GM's Ecotec DOHC four will power all Cobalts with the base, LS and LT models using a 140-hp, 2.2-liter version, the SS coupe and sedan get a 2.4-liter version that uses variable valve timing to knock out 170 hp, and the SS Supercharged coupe has an Eaton blower wheezing into a 2.0-liter variation and should make somewhere near 200 hp. A five-speed manual transaxle will be standard on most models with GM's 4T45-E four-speed automatic optional.
The Cobalt should be Chevy's sales volume leader, so expect a wide range of options and variations. There will be, for example, 15-, 16-, 17- and even 18-inch wheels on the menu and four-wheel ABS disc brakes will be standard on the SS. Cobalt production begins late this year at GM's Lordstown, Ohio, plant. Expect a big showdown between the Cobalt and Dodge's Neon to see which element really rules the periodic table. Cobalt's atomic number of 27 and atomic weight of 58.933200 totally swamps Neon's atomic number of 10 and atomic weight of 20.1797.
2004 Mazdaspeed Turbo MiataMazda's turbocharged roadster is finally here as the 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata. What took it so long?
The single-scroll, ball-bearing turbo on the Mazdaspeed Miata wheezes 7.25 pounds of boost through an air-to-air intercooler into the 1.8-liter DOHC, 16-valve four to heave output from 142 hp up to a full 178. To handle that, the engine block is modified to accommodate an oil line for the turbocharger, the radiator core is enlarged for extra cooling and the six-speed manual transmission, clutch, pressure plate, driveshaft and Bosch torque-sensing limited-slip differential have all been reinforced. Inside the engine are new pistons reshaped to handle the additional fuel and air being forced in.
Along with more power, the Mazdaspeed Miata's suspension is twisted with shorter and tauter springs to work with new, faster steering gear and 17-inch Racing Hart aluminum wheels and Toyo Proxes R28 205/40R-17 tires. All four disc brake calipers are painted silver and equipped with ABS.
Throw in a new sound system, a lot of Mazdaspeed badges, smoked plastic headlamps and a 225-watt Bose stereo, and the result is a $25,500 stormer that goes on sale this spring. About the only option available is leather that adds $700 to the sticker. That sounds like a bargain, but we won't know until we've driven it how much of one it is.
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