Looking to the sky: Saturn's new roadster proves that American car companies can deliver exciting, dynamically designed vehicles.

Imagine closing your eyes, freeing your mind of all distraction, and breathing a steady rhythm. It's quiet around you. Then you open your eyes toward the clear blue sky. You soar. Your heart begins to pound. Adrenaline rushes as you downshift and accelerate through a curve on the winding road in front of you. Your heart opens as wide as the sky above and the Saturn Sky you're nestled in. This is open roadster bliss.

I enjoyed the opportunity to speak with Elizabeth Wetzel, who led the Sky's interior design group. She described Saturn's target customer: You're a progressive-thinking, forward-looking person who understands what is going on in the world--but that doesn't mean you sacrifice having well-designed products in your life. You have an eye for contemporary simplicity that lacks nothing in its attention to detail, and you appreciate doing business with brands whose products reflect a global design modernity.

"We wanted to give our loyal customers something exciting in our product lineup and give potential customers something new to consider," says Wetzel. "The Sky is the new icon for the Saturn brand--a dynamic, progressive design statement."

So what's it like to drive? I found the Sky wonderfully quick, agile, and perfectly manageable--completely satisfying. The comfortable interior provides just the right amount of elbow room and legroom for my average-size frame. The Saturn's width and driving position added to a feeling of security and comfort that surpasses other well-established roadsters on the market. A close friend and I shared some time in the Sky, and we both fell in love with it. I suspect that the Sky is going to be something of a coveted collector's item, and I'd be willing to bet that other roadsters on the market--ones that are getting a bit long in the tooth--are sitting up and paying attention.

The base model Sky looks like a million bucks but can be had for less than $26,000. It's well-equipped with safety features, including the OnStar communication system. The motor delivers 177 horsepower, which is good for spirited driving-but don't try to take on any Corvettes.

Now reaching dealerships, however, is the souped-up Red Line version of the Sky, with higher-performance tuning, a limited-slip rear differential, special trim accents, and power delivered by a 260-horsepower four-cylinder turbo engine that can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 5.5 seconds.

Special "hydroform" manufacturing processes required to build the unique design of the Sky will keep production volume low for the 2007 model year. Both cars are getting plenty of buzz, and GM is projecting they'll sell out through March 2007.

The Sky proves that American car companies can deliver dynamically designed, quality vehicles. Add the respect that the Saturn brand continues to have for its customers, and there's a better-than-winning combination.