![]() Also standard were Saturn’s flexible, dent-resistant and rust-proof body panels. A five-speed manual was the only transmission choice, and further indicative of Saturn’s seriousness with this car was the standard fitment of very supportive Recaro sport seats. The aptly-named Red Line boasted a supercharged 2.0-liter inline four with a robust 205 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. The following year things got very interesting for driving enthusiasts with the introduction of the Red Line performance version of the Ion coupe. The coupe version was called the “Quad Coupe” due to its pair of small, reverse-opening rear doors that made access to the rear seat much easier. Introduced for 2003, Saturn’s Ion model was produced through 2007. It’s at a dealership in New York, and it’s priced at just $4995. Once Reuss’ gearheads finish their fine-tuning, look for the results of Saturn’s ’Ring running at dealerships by next spring, priced competitively against Ford’s SVT Focus and Dodge’s SRT-4, both of which start at less than $20,000.SeptemBy John DiPietro Rare 2004 Saturn Ion Red Line Quad Coupeįor September 29, 2021, our used car find is this rare (fewer than 6000 produced over four model years) 2004 Saturn Ion Red Line. A 2.2-inch chromed-tip exhaust tube and the choice of rear-wing style, modest or not so modest, dresses up the exterior. Another welcome change is a pair of black Recaro buckets occupying the cabin. Disc brakes are mounted all around, instead of the rear drums used on the standard Ion. The Performance Division reworked the springs, shocks and bushings, lowered the vehicle slightly, and upgraded the rear suspension and rear axle to bias the driving experience in a track-worthy direction. He says a “driver’s wheel” replaces the Ion’s standard miniature plate, and equal-length half-shafts reduce the front-driver’s tendency to torque steer. ![]() Although the vehicle keeps the oft-criticized electronically assisted steering rack, Reuss says his performance-minded tuners significantly adjusted steering calibration toward more aggressive driving. The Ion Red Line carries a load of track-bred changes, including a heavy-duty five-speed with a short-throw shifter. ![]() Output should be about 200 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. Its Eaton supercharger, coupled with an intercooler, is capable of 12 pounds of boost. The 2.0-liter carries lower-compression pistons and other parts more suited for supercharging than the standard Ion’s 2.2-liter four. While Dodge turbocharged its econobox to 215 horses, GM will supercharge a 2.0-liter four now used in Europe, primarily because supercharging-though more expensive-offers strong low-end power often lost in turbocharging, says Performance Division chief Mark Reuss. (Stefan Bellof’s time of 6:11 in 1983 driving a Porsche 956 is the track record.) Last check, Saturn’s testers did Nürburgring’s 14-mile-plus Nordschleife circuit in just more than nine minutes in the Red Line prototype-about a half-minute better than non-performance cars need to get around the circuit’s 33 left turns, 40 right turns and 170 bends. Reason to get it right the first time around. This supercharged prototype signals what to expect from the General in the future.Īdding heat to the project, a similar Chevy and Pontiac based on this Red Line project should come shortly after the next generation of those cars goes on sale. To GM’s Performance Division, running the ’Ring is the price of admission into an American tuner party at which GM’s factory presence is nil.Īt least until now.
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