SEMA: Gravana "Tuning Turbo" Saturn Sky
So, what's better than a hotted up Solstice in the affordable domestic, rear-wheel drive roadster category? It's a small category, we know, with only two members: the aforementioned Solstice and its mechanical twin, the Saturn Sky. We tend to prefer the looks of the Sky, quite frankly, and we're also of the belief that more power is rarely a bad thing. The Gravana "Tuning Turbo" Saturn Sky has a pretty long name for such a small car, but it's fortunately also long on horsepower.
Gravana added a Hahn Racecraft 16G intercooled stage 3 turbocharger to the Sky's 2.4L Ecotec engine, resulting in nothing short of 348 horsepower and 341 lb.-ft. of torque. Who needs a V-8? Well, V-8s do have some advantages, but this much power from a turbo four, with its lighter weight leaving handling relatively unaffected, makes a lot of sense here.
Follow the jump for more info on the Tuning Turbo Sky and a gallery of pics.
Adjustable coil-over-shocks have been added to push handling even further forward, as a matter of fact. Stabilizer bars front and rear also help roadholding ability. And the system can even lower the vehicle by as much as 3 inches, while keeping the same spring rate. Upgraded 14-inch drilled and slotted front brake rotors, with four-piston calipers, help scrub off the extra speed that bigger turbo will generate.
On the outside, carbon fiber accents, revised front and rear fascias and vertical-opening doors make this stand out from the crowd. Well, actually they make it fit in perfectly in this crowd. OZ Superleggera III 19-inch wheels help complete the look.
More carbon fiber can be found inside on the console and dash, along with Katzkin leather and suede, seven Boston Acoustics premium speakers and a Visteon eight-channel DSP 360-watt amplifier. Pretty nice concept. Maybe ditch the doors. More pics and specs after the jump.
Press Release:
Powertrain Highlights:
- 2.4L Ecotec ported/tuned engine
- Hahn Racecraft 16G intercooled stage 3 turbo
- 348 horsepower
- 341 lb.-ft. of torque
- Gravana Custom 3-inch downpipe and center exit exhaust
- Spec stage 3 clutch kit
- Spec billet aluminum flywheel
Suspension Highlights:
- Gravana damping and height-adjustable coil-over-shock suspension
- Gravana front and rear stabilizer bars
Wheel/Tires Highlights:
- OZ Superleggera III wheels: 19- x 8.5-in front / 19- x 9.5-in rear
- Goodyear Eagle F1 tires: 245/40R19 (front); 285/35R19 (rear)
- Fit and installation by Tire Rack
Brakes:
- Gravana-Wilwood big brake kit
- Gravana stainless steel brake lines
Exterior/Interior:
- Gravana/GM Design body kit
- Gravana/GM Design rear center exit exhaust tips
- Gravana carbon fiber functional hood vent inserts
- Gravana carbon fiber rear deck lid
- VDI vertical door kit
- Gravana carbon fiber console and dash components
- Katzkin leather and suede seat covers and door panels
- Seven Boston Acoustics premium speakers with tweeters and subwoofers
- Eight-channel Visteon DSP 360-watt amplifier
- Installation performed by J&G Customs
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
felonious monk 6:13PM (11/02/2006)
Anyone else sick of the "lambo" doors?
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Tom Winch 6:23PM (11/02/2006)
Yep, the "lambo" doors have been way overdone! Here in L.A., riced out mid-90's Acuras & Hondas slammed way too low on rims way too big with lambo doors and a cheap aftermarket exhaust are a dime a dozen.
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retsel 6:34PM (11/02/2006)
its the stickers that make cars go faster...
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esprit 6:30PM (11/02/2006)
Those are some pretty strong numbers...so what do you think the 1/4 will be?
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ruggels 6:55PM (11/02/2006)
so if a 2.4l i4 putting out 348 hp is so much power for a 4 cylinder, where does that put the 400hp 2.0L GTI announced yesterday? Or the now ten year old 1.8l powerplant which regularly put out 340hp with various stage III kits offered by the likes of APR et-al?
It's a good comment you guys make though, per HP and displacement, I oft had the discussion when comparing my lowly jetta to a v6 mustang owned by a friend, both produce around 200hp (200 for the jetta, 210 for the 'stang, and the 'stang produces 40 more ft lbs of torque)... but i was just shocked, really, to hear a modern 4l engine producing so little power... especially in the aftermath of engines like that found in the S2000... I’m not super well versed on ford V6 architecture, not owning any ford products, but an increase in 1 liter of displacement to add only 40 ft lbs of torque? (mustang vs fusion) perhaps someone can explain this to me.
An even better question is why isn't GM offering a solstice producing 300hp? or an iteration of the engine some where producing 300hp? When the tuners got their mits on the 2.0T and chipped them to 240ish hp, vw was quick to respond with a 230hp variant from the factory (for the forthcoming anniversary edition GTI) and 260hp variant that'll be found in the S3... though rumors abound of the new TTs producing close to 300hp with the 2.0T, i'll be eager to see the actual specs. The point is, it's easy to single out a crap load of smaller, four cylinder engines from the european and japanese car companies producing amounts of power (in stock form as related with the honda and the current/new 2.0Ts both pre 230hp hike and post) we traditionally think of in regards to American V6s, and lots of after-market tuners routinely exceeding the hp we think of re: v8s, as this sky shows, or the GTI mentioned yesterday, or anything with a stage 3 1.8T...
Now that Ford and GM are starting to get their act together (Fusion, Aura, Solstice, Sky) it would be nice to see some viable 'modern' engines to compliment the more apt styling. take the Fusion for example, choosing an engine with a decent amount of push, 220hp, requires sacrificing 3 mpg, why? Why not maintain that 31mpg with a blown 4, sure it’s cheaper to just build a 3l v6, but if cheap sold, then we wouldn’t be seeing toyota continue to increase their sales even with higher and higher prices.
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Green Lotus Elise 6:56PM (11/02/2006)
About time we see a Sky with some power. I haven't driven one yet but I've seen enough numbers and "stoplight launches" to know that their power is nowhere near where it should be with the exterior styling.
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ruggels 7:08PM (11/02/2006)
#6, yeah pretty odd to see it loose 30hp and gain 2.5 seconds as it was translated from the VX220T to the SKY... man imagine that, the Sky with a mid mounted 200hp engine, hitting sixty in 4.7 seconds... the automotive press could nag gm all they wanted about the interior, a 0-60 1 second slower then the z06 would quell any complaints. Meh who would want to pay $25,000 for a roadster that hit sixty in 4.7 seconds, returned 30mpg in more fugal driving scenarios and could out handle most cars on the road?
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cFoo 8:19PM (11/02/2006)
Beautiful car. Yes, I'm sick of the lambo doors too. Please use your brain and be innovative.
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GhostDoggy 5:07AM (11/03/2006)
What exactly did that Stage III turbo upgrade cost? What percentage of the original car's cost did it represent? Is this a pearl necklace on pig concept? Enquiring minds want to know.
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Yo 1:57PM (11/03/2006)
#5... its called area under the curve. Sure the peak horsepower might be the same, but the power from idle all the way up to that peak power number is bigger with the increase in displacement.
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Lee Gibson 5:42PM (11/03/2006)
My favorite part is the "Katzkin Leather Interiors" stitching.
The fact that it's a homophone for "Cat Skin Leather Interiors" just makes me chuckle. Cat skin leather....HAH! I'm allergic to my car!
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Eric 4:51PM (12/02/2006)
#7...You said:
" the Sky with a mid mounted 200hp engine, hitting sixty in 4.7 seconds... the automotive press could nag gm all they wanted about the interior, a 0-60 1 second slower then the z06 would quell any complaints. Meh who would want to pay $25,000 for a roadster that hit sixty in 4.7 seconds, returned 30mpg in more fugal driving scenarios and could out handle most cars on the road?"
Where in the hell are you getting this information?? I drove the regular sky a few nights ago and it has a LITTLE more pep than my Cavalier Z24 (seeing as how it's the same engine)...about 6.7 seconds...the 260hp Redline is going to launch 0-60 in 5.5 seconds (same as the SRT-4)...not 4.7...wherever you got that info from, it's inaccurate. And also the $25,000 is bull - Redline starts at $29,000...mine almost fully loaded is already ordered at $32,000 and change...I don't know where you're getting that from but it's wrong bro.
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jaison72 4:13PM (12/18/2007)
i have a red line sky myself... i got it after i totaled my 350z..(not my fault)... for style and performance for the price , you can do no better!
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