Last week we got word that famed race car driver and former Assistant Chief Director for Corvette and Director of the GM Performance Division John Heinricy would be driving around in a Cobalt SS Turbo that was fitted with the upcoming LNF Stage 1 kit. Upon hearing that, we reached out to you to send us questions that you would like to see John answer about his thoughts on the LNF Stage 1 kit. We compiled those questions and shot them over to John, who after spending some time getting to know the Stage 1 Cobalt SS better, answered them for the GMTS fans. We're excited to have John on here for you guys so without further ado, here is his take on the Cobalt SS LNF Stage 1 kit and answers to just about all of your questions.

There has been a lot of coverage of the Cobalt SS Turbo Stage kits on GMTS lately and for good reason - it's kind of big deal. However, even with all the coverage of the kit, the talk around town from all of you has all been "I want to drive it!" Not ones to let anyone down, GMTS and Bill Duncan, Design System Engineer at GM HPVO, teamed up to get some enthusiasts some seat time in a Stage 1 equipped 2010 Cobalt SS Turbo. Bill was actually so excited to see what fans and current SS Turbo owners would think of the kit, that he went out this past weekend to several stops in Southern Michigan to see fans reactions and answer questions firsthand.

The Cobalt Stage 1 Kit is well along its way to being available at a dealer near you. As such, we hear more details weekly that we can then pass on to you, the Cobalt SS Turbo owner and fan. If you are the lucky owner one of these turbocharged monsters, you’ll be able to run out and buy the new Stage 1 kit from a GMPP dealer and instantly add 20hp and 60lb.-ft of torque to your Cobalt and keep your full factory warranty intact. In addition to the added power, the kit serves as the gateway mod for the Cobalt and will disable the “learn down feature” of the stock PCM. This nifty feature allows your Cobalt to fully utilize any other modifications (intake, header, exhaust, downpipe, etc) that you’ve may have or wish to add in the future – making your dream 350hp Cobalt a very close reality.

In GMTS's effort to keep a constant vigil surrounding any and all news we receive about the upcoming LNF Turbo Upgrade Kit, we bring you a small update with some timelines of production plans. While no official release date has announced for the Cobalt SS Turbo Stage 1 Kit because of CARB certification timeliness, we can begin to speculate that date with the help of the following information.

One of the most frequently asked questions we receive and we see online is concerning the issue of splicing into the factory wiring harness to install the new sensors needed for the LNF Stage 1 kit. We see the possible arise for concern if this was an aftermarket kit but rest assured that the connections made by the tech installing this kit at your local GM dealer will be as good as the factory connections, or else this kit would not be released as such. Regardless of that fact, some guys want to keep their engine bay as clean looking as possible or have some other reason for wanting a harness adapter and we understand that as well.

We have been working with GM on some updates here for you on the Cobalt SS Turbo Stage 1. We know that all most of you want to know is WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE AVAILABLE?! I can’t tell you how much we appreciate your patience and continued support for GM during this waiting period - you have all been great.