Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged

Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged - The price leap from the Camaro to the Corvette was cavernous. Back in '02, a Camaro Z28 cost about $23,000, and at almost $42,000, a Corvette listed for nearly double. Thus, horsepower crazies who were cost conscious were forced to get their fix elsewhere. After all, it wasn't as if dealers could push the rental-fleet Cavalier as a starting block from which to move into a Corvette (although some of them probably tried).

A far cry from the rear-drive, V-8-powered, 3400-pound Camaro—indeed, the 2911-pound SS Supercharged scorches its front tires with only a four-cylinder engine—it nonetheless performs within earshot of the old Z28. Our test vehicle, which resembled a sunburned lobster, ripped from 0 to 60 in just 5.9 seconds and through the quarter-mile in only 14.4 at 100 mph. The last Z28 coupe we tested in February 1999 was quicker but not out of range—0 to 60 in 5.2 and the quarter in 13.8 at 104.

Thankfully for Chevy, the Cobalt's numbers also put it in the same league as the cross-town rival $21,195 Dodge SRT4. The Dodge, armed with a 230-hp turbocharged four-cylinder, is quicker to 60 (5.3 seconds) and the quarter-mile (13.9 at 103) but, like the Z28, slower around the skidpad (0.86 g) and longer in 70-to-0 braking (169 feet).

Creating a car with as much bang for the buck as an SRT4 is a formidable feat, but Chevy has arguably done it with the SS Supercharged. GM's Performance Division began with Delta architecture—the foundation for the lukewarm Saturn Ion—and bolted on a plethora of performance parts to get things boiling. Underhood is the LSJ 2.0-liter Ecotec four-cylinder that, augmented by an Eaton supercharger, produces 205 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. To transfer the power, engineers opted for a Swedish-built FGP five-speed manual transmission—the same unit found in Saab's 9-5—and shortened the throws to four inches for a sportier feel. The combo works.

With that many horses on tap, Chevy made sure the SS Supercharged could keep them corralled. Compared with a standard Cobalt coupe, the SS Supercharged features unique strut valving, stiffer springs, larger anti-roll bars, a quarter-inch-lower ride height, bigger brakes with high-performance linings, and 18-inch forged alloys wearing 215/45 Pirellis. Our tester also had the $1500 Performance package that adds Recaro front seats and a Quaife limited-slip differential. Around our local handling loop, the Cobalt displayed minimal body roll and understeer, as well as impressive front-end grip that felt enhanced by the LSD.

The Cobalt SS Supercharged might be a souped-up econobox, but it punches the scorecard with big-league numbers. Is it a home run? Close. Think of it more as a ground-rule double—out of the park but still another hit from scoring.