The Saturn Sky Redline has fallen through the cracks as a solid performance roadster. Sharp styling, room for two, great handling and it’ll go from 0-60 mph in 5.8-seconds. More than a decade ago it always caught my eye and that notion continues today. This isn’t my revisionist history, that is usually reserved for my opinions on Nevada Wolf Pack basketball, but my sentiments were shared by greater minds.
“When you consider that the Sky is also a competent and sporty ride at a reasonable price, it emerges as a viable alternative to the convertible Mini and Miata,” Edmonds noted in a 2009 review of the Sky Redline. “As with the previous year, the mild base model is offered alongside the extra-spicy Sky Red Line.”
A two-seat roadster with 260bhp should be revered, or least acknowledged more often, but past foibles that include overlooking a great alternative to the Miata can get rectified.
The Pick of the Day is a 2009 Saturn Sky Redline listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Kentwood, Michigan. (Click the link to view the listing)
Finished in Chili Pepper, this Saturn Sky has a more distinct profile and style than its main competition, the Mazda Miata. It stands to reason that you’ll get a double take when driving a Sky, or at least the occasional inquiry on who made this roadster. The black interior has leather bucket seats with special embroidery, a special leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, and stainless steel pedals.
Aesthetics aside, the Sky can perform with its 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine with a factory-rated 260bhp and 260 pound-feet of torque when new. While not necessary a ¼ mile demon, the Sky was built for cornering and spirited driving on twisty two-lane road in the hills.
“The Red Line had a standard torque-sensing limited-slip differential, standard StabiliTrak stability control, and an enhanced sport suspension over the standard Sky (available as a dealer-add-on for regular models),” the listing states.
The selling dealer is asking $24,900 for this 2009 Saturn Sky Redline with 19,303 original miles. The pictures indicate that it’s a clean and well-maintained vehicle, and with a lot of horsepower under the hood it’s a proper rear-wheel drive roadster.
Maybe it’s time to make amends for this overlooked performance roadster.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
The Saturn Solstice and the Pontiac version are great handling and performing little pocket rockets. I especially like the coupe version. It is akin to the Jaguar E Type coupe and the roadster. They were both beautiful cars. And 260 h.p. in the turbo version was right up there with the 265 h.p. 3.8 and 4.2 XKE s outstanding DOHC 6 cylinder. I will acquire one of these GM sports cars as I did when I nought my e types.
I didn’t realize they were available in anything but a soft top. But even then…..I thought they’d sell like hotcakes. Didn’t happen, but I’d still like to own one. Who knows….maybe some day I will ?!
I know the Pontiac Solstice had a coupe version but I don’t remember seeing a coupe version of the Saturn Sky. Was it a limited run?