The turner car community has dramatically changed since the first Fast and the Furious (2001) movie. It’s very rare to spot neon underglow or chrome 22"s at car meets today. Aero, carbon bits, and powertrain upgrades are the talk of the town. David Patterson, aka ThatDudeinBlue, featured a rare big turbo 1998 Saturn SL2 nostalgic of the 90s era tuner scene – it’s the ultimate tuner troll.
Not many new-age car enthusiasts know about General Motors’ automotive subsidiary Saturn Corporation, especially if you are not up to date with the U.S. automotive history. The auto division had a short stint in the market, setting up shop in 1985 and closing down unceremoniously in 2010.
Paul’s SL2 Saturn comes from the Saturn S-series family of compact cars. Its unique platform and design were developed in-house, and very little was shared with the GM model line. The SL was the first generation and ran from 1991 to 1995.
Saturn Corporation pioneered the brand-wide “no-haggle” sales technique.
“Their main selling point was that it was made like the car of the future almost, for cheap. It was an affordable car and, at the same time, a lot of plastic. So it was really easy to replace things,” Patterson said.
The SL2 trim came with a 1.9-liter inline-four engine that made 123 hp (125 ps). Potential buyers could choose between a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission.
Paul’s 1998 Saturn SL2 is unlike anything that rolled off the assembly line in the Spring Hill, Tennessee, factory on July 30, 1990. Apart from begging to be trolled due to its conspicuously 90s decked-out exterior, it packs a big eBay turbo.
“It runs 9 pounds of boost. It’s on e85. It’s currently on like 26-pound injectors,” Paul revealed.
It doesn’t make a lot of power from the mods – you’d be compelled to call it a ricer. But the turbo feel was unexpectedly pleasant when Patterson put his foot down.
Paul also cut out the roof for a full-sized sunroof. He also retrofitted the airlift suspension from a Subaru WRX. We'd love to hate on this 90s gem, but the video below makes it seem like a lot of fun behind the wheel.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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