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Chevy Cobalt SS Turbo, Forgotten Hero That Earned America a Spot on the 00s Tuner Wave

In the early 2000s, Japanese automakers quickly learned the car market just wanted an affordable, reliable car. In the performance segment, Toyota, Honda, and Mitsubishi took significant strides ahead of their American competition with reasonably priced sports cars – the market embraced them with both hands. As a reaction, General Motors commissioned the release of the Chevrolet Cobalt SS.
Turbo Chevrolet Cobalt SS 10 photos
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/ThatDudeinBlue
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Like all late-debuted General Motors products, such as the Pontiac GTO and Chevrolet SSR, the Chevy Cobalt SS was an instant hit. Even though it began production in 2004, it was the 2005 version that donned the ‘SS' badge and gave the GTIs and Civics a run for their money.

Unlike anything American considered sporty, the 2005 Cobalt SS coupe came with a 2-liter inline-four engine, a supercharger, and a massive wing. The powerplant was good for 205 hp (207 ps) and 200 lb-ft (271 Nm) of torque. This power was channeled to the front wheel via a 5-speed manual transmission.

David Patterson of ThatDudeInBlue YouTube channel recently featured a turbocharged 2009 Chevy Cobalt SS. It’s the Cobalt that preceded the 2008 naturally-aspirated snooze model. The one GM higher-ups let the performance division do what they were paid to do: make reliable performance cars.

The Cobalt SS we know of today had two main versions. Now, the first one was an Eaton supercharged four-cylinder. The supercharged version was a lot of fun to drive, but it usually isn’t the one people remember,” Patterson revealed introducing the Cobalt SS.

According to Patterson, the switch from a supercharger to a turbocharger wasn’t a result of the era’s turbo wave but because Eaton’s contract with Chevy had expired.

The result was 260 hp (264 ps) and 260 lb-ft (353 Nm of torque bump from an inline four turbocharged 2-liter powerplant. The power was sent to the front wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission. This powerplant came in the 2009 Chevy Cobalt SS.

Patterson’s featured car makes more than that. It's rated at 310 wheel horsepower (344 hp/349 ps) thanks to some automotive spice from ZZ Performance.

We recommend watching the video below for some behind-the-wheel action out of this forgotten American turner car.

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About the author: Humphrey Bwayo
Humphrey Bwayo profile photo

Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life.
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