Well, it’s the month of may, and to me and every other racing fan on the planet, that means the Monaco Grand Prix, the Nurburgring 24 hours, and of course, the Indy 500. And right on cue, and no doubt much to the dismay of his competitors, Roger Penske, The Captain as he is known, puts his two cars at one and two on the grid.

Penske will be going for an unprecedented FIFTEENTH win at the speedway, but while poking around for info on the upcoming race, I came across this odd little rumor that seems to be gaining traction: Roger Penske might buy Saturn from General motors.

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According to an interview with Automotive News, Troy Clarke, GM’s North American president, General Motors will keep its promise to Congress to drastically cut costs AND brands. Clarke said that GM will now focus its “product and marketing resources” on Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC.

That means Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and HUMMER face an uncertain future at best, or the chopping block for sure. HUMMER will most likely be sold off or cut entirely (a 60+% drop in sales can do that for a division). Saab probably faces the same fate. GM said it would sell or close Saturn. Since no one has yet stepped forward with cash, or even interest in Saturn, their future is not at all certain. So the rumors that Saturn would be folded in with Chevy or possibly Pontiac seem to be untrue.

Speaking of Pontiac, Bob Lutz said to Automotive News that Pontiac will shrink to offering only four models: the G8, G5, Vibe and Solstice. This news jives with what GM said to congress about making Pontiac a niche brand.

So, it looks like severe times are indeed ahead for what was once the largest, greatest car company on the planet. But let’s get serious for a second … after the jump.

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Happy Fourth of July to all you car buffs out there!

Since the Fourth of July is a celebration of America and all things American (except maybe gas prices), I’ve put together this little Fourth of July Special, an article dedicated to all American cars. I actually got the idea from Car and Driver, and you can see their article here. Anyway, this is compromised of what I believe are the current finest examples of the American automobile. Not all are in production, but those that aren’t will be. I chose these cars because they herald the new “era” of the Big Three, , who are just beginning to make cars that you actually want. So if you’re a car buff and you love your country, this might just make you proud to be an American again, and just in time for the Fourth of July. And if you aren’t American, these cars might just make you wish you were.

You might not agree with all the choices, and if there is a car you disagree with or if there is one you think should be on the list, any and all comments are welcome. Keep in mind that this is just my opinion of cars that have that good ol’ American feel— and make me proud to be an American. Continue Reading…

You know, Saturn isn’t known for exciting sports cars, rather, they’re known for boring, slow, family-oriented sedans. The Sky, however, is a real cool looking sports car that has none of the boring attributes associated with the Saturn name.

It’s a rather new model, introduced in 2007 along with the more powerful Sky Red Line. While nothing has changed for 2008, the Sky Red Line still remains the best looking sports car under 30 grand.

It was designed to be and is GM’s first relevant answer to the Mazda Miata that stole so many hearts. Sort of. While I grant that it outshines the Miata in every visual and performance aspect, for a cheap roadster competitor, it doesn’t carry a cheap price. Just another example of one of GM’s numerous bad decisions. In fact, it is so overpriced that there are so few of them that the Miata doesn’t really need to worry at all.

That’s ’cause it costs around 25 large, and the better Red Line version is around $27,000, but options can easily send it over 30 K. But enough of price. Now to performance: Continue Reading…

The Santa Clarita, California based tuner Gravana will be realeasing an official GM-approved Saturn Sky that pushes out 300hp. Gravana has already played around with the Chevrolet Cavalier, Cobalt and Pontiac GTO, as well as the Saturn Ion and the Sky’s less attractive cousin, the Pontiac Solstice.

The car will debut at SEMA, and from what i gather, this is basically just a move from GM to try and get Saturn noticed by the aftermarket crowd. You can’t really blame them, the Sky is the first “exciting” Saturn ever made, they should get it noticed.

Officials say the car will include a ground effects kit, full bumper body kit, carbon fiber engine cover, stainless air intake system, header and exhaust, coil-over suspension, sway bars, and heat extractor hood. That Photoshop-red paint will also be replaced with an off-line shade that, we’d imagine, uses real paint.

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