Did this car exist? '90-'91 GEO Nova w/ Cosworth engine

[ttf3289]

I spent the first twenty years of my worklife ('70 - '95) as a Parts Manager in small and medium market GM dealers. In 1990 - 1991, I attended the four week GM Parts Management Curriculum in Tigard, OR. In July of 1990, I drove a black with red trim GEO Sedan to this training. I will swear on a stack of chicken fried steaks (with gravy) that this car was badged as a "Nova" and was powered by a "Cosworth" powerplant. I can even recall upon many occasions, perusing the parts catalog in anticipation of stocking the engine parts (I was dissuaded from pursuing this fantasy).

The vehicle was quick and nimble as almost any car I had ever driven at the time. I enjoyed it so much that after class on Friday, I drove the 400 miles back home, picked up the wife and kids, and returned to Portland for the Camel GT series events at Portland International that weekend.

This car, 1990 (maybe '91) GEO Nova Cosworth, was a demo vehicle at my dealership and shortly after this trip, it was sold.

I can find no reference to this build, on the internet. It is as if it never existed, and yet, as stated above, I would swear to it. Does anyone else remember this model as I do? Or have the years in front of a computer monitor since altered some critical brain cells? Thank you.

[Stealthee]

I feel like maybe your memory is conflating two different things. I have heard of many "quirky" Cosworth builds, but never in my life heard of Cosworth doing anything for Geo. As it is that generation was basically a rebranded Corolla so it had a Toyota power plant.

[shorod]

There was also the Geo Storm around that time which was a rebadged Isuzu Impulse, and if I'm not mistaken, Isuzu advertised that the suspension was tuned by Lotus. Maybe there was a solar storm that year so you confused "storm" with "nova?"

-Rod