The 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt SS follows a tried and true formula of taking a small an unassuming car and dropping a powerful engine into it. The Super Sport (SS) label of the Cobalt was sold from 2005 to 2010. It started out with a Supercharged motor, then went naturally aspirated for a year, and finally turned Turbocharged. It came as a sedan and a coupe, but the focus of this article is on the 2009 Turbocharged coupe. Does it have what it takes to be a Modern Collectible?
Desirability
Among all the Cobalt SS variations, the turbo coupe stands out for several reasons. At 260 hp and 260 ft-lb of torque – it was the most powerful. It was sold only as 2009 model year, spanning 2008 and 2009 calendar years. Oh, and Motor Trend used an early Turbo Coupe to clock a 8:22.85 lap around the famed Nurburgring, which happens to be the fastest time for a front wheel driven car. That has some ring to it – fastest front wheel drive car!
The Cobalt SS comes with many performance oriented goodies. Of course, motor is the start of the show. It revs quickly and exhales with great sporty sound out the single rear exhaust. You also get a limited slip differential to keep both front wheels biting. The 5-speed manual transmission is not the best in the business, but does the job very well. It comes with “no-lift shift” capability to speed up gear changes and increase the fun factor. There is also “competitive mode launch control” that allows for more consistent acceleration runs. It holds the revs near 5,000 rpm when you press the accelerator all the way down. Then, release the clutch and off you go with some spin of the 18 inch rims with performance tires. Thankfully, there are the capable Brembo brakes up front to slow you down again. On the inside, there are the comfortable and supportive SS seats and a beefy steering wheel.
This is one fun car!
Rarity
The turbo Cobalt SS sedan is actually more rare then the coupe. There were just 474 of these sedans ever made. In contrast, there were 3,168 turbo coupes. Unfortunately, in the world of collectible automobiles, four door sedans rank the lowest in appeal. Coupes are ranked higher and collectors go nuts for the convertibles. Since, there was no Cobalt SS Convertible – the coupe is the next best thing. I do not want to take too much away from the rare sedan, but its visual presence cannot match the low slung roof line of the coupe.
If you want to look for the rarest exterior color, then the Imperial Blue Metallic is it. There were 205 Turbo coupes in this Blue. The next rarest is the Yellow that you see here, with 212 units. The most popular color was Black with 1,442 of those. By the way, there were just 15 Yellow SS sedans! So if you see a Yellow 2009 Cobalt SS sedan – it’s worth a grab if it’s in good shape.
Verdict
Many Cobalt SS coupes and sedans have been somehow modified and/or raced. Keep this in mind when you are searching to buy one. There was a factory certified Stage 1 kit that could be installed with the help from a dealer, but the rest of the mods will take away from originality and collectibility. The Turbo Cobalt SS Coupe has the ingredients to make it a future collectible. Check your favorite auction in about 20 years to find one of these going for good money.
Check out this video for driving impressions and a 0-60 run at mile high:
Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, software engineer, writer, and reporter. He has been writing and reporting at TFLcar since 2011. When not working or spending time with the family – you can find him tinkering in the garage or scouring the internet and other media for various automotive, mechanical, and computer related information.
