Update: I didn’t keep the car. See the comments for the tragic end.
That’s right, I bought this. With only eighty-nine Hydro Blue Limited Edition Saturn Sky roadsters built, I had to. It’s exactly how I wanted it. Hydro Blue, automatic transmission, black top, and black interior.
And yes, it’s a Red Line. That means it competes head-on with the Porsche Boxster S of today – only at around one-third the price. I only wish I could have bought it new when it rolled off the GM Kappa manufacturing lines. This was one of the last Sky roadsters to be titled, so I’ve come as close as I could to that.
The Sky Red Line comes stock with 260 horsepower. However, GM offers a Stage 2 performance tune, which does not void the warranty. That makes 91 octane fuel mandatory, but pushes horsepower to 290. I’ve been told by multiple people that it’s really 300 horsepower, but GM didn’t want to have a turbocharged inline-four Ecotec engine match the horsepower of the 2010 Camaro V6.
From zero to sixty in five seconds flat, and less if you are willing to push it, it’s an amazing car. I’m honored to have one. Now I just need Bob Lutz to autograph it.
😀
Some wonder why, with my fierce support of Pontiac, that I would chose the Sky over the Solstice. Simple – now I have an excuse to own a Solstice Coupe down the road 😉
In closing, it took GM two decades to bring back a car reminiscent of the Fiero – a low-cost, fun-to-drive two-seater that wouldn’t undermine Corvette sales. I seriously hope two decades from now, I won’t be saying the same about how long it took for the Solstice and Sky to get a successor.
Very nice purchase!
I didn’t even know this car existed. Looks like it’s faster than my Cobalt SS/TC.
Only because of the weight, and Cadillac CTS-derived powertrain. It has the exact same engine, actually (Ecotec II – LNF).
The same Stage 2 performance tune applies to both cars.
Wait, so you’re saying that only 91 octane is required if you’re on the Stage 2 kit? I’ve been putting premium in my stock SS/TC. I live in NJ.
Becuase 91 octane is the maximum octane in some states like California, GM designed the Stage 2 tune to support 91 Octane. You may get some engine ping at 91 octane however.
I double checked with the technical docs, and it suggests “91+ Octane” – you probably are avoiding some ping, especially on very hot days, with 93. But for us in CA, it just isn’t an option. 91 is premium fuel out here. Mostly because of the California Air Resources Board (environmentalists), and their requirement for a perfume/special blend of fuel that is exclusive to California.
I haven’t tuned mine yet, it has been in the shop quite a bit for post-sale repairs (thankfully all under warranty). This may be the worst-cared-for Hydro Blue in the 89 built – but I’m determined to clean her up.
One station on my route has 100 octane, I may blend if I get ping.
Sadly, I didn’t get to keep this car.
During the CarMax warranty period, we discovered frame damage. CarMax tried to force me to sign a confidentiality agreement – which I refused, and ultimately caved to paying me back every penny…
… which, they were required to do per the (certified) car guarantees in the sales contract, so I’m disgusted that CarMax tried to pressure me to sign a confidentiality agreement.
I literally had to tell CarMax’s counsel that I was invoking binding arbitration if they refused to drop the confidentiality demand…
I actually just wanted CarMax to repair the frame, which even CarMax’s own frame shop said was “totally viable” and prudent. You could hear the anger in the CarMax brass’s tone when I informed them of this. They went from semi-pleasant, to downright jerks.
I tried to be reasonable with them… but in the end, they wouldn’t really negotiate in earnest on repairing the car, so I exercised the contract option, and off the car went back to them.
It has since traded hands several times, I’ve made a few offers along the way to buy it back.
My advice: Avoid CarMax of Roseville, CA… for all the reasons above.
I have the same car – bought new from South Carolina Saturn and brought it home to Canada 🙂
What do mean by frame damage? How did you find it? Love to hear some details… email me if you dont want to post it.
Daryl.
I discovered the frame damage when the car’s trunk flooded, for no apparent reason. Someone replaced all the body panels and didn’t straighten the frame.
They knew they had a 50-unit rare car (only 49 Red Line Hydro Blue units were built), and bent over backwards to hide the damage, without totaling the car.
Apparently after they couldn’t flip the car, it wound up at CarMax, which sold it to me… and then bounced right back to them after I found the damage.