Developed using data from racing programs, it employed a forged steel crankshaft, forged steel connecting rods, low-friction cast aluminum pistons with oil squirters, and sodium-filled stainless steel Inconel exhaust valves similar to those used found on the Corvette V8 powertrains. Even if this 2.0-liter seemed puny when compared to the V6 and V8 engines in GM’s portfolio, it was the perfect match for the Kappa platform. Like the GXP, the Red Line came with a longitudinally-mounted Ecotec LNF four-cylinder mated to either a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic. In many ways, these elements made the sky look like a baby Corvette, rather than a beaver, which was what the Solstice resembled when viewed from the front. The droopy headlights and the BMW-like kidney grilles from the Pontiac were replaced with sharper, more aggressive headlights, a slim chrome grille, and a vented bumper. Designed by Franz von Holzhausen (who would go on to stylize Tesla’s most popular models), the Solstice and the Sky shared the same general body shapes, yet the latter’s revamped front fascia looked way better. Mechanically, both models are virtually identical, but the exterior design is what sets them apart. However, the Red Line version was a different story since it offered more power and a host of exciting upgrades borrowed from the Solstice GXP. Based on the Kappa platform, it was basically a rebadged and slightly redesigned Pontiac Solstice, a model nominated for the North American Car of the Year and Design of the Year awards by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).Īs was the case with its sibling, the base trim was powered by a 177-hp naturally-aspirated inline-four that made it pretty dull. Once the financial crisis of 2008 hit, GM unsuccessfully tried to sell Saturn, and two years later it was dropped.īefore its untimely demise, the brand surprised everyone by releasing the Sky - its first and only sports car. From 2000, the brand expanded its portfolio with the Vue compact SUV or the Aura mid-size sedan, but overall sales didn’t improve. A few years later, cheap models like the S-Series started rolling out and although they were relatively popular, these cars never rose to the corporation’s expectations in terms of sales. Back in the mid-1880s when Japanese imports were taking the American automotive market by storm - particularly in the compact car market, General Motors launched a new brand called Saturn.
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