In our latest footage from Death Valley, we catch the 2008 Saturn Vue in action as it prepares for its official launch next year. And for the first time, we also get a glimpse of what looks like the high-performance Vue Red Line.

Wearing a deep front airdam, projector beam foglights, and larger wheels and tires, the Vue Red Line will be the closest Saturn gets to the aggressive look of the Open Antera GTC concept on which the Vue is based. Unlike the concept, these 2008 Saturn Vue prototypes use a four-door configuration to keep them practical while still incorporating some of the Antera's less dramatic styling cues. The windshields are more upright for better visibility although the shape of the A-pillars is still very similar to the GTC. All the numerous vents and portholes used on the show vehicle are gone, however, so the Saturn version will have more conventional styling up front.

Earlier spy photos revealed a grille with at least some of the details shown on the Opel concept. These prototypes are similar with two horizontal slats sitting just below a spot for the emblem in the center. The complex headlight cluster isn't quite as detailed as the LED units on the concept, another predictable cost-cutting move on the way to production.

Saturn downsized this generation of the Vue in anticipation of the larger 2007 Saturn Outlook coming this fall. Unlike the current model that straddles the compact and midsize SUV designations, the 2008 Saturn Vue will be planted firmly in the compact category. This means a four-cylinder engine for base models and a larger V6 on the upper trim levels.

Current models use a Honda-built 3.5-liter V6 with 250 horsepower, but expect to see a version of GM's 3.6-liter V6 under the hood of these Saturns. That engine delivers a healthy 265 hp in the Outlook, but it may get detuned for use in the standard Vue to keep the models from competing with each other.

The earliest you're likely to see the finished version of the 2008 Saturn Vue is in November at the Los Angeles auto show