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2004 SATURN ION 3 Red Line

Owner	JohnnyTurbo
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Vehicle	2004 SATURN ION 3 Red Line
Engine Type	4 Cylinder Forced Induction
Vehicle Class	Compact
Updated	04-25-2011 08:56 PM
Mileage	77,000 Miles
Price	$16,500.00 USD
Purchase Date	09-30-2004
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Description

Back in Sept of '04 I went out to go get a new Pontiac GTO, but the dealership just was being an ass about not giving us any money for our 2001 Savana Starcraft conversion van on trade in. Their offer was ridiculous, so I went down the road to the Saturn dealer and checked out the ION Red Line. We left the dealership with the car, no trade in and a smaller monthly payment that a GTO would have been.

I do not regret not getting the GTO because the Red Line is a really fun car to drive and it gets just short of 30 MPG in the summer and right now in the winter my tank fulls average 25 MPG. The insurance on the car is reasonable because of the plastic panels and it is technically listed as a 4 door. The car will do 140 MPH with no problem, I autocrossed it for 3 years and had it to several HPDE track days. it has been to FLorida about 5 times and running the car down the WV turnpike is second only to doing it in a VR4. It is my daily driver except for the days the snow is really deep, I still have summer tires on it and it sits on days where the roads aren't clear.

It dyno'd from the dealer at 216 FWHP, 200 FWTQ and does the quarter mile +- 14.50 sec @ 99.97 MPH. For those who don't know the car exists, here are the stats:
 2.0 L Supercharged ECOtec 4 cyl engine made in Germany by SAAB
 EATON M-62 Supercharger
 Laminova air to water intercooler
 GRETAG 5 speed w/ European gearing from SAAB
 RECARO leather seats, front and back
 4 wheel disc brakes
 17x7 light weight alloy wheels with 215.45.17 Dunlop Sport summer tires

Here is the story on the Red Line Edition

Saturn Ion Red Line
In production from 2004 through the 2007 Model Year, Saturn produced the Red Line Sport Compact/Factory Tuner variant of the Ion. Developed in coordination with the GM Performance Division and track tested at Germany's famous Nürburgring Nordschleife, the Ion Red Line featured a 2.0L LSJ Ecotec 205 hp (153 kW) engine with an Eaton M62 Roots type supercharger and an air-to-liquid intercooler. Also included was a stronger F35 5-speed manual transmission, pulled from GM Europe.

This engine/powertrain combination is also shared with the Chevy Cobalt SS Supercharged Edition, which did not start production until the 2005 model year. The Ion Red Line features most interior features from the standard Ion Coupe, including its rear suicide doors, to allow accessibility to the rear seat.
The Ion Red Line is an overlooked GM performance car, as the Saturn brand was not marketed as selling high performance vehicles. The Red Line claims a 0-60 mph time of 6.0 seconds, and a 1/4 mile time of 14.6 seconds. GM Performance re-tuned the Spring and bushing rates, and reduced the ride height by about 10mm, and added larger 4-wheel disc brakes. The car was also equipped with 17-inch forged alloy wheels and Dunlop Sport SP9000 215/45 tires, thicker performance sway bars, re-valved shock absorbers, and Recaro racing seats. The larger disc brakes made the Red Line capable of decelerating from 70 mph in 164 ft., what John Phillips of Car and Driver Magazine described as "Porsche territory".
Also included was a 2.25 inch exhaust system with a Chrome-tip pipe that allowed for a more aggressive exhaust note from the tailpipe and GM's OnStar System. The Ion Red Line was introduced with a base price of $20,950.
Introduced for the 2005 model year was the optional Competition Package. Included in the Competition Package were 17" Gunmetal Painted Alloy Rims, Ladder Tachometer w/ shift lights, a Limited Slip Differential, and Optional Projector-beam Fog Lamps. In mid-2006, GM released 2 Engine Kit upgrades for both the Ion Red Line and the Cobalt SS. The Stage 1 Kit retailed for around $500 USD, and included higher-flow fuel injectors and a recalibration to the ECU to increase the Horsepower by 31 hp to 236 hp and 205 lb.-ft. of torque, up from the stock 205 hp and 200 lb.-ft. The Stage 2 Kit retailed for around $750 and opens up the middle of the power curve to more power than the Stage 1 Kit alone. In addition to everything that the Stage 1 Kit comes with, the Stage 2 Kit includes a smaller drive belt and pulley for the supercharger, bringing the engine up to 241 hp and 218 lb.-ft. of torque. GM did release a Stage 1 to Stage 2 Upgrade kit that retailed for $400. This Upgrade Kit is for a Red Line with the Stage 1 kit already installed. This Upgrade Kit adds the Stage 2 elements and increases the horsepower from 236 hp to 241 hp.
On October 17, 2003 at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, the Saturn Ion Red Line , piloted by the GM Performance Division's "Saturn Land Speed Record Project" set a new land-speed record in the "G/Blown Fuel Altered" Class at 212.684 mph. This exceeded the previous record holder of 183.086 mph that was set in 2001.
Below are the Production Numbers for the Ion Red Line from 2004-2007.
Color.........2004...2005...2006...2007...Totals
Silver......... 831....353.....274....131....1589
Red........... None...286....260....116......662
Blue...........783.....478....189....134....1584
Black..........1012...395.....406....173....1986
Total..........2626..1512...1135....554....5827
Comp. Pkg........0....118... 641....337....1096