02-11-2005
Chevrolet and GM Performance Division took the sizzling Cobalt SS 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 Time Attack Cobalt SS Supercharged coupe’s Stage 2+ Ecotec engine was 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.
The Cobalt SS Supercharged Coupe Time Attack Unlimited will race Nov. 8 at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in central California, the same track where it bested an 801-horsepower AWD, twin-turbo Nissan Skyline and a nitrous charged Volkswagen Jetta.
Led by GM Performance Division and Chevrolet, with help from Lotus Engineering among others, a new contender burst onto the scene this summer in the increasingly popular Time Attack competitions – the Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged. Driven by John Heinricy in the Unlimited Class, the FWD Cobalt SS Supercharged beat the fastest times of the legendary AWD Nissan Skyline by seven seconds in Street Tuner Challenge’s Time Attack event on July 21.
Now with some further modifications and added nitrous boost, the Cobalt SS Supercharged looks to make an even bigger splash on Tuesday, Nov. 8 in a return to California’s Buttonwillow Raceway Park for the PRIMEDIA Time Attack, where it will seek to record the fastest time in the Unlimited Class as well as overall.
Working in partnership with GM Performance Division and other specialists, Lotus Engineering provided calibration and engineering expertise to help maximize the performance potential of the base supercharged 2.0L ECOTEC engine in the Cobalt SS. In race-ready trim, the nitrous oxide boosted engine delivers an impressive 344 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque.
Tim Holland, director of Powertrain Engineering at Lotus’ USA office in Michigan, commented: “Handling the calibration aspect of the supercharged 2.0-liter ECOTEC engine was a very rewarding job. Lotus Engineering had already been involved in the development of the standard production engine; therefore being given the chance to make it even more powerful was fantastic. By adding nitrous oxide the engine can now deliver a conservative 344 horsepower in short bursts. I can’t wait to see the race for myself on November 8.”
Time Attack racing has been popular in Japan for some time, and finally made its way to America in 2003. Taking cues from the Japanese competitions, Time Attack races feature street-based cars on ordinary street tires trying to complete the fastest flying lap time possible on a given track.
Those looking to catch a glimpse of the Time Attack Cobalt SS Supercharged before the Nov. 8 race can catch the car on display Nov. 1-4 in the General Motors stand at the Speciality Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas.
Text and photos courtesy of GM
