Beauty is in the eye of the beholder -- and there's an awful lot of "beholding" going on these days with Saturn's all-new Sky roadster.

This car may single-handedly turn around the staid image of General Motors' newest brand simply by being heart-stoppingly attractive and one heck of a lot of fun to drive.

	The Saturn Sky: one heck of a lot of fun to drive. Click photo for larger image. Car Chat Chat about cars with Don Hammonds at noon today.

Don't get me wrong. If you're looking for practical, this is not the car for you.

The cup holders are few and not especially well placed. You may need a shoehorn to get into it -- or out. The convertible top is tough to lower or raise. There is only a soupcon of luggage space -- enough for a change of underwear and maybe a small toothbrush. And if you're little like me, there seems to be no way to raise the seat high enough to see well, especially traffic coming from your left or right in hilly Pittsburgh.

But do you think any of that matters when you are feeling good, looking good and driving a car that people are lining up on waiting lists to get their hands on? Hey, everybody needs a toy -- even grown-ups!

Our Saturn Sky was emerald green with a base price of $23,115. Adding a premium trim package, five-speed automatic transmission, a premium -- and boy is it ever -- sound system and destination charge brought the price to $26,205.

Power comes from a 2.4-liter, 177-horsepower four-cylinder engine that is rated at 22 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. Standard equipment includes air, full power accessories, cruise control, adjustable steering wheel, remote trunk release, dual map lights, and driver's information center.

At least in my experience, Saturn doesn't need to worry about product awareness with this car. Driving the Sky is like heading your own parade. Everybody sees you. Everyone wants to know you. It didn't matter who they were -- male, female, old, young, professional or blue collar -- they all knew what car this was and they all wanted one.

The rear-drive Saturn shares its platform with Pontiac's Solstice, but the two cars seem quite different in character and market stance. The Solstice looks more raw and muscular and is aimed at those who are looking for a true sports car experience. It has totally different suspension settings and less standard equipment than the Sky.

The Sky looks more upscale, has a somewhat more reassuring ride, and looks more the boulevardier than the Solstice.

The Sky has quick, precise steering, which makes it fun to drive, and it sticks to corners like glue. You get a nice, rich exhaust note with it, too, which adds to the fun.

Inside, two comfortable bucket seats in two-tone shades await. When you sit down in the Sky, you really sit down. Its high sills make you feel like you're in a cockpit, but it also makes it awfully hard to see to the left and right. I had to sit up and stretch to see.

The dashboard is straightforward, with controls placed sensibly. Lots of glossy, rich looking piano black -- the "in" material these days -- can be seen everywhere.

But I really had some problems with the interior. The cup holders come out of the back support of the two seats, and they are awkwardly placed. Another comes out from the side of the console on the passenger side, and it too was difficult to use.

There is next to no room between the seat cushion and the door, and so reaching back to adjust the seat with a dial is almost impossible. There's a bit of contorting to do other things, too.

But the convertible top takes the cake when it comes to inconvenience. You first hit a button in the glove box, which releases the trunk latches with a loud, grating noise. Then you twist a balky, hard-to-maneuver handle over the windshield. Then you get out, raise the lid, and fold the top into the trunk. Then you have to pop two pins into appropriate holes on the rear deck. The top itself does nothing for aesthetics on the Sky either.

The other issue: You have to constantly slam everything to make sure it is closed, whether it is the two doors or the trunk lid. It just didn't give me much confidence.

But I can tell you that nothing else matters once you get behind the wheel. You'll put up with all of the slights and problems because the car is so marvelous in so many ways.

Saturn deserves a hand for bringing out a car that, while it needs some fine tuning, represents a big, bold step forward.

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2007 Saturn Sky
Price: $23,115 ($26,205 as tested with options)
Engine: 2.4 liter, 177 horsepower, 1.4 liter four cylinder
Mileage: 22/26
Basic warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles
Side curtain air bags: not available on convertible

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2006 Mazda Miata MX-5
Price: $22,435
Engine: 2.0 liter, 170 horsepower, 4 cylinder engine
Mileage: 25/30
Basic warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles
Side curtain air bags: not available on convertible

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2006 Mini Cooper S Convertible
Price: $25,400
Engine: 1.6 liter, 168 horsepower, 4 cylinder engine
Mileage: 26/33 (automatic)
Basic warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles
Side curtain air bags: not available on convertible