after we lowered the top and overpacked the trunk.
Lows: Toilsome top; slam and slam again doors; dude, where’s my trunk?
The Verdict: Sky pilots will love the looks and handling but may chafe at the compromises.
The “different kind of company with a different kind of car” that General Motors launched in 1990 with a $3 billion shower of cash and a sickly sweet marketing campaign soon became the same old company selling last year’s car. A decade slipped away before Saturn produced a second product line, the lackluster L-series. The subsequent Vue and Ion have only smoldered, and the division’s engineering and marketing bureaus, once independent, have been fully absorbed into the monolithic mother ship. The revolutionary notions that were espoused in the glowing Hal Riney ads — a separate company within GM of eager young minds, the teaming of disputatious labor and management, the one-price dealers — wound up feeling mostly like missed opportunities.
Here comes the 2007 Saturn Sky, and with it, Saturn’s long-foretold revival goes back onto the front burner. The Sky arrives not a minute too soon. Although GM appeared to give up on Saturn, the division’s dealers — who are generally liked by customers, or at least those filling out J.D. Power and Associates dealer-satisfaction surveys, where Saturn consistently rates with Toyota, Honda, and even Lexus — didn’t give up. The dealers moved 213,657 Saturns in 2005 against competitors with better reputations and better cars with better resale values.
And now GM is taking a renewed interest in its giant ball of gas. Saturn, the official transportation of coupon-clipping pensioners and unemployed psych majors, will become a distribution network for urbane Opels from the Continent. Saturn never saw the sun shining so bright, never saw things goin’ so right.
At least, that’s the giddy feeling people get when first gazing at the Saturn Sky. After they ask who makes it. After we respond. And after they say, “Really? Saturn?”
It’s true. GM product czar Bob Lutz smote the earth and up sprang the pipsqueak Kappa platform, a fascinating potpourri of hydroformed steel tubes and stampings, aluminum control arms, and GM-parts-bin bits. The Kappa is now experiencing cell mitosis. First it sired the Pontiac Solstice roadster (December 2005), and now it gives life to a Saturn cub-Vette. The Sky, assembled alongside the Solstice in Wilmington, Delaware, is 3.9 inches longer than the Pontiac but otherwise virtually identical dimensionally. It is the Sky that will sell in Europe as the Opel GT, having been styled in GM’s Coventry, England, studios by Simon Cox, the chief artiste behind Cadillac’s 2001 Cien show car.
The Sky takes up where the Solstice’s clean, orbicular shape leaves off. Extra design trinkets include forward-canted side vents, faux hood vents, multiple grille openings with dashes of chrome, and a rear undertray with incorporated backup light. The headlights and the taillights are busied with proliferating lenses — the Sky has projector-beam headlamps, the Solstice doesn’t — and chrome spears. The lonely “Sky” badge adrift on the rump looks like an afterthought. Why couldn’t it have been neatly embossed on the bumper?
If the Solstice strikes you as too unorthodox, too unembellished and original to be a GM design, the Sky is happy to restore your sense of normality.
Saturn intends the Sky to rise above the Solstice (don’t worry, the next cars, the Galileo and the Kepler, will explain everything), in that the Sky’s base price of $23,690 is $3200 higher than the stripper Solstice’s. The extra nip gets you air conditioning, ABS, cruise, power everything (except the top, which is manual in all Kappas), keyless entry, floor mats, an alarm, and OnStar for a year. Taken together these options cost $3355 on the Solstice, which also doesn’t have the Sky’s fancy swabs of “piano black” interior trim to spruce up what is otherwise a concerto in hard plastic.
The Sky has other differences. The exhaust is slightly quieter, the top insulated with another layer of acoustic material. A more Stay-Puft ride results from a longer suspension travel and shorter jounce bumpers. The refinement is turned up a notch over the Solstice, and it’s noticeable. Over pavement holes the Sky’s suspension lets the body down with softer landings. Lumps aren’t as obtrusive. Dig into the throttle, and the burring from the DOHC 16-valve 2.4-liter four is more muted, its 6900-rpm redline less of a raspy thrash than in the Solstice. GM’s Ecotec swings a big stroke and will never be confused with a zingy sports-car engine. In the Sky, the harshness is better hidden.
At 2940 pounds, our phone-book-yellow Sky was 63 pounds more massive than our last Solstice tester and 515 pounds more portly than our last Mazda MX-5. No shocker then that the Sky demanded 7.3 seconds to make 60 mph and wouldn’t be bullied to its 88-mph quarter-mile in less than 15.9 seconds. Flog as we might, we couldn’t duplicate our last Solstice sprint times (6.7 seconds to 60 mph, which somehow matched the MX-5 it was being compared against).
We’ve run the clock on three Kappas now and believe the Sky’s performance to reflect the effort buyers can expect from the rated 177 horsepower. Those who require more fun in the sun can wait for Saturn to uncork the Sky Red Line this fall, equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo making 260 horsepower. Pontiac will have its Solstice GXP, and prices should start in the higher 20s.
Until then, the Sky’s chief assets will be its looks and stiff chassis, which kept the car flat and planted while chasing hairpins in the Santa Monica Mountains behind Malibu. Compared with a Mazda MX-5, or indeed a BMW X5, the Sky feels wide and the seats set deep in the body. The vibe, enhanced by the view forward of bat-wing fenders, is distinctly Corvette without the V-8 thunder. Steering feel, critical to a roadster’s street credentials, proved worthy of tight roads with fast-changing cambers and pitching pavement. The large wheel jigs and tugs just enough to keep drivers on the tires’ wavelength. The Sky turns with commitment and holds a tight line through corners with no squealing or sloppy body motions.
Gerbil-grade power means frequent downshifts and long periods with the pedal buried. A shifter that slides precisely and feels better than a pickup truck transmission has a right to is close enough to the wheel to be flicked with a fast hand motion. Danger is virtually unknown. When the grip breaks, it does it gradually, predictably, and in sports-car style from the rear. Catch the little slides with a little gas and a little countersteer, and push on with one big grin.
Eventually, a few clouds catch up to the Sky. Saturn small-car product manager Steve Mertes says styling is the No. 1 reason for purchase of a convertible. That overarching fact is perhaps why GM sacrificed common sense in a few places. The interior has tidy forms but ergonomics on par with a game of Twister. The window buttons and mirror control reside closer to your elbow than your fingers and require an uncomfortable wrist wrench to operate. The cup holders are almost useless, the gauges too small and dark in the bottom of their tubes.
Assuming your right arm doesn’t have quadruple joints, you’ll have to corkscrew around and open the small cubby between the seats with your left hand — a move called the John Denver, in honor of the singer who died while attempting the same thing in his airplane. Top down, the twin fairings of the trunklid cast a striking profile, and the cabin is nicely insulated from wind. But the top’s design and operation may put you in too foul a mood to fully enjoy it. First, someone must get out to operate the top, an imposition MX-5 owners will smirk at as they two-finger their tops from the driver’s seat.
Also, the Sky’s top never stacked neatly, having to be pushed down against its will in order to get the lid closed. Because waterproofing the Sky depends on the interference fit of miles of thick rubber seals, multiple slammings were required of the trunk and doors before anything would latch. At times the Sky feels less like a car than an overstuffed suitcase.
Speaking of which, you can leave those at home. GM claims five cubic feet of trunk space with the top up, perhaps with a supercomputer adding up all the odd crannies around the carpeted mound that is the fuel tank. Unless your bag can deform into the shape of a poster tube, it’ll be no more welcome in the trunk than it would be around a coffin already in its hole.
Complaints duly noted, the Sky drives well despite its weight and catches stares under blue skies. Many will find more to love in the crafty MX-5, but the Sky’s styling and standard features make it the first sunny patch in Saturn’s long winter of discontent.
COUNTERPOINT
MITCH McCULLOUGH
The Saturn Sky looks like fun. Okay, I prefer the clean, pure design of the Pontiac over the sporty and aggressive styling cues of the Saturn (never thought I’d say that), but I like the Sky. The handling is balanced, and there’s plenty of grip, but the weight of the car and the softness of the suspension mean it squats and dives. It lacks the agility of the Mazda Miata, and heel-and-toe braking and downshifting are awkward. But it’s a nice cruiser. Drop the top, and life is good. It manages driveway transitions and bumpy roads comfortably and feels more refined than the Solstice. For that reason, I’ll take the Saturn over the Pontiac. (Never thought I’d say that, either.)
BARRY WINFIELD
After long anticipating a drive in Pontiac’s Solstice, I was fairly disappointed by the car when I drove it during the ’06 10Best Cars evaluations. To my mind there was not a single aspect of the car that had been executed correctly. But this Sky seems an altogether different proposition. Despite a similarly coarse and buzzy engine, a somewhat heavy and obstructive shifter, and the same tight cockpit confines, the Saturn version feels altogether better integrated. The revised ride-and-handling compromise lends a new sense of harmony to the car. It ain’t an MX-5, but it’s okay.
Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door roadster
Price as tested: $25,850
Price and option breakdown: base Saturn Sky (includes $575 freight), $23,690; Monsoon audio package (includes 6-CD in-dash changer and 7 Monsoon speakers), $890; Premium Trim package (includes leather seats, steering-wheel audio controls, metal sill plates, and stainless-steel pedals), $750; XM-satellite-radio capability, $325; extra-cost paint, $195
Major standard accessories: power windows and locks, remote locking, A/C, tilting steering wheel, rear defroster
Sound system: Monsoon AM-FM-satellite radio/CD changer, 7 speakers
ENGINE
Type: inline-4, aluminum block and head
Bore x stroke: 3.46 x 3.86 in, 88.0 x 98.0mm
Displacement: 145 cu in, 2384cc
Compression ratio: 10.4:1
Fuel-delivery system: port injection
Valve gear: chain-driven double overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder, hydraulic lifters, variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing
Power (SAE net): 177 bhp @ 6600 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 166 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
Redline: 6900 rpm
DRIVETRAIN
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Final-drive ratio: 3.91:1
Gear, Ratio, Mph/1000 rpm, Speed in gears
I, 3.75, 5.2, 36 mph (6900 rpm)
II, 2.26, 8.6, 60 mph (6900 rpm)
III, 1.37, 14.3, 98 mph (6900 rpm)
IV, 1.00, 19.5, 123 mph (6300 rpm)
V, 0.73, 26.7, 110 mph (4100 rpm)
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 95.1 in
Track, front/rear: 60.7/61.4 in
Length/width/height: 161.1/71.4/50.1 in
Ground clearance: 3.6 in
Drag area, Cd (0.42) x frontal area (20.0 sq ft, est): 8.8 sq ft
Curb weight: 2940 lb
Weight distribution, F/R: 53.1/46.9%
Curb weight per horsepower: 16.6 lb
Fuel capacity: 13.6 gal
CHASSIS/BODY
Type: unit construction
Body material: welded steel stampings and hydroformed steel
INTERIOR
SAE volume, seats: 50 cu ft
luggage, top up/down: 5/2 cu ft
Front-seat adjustments: fore-and-aft, seatback angle
Restraint systems: manual 3-point belts, driver and passenger front airbags
SUSPENSION
Front: ind, unequal-length control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Rear: ind, unequal-length control arms with a toe-control link, coil springs, anti-roll bar
STEERING
Type: rack-and-pinion with hydraulic power assist
Steering ratio: 16.4:1
Turns lock-to-lock: 2.7
Turning circle curb-to-curb: 34.9 ft
BRAKES
Type: hydraulic with vacuum power assist and anti-lock control
Front: 11.7 x 1.0-in vented disc
Rear: 10.9 x 0.5-in disc
WHEELS AND TIRES
Wheel size/type: 8.0 x 18 in/cast aluminum
Tires: Goodyear Eagle RS-A, P245/45R-18 96V M+S
Test inflation pressures, F/R: 29/29 psi
Spare: none
C/D TEST RESULTS
ACCELERATION: Seconds
Zero to 30 mph: 2.5
40 mph: 3.9
50 mph: 5.5
60 mph: 7.3
70 mph: 10.2
80 mph: 13.1
90 mph: 16.6
100 mph: 21.9
Street start, 5–60 mph: 7.7
Top-gear acceleration, 30–50 mph: 16.7
50–70 mph: 12.4
Standing 1/4-mile: 15.9 sec @ 88 mph
Top speed (drag limited, C/D est): 123 mph
BRAKING
70–0 mph @ impending lockup: 174 ft
HANDLING
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.86 g
Understeer: minimal moderate excessive
FUEL ECONOMY
EPA city driving: 20 mpg
EPA highway driving: 28 mpg
C/D-observed: 16 mpg
INTERIOR SOUND LEVEL*
Idle: 53 dBA
Full-throttle acceleration: 79 dBA
70-mph cruising: 73 dBA
*From Pontiac Solstice, C/D, December 2005. The Sky couldn’t be tested for sound because the rear glass was shattered after we lowered the top and overpacked the trunk.
05-16-2006, 02:40 PM
#186
Senior Moderator
Originally Posted by DownUnder
16MPG?!? WTF, it get's worse MPG then a Vette.
ACCELERATION: Seconds
Zero to 30 mph: 2.5
40 mph: 3.9
50 mph: 5.5
60 mph: 7.3
70 mph: 10.2
80 mph: 13.1
90 mph: 16.6
100 mph: 21.9
Street start, 5–60 mph: 7.7
Top-gear acceleration, 30–50 mph: 16.7
50–70 mph: 12.4
Standing 1/4-mile: 15.9 sec @ 88 mph
Top speed (drag limited, C/D est): 123 mph
Didnt even get good times either.
05-24-2006, 12:02 AM
#188
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GM Bans Dealer Premiums on Saturn Sky Red Line - - Source: Edmunds.com
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak said that orders are still being taken for the upcoming 2007 Saturn Sky Red Line and she promises Saturn dealers won't gouge customers who want the hottest version of the new roadster.
"The dealers won't charge a premium, because it doesn't fit with the brand [image]," she explained in an interview with Inside Line. Saturn built its reputation on no-dicker stickers, along with strict attention to customer service.
Lajdziak would not specify what the base price of the Red Line will be, although GM insiders say it's likely to come in around $3,000 above the price of a base Sky. Pricing on the Sky Red Line will be announced at the end of June, she said. The 2007 Sky starts at $23,690, including a $575 destination charge.
"The good news is that the turbo Sky is not sold out and we're still taking orders on it," she said. Lajdziak also confirmed that there would be no Sky Green Line or hybrid edition, at least "not this generation." The current version of the Sky is too small to accommodate a hybrid battery pack.
Lajdziak confirmed that the Sky is sold out for calendar year '06 but dismissed reports that the Sky was also sold out for next year. "People are taking orders for calendar year '07," she said.
The highly anticipated Sky Red Line gets a boost in performance from an Ecotec turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, GM's first direct-injection offering in North America. It produces 260 horsepower at 5,300 rpm and 260 pound-feet of torque at 2,500 rpm, making it GM's highest-specific-output engine at 2.1 hp per cubic inch of displacement, and the most powerful engine in the Ecotec family.
The Sky Red Line features dual exhausts, 18-inch polished aluminum alloy wheels and unique chrome trim.
"The dealers won't charge a premium, because it doesn't fit with the brand [image]," she explained in an interview with Inside Line. Saturn built its reputation on no-dicker stickers, along with strict attention to customer service.
Lajdziak would not specify what the base price of the Red Line will be, although GM insiders say it's likely to come in around $3,000 above the price of a base Sky. Pricing on the Sky Red Line will be announced at the end of June, she said. The 2007 Sky starts at $23,690, including a $575 destination charge.
"The good news is that the turbo Sky is not sold out and we're still taking orders on it," she said. Lajdziak also confirmed that there would be no Sky Green Line or hybrid edition, at least "not this generation." The current version of the Sky is too small to accommodate a hybrid battery pack.
Lajdziak confirmed that the Sky is sold out for calendar year '06 but dismissed reports that the Sky was also sold out for next year. "People are taking orders for calendar year '07," she said.
The highly anticipated Sky Red Line gets a boost in performance from an Ecotec turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, GM's first direct-injection offering in North America. It produces 260 horsepower at 5,300 rpm and 260 pound-feet of torque at 2,500 rpm, making it GM's highest-specific-output engine at 2.1 hp per cubic inch of displacement, and the most powerful engine in the Ecotec family.
The Sky Red Line features dual exhausts, 18-inch polished aluminum alloy wheels and unique chrome trim.
05-24-2006, 12:50 AM
#189
Saturn built its reputation on no-dicker stickers, along with strict attention to customer service.
05-24-2006, 03:33 PM
#190
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I dont know how GM has any authority about what prices their dealers are sell GM cars. I dont think the above is enforcable, unless the dealers have agreed to the above for some reason which was discussed behind closed doors with GM mgt.
05-24-2006, 04:34 PM
#191
_____ like a rabbit
Originally Posted by gavriil
I dont know how GM has any authority about what prices their dealers are sell GM cars. I dont think the above is enforcable, unless the dealers have agreed to the above for some reason which was discussed behind closed doors with GM mgt.
05-24-2006, 05:43 PM
#192
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This was the right move to make. It uphold's Saturn's integrity in regards to it's mission. What's really telling is that the Sky is sold out for the rest of '06, and it seems tht '07 will sell out soon than later also.
06-23-2006, 01:54 PM
#193
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Sky Red Line Pricing Released
2007 Saturn Sky Red Line Features Turbocharged Value
260-horsepower roadster to start at $27,895
Detroit – Today, Saturn announced that the 2007 Sky Red Line will be available this fall at a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $27,895 (including destination charges). Retailers are now taking orders for the turbocharged variant of the Sky roadster, which is one of the hottest selling cars in the auto market.
The Sky Red Line features the 2.0L Ecotec Turbo engine, equipped with direct injection technology. It produces 260 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, making it General Motors’ highest specific output engine ever at 2.1 horsepower per cubic inch of displacement.
“Through its design and advanced technology, the Sky Red Line shows that Saturn is making vehicles like never before,” said Dave Smidebush, Saturn’s director of marketing. “But the Sky Red Line also demonstrates that the brand’s commitment to great value and innovation in our product lineup is as strong as ever.”
Along with the boost in horsepower and torque, the Sky Red Line features a long list of standard equipment including:
Stabilitrak electronic stability control
Traction control
Close-ratio five-speed manual transmission with self-adjusting clutch
Four-wheel ABS disc brakes
Limited slip differential
Performance-tuned suspension with coil-over Bilstein monotube shocks
Air conditioning
Power locks, windows and mirrors
OnStar with one year of Safe & Sound service
The Sky Red Line will accelerate from 0-60 mph in about 5.5 seconds, and will run the quarter mile in about 13.9 seconds.
Saturn, a division of General Motors Corp., sells vehicles in the U.S. and Canada through a network of about 500 retailers, with a focus on providing innovative products with solid value and excellent customer service. In 2006, the brand begins a major revitalization of its portfolio with five new vehicles: the Sky and Sky Red Line roadsters, Aura midsize sports sedan, Vue Green Line Hybrid and Outlook large crossover utility. These new vehicles join the current lineup that includes the Ion compact sedan and quad coupe, Vue compact SUV and the Relay crossover van.
260-horsepower roadster to start at $27,895
Detroit – Today, Saturn announced that the 2007 Sky Red Line will be available this fall at a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $27,895 (including destination charges). Retailers are now taking orders for the turbocharged variant of the Sky roadster, which is one of the hottest selling cars in the auto market.
The Sky Red Line features the 2.0L Ecotec Turbo engine, equipped with direct injection technology. It produces 260 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, making it General Motors’ highest specific output engine ever at 2.1 horsepower per cubic inch of displacement.
“Through its design and advanced technology, the Sky Red Line shows that Saturn is making vehicles like never before,” said Dave Smidebush, Saturn’s director of marketing. “But the Sky Red Line also demonstrates that the brand’s commitment to great value and innovation in our product lineup is as strong as ever.”
Along with the boost in horsepower and torque, the Sky Red Line features a long list of standard equipment including:
Stabilitrak electronic stability control
Traction control
Close-ratio five-speed manual transmission with self-adjusting clutch
Four-wheel ABS disc brakes
Limited slip differential
Performance-tuned suspension with coil-over Bilstein monotube shocks
Air conditioning
Power locks, windows and mirrors
OnStar with one year of Safe & Sound service
The Sky Red Line will accelerate from 0-60 mph in about 5.5 seconds, and will run the quarter mile in about 13.9 seconds.
Saturn, a division of General Motors Corp., sells vehicles in the U.S. and Canada through a network of about 500 retailers, with a focus on providing innovative products with solid value and excellent customer service. In 2006, the brand begins a major revitalization of its portfolio with five new vehicles: the Sky and Sky Red Line roadsters, Aura midsize sports sedan, Vue Green Line Hybrid and Outlook large crossover utility. These new vehicles join the current lineup that includes the Ion compact sedan and quad coupe, Vue compact SUV and the Relay crossover van.
06-23-2006, 02:18 PM
#194
Senior Moderator
Jesal actually wants a Saturn? 
I thought the Sky would look cheap in person. But wow they look great on the road.
Price isnt too bad either. Guessing this is SET prices since Saturn is a no haggle company?
I thought the Sky would look cheap in person. But wow they look great on the road.
Price isnt too bad either. Guessing this is SET prices since Saturn is a no haggle company?
06-23-2006, 05:15 PM
#196
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Originally Posted by Crazy Sellout
Jesal actually wants a Saturn?
I thought the Sky would look cheap in person. But wow they look great on the road.
Price isnt too bad either. Guessing this is SET prices since Saturn is a no haggle company?
I thought the Sky would look cheap in person. But wow they look great on the road.
Price isnt too bad either. Guessing this is SET prices since Saturn is a no haggle company?
07-24-2006, 03:39 PM
#198
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One of the big car mags is reporting that GM is testing Ecotec versions of its engines putting out more than 300HP currently.
I am guessing this means there will be a higher line of cars for the Sky and Solstice?
07-25-2006, 07:59 AM
#199
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Originally Posted by gavriil
One of the big car mags is reporting that GM is testing Ecotec versions of its engines putting out more than 300HP currently.
I am guessing this means there will be a higher line of cars for the Sky and Solstice?
07-25-2006, 10:36 AM
#200
'Big Daddy Diggler'
Originally Posted by titan
Lets hope so. An extreme version of those cars with 300HP would be tits.