It looks like if Bugatti made a small entry level car.
At the 2004 North American International Auto Show, Saturn debuted two sports car concepts based on GM’s new Kappa Platform. One was the concept for the open-top Sky—which later went into production—and the other was this, the hardtop Curve.
Designed by Michael Mauer, head of design at Saab at the time, the Curve was powered by a supercharged 2.2-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine that was said to be able to produce over 200 horsepower and more than 200 lb.-ft. of torque. Gear changes were possible through a Getrag-sourced five-speed manual transmission.
Other notable features included a wooden center console, a gated shifter, 20-inch wheels and a “floating” roof design with a wraparound glass canopy.
Would the supercharged, fixed-roof Curve have been more desirable than the open-top Sky that did go into production?
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I want more gated shifters to make it from concept into production. I fully get why not, but I love them dammit.
They were very wise not to have taken that to market. When they did offer a coupe version of the Kappa it looked one heck of a lot better than that! I suspect that they might have eventually brought out a Saturn version if GM hadn't gone off the rails just weeks after the Solstice coupe hit the dealers
At least their prototype for a Saturn Nomad was less lumpy, but I think it was a good idea to shelve that one too.
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