jonathan
"tuning" - a term that elludes me... at least on my first entry into GM FWD cars.
I currnetly own both a 1991 Pontiac Grand Am LE, as well as a 2009 Cobalt SS.
Although I liked the Cobalt SS when it first was released in late 2004, I was not interested considering the financial debtload I would have been takign on for a car whch only made twenty-five more advertised horsepower than my Grand Am.. and it wasn't a Pontiac. I never considered the 2006+ 2.4L cars, as I felt they were really a joke when stacked up against my Grand Am.
My Grand Am left hte factory as a 180hp Quad4HO, but has since been treated to several subtle changes almost exclusively using GM parts (or in the case of the cams, GM designed, but not officially released parts).
The Grand Am has now been more or less relegated to summer fun/quarter mile duties, and i have enlisted my Cobalt (my first new car btw) as my daily driver.
I intend to only use GM parts on my Cobalt while I have warranty - and although I doubt it will happen, I have a glimmer of hope that more than just the stage1 will be released for my car.
I am tentatively planning on turning the Cobalt into a G5-GXP down the road too ~ I really wished GM would have offered the top teir Delta car as a Pontiac, which would have made the lineup look like this;
level 1: Cobalt (base)
level 2: G5 (step up from base)
level 3: Cobalt SS (2.4L; essentially a level 2 car, but only with LE5)
level 4: G5 GXP (2.0L; initially LSJ, latter LNF)
This would have completely eliminated any overlap between brands/dealers, yet still offered a Sporty Chevrolet, while retaining Pontiac as 'The Performance Division'.
For the record, if GM offered the LNF in a G5, I would have paid more for it - I have almost exclusively own Pontiac's.
