Shortly after exchanging vows, Dana’s husband started racing motocross, with the couple tearing up courses competitively in a Polaris side-by-side. Marrying her high school sweetheart, who just so happened to be a hardcore gearhead, only cemented this petrol-fueled passion, with the couple admittedly owning over 40 vehicles since 1985. The 50-year-old accounting manager tells us that her love for all things automotive began the moment she took ownership of her first ride, a Sky Blue 1966 Ford Mustang hard-top with shackled rear leaf springs and American Racing wheels.
Stacked atop sportier suspension and 18-inch alloys, with one-off interior touches and unique aero, manual models of the Saturn Sky Red Line remain one of the most virile roadster unicorns in automotive history.īackstory complete, and the Barlow’s desire for a Red Line version of the microscopic Saturn Sky justified, we turn toward Dana’s infatuation with driving fast.
Mated to a five-speed manual gearbox - an automatic slushbox was optional - the Sky Red Line allowed drivers to harness all of the control found within its torque-sensing, limited-slip differential, and couple it with GM’s StabiliTrak stability control system. Utilizing a boosted 2.0-liter Ecotec engine and generating a respectable 260 horsepower, this rear-wheel-drive rollerskate was just as performance-focused as it was obscure. With nary a blemish to be seen, and an asking price that was just as impressive, the two purchased the GM rarity and drove it back to Salt Lake City, unaware of the transformation it would someday see.įor those of you who are unfamiliar with the “Red Line” version of the Saturn Sky, rest assured that unlike modern GM “Redline” vehicles, this specialized model was way more than just an appearance package. So when a minty fresh, manually-equipped model popped up online with a meager 3,800 miles on the odometer, the couple immediately boarded a plane for Malibu, California to check it out in person. Inside special sport seats are thrown into the mix, while updated front and rear exterior fascias separate the standard car from this standout performer.When Dana Barlow’s husband, Jade, first unearthed their 2007 Saturn Sky “Red Line” in May of 2015, she could not have been more ecstatic.The Salt Lake City residents had been looking for a manual version of the GM two-seater locally for quite some time, with one option after another proving to be either overpriced or in piss-poor condition. A free-flow exhaust system reduces backpressure while improving the engine's go-fast sound. The suspension is reportedly track-tuned, and sports revised springs, shocks and bushings for more immediate turn-in and improved overall feel. The pumped up ION tromped on the old record set by a modified 2001 Honda Civic by a convincing 46.986 km/h (29.196 mph). While obviously not as robust as the Salt Flats special, the production ION Redline boasts a beefed-up close ratio 5-speed gearbox with a short throw shifter, putting power down to the front wheels to a set of 17-inch alloy rims and 45-series performance tires. The record-setting one-off Saturn is based on the new production ION Red Line quad coupe, a sport compact powered by a 200-hp supercharged 2.0-liter Ecotec 4-cylinder engine. No small feat, the pumped up ION tromped on the old record set by a modified 2001 Honda Civic by a convincing 46.986 km/h (29.196 mph).
Managing 342.282 km/h (212.684 mph), the Saturn, piloted by General Motors veteran and pro driver Jim Minneker, reached a record top speed for the G/Blown Fuel Altered class. General Motors veteran and pro driver Jim Minneker is congratulated by his crew after setting a new land-speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in a modified Saturn ION Red Line quad coupe Friday, October 17, 2003. In an attempt to massage peoples perceptions of the plebian brand General Motors took to Wendover, Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats on Friday, October 17, 2003, with a highly modified ION Red Line quad coupe, racing it into the record books in the process. What's the first automaker name that comes to mind? Saturn of course. Think about performance street cars and motorsport for a second. Production ION Red Line Due Out Early Next Year