When equipped with the available 260-horsepower, 2.0L four-cylinder turbocharged engine, the Saturn Sky was a fairly quick car and much faster than the vehicle it was built to compete with, the Mazda MX-5 Miata.
For some Saturn Sky owners, though, the turbocharged model still isn’t exciting enough – which is where Mallett Performance Cars comes into play. For a fee, the Cornelius, North Carolina-based tuning shop will drop a General Motors LS V8 into the front of either the Sky or the closely related Pontiac Solstice, combining Corvette power with an extra-short wheelbase and sub-3,000-pound curb weight.
One of these Mallett-built, LS-powered Saturn Sky models was recently listed for sale on Bring-A-Trailer. Certain Mallet Saturn Sky V8 conversions featured the somewhat dated 400-horsepower 6.0L LS2 V8 engine, but the model being sold on BaT is packing a massive 7.0L LS7 V8, which is rated at 505 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. The LS7 was originally offered in the C6 Corvette Z06 and later appeared in the fifth-generation Camaro Z/28 as well. According to the auction listing, the LS7 is making 437 horsepower and 423 pound-feet of torque in the Sky, as per a recent dyno test performed in May of 2020.
All Mallett-built Saturn Sky V8 conversions also came with a LUK Pro Gold clutch assembly, Corsa stainless steel mufflers, performance springs and uprated suspension bushings. This model features a Tremec six-speed manual transmission as well, along with custom driveshafts and half shafts, and a 3.73:1 differential.
This LS7-powered Saturn Sky has had just one owner throughout its life. That person seems to have enjoyed this vehicle very sparingly, as they put just 6,000 miles on the odometer in thirteen years of ownership – an average of less than 500 miles per year. That’s a crying shame, if you ask us, as this is one build that’s just begging to be driven hard – so long as you have a sizable tire budget.
Check out the listing here for some more information and photos.
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Comments
Would be awesome to see the return of a coupe/roadster to slot under Camaro but just won’t happen with the car market and economy
General Motors simply doesn’t have the guts to build something like this Saturn Sky with a LS7 stuffed inside as it’s a miracle that Chevrolet was allowed to build the C8 Corvette.
They might but it would be electric at this point. All the performance with none of the complex ICE engine development. Performance is just a function of the amount of current you can deliver to the motor. EV’s allow for more one offs because their packaging outside the battery is a lot easier.
I always thought the Sky looked much better than the Solstice. That thing would be a handful with V8 power.
I would bum out if i payed for the conversion and when the hood is opened it say’s Corvette ! . If i wanted a corvette i would had bought one . I would think Mallett Hammer would have made engine covers specific to the model of car the LS7 went into or a generic LS7 cover without the Corvette name . These are not cheap conversions and i would think for what the customer pays different covers should be created !
So True!!!