The Saturn Ion Redline is one of those cars that makes you wonder why they were built. The quad coupe Ion itself, complete with an unusual set of doors and polarizing styling, is an odd car to begin with. Then someone decided it was a good idea to add a supercharger, a limited slip differential and a whole host of other goodies. Not surprisingly, not many were made, and today they are very rare. However, one example in perfect condition is for sale in Illinois. It is perhaps the cleanest in existence.
Photo by: Chicago Auto Sports
Photo by: Chicago Auto Sports
The Ion Redline is essentially just an odd flavor of the supercharged Cobalt SS, which sold in much larger numbers and later spawned a turbocharged version. However, there has never been a turbocharged Ion Redline, only the 205 hp supercharged model which ended production in 2007.
This particular example was one of only 554 built in the final model year, and features the competition package. That means 17-inch alloy wheels, a boost meter on the steering column and the aforementioned limited-slip differential. To be fair, the Ion Redline Quad coupe weighs less than 3,000 pounds, so it’s actually a pretty nimble little car.
Many Ion Redlines have worn Teflon on the lobes of their superchargers, which limits boost. That’s unlikely with this model, as there are only 27,000 miles on the odometer. The selling dealer is asking $19,800 for this car, which is a lot. That said, it is the Ion Redline in the best condition I have personally ever seen, having shopped for it before. Most are quite defeated.
So if you want a mint example of one of the strangest performance cars built in recent history, this is your chance. At the very least, you’re driving a different kind of car, made by a different kind of car company.