Cobalt SS Stage 1 Drive & Ride Day

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Cobalt SS Turbo Stage 1 Drive & Ride Day

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.

Bill covered over 600 miles and burnt through three tanks of gas feeding up to 23 psi of boost into the Stage 1-upgraded Cobalt SS Turbo's engine along his journey to give enthusiasts a feel for the upcoming kit. A total of ten people came out in the various cities Bill drove around to in order to test the Stage 1 kit out for themselves. All drivers were allowed to slam the pedal to the floor and pull off as many no-lift shifts as they wanted as well as take pictures and video and pick Bill's brain about the kit. After each drive was over, the participants did what any respecting member of the Cobalt community would do and went online to tell everyone about their individual thoughts about the kit, good or bad.

We picked a few of our favorite comments that we found over on CobaltSS.net that pretty much sums up how the day went for these lucky enthusiasts:

 “We had 4 people in the car and the car pulled way harder then my stock ss/tc would ever pull. The only way to change peoples minds is for them to drive it with the stage kit its self.”

            - KillerBee

 “…In terms if power however I noticed a big diifference in power in second and third gear. I was prepared for the extra torque steer with two hand on the wheel and I would agree due to the extra power, it has more torque steer.”

            - bri2203

 “Holy heck! The stage kit is totally worth it!”

            - CobaltSScrazy

 “To be general this car pulls through the entire gear. Coming from a 2006 cobalt SS driver with GM stage 2 this is to be expected, however I rode in my friends 2009 SS with HP tuners tune and I would REALLY like to see a race with these two. The car never falls flat on its face and just keeps going.”

            - ssyellow

 “During stop and go and normal driving, the car seemed to drive the same as my '09 SS/TC. I cruised in 2nd for a moment at about 20mph then mashed it. The car started to pull and soon the tires were spinning! This was not a No Lift Shift...I was already in 2nd and had traction...the additional power was able to break the tires loose...This isn't something I've encountered in my '09.”

            - Koz

 “…For the realibility and warrenty of the kit, I would favor the Stage 1 over my aftermarket any day of the week. Peace of mind is worth something to me. Both tunes are a drastic improvement of stock but the Stage 1 kit doesnt throw you in the seat like my aftermarket car. With that said, count me in for possibly a Stage 1 kit in the future.”

            - TMRRedline

We here at GMTS can only clamor on about how much of a home run this kit is for the Cobalt SS Turbo. But after taking this kit to the streets to see what YOU, the Cobalt SS owner and fan, think about this upgrade from GM HPVO the decision seems clear – this kit is a drastic improvement and a must have for all Cobalt SS turbo owners. We would like to send Bill Duncan a special thank you for all his hard work in developing this kit and for taking his time all weekend to drive around and let others get a first hand impression. Bill is a first class guy and a major help to the GM Sport Compact community. To all you owners out there, we are getting closer to launch date. Until then, hope you enjoyed hearing first hand impressions of the new Stage 1 kit.

Cobalt SS Stage 1 Drive & Ride Day Gallery

cobalt_ss_stage_1_drive_ride_day_01 cobalt_ss_stage_1_drive_ride_day_02 cobalt_ss_stage_1_drive_ride_day_03 cobalt_ss_stage_1_drive_ride_day_04 cobalt_ss_stage_1_drive_ride_day_05 cobalt_ss_stage_1_drive_ride_day_06 cobalt_ss_stage_1_drive_ride_day_07 cobalt_ss_stage_1_drive_ride_day_08 cobalt_ss_stage_1_drive_ride_day_09
 

Comments (9)

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247
Thank you Bill Duncan! Perhaps the Oklahoma could be a testing ground for the future stage II?? Lots of flat open ground!

Looking forward to the release of this kit!! So much potential, I see these Cobalts making some HUGE gains in the future. Move over Subaru.. outa-d'way Honda.. Chevy is comming threw and domminating the tuner scene!!
Kildore , August 25, 2009
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358
I called my dealership and quoted me $885 Kit was 565 with a discount plus tax 50 bucks and 270 for labor! They discounted the part almost 100 bucks because of crateengiedepot.com pricing. My question is the dealer able to get the flash file for the ecu? They seem to think that getting the file through gm will no be a problem. So is the kit released??? Kildore: Looking forward to the release of this kit!! I am confused about this comment isnt it already release? It is the same kit as the hhr, solstice, sky; correct?
nateswett , August 25, 2009
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222
I am killerbee! I will add one more thing to this and that is the wait is totally worth it. smilies/grin.gif
kingofhill21 , August 25, 2009
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222
Forgot to add a great big thanks to Bill and anyone else who let this happen. I think it has boosted the moral of the stage kit. This was a great choice and idea.
kingofhill21 , August 25, 2009
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247
The actual componants of the cobalt ss kit is out.. yes it is the same as the other LNF stage kits. I'm actually meaning the release of the ECU reflash. That, to my knowledge, has not been released yet. Thank you thought nateswett.
Kildore , August 25, 2009
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96
pretty good sum up. Am I to understand that there is an extra 1-2 mpg seen with this kit too? That was another thing talked about over there on CSS!
09SSTurbo , August 25, 2009
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222
Yes Bill did mention that people are seeing 1-2 mpg more with the kit!
kingofhill21 , August 25, 2009
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237
I know this is really about the upgrade but, did I just read 2010 cobalt ss? I thought they were stopping at 2009 do we have more pics and mayb an eta on that? Im excited all over again.smilies/grin.gif does anything change from 2009 or just about the same?
LNFPerformance , August 31, 2009
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349
Whats the deal with the kit LNF kit not coming with plug-in pigtails when the 2010 test car physically shows them in the pictures in the following link?

http://www.cobaltss.net/forums/showthread.php?t=185859

Someone needs to get some part #'s for the pieces from the 2010 so installing the upgrade will not require cutting into the factory harness.

1rare4door , September 01, 2009

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