The pull-down drawer to the left of the steering wheel is remarkably cheap feeling while the leather our seats were finished in feels downright vinyl-like and as such, isn’t particularly attractive or supportive in the corners. The cutout on the door that serves as an armrest could use some more padding. A few more dollars on the interior would go a long way toward moving this cabin to the front of the pack. We’d also recommend an upgrade to the new corporate bow-tie radio with its superior preset capabilities. A three-spoke steering wheel borrowed from the Pontiac Solstice would lend a sportier look to the cabin. We like the attractive chrome-ringed gauges and the silver-painted plastic trim breaks up the black interior well enough. Swing open the long, heavy driver’s door and you’ll find a well-equipped cabin and straightforward ergonomics. We continue to like the coupe’s clean flanks and four round taillights but a slightly lower ride height would further improve the sporty look. We are glad to report the wing on this model is substantially less over-the-top than the one that blocked all trailing traffic in the forced-induction SS. We like the design of the wheels but the wide spokes are susceptible to curb damage as nasty scrapes on the right front wheel of our tester indicated someone had already discovered. Outside the design is heavily influenced by the Supercharged Cobalt with similar front and rear fascias and attractive 17” wheels with performance tires. Ok, we’re getting sarcastic, but corporate misuse of such hallowed enthusiast heritage deserves a scolding. Factor in the slushbox and maybe GM should consider a new designator: USS (Un-Super Sport). The combination is good for 171 hp and 163 lb-ft of torque. We would have preferred to stick with the standard 5-speed manual but, to its credit, the optional 4-speed automatic did a fine job. For some reason, it was far smoother in this application than in the Sky we drove a few weeks before. The SS comes with the 2.4-liter VVT I4 that does duty throughout GM’s small car offerings. Fortunately, its good looks, fine fuel efficiency (32mpg highway) and well-equipped cabin are enough to make this a contender in its class. This go around, the SS coupe came sans the supercharger and, effectively, sans the excitement. It offered racy but clean exterior enhancements and a supercharged Ecotec that gave the little coupe enough scoot to feel, well, super sporty. We reviewed the SS Supercharged Cobalt last year and had plenty of good things to say about it. It may have SS badges glued to an attractive coupe body, but this was no Super Sport. The subject of this review is the poseur. You see, Chevrolet actually offers two Cobalt SSs and one of them is worthy of the legendary designation and the other is little more than an appearance package. It requires the following parts from the Stage 2 kit: high-flow fuel injectors, pulley adapter hub, and serpentine belt.The Sunburst Orange Chevy Cobalt in our fleet was wearing the two most revered letters in GM performance history, but we weren’t fooled. This kit is an upgrade to the Stage 2 Kit. The vehicle's air conditioning is disabled by the Stage 3 PCM. The Stage 3 upgrades are meant for off-road use only and are not certified to be emissions legal. The Stage 3 Kit is for off-road use only. The PCM will automatically provide the proper spark and fuel for Nitrous up to 500 rpm below the current selected rev limit when the trigger is activated. This PCM is also equipped with a control scheme for the equivalent of a 50-horse shot of Nitrous. Pressing the throttle further will adjust the rev limit in 250 rpm increments. At about 50% throttle the tachometer will show the current rev limit. The rev limit is adjusted by pressing on the throttle pedal with the ignition on and engine off. This PCM is equipped with a user adjustable rev limit from 6750 to 8000 rpm. For best power, we recommend also installing a high-flow exhaust. In addition to the power increase, you'll also get an adjustable rev limiter and calibration for a 50 shot of nitrous (nitrous kit not included). Stage 3 takes horsepower output to 248 hp on 93 octane fuel and to 260 hp on 100 octane fuel. Our Stage 3 kit will take your supercharged Ecotec 2.0L engine to a whole new level of performance. Unique PCM which includes a calibration for the smaller pulley, an adjustable rev limiter, a 100 octane mode, and a nitrous control algorithm.The Stage 3 kit consists of the following: Take your Cobalt SS or ION Red Line to the next level with our Stage 3 Off-Road Kit!
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