Ion Red Line is a sports car in disguise

It's no secret that most people dread shopping for a car. There are exceptions, of course, like me and my gearhead friends. To us, nothing is more fun than a day of tire kicking, peering under hoods, and getting down on one knee to read the fine print on the sidewalls.

But most folks dread the experience -- which is why Saturn was invented. According to GM's own literature, Saturn dealers are continually finding ways to make buying and servicing a vehicle more pleasant. In addition to the no-hassle, no-haggle sales policy, many Saturn retailers offer family-room-style waiting areas, computer terminals and children's play areas. Then there's their remarkable no-dent polymer bodyside panels and their astounding vehicle exchange program, which states, "within the first 30 days or 1,500 miles of delivery, whichever comes first, the original purchaser may exchange his or her Saturn vehicle if not completely satisfied É for another 2005 Saturn vehicle."

I'm sure there's some fine print on that program, too, but still, that's quite a warranty, and one that should close the deal for a lot of car shoppers. But if you assume that Saturn just produces boring, utilitarian vans and family sedans, you would be wrong. There's a hot little number called the Ion Red Line that's tuned for excitement, and another one called "Sky"-- with a rag top and two seats -- that will be available soon.

My spiffy red Ion was parked in a glassed-in, indoor delivery area at a local dealership, right in front of a cute receptionist. She hit the garage door button as I engaged the starter and the supercharged 4-cylinder engine barked to life. Glancing down at the heavy-duty five-speed gear shifter, I selected reverse gear, but it wouldn't engage. I pushed down on the lever and tried again. I pulled up on it and tried again. I felt eyes staring at me. I pushed, pulled, tugged, and twisted, but the lever was determined to embarrass me. So I cranked the steering wheel as far as it would go to the left, and slowly inched the car out into the sunshine using first gear.

There's a reverse lockout feature on the Getrag manual transmission that requires lifting up on an inconspicuous little ring that hides below the gearshift knob. C'mon GM, what happened to the macho-looking chrome trigger that you used to put on Corvettes? That would have been the icing on the cake for a little hot-rod that will do zero to sixty in just a tad over six seconds! With sticky performance tires, a sport-tuned suspension, and a dozen other go-fast modifications, a hunky-looking gear shifter would fit right in.

There are actually three Ions -- the Ion sedan, the Quad Coupe and the Red Line. The sedan looks about as you would expect a compact econo-sedan four-door to look. The Quad Coupe is different, with a sleeker looking front end and two hidden rear-seat access doors that open backwards, like those on an extended cab truck, or a Honda Element. The Mazda RX-8 sports car uses the same setup, and it makes loading the rear seat a breeze. It is this platform that the Red Line is built on, and as you would expect, transforming a Quad Coupe into a performance car takes extensive modifications, a task akin to converting a Silverado into a Corvette.

Starting with the engine, the all-aluminum Ecotec four-cylinder is reduced in displacement from 2.2 liters to 2.0 liters and a Roots-type supercharger is bolted on, along with a high-flow exhaust and an inner cooler. Horsepower jumps from 140 to 205, and torque goes from 145 pound-feet to 200. The engine now screams, hitting 60 mph in 6.1 seconds, 2.3 seconds quicker than a regular Ion. And the power is still smooth and predictable, unlike the turbo-charged four bangers of yesterday, which could be difficult to drive smoothly. Those numbers are slower than the Dodge SRT-4's, but quicker than most cars at this price point.

Shifts are direct and require a light touch, but the clutch takes some getting used to. A salesman warned me that it's easy to stall the engine, and he was right. The clutch effort isn't high, but the engagement zone is narrow, and I recommend you practice in the parking lot before picking up your friends. The Red Line's gauge cluster is in an odd place in the center of the dash, where it takes some getting used to. But the oddest sensation is at night, when you look directly out through the windshield without the familiar glow of gauges at the bottom of your peripheral vision. The view of the road is great, but it's hard to shift your eyes to the right to see how fast you shouldn't be going!

The Red Line begs to be driven fast. It loves to corner. Watch out, Mini Cooper S drivers! Chassis alterations that stiffen the strut-front and torsion-beam-rear suspensions keep the car under control without sacrificing ride quality. It rides on Dunlop high performance 17-inch tires and you sit in expensive leather-accented Recaro sport seats. The Red Line is nicely equipped with power accessories, a six-disc CD system, air conditioning, and the rear seatbacks split 60/40.

My Red Line listed for $22,875 and is rated for 23-mpg/city and 29-mpg/highway. I hated to take it back to the dealer, and now I understand how GM can offer that remarkable return policy!

Steve Robertson of Robertson's Creative Photography is a car enthusiast and former staff writer/photographer for the Southeast Missourian. Contact him at sjr1@robertsonsphotography.com.