It's a name that, despite the existence of magazines like this one, doesn't always pop into most people's minds when they think performance. It retains a celebrated and devoted cult following among perfomance enthusiasts, despite relative mainstream acceptance of the marque as an economy car. Tons of examples are available for purchase this very second, either dealer-fresh or with a ton of mileage. Sound like the Honda Civic? Could be. But it's not.
Well, why not? GM's stepchild brings a few goodies to the table, you know. Step beyond the usual "it looks cool" considerations that make the sheepish masses flock to the altar of the big chrome H, and the Saturn's specs seem decent right out of the box: 1.9L in twin-cam form is something to work with, certainly. Plus, anyone who wants to swap body panels can have a field day (the same plastic-skin over metal-skeleton concept has helped make the Pontiac Fiero top choice among kit-car builders) so bodykit concepts and styling choices are theoretically unlimited. Imagine taking this one to the family picnic in Spring Hill, Tennessee? Heads would explode. If only there were a market.
Well, there is. At least, Micah Burpo of CWC Motorsports hopes so. There is a small but growing number of modifications that can be made to the old 1.9L, and Micah has emptied his shop's bag of tricks into his daily-driver '97 SC2 to show them all off. CWC are Saturn specialists, see, and the goal is to upset the Honda status quo in favor of some American-sourced steeler, reaction-injection molded plastic. If nothing else, it's a glorious look into the possibilities for those of us who refuse to tithe to our friends across the sea.
Most of the mechanical basics translate across brand lines: bigger sway bars, massive rim-and-rubber combos, and slammin' stances aren't Honda exclusives, by any means: they tighten up the handling (and, if you're smart, help dial out some of the chassis' inherent understeer) of any ride you choose to diddle with. Lots of it is simple engineering-for instance, stiffer motor mounts mean that, instead of thrashing around in the engine bay, the engine puts more of its power down through the transaxle and front tires.
Much of what you can't see in the engine compartment has been tended to by Micah and CWC-head mods and such. The results of that which is a little more visible is, of course, a matter of taste, but to these eyes, the Saturn cuts a slick, wedgey, welcomely aggressive profile in a market that seems to treasure fairly upright, conservative styling. From some angles, with the oversized wheels and the high rear wing, there's even a whiff of DTM Opel Calibra-not a bad thing, by any means.
Utilizing factory components is an inexpensive and proven way of getting better power out of a car sold here; alas, since Saturns are built here, and the company's emphasis has repeatedly been on low price, friendly service and economy, there are no crazy Type R-style home-market cars to cobble parts from. Still, Micah reports that one of the secrets to DOHC Saturn performance is utilizing some '91-vintage components, namely the flat-head valves (which are then treated to a 6-angle job; '92-up DOHC Saturn valves have lobed heads) and stiffer valve springs. Beyond that, many of the same old tricks are employed: opening up the breathing and exhaust passages, a lightened flywheel (seven and change versus 18-plus pounds for the stock unit) for improved revability. Note that everything listed below is of the hardware variety; no software monkeying about here-just lots of stock-style drivability. A Prova turbo system and a 50-horse shot of NOS are in the cards; full 13-inch Brembo binders have been installed since these pictures were taken.