Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Chevrolet
Chevy Cobalt SS Sedan: First official picture released
Click above to view the Chevy Cobalt SS Sedan in hi-res
General Motors has finally let slip the first official image of the upcoming Chevrolet Cobalt SS sedan. As we previously reported, the four-door version is essentially the same as its coupe counterpart, only it has – you guessed it – four doors. That means the same two-liter turbocharged direct-injected four as the coupe version, also ubiquitously found in the Chevy HHR SS, Pontiac Solstice GXP, Saturn Sky Red Line and Opel Astra OPC. 260 horses are channeled to the front wheels through a five-speed stick, with an available limited-slip differential to help keep the power in check. The two-door Cobalt SS hits sixty in about 5.7 seconds and, impressively, lapped the Nürburgring Nodschleiffe in a class-leading 8:22.85. We'd expect the same performance out of the sedan version, with a similar price tag of around $23k when it goes on sale later this year.
Gallery: 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS
[Source: GM]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
f3rg 12:45PM (4/06/2008)
In that dark red paint, it actually looks pretty good.
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Randy 10:42PM (4/06/2008)
I agree! I was like "Oh here we go again" with the headline but then I was impressed! It looks pretty tight!
HotRodzNKustoms 12:52PM (4/06/2008)
Now that's a factory sleeper if I ever saw one.
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Matt 12:56PM (4/06/2008)
Hmmm...Cobalt SS Sedan, or a Focus that I can change the color of 5 LEDs scattered throught the cabin...hmmm...
COBALT SS PLEASE! Looks great and is a pocket rocket.
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epilonious 6:21PM (4/06/2008)
Frankly, sync is more appealing and won't eat $3.50+ premium gas and tires in an attempt to... do whatever one would do in a cobalt SS Sedan.
It's a neat car... but it's the last to the Yet Another FF Rocket party that has been going on for quite some time... and it's biggest appeal is price.
I predict it (and many other FF rockets) will see a significant drop in sales (and probably a culling) when, of all companies, Hyundai throws their honest to goodness FR cheap coupe in the fray and people experience what it's like to have dropping the hammer in a turn be a GOOD thing.
That being said... The focus is probably still a better car for many people than the cobalt, one just can't get a ridiculously overpowered one.
1337 6:51PM (4/06/2008)
Of course the Cobalt SS is better than a Focus...but what isn't better than a Focus?
The Cobalt SS looks all right until you factor in the MazdaSpeed3.
why not the LS2LS7? 10:30PM (4/06/2008)
Here we go again. Look up Realtime Acura.
In relatively low powered cars, FF can provide more performance than FR.
epilonious 1:21PM (4/07/2008)
"Of course the Cobalt SS is better than a Focus...but what isn't better than a Focus?"
Most cobalts that aren't SS trim...
"In relatively low powered cars, FF can provide more performance than FR."
Uh, 260 HP is well beyond "relatively low powered" I'd say ~150HP is the tippy top of that "low power" bracket... and all RWD cars that make less than 150 HP are at least 8 years old.
Most every FF car that has 200HP or more has to have all sorts of special limited slip differential tech and usually use the computer to cut that power in some subset of the low gears.
Given two cars with pretty much equal characteristics, power curve, weight distribution, suspension characteristics. The only real difference is where the drive wheels are placed... the RWD car (or the one with the RWD bias) wins. The RWD cars can take better lines, chew through the tires at equal rates (as opposed to overheating/shredding the front tires for steering, breaking, AND power). Most every time I have seen these "Oh, this [FF car] trumps this [FR car] at [ring]", the FF car is newer, and usually much lighter than the FR car, and they went out when it was warm and dry and the FR car was having to run on a cold day when it had been drizzling for 3 days and and and.
That all being said... FF pocket rockets are wonderful cars. But most of the time it's because cobalt SS's and Mazdaspeed3s and GTIs are so much lighter and cheaper than things like 350z's, Mustangs, and premium RWD cars. I still am pretty sure comparably powered Genesis coupe's (or something like a boosted Miata) would wipe the floor with a standard pocket rocket.
Brian 6:09PM (4/07/2008)
so why is it then that this car has recorded better times at the 'ring than many iconic rwd, awd, mid-engine, rear-engine, ect. cars?
Jeff Banks 12:59PM (4/06/2008)
Makes you wonder why so many people bitch about cars not having RWD.
"I'd totally buy this if it had RWD" (even though I never exceed 60mph sans the time I tried to piss my ex-wife off when I smoked my tires while picking up my bratty-ass kid for visiting hours)
BMW 3-series: the car of choice for those who don't understand the use of rear wheel drive, but want it anyway so they can brag about it on Autoblog.
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almost Dr. G.. 1:32PM (4/06/2008)
none of us have bitched on this article.. yet.. but you could still do some fun things with a rwd car going under 60mph that you cant do as well in a fwd..
i know bc i had an 03 6sp maxima before the s2000.. corners are a lot easier and fun to turn in to and pull out of.. also you wont lose as much control spinning the wheels pulling hard on first and second gear on a turn..
obviously the two cars are diff animals but my point is that you dont need to go over 60mph to see the benefits of rwd over fwd..
for the price under $25k, its tough to find a car with this performance that's rwd. people who are bitching like you say jeff are writing under the wrong article.
now if they were comparing $35k a4's to $35k 3 series' THEN we have a battle..
rav3 3:07PM (4/06/2008)
Some people won't consider buying a FWD car - including me. Thats probably where the comments are stemming from. Now, whether you care is another story - and assuming from your comments, thats probably what you drive...
If that's why you think people buy BMW 3-series, maybe you're reading the wrong blog...
Torrent 1:02PM (4/06/2008)
This could be a great competitor against the Caliber SRT4. Although the horsepower is differed by about 25 (I think), it'll still be a good battle.
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why not the LS2LS7? 1:15PM (4/06/2008)
If it's anything like the two-door, it's no competition. The two-door Cobalt SS is faster in a straight line, as shown in Heinracy's lap of the N-Ring, is a screamer on the track.
Torrent 1:02PM (4/06/2008)
This could be a great competitor against the Caliber SRT4. Although the horsepower is differed by about 25 (I think), it'll still be a good battle.
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naggs 1:03PM (4/06/2008)
are you sure the astra OPC uses the same DI ecotech, i thought they had the older port inject 240 horse engine
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Torrent 1:03PM (4/06/2008)
Did i actually post this twice? oo that bothers me...
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Seoultrain 4:13PM (4/06/2008)
not as much as it bothers us.
kidding, it happens to everyone eventually.
dougjp 1:08PM (4/06/2008)
It does have an attraction as a true sleeper. Cops would never even look at you. Until you beat the guy next to you in his brand new Audi A5 4.2 off the stoplight to 60!
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zamafir 3:20PM (4/06/2008)
Awe man, so true, there's so many "Audi A5 4.2"s in existence (none, that's the S5 actually, and it hits sixty in 4.9 seconds), and everyone knows you buy cars like Audi's for straight line performance, not the looks, interior, or ability to carve the road with the standard Quattro, nah man audi's are the cheap performance straight line kings and this here cobalts gunna be a huge upset!
LMAO, thanks for making my sunday, I love it when 14 year olds hit the blogs and start trolling.
Back to reality, awesome, this will give the GLI and SI sedans more then a run for their money, and fill a niche that the MS3 doesn't quite (four door sedan with sub six second naught to sixty). Nice.