I work at Galpin Motors in North Hills, CA. It's known as the largest Ford dealership in the world, as well as being one of the best Jag/Aston Martin/Saturn etc dealerships in the country. Since we have such high sales for these brands, we have the privelage of taking delivery of the newest cars, as soon as they come out. Well, today I took my lunch break and went for a drive.

Usually, Saturns have been regarded as cars for people who are just buying a car as an appliance. Never before has it been a car for enthusiasts. This car completely changed my view of this company...

ENGINE
With 177bhp, it felt nothing like my coupe, but it definitely pulled fairly well. The car I drove had the optional air intake installed, so it had this great deep intake sound as the revs passed 3k at WOT. The top end of the car wasn't impressive. It really felt like you reached 80mph and from there on the car really struggled to accellerate. However, the power, while not being worthy to write home about, was good and suited the car well. I'm SURE the lack of power will be cured with the Red Line version, which has 100 more bhp :cool

TRANSMISSION
The manual trans I drove had a surprisingly direct feel to it. Again, it was nothing like the notchiness of the coupe, but it felt great. It felt like it was designed with the enthusiast driver in mind...surprising for a Saturn

HANDLING
The car I drove had every conceivable option on it, including the $2k suspension/wheel upgrade package. Maybe it was the modest power, but I never was able to break the car loose around a turn. I wasn't able to take it anywhere like the canyons, but I did push it around some onramps. It felt very tight and responsive. I didn't notice too much body roll, but I'm sure a set of GC coilovers would make the car incredible to drive. However, with the upgraded handling package, there is no way you can push the car to its limits without any power upgrades. The only way I personally think that it will reach its limits is if it had significantly more power...ie Red Line

DESIGN
I drove the Chili Pepper Red, so it was not at all a modest car to look at. At every light, stopsign or intersection, I noticed every person was looking at it. IMHO, I think this is the best looking domestic car currently offered on the US market.

Overall, I'd buy one in a second. No way in hell would I trade my MC for it, but I will seriously consider trading in my 1.8T Golf. I'm very impressed with how well GM put together this car. However, I will have to wait until September before I can get serious about trading in my Golf. That's the time the Red Line will be coming out. :buttrock

The Red Line will be the best car for the money. Bar none...

I'm dying to see one in person. Sounds like a winner!

Isnt that the 'sister' car to the OPEL speedster (or some opel model)? I'm pretty sure it is, so youre pretty much driving a german designed automobile. Not some german reject like the Chystler's (ie crossfire being a mercedes slk reject).

Also, even if the base model has only 177 hp, it is a turbo car. Throw a couple bolt ons on and BAM... 400 hp. I am so fkn jealous of turbos, for like 100 bucks you get 100 hp. For na e36's 1000 bucks gets you 15-20hp.
*Assuming the base model is turbo, if not just forget what I said*

I drove one a few weeks ago, and I only had a few complaints.

The steering wheel is just too big, as a former owner of an S2000, I can tell you that in a small and precise car you want a smaller steering wheel, especially since the car is pretty cramped inside.

I also didn't like the fact that the seat adjustments were damn near impossible to use without opening the door to reach behind the seat.

Lastly the drivetrain is typical GM. Engine lacking smoothness and power, and a transmission straight out of the 80's.

If GM had taken a page from Honda, they could have had a world-beater on their hands. As it stands they still have a damn good looking car, but not the superstar it should have been.

I saw one on the road today. That is a very sharp looking car!

I was thinking that it was based on the Pontiac Solstice, but I guess not?

Yeah, I honestly think it is the best looking domestic car in years. DECADES even. I am a hardcore GM-hater, but I love this car. I have not driven one, however.

I saw one on the road today. That is a very sharp looking car!

I was thinking that it was based on the Pontiac Solstice, but I guess not?


Opel = Pontiac = Saturn, in this case.

Opel = Pontiac = Saturn, in this case.

Hmmm. So is this the 2nd generation Opel Speedster?

If so :buttrock

Isnt that the 'sister' car to the OPEL speedster (or some opel model)? I'm pretty sure it is, so youre pretty much driving a german designed automobile. Not some german reject like the Chystler's (ie crossfire being a mercedes slk reject).

Also, even if the base model has only 177 hp, it is a turbo car. Throw a couple bolt ons on and BAM... 400 hp. I am so fkn jealous of turbos, for like 100 bucks you get 100 hp. For na e36's 1000 bucks gets you 15-20hp.
*Assuming the base model is turbo, if not just forget what I said*

I agree with you about the turbo cars. I paid $500 for software on my Golf and I got 65bhp :buttrock

I actually really liked the Crossfire when I drove it. Some things like the clutch having way too long of travel kinda bugged me, but overall I loved the car. Almost bought it over my coupe :shifty

Also, even if the base model has only 177 hp, it is a turbo car.
The base isn't Turbo. However 260 hp force fed variants of the Sky and Solstice are on the way. For the Saturn the turbo version is called the Sky Redline, Pontiac will probably call its version the GTP or something. :dunno

they dropped the vauxhall vx lightning, and made it the saturn sky, or myabe they still made the vauxhall, i dunno. does opel=vauxhall? i read it in a magazine, automobile i think, so i dont remember exactly. i saw a sky today on the way home from skool. I would definnitely take one over a solstice

Yes, Vauxhall and Opel are more or less the same (I think similar to Chevy and Pontiac, maybe even closer).