Sky Red Line Article

[max_boost]

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- There's nothing like 83 more horsepower and almost 100 more pound-feet of torque to make one forget that the transmission sucks.

It helps that this particularly wonky third gear has been rejigged. But when it comes to the new Red Line version of Saturn's gorgeous Sky, the reason I'm not constantly cursing GM's decision to weigh down the little roadster with a pickup truck tranny (!) is because the new Red Line's twin-scroll turbocharger makes shifting largely superfluous.

Oh, sure, the Red Line's turbo'd four is a little fluffy right off idle. No wonder, really, since in transforming the lethargic, normally aspirated Ecotec engine into a turbocharged marvel, the General has reduced displacement to 2.0 litres from 2.4. Why? So the cylinder bores could be smaller -- all the better to withstand the harsh combustion environments that 20 psi of turbo boost engenders.

Above 1,500 rpm, however, the little four-banger starts to wake up and, by the time the tachometer needle swings past 2,500 rpm, the turbocharger is doing its stuff. The Sky's five-speed manual (so many sports cars have six, which is one of the reasons the base Sky's powertrain has been criticized) may have extraordinarily wide gear spacing, but the Red Line eats through the first three in short order. GM's turbocharged Ecotec is the new little engine that could and, in such a lightweight package, it gives the Sky the performance to back up its striking silhouette.

It's also more sophisticated than the base 2.4L four. Saturn credits the new engine and a rear differential mounting system for reduced vibration and noise, but I imagine the smaller pistons rotating about also contribute to its new-found manners. Whatever the reason, this is the smoothest Ecotec four from GM yet.

However, the five-speed manual is still a balky-shifting piece of crap. But who cares when there's no real need to shift all that much? Besides, unlike the normally aspirated version, which falls completely out of its powerband when shifting from second to third, the turbocharged 2.0L is good to go as long as the revs are above 1,500 rpm. So, yes, the Sky deserves a better transmission. But if you're driving the Red Line, one is not really needed.

It's also worth noting there's a fine five-speed automatic available, though why the family-oriented Aura gets steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and the Red Line's automatic doesn't beggars the imagination.

Also upping the performance ante is the Red Line's rejigged suspension with stiffer sway bars, firmer damping and grippier Goodyear radials (the same 245/45R18 size as the base car, however). Though Saturn bills the Sky as a baby Corvette and, indeed, its chassis is somewhat akin to the crazy-fast Chevy, the Saturn feels rather loose compared with GM's Ferrari killer. The Saturn may not be quite as competent, but it is at least entertaining in the same way that old Triumphs and MGs were a barrel of fun over a twisty road. I think the Brits used the term "lively" to describe them.

The brakes, we're told by Saturn officials, work well enough that they needed no upgrading. But then we're also told by the same Saturn PR staff that there's an embargo on the fact the brakes are identical to the base Sky's. Therefore, what you'll have to do is use your vivid imagination to figure out that the same 83 extra hp GM is so proud of might overwhelm those tiny little 297-millimetre front rotors.

If it helps, imagine you're at full chat, pulling hard in third gear and a particularly diabolical 30-kilometre-an-hour hairpin looms out of nowhere.

With so many of the changes positive, it's worth remembering that the Sky's traditional peccadilloes remain. The trunk space is so small it wouldn't accommodate Britney Spears' collection of Victorian literary classics. The top is extremely fiddly and doesn't seal out wind noise all that well. And some of the ergonomics -- the difficult-to-reach window switches and the seat-back adjuster that requires opening the door to access -- are questionable. Nonetheless, the Red Line boasts a fairly attractive cabin, with two-tone leather seats befitting its sporty nature and metallic inserts dressing up the door sills. The audio system plays MP3s and has satellite radio capacity.

Saturn has yet to set a price for the Sky Red Line, but rest assured it will be somewhat north of $35,000 -- not bad considering its performance. It certainly won't stop Skys from flying off Saturn lots.

It's a sure bet the Red Line will be a hit. It's impossible to marry this much performance and eye-catching looks and not attract a crowd.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/aut...-4221951c.html

[jpapa]

I've driven the automatic Sky RL version, and the manual Solstice GXP. In the automatic, it seems like the shift points really damper the full power capacity of the engine. Overall it really wasn't that impressive and didn't feel like there was a whole lot of extra power in the Sky RL. The Solstice GXP in manual form however felt A LOT faster since you could choose which gear you want to be in and when you wanted to shift. And in the engine info display (think CobaltSS info center) the boost gauge only hit 18psi, not 20psi oh well hehe.

I don't know if the automatics will feel that sluggish when they are in full production, since I drove a real rough slapped together model Sky RL. The GXP I think was production intent so full engine tune felt right.

Oh yea, the placement of the door locks on the inside of the doors way behind your shoulder, and the side seat adjustments are kind of annoying. That will not stop me from owning one of these in the near future as a secondary cruiser vehicle.