With the aggressive styling, superb performance, and reasonable pricing, the Supercharged Cobalt SS is a dream come true for young tuners.
(PRWEB) July 17, 2005 -- As a young seventeen year old, I was looking and dreaming of one day owning my first car. Not just a normal car though, but a fast and affordable one. A sharp looking, forced induction machine that would send me back in my seat with pure G force acceleration and a grin on my face. A car that would make my heart pump and adrenaline go through the roof. This dream car was none other then the brand new 1990 Eagle Talon TSI (Mitsubishi Eclipse) equipped with 16 inch rims, 205 HP / 200 pounds of torque, 2.0L DOHC engine turbocharged and intercooled compressing air at 12 PSI… I dreamed of it night and day.
At that time, my father was willing to co-sign a car for me, and I still remember the day I approached him with the brochure of the Hot Eagle which I held so proudly. I gained the courage to ask him to co-sign for the Talon and his reaction was painfully upsetting, as he said that I was out of my mind for even thinking about it. So I went back to my room, holding on to the only piece I thought I would ever own… the factory brochure!!
My father eventually co-signed for my first car… a Toyota Tercel with 82HP, automatic 3-speed with 13 inch wheels. It was a far cry from my dream, but I figured at least I had a car. I was wrong. Driving the Tercel was unbearable. Sure, its a great fuel efficient, reliable car, but when youre born with oil and high octane gas in your veins, it slowly brings you to depression.
Year after year, the Eagle talon was redesigned with an engine that only got weaker and weaker, and increasingly unreliable. All the more reason why it was the 1990-1992 series that I would have loved to own brand new. In 2000 I decided to make my dream of owning a 1990 Eagle Talon TSI a reality. After looking high and low, I discovered that finding a Talon in reasonable condition would be almost impossible, as so many of these beautiful cars had suffered years of abuse from their owners. I eventually settled for one that needed some serious love, and love is what I gave her. Four years of labour and hard work, extensive learning, thousands of dollars, headaches, troubleshooting, and visits from the beloved tow truck. Five years later, it looks good and runs okay, but the old bones are still there and it will never be the car it once was.
At my last car show, the clutch exploded, and nothing could be done to save this car from its misery. As I left the show in a tow truck with everybody looking on, it seemed as though everything was happening in slow motion. Thats when my heart left my Eagle Talon for good. I accepted the fact that I will never own a car like that brand new…the dream was over.
First Glance
While surfing the internet, and looking (more like dreaming) at the brand new 2006 Eclipse, an annoying pop-up appeared in the middle of my screen. I was about to close it, but this car with what seemed like lights similar to the Corvettes and a nice, sleek look caught my eye. A Chevy?!! But that cant be. No offence to Chevrolet, but they arent really in the game to be producing compact, forced induction, pocket rockets. I had to literally rub my eyes when I first saw the article of the Chevy Cobalt SS Supercharged. Oddly enough, the stats where just so familiar to me. 2.0L DOHC, 12 PSI of boost, 5-speed, 2 door coupe with big wheels, nice sleek body. I was thinking this cant be". I started reading more and more reviews on the internets most popular car sites, and they were nothing short of spectacular.
Needless to say my mind drifted and I was back to being that seventeen year old boy again. I called the first GM dealership listed because I just had to see this car in the flesh. When I arrived at the dealership and saw this beauty, everything felt right. I am now thirty-one years old, but for a moment I felt like I was seventeen, looking at my first dream car. From its beautiful interior with comfortable leather seats, to the shifter, and the pedals, it just all seemed so right. But reality hit hard when the salesman opened the hood to expose this beautys 4 cylinder engine with its massive M62 Eaton supercharger glowing in all its glory, positioned right in front of me. My heart was beating hard just thinking about its power. I would soon find out…
The Test Drive
Ah yes, the test drive. It was a gorgeous day outside with no chance of rain, and I couldnt have imagined a more perfect day for a test drive. The salesman brought out of the showroom his only Cobalt SS for the year, and drove it to me. You could already hear the beautiful sound of the supercharger and the refined tone of the exhaust. As I sat in the car, I pushed the firm clutch in and shifted into first gear with no force. This short shifter was a beauty to shift. At this point the salesman looked nervous because he thought I was going to take off like a bat out of hell, but no, I took off very gracefully enjoying the smooth comfortable ride. I immediately noticed that this car had a very solid and quiet refined feeling when driving. With the windows and sunroof closed, the silent steel" construction of the Cobalt was what made this cabin very quiet. At this point the temptation was too strong and I just had to feel the acceleration. First gear….second gear 80km/h. Wow, that was fast. I could definitely see this car doing 6.1 - 6.5 seconds, 0 to 100km/h. With a grin on my face, I knew for sure that this car was the one.
New Owner
Like any specialty car, the salesman will not deal on a car that everybody wants and especially the only one they have (dealerships here only get 1 or 2 each). I accepted the $27,000 CND, fully equipped with transportation included. Immediately after I signed the papers, another couple were interested in the Cobalt SS, but were told it had just been sold, and left the dealership frustrated. (That paints a picture for GM…they need to make more Cobalts SS.) Now the dealership is going to locate a black one for me, with the red inserts, and I cant wait to take possession of it.
Conclusion
After trying all the other cars, the Cobalt SS Supercharged is the total package. I could not even test drive the SRT-4, as at 225 lbs, 59" with 5 years of bodybuilding behind me, I was very, very uncomfortable. I just did not fit in those little seats. The 2006 Eclipse was $38,000, which is overpriced, but still a very nice ride. The Nissan Sentra SE-R really lacks in the looks department. The Toyota Celica and the Honda Civic have torqueless motors to me and are expensive for what they are. But these are just my quick opinions.
To conclude, I would like to thank General Motors for building this incredible car and making my dream a reality. Now its time for Chevrolet to go race those imports and bring in the gold.
Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged Stats
Vehicle type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 2-door coupe
Base price: $21,995 USD
Engine type: supercharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port fuel injection
Displacement: 122 cu in, 1998cc
Power (SAE net): 205 bhp @ 5600 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 200 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Wheelbase: 103.3 in
Length/width/height: 180.5/68.4/55.6 in
Curb weight: 2900 lb
C/D-estimated performance:
Zero to 60 mph: 6.1 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 16.0 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 14.7 sec @ 97 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 140 mph
Projected fuel economy (mfr's est):
EPA city driving: 23 mpg
EPA highway driving: 29 mpg
About CobaltSS.net:
The Cobalt SS Network ("CobaltSS.net") started out in early 2004 as a tribute to the all new Chevy Cobalt. Even before the first Cobalt production run, CobaltSS.net grew to be the largest and most comprehensive Cobalt resource. With the attractive layout, related articles, exclusive photos, and exciting giveaways, CobaltSS.net is the premier choice for Cobalt enthusiasts all around the world. Visitors ranging from long time Cavalier owners to curious muscle-car and import drivers enjoy this hot spot for the latest information and news on the promising All-American tuner car.
For more info, visit http://www.cobaltss.net
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