From this month's M/T:
Cobalt SS
0-60: 6 seconds
1/4 mile: 14.5@98 mph
60-0: 115 ft
Skidpad: .89g
Slalom: 69.0 mph (fastest time they've ever tested for a FWD car)


Not exactly a fair comparison, since it's a different mag, but here are the new/updated 05 RSX-S numbers from C&D last month:
0-60: 6.2 sec
0-100: 16.6 sec
Street start, 5-60 mph: 6.9 sec
1/4-mile: 14.9 sec @ 95 mph
Top speed: 136 mph
70-0: 181 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.86 g

 

stock for stock maybe, doesn't take much for a type s to get into the low 14's area.

 

Isn't the Cobalt SS supercharged?
If it is, it doesn't take much for it to get high 13's.

 

now that just open a whole new can of worms.

shouldn't even compare a FI car to a NA vehicle.

 

Why not? It's never stopped anyone before.

 

Wow, those cobalt numbers look surprisingly similar to ours....

 

Except for this part of course...

By the way, I remember the Mazdaspeed Protege/MP3 being tested by various mags and got anywhere from 70-72 mph in the slalom test.

 

And this part... @98mph.

 

yes the coblot ss is supercharged...but it isn't too shabby for a fwd chevy replacement for the cavileir ( i never did like that car IMO). but i think i would skip this and rather just get a used wrx:D more of a fun factor

 

Chevy cobolt, ion redline, neon srt4, rsx type S.... seems like FWD "sports cars" are getting popular.

 

That's an oxymoron in itself.

 

You need to drive an ITR and you will change your tune, they are damn impressive little cars on a track and probably more pure sportscar than my or your car.

 

FWD sports cars have always been popular, even if its at the grassroots level. Luckily, we were blessed with the DC2 ITR for a few years, and we've witnessed a good four years of the new Celica GT-S, which is a really awesome handler, having owned one for two years.

I hope Mazda and Nissan can up the ante on their compact cars. The Mazdaspeed Protege was a real kick, and it offered almost everything for a reasonable price. The Sentra SE-R, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. I hope these companies, and Toyota, will come back hard with improved sport compacts. No, don't bring the Corolla T-Sport here. That car is awful.

 

I think there have been some pretty high performing FWD cars sold in the JDM over the years. I know the Mitsubishi FTO and Honda Integra (yes I said Honda...lol) were pretty well regarded for a while before production was ceased. There will always be purists knocking FWD...but look no further than what Alfa Romeo is doing to the BMW's in European racing right now to see what a well balanced FWD platform can do.

 

The Cobalt may very well be a tad better performer, but with the Acura you get two big bonuses:

A) You won't see your car being used as a rental;
B) You won't have to live with a car that has workmanship on par with the toys in the discount bin at Kmart.

 

ZING...two points for the baron...lol:D

 

The ITR seems to be the weapon of choice in all sorts of racing, from circuit to Pikes Peak. Take a look at RealTime Racing's old DC2. That car was raping the competition with a sandpaper condom.

Aren't we supposed to be talking about the Cobalt SS? :p

Isn't that car built on a similar platform to the ION Redline? Despite what anyone says, supercharged FWD cars are the shiz.

 

i thought this was about the colbolt ss..haha but as in all things here..we like to get sidetracked:p

 

FYI my previous ride before the 8 was a DC5R.
As fun and entertaining as it was to drive, not having the rear wheels do anything was kinda dull.

 

Supercahrged chevy = kaboom. Just my personal opinion, but I would never own anything produced by ford, chevy, or dodge.

 

Nasty-nasty-Uber-Ugly rear wing on the cobalt.

Seems decent, however, performance-wise.

 

Another idea for a thred title

Cobalt SS: RX-8 Killer!! (without questions marks)

If the mag numbers are close to accurate....wow! Now I want to watch it run Laguna for comparisson....

 

Doesn't the RSX type s have an open differential? and all season tires
So get either a torque sensitive differential, or speed sensitive and seasonal tires and that would give parity.

The saturn red line/ cobalt ss has a quaife.

 

Yup. We in the U.S. don't get the luxury of a DC5 ITR, so we don't get the helical LSD. I'm sure Honda opted for all-season tires so its customers didn't have to repeatedly go back to get new tires. Trust me, those things start adding up after a while.

As for marking a comparison between the Cobalt SS and the RX-8, it doesn't really matter, because in the real world, it all comes down to who has whiter knuckles.

 

lol well i guess i win i'm pretty much pale year round