Are you ready for a 200 MPH Saturn!


July 11, 2003

In effort to show its serious about being a player in the sport-compact performance arena, General Motors and Saturn are planning to take a modified ION Red Line quad coupe with a supercharged 2.0-liter ECOTEC powerplant to the Bonneville Salt Flats in October. According to AutoWeek, the car will "compete in the GBFA category for gasoline-fueled, supercharged cars with some body alteration." Saturn will attempt run the car at up to 200 mph, beating the current 184 mph record held by the Vortech/Progress Honda Civic.

The ION is currently being tested in the wind tunnel where Saturn hopes to reportedly get a 25% gain in aerodynamic efficiency over factory ION quad coupes. Saturn is working with the So-Cal SpeedShop on the body modifications.

Source: AutoWeek

Check out this pick of it being tested in a wind tunnel http://www.saturnfans.com/photos/dat...onspeed-01.jpg

 

Looks like some kind of badass little miniature NASCAR racer

 

It does look like a mini nascar car. I like it.

Good Luck Saturn

 

Wouldnt that be interesting if NASCAR created a new series for all these small FWD cars.

It would be like the current Nascar but in 3/4 size

 

Good for Gm...........kind of odd looking though......

 

Go Saturn!

 

GM needs to make that body kit a factory option on the red line!

 

First thing I thought when I saw the pic as well.

NASCAR does have a sub-compact series called the Goody's Dash Series. The cars are small cars (ie Cavaliers, Sunfires and Celicas ) but they are RWD. Not very popular series as this is the last year. They used to race in Daytona during Speed Weeks. Pretty interesting race. They have quite a short wheelbase and if they got sideways almost always ended up on thier top! That was the big race for the series. They mostly run on short tracks. I think they even ran a Bristol.

 

Cool! Sounds similar to GMC's land speed record attempts with the Syclone over a decade ago. I hope the Saturn boys get a chance to apply what they learn, just as the Vette team has learned from their racing efforts.

 

I may be the only one, but I feel any Saturn going 200mph is kinda funny. Anything with the Saturn name other than the Saturn rocket has made me laugh when it has come to performance. Good luck to Saturn! Lets get one of these Ecotecs in the Cavi and Sunfire!

 

Very cool, good luck Saturn, hope u can do it!

 

Yeah... i don't think the world is ready for 200mph Saturns yet

Maybe they can base a Camaro and Firebird off of this Saturn




j/k

 

Holy **** GM built a car that isnt ugly (ex Aztek) I hope that thing kicks ***.

 

Nothing beats the Honda Element in terms of ugliness. As for the Saturn, 200mph is awesome. I just hope they make the car stronger so the person going 200mph can survive the crash when one of its wheels falls off

 

You know, there are Geo Metros running 200mph at the salt flats.