A6

Justin Pritchard
Pacenews

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The cheap speed war is intensifying, and Chevrolet's just introduced a revised Cobalt SS model to battle competition from Mazda, Dodge, Mini, Volvo and Volkswagen.

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SS badges on the exterior give away the car’s performance intentions, as does a large-diameter exhaust pipe. It’s a coupe too- not a hatchback- which is a big plus for those who want an authentic sports car look as opposed to that of a hopped-up wagon.

The new one's beefed up and ready for a fight. It's almost the most powerful machine in its class, and GM's tried to make it one of the best handling front-drive cars on the road. Apparently, they succeeded- since the Cobalt SS set a class record by lapping the famous Nürburgring circuit in under 8 minutes 23 seconds.

It's not hard to distinguish the Cobalt SS from its lower-model siblings. Eighteen-inch wheels, side skirts, and bumper lips are sure bets. Cool colors like our tester's 'Traffic Citation Yellow' are available.

You won't miss the optional park-bench spoiler on the trunk. It's the most gruesome looking wing on the road today- and it's large enough to be visible from Google Earth while completely destroying rearward visibility. Save the $275 towards some window tint.

SS badges on the exterior give away the car's performance intentions, as does a large-diameter exhaust pipe. It's a coupe too- not a hatchback- which is a big plus for those who want an authentic sports car look as opposed to that of a hopped-up wagon.

Cobalt SS doesn't scream 'look at my muffler!' as loudly as a Caliber SRT4, but it is far less sleeper than a Mazdaspeed 3. It's not as visually cohesive as the Honda Civic Si- but it's got its own different style going on that seems to work well for it.

The new engine works well for it, too. GM's ditched the whiny supercharger in favor of an intercooled turbo- taking power from 205 up to 260.

The engine pulls strongly from about 2500 RPM to about 6000, displaying a thick band of torque and smooth, mellow and relatively quiet character. Boy racer sound effects come free of charge.

Direct injection teams up with the turbocharger, enabling this potent performance from a mere two litres of displacement. Fuel mileage is very respectable during cruising- and there's always enough sauce available to quickly embarrass many a performance car after a quick moment of boost lag.

Right to the point- GM's nailed the steering and handling of the Cobalt SS turbo. It dances around the track when pushed- turning and sliding nicely while boasting a quick, responsive and weighty steering rack that helps drivers lock in their line. The front end turns in sharply, always going where it's pointed without too much fuss.

With the limited slip differential installed, torque steer is minor-and the car powers neatly out of even tight corners. It's considerably tidier in the bends than, say, a Caliber SRT4- which instead uses brute power to pull away on the straights.

Overall handling calls the Mini Cooper S to mind- very responsive, nimble and entertaining. The back end comes out just right to have a little fun with lift-off oversteer where applicable, too.

Equally impressive is just how easy the Cobalt SS is to learn.

Drivers new to weekend lapping or racing will pick up on the car's characteristics quickly, after which point it begs to be driven hard but never startles or surprises. The traction control is mainly un-intrusive, helping prevent front-tire vaporization and allowing for a hands-on approach.

Stopping power comes from Brembo brakes which bite down powerfully, though without offering the level of feel and feedback some may wish for. On my watch, they seemed to do their heat-fading initially before maintaining a predictable level of stopping power for a dozen hot laps or more.

On the course, only two complaints arose. First, there isn't enough headroom to get a perfect seating position with a helmet on, especially with the sunroof fitted. Second, the tight shifter occasionally likes to slip into 'fourth' instead of 'second', which can slow things down considerably.

Price-wise, the Caliber SRT4 comes close. It's larger, offers vastly more storage, utility and seating capacity. It's a bit messier in the corners, but it'll more than hold its own in the straights.

If you're a coupe type of guy or gal, the Honda Civic Si is the next closest thing. Entertaining as its 8,000 RPM engine is, it costs about $1,500 more and delivers a good chunk less power, torque and warranty.

If a fast, race-ready and affordable coupe is in your future, Cobalt SS Turbo is the best deal around.