A nephew of mine just bought a Dodge SRT-4 and I had a chance to drive it. HOLY BLEEP BATMAN! For 20 grand it is the buy of the decade. Super handeling and does it go ZOOM. Man is it a blast to drive. However, it is a Neon and with historic Dodge quality problems the whole car might blow up after a year which leads me to my point. There is no reason the new Chevy Cobalt cannot match this car. It is based on a new modern platform that is light years ahead of the old Neon platform. The Ecotech is a superb engine fully capable of matching the Neon's performence. I hope someone on the Cobalt Team has driven an SRT-4. Chevy SUITS! Don't come out with the SS version of the Cobalt that lags behind the SRT-4 in any way. If a brand new modern Chevy can't match or exceed an old Dodge they should shoot all of you.
Cobalt SS
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Great Post!
I very good friend of mine is an import owner and hates the domestic brands but is always willing to test drive cars when he is ready to buy a new car. He was convinced he was going to buy a Sentra Se R Spec V. Then he drove the Neon SRT-4. He was scared about Dodge and quality issues but the SRT-4 performance convinced him to order one. GM doesn't even offer him an option. Ion Redline is not out yet and the Cobalt SS had better be better than the SRT-4.
I very good friend of mine is an import owner and hates the domestic brands but is always willing to test drive cars when he is ready to buy a new car. He was convinced he was going to buy a Sentra Se R Spec V. Then he drove the Neon SRT-4. He was scared about Dodge and quality issues but the SRT-4 performance convinced him to order one. GM doesn't even offer him an option. Ion Redline is not out yet and the Cobalt SS had better be better than the SRT-4.
Not to be an *** but I think you can do a lot better for 20k. Im seeing lots of late model 4th gen camaros selling for around 10k. Sure its not new, but its new enough and its a whole lot more car. Cars are so expensive now that we think that 20k is a steal. :blink:
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Well I guess that depends. The 4th gen carries with it large insurance costs. The Neon is a much cheaper car, and it comes with a warrenty. There are alos SRT4's into the 12's already. With a good driver, and doing a quick bleeder mod, you can hit low 13's like my friend did with his. He also has a 4th gen. For 20k, there is nothing out there that can come close to its performance. This car beats the WRX in the 1/4, and the WRX is a few thousand more.
As for the Cobalt pushing as much hp as the SRT4, it doesnt look like it. The SRT4 is getting a revised, and more accurate 240hp raiting, where the Ion Redline is now official rated at 205. A good point of this is that the blown ecotec can be modded just as easily as the turbo neon. I wish they would supercharged the 2.2 for the added displacement. Im sure witha few pulley and PCM upgrades you can pull low 14's to mid 13's. I hope the handling is as good as the SVT Focus as that seems to be the standard in sports compact handling.
As for the Cobalt going up more twards the STi and Evo, I dont see that happening. No one wants to spend 30k for a Cobalt.
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Although a novel idea, that's not really an option for someone who wants a brand new car. As big said, the 4th gens aren't going to carry a warranty... unless you want to spend $25K for a hardly used one. Most of the kids buying SRT4's arent going to be able to swing that AND the insurance.
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yeah, while performance-wise a used F-body might be a better deal, not everyone wants JUST performance. few young people can afford a garage full of single-purpose cars. one car has to be summer car, winter beater, moving van, people mover, and should be fast, fun, cheap to insure, and good on gas. it's hard to get all that at an affordable price. so cars like the SRT-4 (which i don't personally like) are perfect. and in another thread i went on about how the cobalt SS doesn't have to match the SRT-4... but i think i see now that it'd be great for chevrolet to wear the domestic pocket-rocket crown. and while hp isn't the only measure, it's a damn important. there's alot to be said for hp bragging rights, especially if the car can handle and stop well too!
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432 Posts
You can tell I'm not critical about imports, I said SRX instead of WRX (well, that's what they get for naming a car after a random collection of consanants.) If the Corvette can be the (relatively) inexpensive one in it's class, why couldn't an awd, fire-breathing, 300hp Cobalt? This Cobalt could remain in the mid to upper $20k range to take on the $30k evo and sti. The Cosworth Vega cost about as much as it's Corvette contemporary, so this wouldn't be the first time Chevy had a pricey compact car. By todays standards, however, you'd end up with a $27k Cobalt and a $45k? C6. I'm just laying out a theoretical situation. Besides, the Cobalt isn't even on sale yet, I'm probably thinking 3 yrs ahead.
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