From: Justin Hughes <ka1ult@channel1.com>
>That's an excellent point, and quite true, I think. Look at Saturns, for
>example. The SC2 is a capable contender in ES, and has won on a national
>level. Here's the kicker. Look at the SL2 - you know, one of the grocery
>getter 4-door Saturns. Under the skin, it's just about identical to the
>SC2! (Saturn fans, I know there are a few minor differences, so don't
>bother correcting me - I'm keeping this simple.) The 4-door is slightly
>heavier, but not much. With a few stock legal mods, I believe an SL2 in
the
>right hands could be just as competitive as an SC2, while retaining a
>serious sleeper factor (handy for avoiding unwanted attention from cops and
>robbers).
>
>If I remember right, in the original design phases Saturn came up with a
>nice fast car, then toned it down quite a bit so the average consumer would
>buy it. Even then, some critics complained that the engines of the earlier
>4-doors were a bit too loud. This betrayed its more sporting roots
The early SL2 cars were indeed very sporty. In fact, the exhaust manifold
in 1991 and 1992 was nothing less than a 4-2-1 header. People often use
them on later cars for the better breathing. My wife's recently-acquired 92
SL2 is a very sporty machine. Of course, it has inherited the
"break-your-fingers" status heretofore enjoyed by here departed Syncro, so I
won't be autocrossing it soon. I have enjoyed giving it the odd "Italian
tune-up". In more recent times, Saturn has backed off on the sporting
suspension settings of the SL2. I suppose their market research told them
that people wanted the four-valves-per twink engines without the upgrade in
stiffness. Worse luck for people like us.
Note to Pat: Ask Bob what he thought about it after driving it.
Phil Ethier Saint Paul Minnesota USA
Lotus Europa, VW Quantum Syncro (SOLD), Saturn SL2, Chev Suburban
LOON, TCVWC, MAC
pethier@isd.net http://www.visi.com/mac/
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