[PontiacJ8]

DETROIT - General Motors announced today that Saturn would add a sports car to its vehicle line-up in early 2006. The product will be built at its Wilmington, Del., manufacturing facility. Wilmington is also the future production site of the Pontiac Solstice. The Solstice and the new Saturn will be built on GM's new small car "Kappa" architecture.

"The future sports car will serve as a halo vehicle for Saturn," said Bob Lutz, GM Vice Chairman, Product Development, Chairman GM North America and Interim-President GM Europe. "This is a game-changer for Saturn. It is the first vehicle of its type for the growing brand and showcases a dramatic new styling direction."

 

[BigAls87Z28]

sweet, the curve is coming! Out of all the kappa's, I like the Saturn the best. Looks like Ill be holding off buying a solstice for a curve.

 

[cyboexpo2002]

Personally, I thought the front end was a little much. too many styling ideas clumped into one. Maybe I'll like the production version better.

 

[keyjack5024]

I don't think the Saturn two-seater will be the Curve but another model with a few cues from the Curve show car...(maybe GM will just redesign the front end)

 

[PontiacJ8]

Originally posted by keyjack5024@Mar 1 2004, 12:31 PM
I don't think the Saturn two-seater will be the Curve but another model with a few cues from the Curve show car...(maybe GM will just redesign the front end)

Who ever said anything about a two seater? :huh:

 

[cyboexpo2002]

Originally posted by PontiacJ8+Mar 1 2004, 06:11 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (PontiacJ8 @ Mar 1 2004, 06:11 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-keyjack5024@Mar 1 2004, 12:31 PM
I don't think the Saturn two-seater will be the Curve but another model with a few cues from the Curve show car...(maybe GM will just redesign the front end)

Who ever said anything about a two seater? :huh: [/b][/quote]
You thinkin' 2+2 coupe like me, PontiacJ8?

 

[BigAls87Z28]

I was under the impression that the Curve was a 2+2, like the Nomad. Both were on the longer wheelbase. This one needs to have a larger motor IMO if this is going to be the halo car. The weight of the car will reach above 3klbs and its gunna need a 250hp motor standard.

 

[tgagneguam]

I'm aware that bigals87z28 is tired of the badge-engineering/platforming-sharing talk (another thread), but to me Kappa is platform-sharing done right; so far, we have four very distinct vehicles (Saturn Curve, Chevrolet Nomad, Pontiac Solstice, and Vauxhaul Lightning(?)) in several layouts generally targeting different audiences but all made from the same platform.

I'm excited about this new architecture not necessarily for the precise vehicles that will be based on it but more for what it means in terms of differentiating GM's various brands using the same underpinnings. It's cash savings where it counts (some of the "innards") while spending money on differentiation where it matters (the carriage and engine). Oh my, the old dog can be taught new tricks!

 

[killerrd2]

tgagneguam,

Here-here!! Couldn't have said it better.

I think if GM can get this right (Kappa) and apply it across the board, we - the buying public - can only benefit.....and of course GM's pockets will bulge!!

 

[lio45]

Originally posted by tgagneguam@Mar 1 2004, 02:40 PM
Oh my, the old dog can be taught new tricks!

I hope so. The Uplander/Montana/Terrazza/Relay show the old dog hasn't really been able to get rid of its old bad habits yet.

 

[nsap]

Sweet.... Maybe Saturn's future is going to get brighter after all!!!

 

[paul8488]

hmmm... i'm not very optimistic... halo cars help brands to draw attention to their mainstream models... but what does saturn want the spotlight on? the ion? might not be as bad as it's sad reputation thus far, but it's no shining star. L-series? it's being canned very shortly. i think it mighta died... and just wasn't told yet. vue? red-line sounds cool enough, but overall it's not a very exciting vehicle. relay? ha! 'nuff said.

so unless saturn adds some decent hardware to their showroom, the curve (or whatever sports car they build) won't help them much. sure, they'll sell a few and make a few bucks, but i don't think that's the solution. still, perhaps it's better than nothing at this point.

 

[GM-10]

My sources indicate and press sources indicate that the curve was just a teaser and that another concept due out some time this spring will actually showcase Saturns actual direction in the form of another sports car...read dramatic.

 

[CaveTroll15]

I agree with Tgagneguam. . . The Kappa cars have shown the proper way to share platforms. As long as all of the vehicles from the platform in question ONLY SHARE THE PLATFORM, not the sheetmetal, and the headlights, and the seats, and the instruments, and the guages, and the. . . . . . .
When GM does this (CSV's, Envoy quintuplets, etc) it just makes all of them look like ain:

 

[coolcaddy]

I've always thought that a roadster was hopelessly out of step for a brand like Saturn, which attracts folks with its no-nonsense/reliable transportation image.

Now that they're going to go through with it, I wonder if this is one of those "so crazy, it just might work" ideas. This particular car stands out, giving Saturn something so unique that it may be enough to grab the attention of Honda and Toyota buyers who wouldn't give Saturn a second thought.

...you might say that Lutz is trying to throw the imports a Curve.

Anyway, as a happy Saturn owner, I'm not sure what to make of this.

 

[noremedy]

any word on what variation of the ecotec its going to get???They got the looks on these cars i hope they get there handling and stuff like that done right as well

 

[gmlinedog]

They told us on Monday that it would be a 2 seater based on the Solstice and not the Curve.

 

[AMcA]

Does anyone have a link to the press release or a report of same?

I'm with somebody further up this thread: a Saturn ought to be a useful car, not a 2+2 or a roadster. A little wagon, two-box kind of design. Like the Nomad.

I sure hope this announcement of a Saturn Kappa-car without mention of the Nomad does not bode ill for the Nomad. OK, I'm just being paranoid, but I love that Nomad SO much.

 

[BigAls87Z28]

Originally posted by gmlinedog@Mar 2 2004, 11:56 PM
They told us on Monday that it would be a 2 seater based on the Solstice and not the Curve.

the curve is based of the Solstice. I hope they make a 2+2 like the concept... and it has major power to back it up... upwards of 250 supercharged ecotec.

 

[pkd87]

The sports car might not look like the curve. I recall earlier that Lutz said that the design of the curve is not the new styling direction for saturn (even though i like it) and this production sports car is so...