Quote: Originally Posted by
Freaky 
what times are you getting out of the cobalt turbo ?
I think I already posted, but I was running 14.30's at 101 last week and 14.40's at 101 this week at California Speedway in Fontana. If you want to know how that compares to other tracks across the country, I could post up some comparison times but lets just say stock Stage 2 SRT-4's run about those times on street tires out here.
Quote: Originally Posted by
RTShadow Actually if you knew anything about blackbird you'd realize he's easily in the top 10 as far as unbiased automotive knowledge on this forum. He knows about a LOT of cars, he doesn't just spout stuff off.
Thanks and I appreciate that, but
everyone is biased, including me. If you don't believe that then you probably also believe Fox News has a "no spin zone" and is "fair and balanced".
Nah, I do like many different cars but have a soft spot for front drivers. I've owned/own quite a bit of them but I realize that many cars, whether they be driven by front, rear, or all wheels have strength and weaknesses and comparisons between any cars will depend on evaluative criteria.
Quote: Originally Posted by
A-Town SRT I'd quote you blackbird_R/T but you typed too much. So Thanks for the pointless review and your opinion of the automotive world. I'll stick with Dodge.
It is my opinion and it's up to you to decide if that opinion has any merit. What I am suggesting is that if you only make purchase decisions because of fanboy brand loyalty then you're going to miss out on some great cars and driving experiences. I really like my turbo Dodge's. They're cheap and easy to make go fast, including the SRT-4. But I also like handling and the overall package and in that respect Dodge has nothing for me right now that can compare to the new Cobalt in the same price range (I have driven a couple of the Caliber SRT-4's). That goes for other auto makers as well. If I thought there was something better I would have bought it instead of the Cobalt.
The new SS works for me but may not be what you're looking for. But at least see what it can do before bashing it because you don't like how it looks, when it was introduced, etc. And if you want a lot more in-depth mini "review" of what I think and
why I'm saying what I am about the Cobalt, check out the the "General Car Discussion" section on the other site. I can't directly link to it but the contact link in my sig line will take you to that forum.
Quote: Originally Posted by
Simon.Starkie Finally, the hands-down best thing I like about the SRT-4 was the original factory involvement with the car. Getting advice from people like DodgeTweaker, Dr Who, Gina, Stephan certainly made me feel like I was involved with something special. And the fit, finish, quality and down-right ability to perform of the Mopar Perfomance parts was a real treat. So I'd be interested in hearing whether or not Chevy has anything similar for the Cobalt.
How's the tranny in that thing anyway
Mopar
had people here on the forums in a semi-official capacity but I've talked to a former engineer and have a pretty good idea why that stopped. It is nice that they still do the occasional Q&A session. As to GM's Performance Division, it is headed up by someone I respect a lot for the previous cars he has helped produce and his driving abilities and motorsports involvement. GM as a company has also offered various upgrade parts that are of high quality and even better than the Mopar Performance parts in some respects. For example many are CARB approved and their "Stage" kits for the old supercharged SS and blower kits the old 2.4L Twin Cam (i.e. Quad 4) retained full factory warranty for the car if installed by the dealer.
To give you a better idea what GM is sharing with their community you might check out their
Tuner Source site if you've never been there. Be sure to check out the tech sections and things like the
build books they give away. Not only do they sponsor racing teams but they actually share the tech and what they learn.
And the trans is great. I've got the torque biasing diff and it shifts great but some may find the clutch pedal light until they get used to it (after which it's very easy to modulate). The Saab F35 transaxle that the Cobalt uses has been around for a long time now and has stood up to duty in much heavier cars and ones producing a lot more power when in the hand of the aftermarket. I don't abuse my stuff so just like the T850 in my SRT-4 I expect the F35 will last a long, long time. But there's always the chance a manufacturing defect will rear it's ugly head and that's where the GM 5-year/100k-mile powertrain warranty with no deductible and a free loaner vehicle comes in handy.
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Quote: Originally Posted by
toasteroven Hatchbacks are like foreskin. You think you have something extra, until you realize it does fuck all.
Cobalt SS Turbo Sedan is on my short list for next vehicle as well (along with a G8 GT). Can't wait for full warranty, cash back, and 0% down. Go GM.
I
think I understand the point you were trying to make in that first sentence
. I actually like hatches and if they offered an identical performing Astra it would be a tough choice between that and the Cobalt. Also to give you an idea on real-world performance comparisons, my Cobalt was trapping a touch quicker with almost identical E.T.'s to an '08 G8 GT today on the couple runs I caught. The GXP and 6-speed option next year would be another matter but right now they seem fairly close.
Quote: Originally Posted by
SRTie4k I'm looking at the SS/TC as my next DD, possibly as early as next year.
I remember the first time I test drove the SRT4, I instantly fell in love with its all-around rawness. I loved the fact that it didn't pull any punches or try to tame the driver at all, but it still had a pretty decent ride for a 230HP economy sedan. And ultimately I couldn't care less about interior as long as it doesn't look like the inside of a track car and have rattles coming out of every crevice.
I'm really hoping the SS/TC has the same raw but somewhat refined appeal to it as the SRT4 did, I wouldn't mind driving one every day for a few years if it did.
You're not going to like the Cobalt then if that's what you're looking for in a compact car. First, I suspect most of the SS's were delivered with a couple gallons of 87-octane in the tank which explains the so-so performance on the couple I test drove before buying mine. Second, even with 91+ octane (which is a noticeable difference), the engine is extremely smooth with very linear power delivery that doesn't peak sharply and drop off like in the SRT-4. You can probably attribute that to the high compression ratio, twin scroll turbo, variable cam timing, and the direct injection for fuel.
The chassis of the car is also a lot better and stronger than the Neon. I could post some comparison pictures but you can see for yourself just by crawling under both cars and look at the structure such as the under body rails, the trunk area behind the carpet, the front frame rails, the sub-frame cradle and this will become apparent. In the NVH management category the Cobalt has a
Quiet Steel laminated firewall and a lot of sound dampening material among other things yet still weighs very close to what the Neon SRT-4 does. The suspension has phenomenal grip yet rides very smooth with subdued impacts that are well controlled. Think a mix of GTI, Honda/Acura and BMW and you'll get an idea of the blend Chevy has been able to produce. The powertrain should still be able to produce great numbers if you want even more power, but if you
only want that "raw" straight-line rush that is delivered with the refinement of a chainsaw then look elsewhere.
Quote: Originally Posted by
A-Town SRT Anyone know if chevy is introducing stage kits?
Sounds like there's a good chance but not for a while. I wouldn't expect them out for another year or so. In the mean time you already have options for aftermarket flashes and other tuning solutions such as HPTuners.
Quote: Originally Posted by
A-Town SRT I'd quote you blackbird_R/Tbut you typed too much.
And to quote you one more time on that. You thought that post was too long, you'll probably never get through this one.
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