For most consumers, Chevy’s Cavalier was a totally forgettable denizen of rental car fleets and subprime borrowers. For more than 20 years, the nameplate graced ever more downmarket cars as its technology and styling failed to keep up. Sure, there were a few half-hearted attempts at making a Cavalier that was also fun to drive, but there were a lot …
Two Esses, Three Versions
Photography Credit: Scott R. Lear
Other manufacturers were already offering sporty variants of their compacts–cars like the Sentra SE-R, Civic Si, Neon SRT-4, SVT Focus, and even the Evo and WRX. Chevy entered that ring by giving the Cobalt a youthful kick, creating a series of enthusiast-targeted models under the Cobalt SS nameplate. Even if few Cobalt buyers understood its history, the Super Sport name carried some historical weight.
The Cobalt SS badge actually graced three very different cars. The first out of the gate was the 205-horsepower Supercharged Coupe. Under the hood was a sweet 2.0-liter Ecotec engine. It was similar to the one used in the Saab 9-3 since 2002, but with supercharging instead of a turbo. For packaging reasons, a liquid-to-air intercooler with a separate coolant reservoir handled charge cooling. Behind the Euro-sourced engine was a five-speed transmission, which was also cribbed from various European GM cars–including the Saab 9-5.
How did the SS’s equipment differ from a regular Cobalt’s? It sported unique, stiffer suspension tuning, larger anti-roll bars, and 18-inch forged alloy wheels. Available options included a Quaife mechanical limited-slip differential and Recaro seats in the available Performance Package. A gigantic spoiler was standard equipment, as on many sport compacts at the time.
The little coupe was quite a dynamic improvement over the ordinary Cobalt. It easily clicked off sub-6-second zero-to-60 times in contemporary reviews, and was roundly praised for its taut handling and stout engine. Wheelspin and torque steer were present, but thanks to a price of less than $22,000, most everyone seemed to agree that the good outweighed the bad in this new GM pocket rocket.
Nearly from the beginning, GM Performance Parts offered dealer-installed Stage kits to boost the power of the supercharged engine without voiding the factory warranty. The Stage 1 package reflashed the factory ECU and increased the injector size for a 235-horsepower output. Stage 2 included a smaller supercharger pulley, along with the ECU and injectors for a 241-horsepower total output.
For the truly hardcore, GM Performance engineered a Stage 3 kit branded “for off-road use only.” This kit included an even smaller pulley, a completely different ECU with user-programmable rev limiter, no support for a/c, and even a built-in nitrous oxide controller. Plus, a different side plate improved the stock intercooler’s cooling performance. GM claimed that with 100-octane fuel, the engine made 260 horsepower–near the top of the front-wheel-drive compact horsepower wars.
Starting in 2006, the hyperactive, supercharged Cobalt SS was joined by a 2.4-liter, naturally aspirated SS model. Its LE5 engine was a newer-generation Ecotec with variable valve timing and a 173-horsepower output. The atmospheric SS added a sedan to the formula, and it featured an optional automatic transmission. The suspension and wheels were a step down from the parts included with the SS Supercharged Coupe, but they were still sportier than the stuff given to ordinary Cobalts.
The big news for the SS lineup came for the 2008 model year. The supercharged engine, according to GM, was no longer able to meet tightening emissions regulations. The supercharged car was dropped, and the naturally aspirated SS was demoted to just the Cobalt Sport.
But the SS was not dead yet. Later in the 2008 model year, GM grabbed the direct-injection, turbocharged 2.0-liter Ecotec engine installed in the Solstice and Sky, turned it 90 degrees, and installed it in the outgoing SS’s coupe body. New, wider wheels and new seats were among the very few changes made to the car, which also included the formerly optional Quaife limited-slip differential.
With 260 horsepower and 260 ft.-lbs. of torque on tap, the new SS could rocket to 60 mph in around 5.5 seconds–a significant improvement over the Supercharged SS. Handling was tweaked slightly, too, and GM proudly touted the fact that the new car’s suspension tuning was honed on the Nürburgring. Engineers allegedly targeted the all-wheel-drive Lancer Evolution’s road-holding when developing the car.
Shut It Down
For 2009, Chevy upped the ante with the addition of a Cobalt SS sedan, featuring the same great performance as the coupe. Unfortunately, it was a poorly timed launch. Along with everything else in the GM world, Cobalt SS sales tanked just as the new car arrived in dealerships.
Amid the uncertainties of GM’s bankruptcy, the Cobalt SS quietly died after the 2009 model year. The Daewoo-designed Cruze took the Cobalt’s place on the roster. The factory hasn’t announced or hinted at a Cruze-based replacement for the Cobalt SS, so fans of cheap, homegrown speed are probably going to have to look elsewhere for their kicks.
Things to Know
As with many American cars, depreciation has been brutal to the Cobalt family. The SS cars have retained their value better than the basic Cobalt, but they’re still very serious bargains by almost any measure.
Early supercharged cars can be had for $6000 to $7000 depending on miles and condition, while the final turbocharged sedans top out around $15,000–if you can find one. An SS from 2005 through ’07 with a normally aspirated 2.4-liter engine will set you back a few thousand less. These aren’t likely to become collectible any time soon, so buy what you like and don’t worry too much about resale.
Photography Credit: Scott R. Lear
Chassis
The factory suspension found on the later cars is an improvement over the one on the supercharged cars, but both are very good for street car setups.
There isn’t much room to lower the car without running out of suspension travel, so most aftermarket tuning kits decrease static ride height minimally, if at all.
There is plenty of room for sticky 18-inch tires under the factory fenders.
Body
Like most other cars of its type, the Cobalt SS attracts more than its share of young, reckless drivers. That means many cars have suffered abuse, and salvage titles are common.
Engine and Drivetrain
GM Performance Parts is now known as Chevy Performance Parts, and the factory-backed motorsports arm still lists parts for the Cobalt, including the Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 supercharger kits.
The clutch is a weak point: Many have needed to be replaced sooner than expected. Clutch problems seem to plague supercharged cars more than turbo ones.
Both forced-induction engines can easily be tuned for a 20- to 30-percent boost in power. The Chevy Performance Parts stage packages are an easy way to modify the engines for more power, although they tend to be expensive compared to aftermarket solutions.
The supercharged engine needs a different drive pulley to achieve higher boost, along with larger injectors to fuel the increased airflow. With a 2.9-inch pulley–a common aftermarket size–larger injectors, and a custom tune, the powerplant can easily achieve 250 horsepower at the wheels. The motor mounts will have to be upgraded at this power level to avoid abusive wheel hop, and the clutch probably won’t be able to handle any more power without slipping.
Later turbocharged engines–the ones featuring ECU boost control–can be tuned to 270 horsepower or so at the wheels with no new parts. However, a downpipe and free-flowing exhaust will help with spool and allow for slightly higher power levels.
Chevy Performance Parts offers a turbo upgrade kit (280 horsepower) that includes two new sensors and a different ECU program. They also sell a wheel hop reduction kit for the Cobalt SS, along with an Extrude Honed exhaust manifold for the supercharged cars.
Interior
The Cobalt is a tough little car, and most complaints center around the interior quality and minor driveability issues.
Photograph Courtesy GM
