During the 1990s and into the 2000s, the tuner car scene was a hot place to be in the worldwide automotive market. What started as a Japanese phenomenon quickly spread across the globe, and numerous gearheads began outfitting their own models with tuner car-like stuff, such as ground effects, off-the-shelf turbochargers, and under glow. By the time the 2000s rolled around, the culture had become much more polished, with many automakers producing their own factory-bred models that required little to no modification to be considered a tuner.
The Americans were somewhat part of the entire tuner car scene, albeit on a smaller scale. As far as GM’s involvement is concerned, one of the most famous models to join the fold from the automaker was the Chevrolet Cobalt SS. It looked like a tuner and went like a tuner, but it didn’t sound like a tuner. That’s because, instead of a common turbocharger or natural aspiration, its engine took advantage of a supercharger. You can’t get much more American than a supercharged tuner car.
The Playing Field Was Tough
2007 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Exterior Finished In RedChevrolet
By the time the Chevrolet Cobalt SS entered the scene in 2005, the tuner car market was flooded with models. Immediately upon its launch, it had to contend with fully fledged, respected nameplates like the Honda Civic Si and the Acura RSX Type-S, alongside newer entries into the fold, like the Dodge Neon SRT-4. In order to stand out in a market filled with eye-catching and exciting cars, GM had to make the Cobalt SS unique in some way. Hence, it used a supercharged engine.
2007 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Exterior Finished In RedChevrolet
In addition to its use of a supercharged engine, the Cobalt SS was also subjected to a large marketing investment. Understanding that a younger crowd would be interested in buying the hot model, Chevrolet poured most of its ad money into television commercials that were shown during sporting events, namely college football bowl games.
The brand also tested the Cobalt SS at the Nürburgring, which it leaned heavily into in its TV and print ads. Topping off the ad blitz were a slew of ride-and-drive events, where Chevy would invite owners of competing models to test drive the Cobalt SS to experience it.
2007 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Exterior Finished In RedChevrolet
During its debut model year, the Chevy Cobalt SS stickered at a base price of $21,430. Compared to some of its contemporaries like the Civic Si and Neon SRT-4, it was a bit more expensive. However, what it lacked in affordability, it made up for in power output. It’s reported that the Cobalt SS managed to sell roughly 3,000 times during its first model year, although this number jumped up to approximately 17,400 in 2006. Come 2007, its final model year, Chevrolet managed to shift about 10,500 units before its axing.
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Under The Hood
2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged engineChevrolet
Nestled within the bowels of the Cobalt SS sits a 2.0-liter inline-four engine. In its naturally aspirated iteration, the mill carries the codename “LK9”, and has seen use within nameplates like the Saab 9-3 and the Euro market Opel Vectra and Signum. However, once GM strapped an Eaton M62 roots-type supercharger to it, it gained the name “LSJ”.
The LK9’s eventual use as the supercharged LSJ engine was baked right into its original planning. For example, it carried numerous go-faster-friendly features like piston-cooling oil jets, which squirt oil directly onto the bottom of the piston to help cool it. It also came with a robust oil cooler, along with sodium-filled exhaust valves. It also carried a forged steel crankshaft and forged connecting rods, although its pistons were cast aluminum.
2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged boost gaugeChevrolet
The sole transmission on offer for the model was a five-speed manual unit produced by Saab, and front-wheel drive was the standard drivetrain setup. Its suspension system was tuned over the standard Cobalt, sporting upgrades like stiffer springs, thicker sway bars, and a unique set of high-performance dampers and bushings. Up front, a special hydroformed steel cradle assembly held the suspension components together in a tight, rigid structure. A forged lower control arm was seen on both front axles, too. In all, the Cobalt SS’ suspension upgrades were part of GM’s FE3 suspension package. A “G85” package added a limited-slip differential (LSD) and a pair of Recaro-branded bucket seats.
Chevrolet Cobalt SS
Engine Details
2.0L supercharged inline-four
Power
205–260 hp
Torque
200–218 lb-ft
Valvetrain
DOHC 16-valve
0-60 mph
6.1 seconds
Top Speed
145 mph (limited)
Curb Weight
2,925 lbs
*Specs courtesy of Chevrolet
There were a few optional performance packages you could choose from, called “Stages”, all of which were dealer-installed and factory warranty-backed. The Stage 1 kit included hotter fuel injectors and a more aggressive engine control unit (ECU) tune, pumping out roughly an additional 31 horsepower over stock. Stage 2 takes things further, adding a smaller-diameter pulley to the supercharger, increasing its output by spinning it faster and producing five more ponies over Stage 1.
2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged Gray Interior Driver AreaChevrolet
The final stage, Stage 3, adds everything discussed above alongside an even-smaller supercharger pulley, a customizable ECU, the option to run on 100-octane fuel, and the option to install up to a 50-shot of nitrous. You could also adjust the redline up to 8,000 rpm. For contrast, the standard LSJ engine maxes out at around 6,500 rpm. With the Stage 3 kit and 100-octane fuel, the Cobalt SS could pump out up to 260 ponies.
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How The Cobalt SS Stacks Up
We pointed out earlier, the Cobalt SS’s field of competition was huge and tough, meaning it needed to perform well or face obscurity. Of its long list of adversaries, arguably the two most prominent would be the Honda Civic Si and the Dodge Neon SRT-4.
2006 Honda Civic Si
A front three-quarter shot of a 2006-2008 Honda Civic Si CoupeHonda
Unlike the Cobalt SS, the ’06 Honda Civic Si went for a naturally aspirated powerplant. Under its hood sat a 2.0-liter inline-four engine belonging to Honda’s fabled K-Series family. Specifically, it carried the codename “K20Z3”, and boasted things like Honda’s i-VTEC variable valve timing. A six-speed manual transmission handled the gears, and a fine-tuned suspension kept its weight well-sorted through the corners.
2006 Honda Civic Si
2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS
Engine
2.0L NA inline-four
2.0L supercharged inline-four
Power
197 hp
205 hp
Torque
139 lb-ft
200 lb-ft
0-60 mph
6.5 seconds
6.1 seconds
1/4 Mile Time @ mph
15.6 seconds @ 97 mph
14.4 seconds @ 100.0 mph
Top Speed
138 mph
158 mph (limited)
Starting Price (2006)
$19,900
$21,990
*Specs courtesy of Honda, Chevrolet, & AccelerationTimes.com
2005 Dodge Neon SRT-4
A 2003 – 2005 Dodge Neon SRT 4Stellantis
2005 Dodge Neon SRT-4
2005 Chevrolet Cobalt SS
Engine
2.4L turbocharged inline-four
2.0L supercharged inline-four
Power
230 hp
205 hp
Torque
250 lb-ft
200 lb-ft
0-60 mph
5.3 seconds
5.9 seconds
1/4 Mile Time @ mph
13.9 seconds @ 103 mph
14.4 seconds @ 100 mph
Top Speed
153 mph
158 mph (limited)
Starting Price (2005)
$21,295
$21,430
*Specs courtesy of Stellantis, Chevrolet, & NewOldCars.com
Being that it’s another American tuner with, arguably, more fame to its name, the Dodge Neon SRT-4 is a bit more of a direct competitor than the Japanese Civic Si. It’s also turbocharged, meaning it’s got something else in common with the also forcibly induced Chevy Cobalt SS.
The Neon SRT-4’s final year in existence was 2005, just as the Cobalt SS entered the fold, making their time together on the market brief, but enough to warrant a thorough comparison.
Pick One Up While You Still Can
2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Coupe Supercharged Red Rear Angled ViewChevrolet
In a GM Authority article written just last month, it was reported that the Cobalt SS is currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity. In particular, Gen Z gearheads are snapping them up in droves, and the model’s used pricing is just beginning to climb, reacting to the increase in demand. The publication utilized data gleaned from Hagerty, which showed insurance quotes and new policies surging for Chevy’s Cobalt SS over the past year or so.
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So, what that means is, you’ll need to start looking for a Cobalt SS of your own while they’re still reasonably affordable. At present, you can snap up a decent example for around $6k or so, according to CarGurus.com. But, as demand increases and time elapses, who knows how much a good Cobalt SS might cost in a year or two.
Sources: Chevrolet, Stellantis, Honda, Forbes, AutoBlog, AccelerationTimes.com, NewOldCars.com, GM Authority, Hagerty.
