Quote: Originally Posted by
A-Town SRT 
Also from what i read the stock turbo is already maxxed out and there still using the same transmission from the ss/sc. So theres still some things they could have improved upon. Only time will tell if the motor will hold up to an aftermarket turbo kit. What I look for in a car is the all round package not just how fast it is off the showroom floor.
The transaxle itself is the same F35 as in the older cars but has a different final drive ratio (3.85:1 vice the old 4.05:1) but the driveline has larger axles, the suspension geometry and component changes greatly reduce the damaging wheel hop, and the clutch is supposedly much bigger this year. The turbo holds boost right up to redline so the exhaust side isn't choking it off like in the SRT-4 and I need to do more data logging, but it appears that charge temps on the intake side are being kept well in check. The engine itself and the Bosch engine controller are identical to the turbo engine in the Solstice GXP/Sky Red Line so if you want to do some research on what it's capable of as it sits that would be a good place to start. As to liking an all-around car, that's
exactly what this is. After the track yesterday I drove up in the mountains and was very pleased with the braking, ride, handling, and power. GM's benchmark for the interior was the previous generation Jetta and while the base model cars aren't quite there, the slight upgrades in the SS cars push it up a class from most sub-compact econoboxes.
Quote: Originally Posted by
Simon.Starkie The only minor gripe I have is that the design of the current Cobalt coupe seems a little dated when compared to it's competitors. And from certain angles, it does look an awful lot like a Cavalier. But that's not necessarily the end of the world as I still prefer my old cab-forward Neon design over it's successor. But this does leave me wondering if the new Cobalt sedan, which is apparently planned for next year, will do for the Cobalt what the "new" Malibu did for that model. Not that I necessarily require 4-doors instead of 2-doors. But there again, if the Cobalt sedan replaces the Cobalt coupe completely, this may be the last year to get a 2-door version, dated though it may be.
*EDIT* Thanks for the link, Eric. The Build Books are very interesting.
The different build books are a nice thing that they put together. You can also buy almost all the custom parts they developed for the racing Cobalts either directly through GM or they provide the contact and part number info for the companies they used to make the parts.
If you're talking about the redesign for the Cobalt it looks like GM will be dropping that name and replacing it globally with the Cruze nameplate. That car and the one you're probably seeing making the rounds on internet sites which looks like the new Malibu was developed by GMDAT (GM Daewoo Auto & Technology) and isn't scheduled to be in production in the US until 2010. That will make the car a model year '11 vehicle so the current Cobalt will continue on for a while longer. With the upswing in sales and improvements they're making to the car and the fact they can't build enough of them to meet demand in the shifted markets of late that might not be so bad.
We're going to get the new car about a year after it's released in other markets and if I were to bet, they're going to try to give priority to the new Astra at the Lordstown Ohio plant where both new cars will be built. With the dropping value of the dollar they can't move production stateside soon enough, and the updated Delta II platform isn't that much different so they can still build the Cobalt on the same flexible lines until the Cruze is ready. I have a feeling you'll be seeing a Cruze coupe or hatch as well but the leaked photos from the meeting where GM's CEO Rick Wagoner announced the future plans only showed the sedan (and the camouflaged prototypes have only been the sedan so far).
On the current Cobalt I can somewhat see a few areas that have similar design elements to the older and completely different Cavalier, most notably the rear window shape in the coupe, but that also reminds me of my older Citation X-11's windows and even further back to the Monza and Vega. I can also see similarities to other cars in areas, but park a Cobalt next to a late model Cavalier and it's night and day difference with only a few somewhat common general shapes here and there. Below are a few pics I took this weekend.
Quote: Originally Posted by
SRT SVT ...I think I've gotten my fix as far as high powered FWD cars are concerned. Like all other NSRT alumni I will be looking for a nice evo 9, an 04 cobra, or possibly a G35.
If you want to get away from front wheel drive just to say you got away that's cool, but the new SS handles very well and I'd bet on many tracks would equal or best those cars you mentioned while also retaining a nicer ride. Sure, there's courses that can favor each car (long straights for the Cobra, poor traction or dirt for the Evo, etc.) but the SS should have a nice blend of performance at whatever you'll throw at it. I'm very interested to see what people do with it in SCCA and NASA competition next year.
