Small sporty cars are few and far between these days. Ones like today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Cobalt that really push their econobox envelopes are even rarer. Let’s see if this supercharged Super Sport comes with a price tag that could make it a far more common sight in your driveway.
I think that there was a lot to like about yesterday’s 1996 GMC Yukon. Do you know what I liked best about it? It was the branding it wore on its tailgate—the one that read “GMCTrucks.” It makes me pine for other such badges like “GMCCars” or “GMCHovercraft.” Aside from crossovers like the Terrain and Acadia, GMC pretty much only sells trucks, and yesterday’s Yukon was a decent enough example of one of their legacy models.
Unfortunately for the seller, its wasn’t $8,750 decent, at least not to the 70 percent of you shaming that price into a Crack Pipe loss. It seems that was one GMCTruck that was... out of luck.
Factory tuners are the automotive equivalent to those gas station/convenience store combos. Do you need to fill the tank? We got you covered. Also, need a cup of coffee and breakfast burrito? We got that too, fam. It’s your one-stop shop.
Getting your performance right from the factory is just as great a convenience. And, by encouraging our inherent faineance, in-house tweakers like BMW’s M-group and Mercedes’ AMG have flourished.
Chevrolet has long played this game as well, although to somewhat uneven results over the years. The Bow Tie Brand’s main marker for its tuner efforts has long been SS which stands, appropriately enough, for SuperSport.
In the case of the Cobalt, which was Chevy’s small car of the Aughts, the SS badge really meant something. For the first couple of model years, its basic 2-litre four was pumped up by a Roots style supercharger, putting a full 205 horsepower to the front wheels. An Opel-sourced five-speed stick was made available for those who liked to take the shifting into their own hands, and the whole thing was held up on a more aggressive FE5 suspension package and monoblock-style polished alloy wheels. A G85 option package added Recaro bucket seats and a limited-slip differential. You could also get the LSD as an independent option if you were some sort of Recaro-hating weirdo.
The seller of this 2006 Chevy Cobalt SS doesn’t say whether it has the LSD, but one quick look into its interior will confirm it does not have the desirable Recaro thrones. The leather-clad seats do have SS embroidery on their backrests and while seemingly flatter than a day-old Coors, they at least look intact and without flaw. The back seats appear to have never even been used.
The steering wheel does show signs of use but does front a 160 mph speedo and companion 8,000 rpm tach. Manual HVAC controls and a small-screen double-DIN stereo compete for your attention from the center stack. The only apparent issue inside this 124,000-mile SS is the de-lamination of the passenger-side door armrest. It’s bubbling up like a fart caught in spandex.
The exterior looks to be in just as nice of shape, and speaking of shape, I don’t think that the Chevy Cobalt two-door ever got the credit it deserved. This is honestly a very tidy little car and design-wise could go toe to tire with your Civics and Golfs.
There’s a big wing out back and an aggressive facia housing fog lamps upfront. A large moonroof tops it all off. The Laser Blue Metallic paint seems to be holding up on most surfaces, although the clear coat has given up the ghost on the roof and will need to be stripped and reapplied. That, or you could just get one of those faux carbon fiber vinyl wraps for the roof and call it a day.
There’s not much info given regarding the car’s mechanicals, and we don’t even get to see the engine bay to ogle that sweet supercharger. For all we know, a family of raccoons could have taken up residence beside it. The seller does claim that the car “runs great” and touts that it has enjoyed dealer-supplied oil changes on a 5K schedule its entire life. It has passed its California emissions test and comes with a clear title.
The asking price for this flawed but still compelling little coupe is $4,000, which is about $$2,500 more than you might reasonably feel compelled to spend on any non-SS Cobalt. That supercharger and the big wing do demand a premium, of that there is no doubt. The question of the day is whether, in this Cobalt’s case, they add up to that $4,000 asking.
What do you think, is this SS a superstar of a car at that $4,000 asking? Or, is that price its kryptonite?
You decide!
Orange County, CA Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Ron L for the hookup!
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