There's a switch next to my shifter that says Performance or normal. What does this do for me?

 

Only 1 way to find out.....

 

Wow --just did some research -- I had no idea they offered this on the SOHC Automatic models!!

It changes the shift algorithms and moves the shift points so that you stay in the power band longer for each gear.

That's my understanding anyway......

 

I had them in both the SC1 and SC2 and could never feel any difference in my "seat of the pants" test method. I just drove both of mine in normal mode.

 

I have that on my 1994 sc2.
Derf generalized it, but one mode is economy.
In that mode the 4 speed transmission starts out from a dead stop in 2nd gear and short shifts. That keeps engine rpm down when accelerating and is a fuel economy setting.
The other mode is performance and in that mode the transmission starts out in 1st gear and it hangs into the gear longer allowing acceleration improvements and it will down shift when acceleration such as in passing another car or climbing a hill at a higher rpm.
I can feel it in my Saturn. But then again, the state has a 75 mph state speed limit, plenty of high speed driving opportunities and making a run to Flag Staff lets you climb well over 8000 feet so their is plenty of possibilities of actually running the car hard.
One way is to set cruise control at 75 mph and it will down shift on 6% grades trying to maintain that speed earlier when in performance.
I like the feature myself. My 1015 Dodge has the same feature but some where around 300Hp so when in performance you can hear the engine walk the gears.
But it has 6 of them The Saturn only 4.
I've always wanted another 15 hp out of the engine due to the way the performance/economy switch works. I finally found cams for the thing, but they want a grand for them and my budget no longer goes that far.