They also say for around the same price it's faster than the Mazdaspeed 3.... mainly due to it being lighter. Check it out:
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...e.photopanel..1
They claim the Speed3 ran a best of 14.2@100.1mph while the new Cobalt SS ran a 14.0@103mph.... and is now officially, according to Edmunds "the quickest car you can buy under $25,000."
What's cool, is that apparently, other than the Chevy HR, it's the only car under $25k that has launch control lol, read this:
"You pull the Cobalt SS onto the drag strip and switch the stability control into competition mode. At this point, the DIC (GM's awkward way of saying "Driver Information Center") flashes the happy message: "Launch Control." You put the clutch in, select 1st gear and push the gas pedal to the floor. The Cobalt's computer will immediately rev the engine to 5,100 rpm, and all you have to do is work the clutch. But you can't side-step it; you have to release it progressively but quickly. Get it right and the Cobalt SS makes a getaway with enough authority to churn the contents of your stomach.
To ensure the clutch has a shot at surviving the five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty period, the GMPD engineers tell us that they installed the largest, most robust clutch that would possibly fit and even downsized the flywheel to accommodate it. The engineers also did 600 launches on a single test car to verify their work."
^^^That's badass!! Also, as an extra bonus, it has a "no lift shift" program, check it out:
"Also, you can upshift in the SS without lifting.
We're serious. GMPD created a "No-Lift Shift" software algorithm that kicks in when you're at full throttle and press in the clutch. It manipulates the engine's variable cam phasing and retards the ignition timing so the cylinder contents burn later in the cycle than they usually would, creating more energy to help the turbocharger maintain boost.
You have 3/10ths of a second to complete your shift while maintaining 95-100 percent throttle; otherwise, you experience a normal upshift with an interruption in boost. Our hottest shoes can execute a gearchange in half this time, so it's not hard to meet the time limit. "
This is one serious little FWD car for the money... even handling is improved:
Mazdaspeed 3:
69.3mph slalom
Cobalt SS:
69.2mpg slalom
Almost identical... and it was said the new SS' skidpad numbers are up from 0.87 to 0.89 G, and they mentioned the Speed3's numbers were nearly identical. It also comes with Brembo's up front, 60-0 stops in just 115 ft, only 2 feet off from the Speed3's 113 ft... and apparently, there's only $20 separating the Cobalt SS & Mazdaspeed 3 in price.
No matter how you slice it, the Speed3 has destroyed everything it's been put up against... someone had to raise the bar to meet it, I'm just surprised it was Chevy lol.
....and I would get a white one...top spite josh...