Rate It: The Curve Concept Was Like a Supercharged, Hard-Top Saturn Sky

Colin
By Colin Wood
Nov 26, 2020 | Saturn, Rate It, Curve, Sky

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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Comments
NickD
NickD UltimaDork
11/5/20 8:21 a.m.

It looks like if Bugatti made a small entry level car.

Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter)
Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
11/5/20 9:17 a.m.
NickD said:

It looks like if Bugatti made an RX-8.

 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ PowerDork
11/5/20 9:27 a.m.

Sure looks a lot like the Saab Aero X concept, but uglier:

buzzboy
buzzboy Dork
11/5/20 2:16 p.m.

I want more gated shifters to make it from concept into production. I fully get why not, but I love them dammit.

PatrolHead
PatrolHead
11/5/20 6:04 p.m.

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

Both were owned by GM :)

wspohn
wspohn Dork
11/6/20 10:47 a.m.

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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