Excellent report Stratos!
It's a beautiful car, and I was hoping you'd get the Red Line for the test drive.
The general opinion from reviewers is that while the 2.4 litre engine is a softy (the suspension isn't great either), the 2.0 litre turbo, with it's 260bhp and sport-suspension is much better.
How about the build quality - interior and exterior? While Saturn is trying hard to go upscale by rebadging Opel's (Vauxhall's), I wonder if they've managed to improve the quality. Quality, if not up to the mark, will be a major deterrent in anyone considering buying this car.
They have to match up to the Mazda MX-5 Miata if they plan to grab a share of the market. Even with only 166bhp, the MX-5 still is the undisputed king of the affordable sports-car segment - mainly due to it's handling prowess.
While I love the shape and looks, I'm not a big fan of the chrome accents. In this segment, if I can help it, I'd prefer staying away from an automatic.
A V8, in a Saturn!? Why not! It's American - they love their V8's. Here's someone who'll do it for you ->
Mallett Cars, Ltd., and it won't cost you a whole lot.
Personally, I'd prefer a nice BMW sourced straight-6 under the hood, with a Lotus tuned chassis.
@flyingspur: Yes, it would resemble the Vauxhall VX220 (or Opel Speedster) because it's design is based on that car.