To turn a street machine into a track racer you need the right pedigree: a hot, lightweight performer with plenty of handling capabilities, and a team of battle-tested racing engineers to make it happen. That explains why Chevrolet and GM Performance Division took the sizzling Cobalt SS Coupe Supercharged coupe and turned it into an Unlimited Class Time Attack machine, which already bested the legendary Nissan Skyline’s times by seven seconds in Street Tuner Challenge’s Time Attack on July 21.
The premise behind Time Attack is to take a street vehicle and – using tires that are legal on public streets – turn in the fastest lap on a racetrack for the vehicle class. The vehicle must be from a model originally produced for legal street use and it must have a silhouette largely faithful to the original.
Because Time Attack challenges involve multiple runs, the engine must be powerful and durable. The Time Attack Cobalt SS Supercharged coupe’s Stage 2+ Ecotec engine is certainly up to that challenge. Developed by GM Performance Division and GM Powertrain, it features an Eaton M-62 Gen 5 Hybrid supercharger and delivers 264 horsepower at 7000 rpm and 230 lb.-ft. of torque at 4000 rpm. When nitrous boost is added, performance jumps to 344 horsepower at 6800 rpm and 350 lb.-ft. of torque at 3600 rpm.
Because weight is the nemesis of performance, many of the production Cobalt elements have been replaced with carbon fiber counterparts. These include the fenders, hood, doors, roof, decklid, spoiler, side splitters and Sparco car seat. The vehicle’s glass has also been replaced with Lexan, and interior trim has been kept to a minimum. The result is a vehicle that weighs a mere 2,350 pounds.
Inside, the Time Attack Cobalt SS Supercharged coupe incorporates safety systems per National Auto Sport Association (NASA) race rules, including a full roll cage, side net and fuel cell. It also features a full complement of race gauges, as well as a Sparco race steering wheel and GM Accessories pedals.
Vehicle Highlights:
- Wide body styling with new front and rear fascias, fender flares, rocker extensions and rear wing
- ITW capless fuel fill system
- Asanti AF123B aluminum wheels with 225/40ZR18 Goodyear Eagle F1 tires
- Wider track with wheel offsets
- Decah vertical doors hinge kit
- Modified headlamp housing, lenses and color
- Lowered ride height
- Silver multistage exterior paint
- SPARCO EV0 3 seats
- Refaced gauges
- Retrimmed interior
- Stage II 2.0L SC engine with 241 horsepower and 215 lb.-ft. of torque
- 5-speed manual transmission
