Has the time come for a premium American small car?
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 197
From: Bayamon, PR
Re: Has the time come for a premium American small car?
Originally Posted by 90 Z28SS
I wouldnt have agreed with you before I bought my 2005 Cobalt SS . I was leary actually before the purchase as my smallest car prior had been my f-bodies and my last round of daily drivers has been a 87 Sable , 93 bonnie SSE and I traded in a 97 Bonnie SSE on the SS . After being in the car for about 1 year now , this sized car is absolutely perfect for me as a daily driver , not mention its faster than a stock LT1 F-body and averages about 25-26 mpg with a mix of city and 85 mph hwy cruising . It handles like its on rails and it feel like a light car ....because it is
I dont miss my big cars 1 single bit , period .
If Caddy had a RWD GTI sized 3 door hatch , with say a 6-speed and a 2.8 turbo v6 or even the new ecotec DI 2.0 turbo priced at $27-28,000 I would be ALL about that . Hell , I like my SS enuff ...that if chevy were to put the 260 hp 2.0 T , a 6-speed and seriously upgraded the interior material quality , I would pay $26-27,000 for one .
The new Saturn Astra should be pretty premium , and if the Redline version is as the VXR is in Europe it will make for one hell of a premuim small car .
I dont miss my big cars 1 single bit , period .If Caddy had a RWD GTI sized 3 door hatch , with say a 6-speed and a 2.8 turbo v6 or even the new ecotec DI 2.0 turbo priced at $27-28,000 I would be ALL about that . Hell , I like my SS enuff ...that if chevy were to put the 260 hp 2.0 T , a 6-speed and seriously upgraded the interior material quality , I would pay $26-27,000 for one .
The new Saturn Astra should be pretty premium , and if the Redline version is as the VXR is in Europe it will make for one hell of a premuim small car .
From driving my merkur, I agree a small trubo car with a Euro style interior and american power would be excellent.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 3,376
From: Sarasota FL
Re: Has the time come for a premium American small car?
A few things:
1) 90Z28 SS has discovered exactly what I did
Except that, there is no way in hell a stock Cobalt SS supercharged is faster than a stock LT1 F body...no way 
Everything from my own personal drives in both cars to magazine road tests back that up...
2) I advocate a 2 and 4 door derivative of the proposed car...I'd buy the 2 door, personally.
3) Neon SRT-4s, loaded up, ran up to the mid $20s. For about $3k more, wouldn't AWD and a better interior have been worth it???
4) I am not necessarily advocating a car as small as a Neon...I just think the concept should be nothing larger than a Malibu or a G6, with a Malibu being on the large side.
5) With gas at $3/gal, to me there really could be a market for a premium performance car with some cache to it for under $30k. I used the LSx idea because its compact, light, gets strong MPG, and would be something different to help the car stand out.
Imagine a car the size of a Malibu (which is shorter than a G6) with AWD, an M6, and a 5.3 DoD getting 32-33 MPG for less than $30k? How cool would that be?
1) 90Z28 SS has discovered exactly what I did
Except that, there is no way in hell a stock Cobalt SS supercharged is faster than a stock LT1 F body...no way Everything from my own personal drives in both cars to magazine road tests back that up...2) I advocate a 2 and 4 door derivative of the proposed car...I'd buy the 2 door, personally.
3) Neon SRT-4s, loaded up, ran up to the mid $20s. For about $3k more, wouldn't AWD and a better interior have been worth it???
4) I am not necessarily advocating a car as small as a Neon...I just think the concept should be nothing larger than a Malibu or a G6, with a Malibu being on the large side.
5) With gas at $3/gal, to me there really could be a market for a premium performance car with some cache to it for under $30k. I used the LSx idea because its compact, light, gets strong MPG, and would be something different to help the car stand out.
Imagine a car the size of a Malibu (which is shorter than a G6) with AWD, an M6, and a 5.3 DoD getting 32-33 MPG for less than $30k? How cool would that be?
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 2,801
From: South Bend , IN
Re: Has the time come for a premium American small car?
Originally Posted by Jason E
A few things:
1) 90Z28 SS has discovered exactly what I did Except that, there is no way in hell a stock Cobalt SS supercharged is faster than a stock LT1 F body...no way Everything from my own personal drives in both cars to magazine road tests back that up...
1) 90Z28 SS has discovered exactly what I did
Except that, there is no way in hell a stock Cobalt SS supercharged is faster than a stock LT1 F body...no way Everything from my own personal drives in both cars to magazine road tests back that up... Magazine times are not truely representative , I was running 14.1 and 14.2's @99-100 mph stock . With CAI and a muffler only went 13.90's@102-103 ....and all it takes is $700 in power mods to run 12.9's@106-107 , not including the cost of a pair of front slicks . I really think GM should do hardtop versions of the Solstice and Sky , with a true hatch or trunk to give the car some usefulness . Plus a LSx will fit just fine in them
The G6 GTP coupe shoulda fit this bill , but .....they goofed on the un-sporty manual trans , the Goodyear RS-A no business on a performance car tires , the suspension is too soft . They coulda done so much more with the car
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 3,376
From: Sarasota FL
Re: Has the time come for a premium American small car?
Originally Posted by 90 Z28SS
I'll give you a 6-speed 3.42 geared LT1 , but the driver better beable to drive it Magazine times are not truely representative , I was running 14.1 and 14.2's @99-100 mph stock . With CAI and a muffler only went 13.90's@102-103 ....and all it takes is $700 in power mods to run 12.9's@106-107 , not including the cost of a pair of front slicks .
The G6 GTP coupe shoulda fit this bill , but .....they goofed on the un-sporty manual trans , the Goodyear RS-A no business on a performance car tires , the suspension is too soft . They coulda done so much more with the car
Magazine times are not truely representative , I was running 14.1 and 14.2's @99-100 mph stock . With CAI and a muffler only went 13.90's@102-103 ....and all it takes is $700 in power mods to run 12.9's@106-107 , not including the cost of a pair of front slicks . The G6 GTP coupe shoulda fit this bill , but .....they goofed on the un-sporty manual trans , the Goodyear RS-A no business on a performance car tires , the suspension is too soft . They coulda done so much more with the car
Its honestly been 3-4 years since I drove an LT1 A4, so I don't really remember what the SOTP performance was like. Don't get me wrong...I love the Cobalt SS 
The G6 GTP is the closest domestic that fits the bill, however the chassis isn't as settled as it needs to be (driving a GXP back to back with a GTP on the same road revealed how much better the GXP really handles), but it isn't so much the tires...a $150 option nets you Bridgestone Potenza RE-somethings, same as the GXP...those tires grip, but the rest of the car can't keep up!!!
Registered User
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 69
From: jacksonville, fl
Re: Has the time come for a premium American small car?
The solstice gxp would be a great daily driver for me. I've seen hardtop versions of the solstice and sky and beleive me, its better if gm doesn't come out with them. I love the colbalt ss, and they are fast, but i do not think there faster then a stock lt1. The regular solstice's are slow as *****, so i would never own one. Also if you really want to gm performance parts sells a kit to install an ls7 into a solstice. If you ask me, gm has better small cars apposed to any other american manufacturer. Dodge doesn't make the neon anymore either. AWD in my opinion is overated, would cause a car to cost more to develope, raising the price of the car. I'm happy with gm right know with there small car scene. If i really want a awd, good gas milage, small car i'd buy an import, but if i want a v8, rwd, manual hella fast car, well my friends, thats what america is all about.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4,306
From: Jersey Shore
Re: Has the time come for a premium American small car?
Epsilon is a great chassis, but I think that GM left a lot to be desired in the tuning.
I dunno if something of Malibu size with a V8 in would be something that could really happen? In all honesty, I think you described a VW Jetta perfectly. VW is bringing in much more Audi stuff in.
I dunno if something of Malibu size with a V8 in would be something that could really happen? In all honesty, I think you described a VW Jetta perfectly. VW is bringing in much more Audi stuff in.
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 178
Re: Has the time come for a premium American small car?
I know, let's take the Cobalt, make leather standard, put on a Cadillac grille, & call it the Cimarron! Oh wait, been there, done that. I agree that the coupe version of Solstice is ugly. If you need utility, then you don't need a sports roadster. These things are meant to be relatively inexpensive toys. And toys don't have utility.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,597
From: Mack and Bewick
Re: Has the time come for a premium American small car?
One for Cadillac and one for Pontiac.
A 3series or IS has a lot more interior room then it looks like from the outside... I dont know if the big 3 cant do it, or wont do it. But they need to.
A 3series or IS has a lot more interior room then it looks like from the outside... I dont know if the big 3 cant do it, or wont do it. But they need to.
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