Autoblog

The ruthless pruning continues, with GM Inside News reporting that the rear-wheel-drive Kappa II platform has gone to heaven before ever touching this mortal coil. Back in 2004, a vehicle line executive said "The Kappa architecture is a great platform for sporty, driver-oriented applications around the globe." Apparently, not one for which GM could make enough different models to actually earn some money.

Reasons for the sequel platform's demise are allegedly that the first hydra-formed Kappa is just too expensive to fabricate; the cars based on it use expensive, hydra-formed parts; assembly requires inordinate amounts of human labor; and GM didn't make its money back fast enough to justify the investment in a new RWD – read: thirstier – platform.

The current Kappa's suspension and design geometry aren't shared with any other car;, the platform was created to accept one engine, the Ecotec 4-cylinder; and it served under only four varieties of the same car: the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, Daewoo G2X and Opel GT. It was a lot to ask such a limited platform to achieve the volume's GM needed with cars on expensive underpinnings that didn't demand expensive prices. And if the rumors are true, then your Solstice GXP could be worth more than you expected, and sooner than you expected.

[Source: GM Inside News]

GM is working hard to ensure that its newest automotive division, Saturn, is considered cool, hip and edgy. In this day and age, that means the interwebs, specifically a blog and social networking site. According to a post by Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak on GM's FastLane blog, www.ImSaturn.com will feature news about Saturn along with photos and videos you haven't seen anywhere else. Like other social networking sites, you can join in on the fun by starting or joining groups where people with like-interests gather together and talk. The first 400 members get a free t-shirt, but if you want one you'd better hurry 'cause there are already 300-plus members.

What uber-hip marketing strategy would be complete without internet speak? Saturn's got that covered too. I M Saturn and U R 2!

[Source: I M Saturn]

Click for high-res gallery of Super Sky shots from SEMA

Although it was already shown at the Sport Compact Performance show in Montreal a couple of weeks ago, this funky Canadian-built Saturn caught our eyes here in Las Vegas. This "Top Tuner" Saturn "Super" Sky is like no other Saturn we've ever seen. First of all, it's mid-engined. Second of all, that engine happens to be a Corvette LT-1 V8. What started out as a Saturn Sky now resembles something that could be an Exige or Cayman fighter. Perhaps a little too flashy for our tastes done up as a show car, you can see in profile especially that this could make a very appealing production Saturn. Perhaps it's what the Sky should have been all along. The V8 might be a bit much, but a mid-mount V6 sounds just about perfect. Granted this wasn't even an official Saturn project, but we like the concept. It was said that 10,000 man hours were spent stretching the frame, redoing all of the bodywork and creating that unique center-mount, single seat interior. We say nicely done.

Sometimes news is just too good to keep to yourself. Just ask GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz. With his company supposedly claiming 13 spots on Edmund's Consumers' Most Wanted list, Lutz just had to brag a bit on the corporate blog before the winners were made public.

And he should brag. Most other car of the year awards are chosen by us automotive writers who usually prefer horsepower over hip room. As the name implies, Edmund's CMW awards are chosen by the car-buying public. And despite not voting with their wallets, the car-buying public who visits Edmund's really like their GMs.

The GMC Acadia got Most Significant vehicle of the year, beating out Honda's Fit, the Toyota Camry Hybrid, the Ford Edge and the Toyota Tundra.

Click through to see Edmund's press release as well as the other category winners.

[Source: Edmunds, GM FastLane Blog]

Click photo for gallery with 54 additional hi-res images

Badge-engineering is a two-way street when it comes to the relationship between Saturn and Opel. While we're eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Saturn Astra, our friends across the pond are welcoming the new Opel GT (née Saturn Sky Redline) to the party.

We had a Sky Redline in the Autoblog Garage a few weeks ago (review in the works), and as such can tell our European friends that they're in for one seriously fun (though astonishingly impractical) ride. The only major changes involve badging, the taillamps and the grille trim, and honestly, that's fine. The Sky's looks are A-OK in our book, and since it's based on a Vauxhall concept in the first place, we're confident the folks on the Continent will be happy with its appearance as well. We do feel terribly for the Brits, who, in a cruel twist, won't get a Vauxhall version.

In any case, we're BIG fans of this whole international "sharing the wealth" thing when it comes to product. Ford, please hurry. Less of this, more of this and this, OK?

(Press release after the jump.)



[Source: Opel]

There are a handful of things that have kept the Solstice and Sky off our list of favorite sports cars. The Red Line and GXP versions went a long way towards addressing many of those concerns. There remain, however, some infuriating little details that seem to want to ruin the whole experience for you. Well, GM is listening to owners' complaints and is making small changes ro rectify the problems. Rather than wait until the new model year, the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice are getting "continuous changes" such as a power door lock button and an electronically height-adjustable driver's seat.

The need for a lock button might sound a little odd in such a small car, but the fact it's been addressed may explain how maddening the absence has been. Previously, a driver and passenger in either car had to reach behind themselves to lift the actual lock up to unlock the doors. This was after the cars had automatically locked the doors for them when the car reached 10 mph or so. Not too tricky, it might seem, but pulling the door handle didn't release the lock from the inside like many other cars do. The ensuing little twist and pull needed to free yourself was made even more difficult by the fact that the cockpit, while roomy for a roadster of this type, didn't allow a lot of body movement. And so the need for the button.

The seat adjuster also seems like a no-brainer in such a low-to-the-ground car with a high sill and cowl. Occupants of less than average stature were left to find phonebooks to sit on. Not sure why a power lift was needed instead of a manual one, but the adjuster is now on every Sky/Solstice rolling out of the plant. These two and a whole cartload of other little details changes have been made and another list of future modifications are already being looked at. Our vote for the next most frustrating bit to be changed are the cupholders. During anything approaching spirited driving, an average sized adult will have the cupholder pop open from the central tunnel at least once every 5 minutes and the temptation to just snap it off and be done with it is rather high. Even if it was somebody else's Sky.

[Source: Straightline]

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.

The Saturn Sky is a great-looking, powerful, and immensely desirable American roadster. The Sky Red Line takes all of that goodness and infuses it with 260 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque via a 2.0L turbocharged Ecotec four. That's good for a 5.5-second 0-60 time and a 13.9-second quarter mile.

Best of all? The price of entry is a very reasonable $27,895. Given the high desirability and limited availability of the Red Line, don't be surprised to see dealer markups that will bump that number up -- in some cases, significantly.

If you can get your hands on one for MSRP, it's not like you're getting a stripper, either. A/C, traction control, OnStar, Stabilitrak, and Bilstein coilovers are among the goodies that make the standard equipment list.

Saturn dealers are taking orders now. What are you waiting for?

Update: It should be noted that Saturn's GM, Jill Lajdziak, has been emphatic in stating that dealer markups will not be tolerated on the Sky and Sky Red Line. You may need to wait, but you won't pay more.

(Press release after the jump)

[Source: GM]

General Motors' Bob Lutz has high expectations for Saturn this year -- he says it will be the company's hottest brand. While Chevrolet should see the biggest growth in terms of overall units, Lutz says that the company's floundering progeny from Spring Hill will represent GM's highest percentage of growth thanks to new models like the Sky roadster and Aura sedan. Saturn sales were up 1.2 percent through April over the same period in 2005.

[Source: Automotive News via AutoWeek]

Never thought we'd see the Saturn Sky rebadged as a Daewoo, but that day has come. Enter the G2X roadster, intro'd at the Busan Motor Show. Like the Sky and the Solstice, Daewoo is using the vehicle as a halo and a way to lure in some younger buyers as it narrows the gap between it and Kia Motors. This, in addition to Opel's version of the Sky sold in Europe as the GT and perhaps a Holden model to be sold sometime in Australia (or so we assume) officially makes the Sky a world car.

[Source: Edmunds InsideLine]