I vote for the saturn. With my current setup It went 10.75 in the eighth(don't laugh,LOL, I was running the HAI at 150f). Suspension is cheap for these cars, there already light(2300lbs with a/c, sunroof, and p/s), they don't dent, they come in a lot of flavors. I seriously want to autoX next year.
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02 Saturn SL
5 speed
for pics click the link below
I would look for a crx or vx, great power to weight ratio there, in my opinion. Ufotofu just got a pretty sweet crx for 700 bucks, which is quite a deal, I think. Also saw a vx for sale for 1200 on NH CL. Good stuff there.
That's true. If you can live with a 2-seater, a CRX would be a even sportier option than the 92-95 civic hatch, and you could still gen any go-fast part you want for it for just as cheap.
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On the never-ending quest for better gas mileage...
Since you're keeping your Suby (right?!?!?!), the CRX would be the perfect commuter for you. The CRvX hybridization would be a laudible goal for you down the line.
If you can't live with a 2-seater, the Saturn with the MP2 tranny will solve your highway issues, and there's lots of aero mods you can make that have been done by lovemysan and others.
How about CO ZX2's ZX2? He has a veritable template for Aero mods that would get the job done for you, if you don't mind the rubber-neckers.