Cobalt SS Has Right Chemistry for Street Cred

[T-Type]

By Eric Mayne
WardsAuto.com, Mar 31, 2008 11:37 AM

BAKERSFIELD, CA – Cobalt, the element, has a split personality.

Its name is derived from a German word that equates to “goblin” in English. And it can be morphed into a nuclear weapon with enough destructive potential to wipe out every life form on the planet.

So, according to these criteria, if the base-model Chevrolet Cobalt were a mischievous gnome, the ’08 Cobalt SS coupe would be “the bomb.”

Not even Chevy would go that far. But the performance-oriented iteration of the bow-tie brand’s compact segment offering boasts the basic chemistry of affordable street cred.

http://wardsauto.com/testdrive/cobalt_ss_chemistry/

[THE_SMURF]

Maybe it's the 12 year old Spiderman fan still in me, but when I think "Goblin" I think of a green bad ass.
The Chevy Cobalt is well on it's way to such status. However I am hoping for AWD, 300+ HP and a WRC team from GM. That is where a lot of current compacts gained a lot of street cred., and it is the most logical step.

[CobaltSScrazy]

No grainy dash interior bashing, no hoopla about styling being 'dated', just a nice read by Wards.

Cobalt SS is a great vehicle and for the price you cannot beat it. The fact that this is the second article that has proclaimed FWD handling/launch superiority to the SS over the MS3 is encouraging, implied or explicitly is irrelevant.

CobaltSS

[Ambalanche]

The SS does truely have the performance for street cred, but the car needs a redesign IMHO! Hopefully something along the lines of GMI's dream lineup for it.

[stevecmh]

really nice review

nice to see there are some good auto reporters out there

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by Ambalanche

The SS does truely have the performance for street cred, but the car needs a redesign IMHO! Hopefully something along the lines of GMI's dream lineup for it.

Agreed. I've always envisioned the Cobalt as looking a lot meaner than the cute and cuddly sedan it is right now...

[Sinner]

Originally Posted by THE_SMURF

Maybe it's the 12 year old Spiderman fan still in me, but when I think "Goblin" I think of a green bad ass.
The Chevy Cobalt is well on it's way to such status. However I am hoping for AWD, 300+ HP and a WRC team from GM. That is where a lot of current compacts gained a lot of street cred., and it is the most logical step.

If they invested half the effort that Team Corvette and Team Cadillac do in the ALMS/Speed GT they'd have a winning team in the WRC.

[CobaltSScrazy]

^^^ They have a winning team in the ST class.

CobaltSS

[Sinner]

Originally Posted by CobaltSScrazy

^^^ They have a winning team in the ST class.

CobaltSS

True enough. GM is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to motor sports.

[EldoFan]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Agreed. I've always envisioned the Cobalt as looking a lot meaner than the cute and cuddly sedan it is right now...

It seems to have taken over the Dodge Neon's role as the 'cute & cuddly' car of choice of high schoolers

[ctaylorzl1]

Originally Posted by THE_SMURF

However I am hoping for AWD, 300+ HP and a WRC team from GM.

Are you serious??? You must not know GM very well!!!! If you are looking for something like that you better look at stuff with a EVO or STi badge, cause GM will probably never have anything like that!


Good review, I love all these recent Cobalt SS reviews! The massive performance makes people look past the small imperfections of the Cobalt! But in the "Cons" section it says "No performance meter", whats a preformance meter? The Boost guage is enuf of a "performance meter" for me!

[atomicshark]

Originally Posted by CobaltSScrazy

No grainy dash interior bashing, no hoopla about styling being 'dated', just a nice read by Wards.

Cobalt SS is a great vehicle and for the price you cannot beat it. The fact that this is the second article that has proclaimed FWD handling/launch superiority to the SS over the MS3 is encouraging, implied or explicitly is irrelevant.

CobaltSS

I agree.

I can't believe my Cobalt is a mischievous gnome.

[CobaltSScrazy]

Originally Posted by ctaylorzl1

Are you serious??? You must not know GM very well!!!! If you are looking for something like that you better look at stuff with a EVO or STi badge, cause GM will probably never have anything like that!


Good review, I love all these recent Cobalt SS reviews! The massive performance makes people look past the small imperfections of the Cobalt! But in the "Cons" section it says "No performance meter", whats a preformance meter? The Boost guage is enuf of a "performance meter" for me!

they did say its getting the reconfig. performance display in 09. Unfortunately, they made it sound likes a part of an expanded DIC below the RPM / MPH guage cluster. Very disappointing if true.

As if the boost gauge doesn't take care of a performance meter? I have not heard this complaint with the MS3, Si, SRT4, GTI, or Rex.

CobaltSS

[FAB454]

Originally Posted by atomicshark

I can't believe my Cobalt is a mischievous gnome.

I all ways thought it was:
Cobalt (pronounced /ˈkoʊbɒlt/) is a hard, lustrous, silver-grey metal, a chemical element with symbol Co. It is found in various ores, and is used in the preparation of magnetic, wear-resistant, and high-strength alloys.

[ctaylorzl1]

Originally Posted by CobaltSScrazy

they did say its getting the reconfig. performance display in 09. Unfortunately, they made it sound likes a part of an expanded DIC below the RPM / MPH guage cluster. Very disappointing if true.

I just figured it was a extra feature or something in the regular DIC, I didnt realize there was going to be a extra display! But under the DIC?!?!? I will have to see it, sounds kinda funky. Hope it works good though, they could do something real cool with a "performance meter". But what would it display? The Cobalt already has full instrumintation plus the boost guage, what now, a "G" meter like in the Vette?

And why was it a "Con"? What kinda of extra info did they want displayed?