The Saturn Curve Was A Supercharged Sports Car Concept Aimed At Younger Gearheads
Just mentioning General Motors' defunct Saturn brand is enough to bring a tear to the eye of all but the most stoic of automotive historians. In the early 1990s, the brand was fresh and fun, offering new models not based on any other General Motors platform, something unheard of today. The brand was not long for this mortal world however, and was axed by General Motors in 2010 along with Pontiac.
Towards the end of the Saturn's life, its models lost the originality that made them cars so exciting in the beginning. The brand started borrowing components from other GM models and what started with ever so slightly quirky cars to sad rehashes of mid-tier GM sedans. But in the world of concept vehicles, Saturn didn't go down without a fight. In 2004, Saturn debuted the Curve concept, a sleek roadster that looked quite unlike not only every Saturn, but every car in GM's stable. Under its compact and sporty exterior, the Curve's powerplant was the real star of the show.
The roadster that never was
The Saturn Curve was equipped with a supercharged 2.2-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine, similar to what is found in the Chevy Cobalt SS (via Jalopnik). Typically, superchargers are used on big V8s muscle cars like the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and not a small four-cylinder in a roadster. According to Car and Driver, the engine managed to put out 200 hp with the help of forced induction. The concept's official weight is lost to history, but that power in a little sportscar is nothing to scoff at. Combine that with 14-inch brake rotors and rear-wheel drive, and you have what could have been a fun ride. The Curve, if it was to ever see production, was aimed at a younger demographic who didn't want to drive the land yachts and unrefined muscle cars from previous generations (via Car and Driver).
The Curve's flashy appearance was courtesy of designers from the company formerly known as Saab, which was then owned by General Motors. The Curve debuted at the North American International Auto show (via Car and Driver). It, along with the Pontiac Solstice and Chevy Nomad, were the three cars built on the rear-wheel drive Kappa platform from GM, which were all introduced at the same show.