![]() ![]() Our test car came with the Monsoon premium audio package (a $590 option), which includes an MP3 disc-compatible head unit hooked up to a seven-speaker system with a separate subwoofer. Another design gripe we have is the Sky's poor rearward visibility: with the top up, rear sightlines are seriously impeded, and we found the car an excellent test mule for a VR3 VRBC300W back-up camera we had sitting around in the office. And with the top in the trunk, the Red Line's cargo space is significantly less than that of other cars in the segment. Similar to most other roadsters, cabin space is minimal in the Sky Red Line. Our tester came with optional red-leather seat inserts and door panels ($595), as well as lacquered black plastic accents on the parking brake, shifter, and HVAC controls. The interior of the Saturn Sky is cramped and kitschy, in a curiously stylish kind of way. In place of the 177 horsepower naturally aspirated, four-cylinder block of the Solstice (and regular Sky), the Red Line is driven by a 2.0-liter direct-injection in-line four boosted by a turbo charger to give it a whirlwind output of 260 horsepower. Being the performance-tuned version of the marque, the Red Line also features some unique styling cues, including chrome-trimmed dual exhaust outlets, 18-inch chrome-clad wheels, and a couple of brake-cooling vents in the lower front fascia.Ĭritically, with the Red Line, this beauty is more than skin deep. However, in contrast to the Solstice's curvy body styling, the Sky boasts aggressively arched fenders and a menacing mesh-trimmed front profile, giving it a Batmobile brawn (particularly noticeable on our Onyx Black test car). The Sky Red Line features the same basic structural design as the Solstice, with which it shares the Kappa platform and most of its mechanical DNA. With the Red Line rolling out with a $29,795 starting price, the combo of eye-catching styling, robust engine, low price, and daily driving comfort made it a solid choice for small roadster shoppers.With the 2007 Saturn Sky Red Line, GM retained our favorite styling accents, while giving us (nearly) everything we wanted under the hood. Inside, the Red Line got blessed with specially embroidered seats and floor mats, metallic door sill covers, stainless-steel pedals, special tachometer and gauges, and a digital boost gauge in the Driver Information Center. To help the Red Line look the part, GM shod it with 18-inch wheels, wrapped the steering with leather, cloaked the front with a Red Line-specific fascia, and prepped the powertrain with dual exhausts. Notably, the enhanced sport suspension was available as a dealer-add-on for regular Sky models. Introduced at the 2006 New York Auto Show, the Saturn Red Line stood out from the base Sky model with a spec sheet including enhanced sport suspension, standard torque-sensing limited-slip differential, and standard StabiliTrak stability control. Admittedly, it is mostly cosmetic, but it never hurt to stand out as the special limited edition.Īs stated earlier, the Red Line got power from the same 260-hp Ecotec engine as the Solstice, paired with a standard five-speed Aisin manual and optional automatic transmission. The latter is the rarest of the Sky and Solstice models combined. That's to say, a Pontiac Hydro Blue isn't quite as special as a Hydro Blue Saturn Sky. The Hydro-treated Pontiac didn't get racing stripes as standard, and the seats lacked the blue-colored lettering. However, GM offered Hydro Blue's goodies (including the hydro blue paint and interior seat and shifter blue stitching) on the Pontiac Solstice, although the Pontiac lacked the VIN coding to certify the uniqueness. In the end, just 89 Hydro Blue Saturn Sky limited editions got built. The initial plan was to produce the Hydro Blue in matching numbers as the Red Ruby, but the Kappa platform went under the hammer mid-production as GM struggled with bankruptcy. They also featured a removable silver racing stripe accenting the exterior color. The same goes for the matching blue color of the word “Sky” stitched into the seats. The Hydro Blue, of course, wore matching blue-colored stitching in the seats and gear shifter. The Ruby Red was a special Red Line trim draped in ruby red coating, accented with a unique, removable carbon racing stripe exclusive to the 500 Ruby Red trim. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |