I really like the Solstice/Sky twins, especially in GXP/Red Line guise. I think this is the kind of car GM needs to keep concentrating on and I really hope we get the chance to see a second generation. I've only had the opportunity to drive a base Solstice but I thought it handled very nicely and had loads of character. …
Automatic? Who's the bone head fleet manager who gives an automatic to press folks for a Sky Redline test car?!? I agree the interior has some ergonomic issues, but the powertrain and chassis make my mouth water!
This one was a stick. The other one we tested was a slushbox.
Our Saturn Sky Red Line test car arrived amidst some of the coldest temperatures Florida has seen. Speaking of lows, the car has debuted during some our country's most trying economic times. Perhaps the Sky is simply a victim of bad timing.
For the most part, it’s everything car enthusiasts have begged GM to deliver for eons: a small, simple, two-seat convertible that packs a big punch. The specs paint a rosy picture, as the turbocharged 260-horsepower engine is backed by a short-throw, five-speed transmission. Its 3000-pound curb weight is about ballpark for a small car today, too.
Perhaps best of all, there's no excuse for basing the car on an already existing chassis. Where glimpses of econobox DNA can be easily found in the del Sol and original MR2, the Sky and near-twin Pontiac Solstice get a nice, balanced rear-drive chassis.
The Sky Red Line and its mechanical twin, the Solstice GXP, only hit the scene last year, but they've wasted no time becoming the life of the party. Solstice GXPs swept the top three Touring 2 spots at the SCCA Runoffs and took third place at The Tire Rack Solo Nationals. Credit goes to big wheels and big torque.
If we could change anything, we'd go after some of the details. A folding hardtop Miata can have a real trunk, so why should the Sky lose all of its carrying capacity when the roof is stowed? Better rearward visibility would make driving in traffic a little more relaxed, and the turn signal's note shouldn't recall a 1978 Malibu.
We'd call this one a great racer that demands some compromises during the daily grind.
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