Ok...before I begin, I will come clean and say that prior to a few weeks ago, I would never be caught dead in a "domestic" auto. I was a euro driving auto snob....if it was not made in germany, it did not have the right to be in my line of sight. This was partly because both my mother and sister have caviliers and they are, at best, a laughable attempt at trying to imitate a car (sorry to any cavi owners..just my opinon). Ok...on with the story....

So I had a VW that I got rid of and have been looking for a new car for a few months. I am a car freak and research every little thing to the point of insanity. I was ready to put a deposit down on a 2006 honda Civic Si my next trip into the city. About a week ago, I bumped into the local GM dealer who is located in a small town about one hour from where I live (He is a good friend of the family) and mentioned that I was going to the city to order the civic in a few weeks. He asked me if I had considered a GM vehicle as the service would be local and that he would get me a good deal. Well...I chuckled and said that I dont like domestic vehicles and usually stuck to the european brands and sometimes asian brands. He just smiled and said "Listen, I know the type of cars that you like to drive...I tell you what....I will send a car over to our outlet in your town in 2 days.....just go there and give them your name and they will let you take it out." I said sure just because it is always fun to test drive cars.

Ok...so I show up at the outlet and give the guy my name. He says "Cool...I have the keys right here...I will pull the car up to the doors!" He pulls up in a red cobalt SS/SC and gets into the passeger seat while asking "Do you mind if I come with you...I have not been in this yet" I said "Sure!". So I get in and notice that the interior reminds my of the MK4 Jetta that I used to own...I was pretty impressed even though the dash is still hard plastic...it at least LOOKED upscale. The leather seats and the tight panel gaps and upsale fit and finish was outstanding. So I spend about 5 minuted touching everything and looking around the car to see if I can spot a flaw....I did not....passed the first test...

So...I start up the car and my passenger says "So I hear that you are particular about your vehicles and that you like german cars.." I say "Yeah...it is my fatal flaw". He says "I have just finished going over the specs on this car and I think that you may spot some thing you will like...that is..IF you know your cars.." I looked at him kinda funny and said "Ok...".

I let the car warm up and put it onto gear and we are off. I make a run up a few km of road to the highway onramp whre I an in 2nd gear and I let er have it! The torque in this motor impressed me very much and we were at 100km/h WELL befoe the onramp ended. I took the car on a few km of highway and pulled onto a very rough dirt road. I said to my passenger "Hold on...if there is a rattle or loose bolt in this chassis, you can bet your ass that I will find it!" So away we went full bore down this crappy backroad where I managed to drive the car over the worst washboard surface I could find for about 15 minutes.....not one rattle, clunk, squeek, or vibration....Passed the second test.

We then came out to the highway again and my passenger asked me to stop. He then said "Do you notice anything about the transmission and shifter?" I said "Yeah....it feels like a saab transmission..and I am betting that it is a Saab transmission" He looks a little suprised and said "Hmm...that is right....how did you know that? I said "Because I drove a saab 9-3 last month and that is exactly how the transmission felt...EXACTLY." So off we go again onto the highway where I am back up to the speed limit in about 6 seconds and heading back to town. I take the car and drive normally around town just go get a feel for the electric steering and fool around with the radio and HVAC controls a bit.

I drive back to the outlet and park the car beside the building and my passenger tells me to pop the hood. I do and he runs to the front of the car and says "See the engine...do you know why this car is so fast?" I am like "Uhhh yeah.....that Eaton m62 blower that is staring me in the face is the reason..." plus the boost gauge and blower whine gave it away and the fact that I am a car freak and am aware that the ecotec engines were developed by GM and lotus and are used in a few euro vehicles (Opal, Saab, VXH).

Soo...I look over the car's engine and body and was very impressed by the fit and finish and the consistant and tight panel gaps and material build quality. I thanked my passenger for his time and went home on the net and did more research. Ok...I was *Almost* sold on the idea of forgetting the honda and going with an SS/SC......

What sealed the deal was when I returned to thank my firiend at the dealership he asked me if I was interested and offered to run through a few numbers. We spec'd out a ar and I told him I would be interested in a high milage lease with the option to buy as I would rather have no risk with the vehicle and if it turns out to be a good car, I would buy the next one. He then said "Ok...well..how bout I go one step further and you tell me what you want to pay each month for your lease and I will make it happen." I sat down for about 20 minutes and ran all the numbers over and over myself (I am well practiced with leases and finances) and came back with what I woul feel comforatble paying and what I wanted my residual to be at the end. "He looks at the figure and runs the numbers himself and says "I can even do better than that" he then gives my what is equal to an additional 750$ off the car. I said "Ok...odrer it and I will pick it up when it comes in" My red SS/SC with red interior should be here in march/april. I got a hell of a deal and my dealer/friend just picked up a loyal customer.


Hope you liked my story (It is all true BTW)

-P

 

Very nice story. Nice to see GM winning some people over to "the dark side" with their cars. You'll love the SS/SC. I myself am hoping to trade in my GP in a year or two for one. I'm waiting to see if they put the 2.0 turbo motor in the car from the solstice GXP before I get one.

 

I wish some of my friends were car dealers.

 

You'll be waiting a long time for that. That engine wil be exclusive to the Solstice and Sky, with few leaving the factory. I don't think that engine is going to be in the current 'Balt. Maybe the next gen, but not likely on this one!

SS Turbocharged sounds lame anyhow!

 

Your going to love the new car man. Sounds like its almost my cars twin to. Enjoy man.

Later

 

As is my guess, I think the Sol while get it exclusivly for at least a year or two, but its definantly the better engine IMO, not due to the turbo, but mainly the Direct Injectin.

 

Huh??? What did Lotus have to with anything about the ecotec engines???

 

The ecotec engine was developed by GM with help from their Saab division and engineering support and calibration by Lotus (lotus help was not large scale). GM is more of a global company with an american division and most of the product development does not happen in the US. The cobalt is has more import blood than most people on here would like to admit. Not a bad thing...if you have divisions overseas that are developing new technologies it would be stupid for you not to use that and globalize engines and chassis platforms. THe cobalt is a good example of how much your product improves when you utilize what you have.

 

The Cobalt is STRONGLY influenced by the Opel/Vauxhall Astra. Even in exterior looks (except that it's not a hatch), look at the front end of both, they're VERY similar.

 

Don't the Cobalt and Astra share the same frame/platform?

 

Mmmhmm

 

Indeed. This car is Opel built by Saab. It still sounds confusing to me.

 

Yup..either way...The Cobalt SS/SC has me looking at GM with a little more respect. Hopefully they can figure out their financial situation and keep on improving their vehicles.

-P

 

I thought the Cobalt had a smaller corvette frame?

 

very nice story!!

 

Nope. The Delta platform is the Astra platform from Europe, first brought over for the Ion Redline.

 

What did Lotus do again???

 

Very nice story. This seems to be what alot of people have said about their Cobalts, both SS and lower trim models.

If it gives you a warm fuzzy, the bottom of your shifter assembly should read "Made in Germany."

 

Just to give you more of a better feeling. I have had my Cobalt ss sc since august 05 and have put 17000 miles one it so far. Milage is good and so is the power. I have had vary few minor problems with the car. Simple things like lether trim door things.

Any way I loke your story and I think your will love the Cobalt.

 

Back in 2000 - 2001, Lotus and GM were working together on the series 2 elise as it was to use a GM powerplant. They assisted with calibration and engineering during the end of development and testing of the first ecotech engines. Lotus was going to origanally use a hopped up 2.2L before they decided to go with a Toyota engine. In europe, I think GM actually had rights to produce their own version of the elise under the VXH name.

-P

 

So what did Lotus do on the Cobalt SS/SCs???

 

Not 100% sure but back before the Cobalt was in production someone had some spy pictures of the SS/SC outside of a lotus office in michigan. Could be mistaken.

EDIT: The thread I was talking about.

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/show...t=lotus+cobalt

basically there is a picture of two cobalts next a garage and it's next to a building that has lotus on the logo.

found this on google.

http://www.gglotus.org/gghotnews/grp...ews.htm#cobalt

I am not sure if the lotus car manf. = lotus engineering

The engine is actually assembled in Germany. I hope we get some more cross pollination in the GM brands cause it can only make things better for everyone.

 

Lotus did most of the suspension tuning on the SS/SC and they did have a hand on the final tuning of the 2.0 SC and turbo engine during the early track testing in germany.

-P

 

Vauxhall VX220/Opel Speedsters are the cars that shared a bunch with Lotus I believe.