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Nuts and Bolts
At the heart of the 2007 Saturn Sky Red Line is an aluminum 2.0-liter Ecotec inline four-cylinder engine equipped with continuously variable valve timing, aluminum pistons with oil-jet cooling, a forged steel crankshaft, direct fuel injection, and a twin-scroll turbocharger to make 260 lag-free horsepower at 5,300 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. of torque peaking between 2,000 rpm and 5,000 rpm. These specifications mean that this is the highest specific-output engine that General Motors has ever created. This is also the first direct-injection engine GM has ever built, with power, efficiency and lower emissions the main benefits of such technology. Our real-world fuel economy averaged 22.3 mpg, better than we recorded in a standard 177-horsepower Saturn Sky without benefit of direct injection or a turbocharger, and at the low end of the EPA's 22 city and 31 highway estimate. Clearly, this is one of the most sophisticated engines in the GM stable – who knew the Ecotec had such tremendous potential?
The Sky Red Line comes standard with a five-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip rear differential, with a five-speed automatic available as an option. The Aisin-sourced manual's roots are in the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups, and when launched in the 2006 Pontiac Solstice this transmission was a clunky, noisy gearbox. GM modified it for 2007, adding a torque tube which puts the mechanicals further back in the car and gives the setup a much-needed dose of refinement. The Sky Red Line's clutch is also beefier than stock, and while the combination still cannot match a Honda S2000 or Mazda MX-5 in terms of shifting pleasure, it's far removed from its pickup truck origins.
Most Saturn Sky Red Lines are probably going to be sold with the optional Hydra-matic five-speed automatic, given that most Americans can't or won't shift for themselves. This makes a fine choice, however, with a single exception. Saturn doesn't supply a way to manually shift gears with this transmission. By contrast, the Mazda MX-5 is available with a slick-shifting six-speed automatic with paddle shifters, while the Honda eschews an automatic altogether to ensure that only true enthusiasts buy an S2000.
Riding on a four-wheel independent short- and long-arm suspension, the Sky Red Line is equipped with thicker front and rear stabilizer bars, as well as specific springs. Wheels are 18 inches in diameter, just like the regular Sky, in the Red Line's case polished rather than painted and mounted with more aggressive Goodyear Eagle F1 GS2 tires sized 245/45. Crank the hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering around a skidpad, and Saturn says the Red Line will push .90g. Four-wheel-disc antilock brakes deliver short stopping distances, and if the driver exceeds the level of grip provided by the Eagle F1 tires, StabiliTrak stability control is standard to help keep the Sky's rubber on the road.
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About Christian Wardlaw
Christian Wardlaw joined Autobytel's Automotive Information Center (AIC) in January 2003, and current serves as Manager of Content Development for Autobytel. Previously, Christian spent eight years as Editor-in-Chief and Director of Automotive Data for Edmunds.com. A writer, editor, and automobile aficionado, Christian is a different sort of car enthusiast. His passion lies in the vehicles that people most often buy, rather than with high-performance sports cars or ultra-luxury sedans. “Given the choice to spend an hour with a Dodge Viper or a Honda Accord, I’ll choose the Accord,” he claims. Unless, of course, the driving venue is a racetrack. Christian has been a car enthusiast all of his life, uttering “car” as his first word while growing up in Detroit. A graduate of Western Michigan University, he holds a bachelor’s degree in English. His daily drivers include a 1994 Mazda Miata, a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata, and a 2005 Nissan Murano.
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