Don't laugh too much as the 2.0 can do 500 reliable HP as it was used in Rhys Millen's Drift Solstice. He ran all season and the car worked well and never failed.

The real issue here is the fact a HHR without some major work would never keep a tranny, clutch or axles in place with the FWD.

Many of the parts on this engine will take power most LS engines will not take. Lingenfelter was running one of these with a Turbo the size of a basket ball and did not damage the stock head till he reached 1500 HP. It finally broke in half. He ran a car for us at work and it was seeing some real big power and it was a shock how much of the engine still used production parts. The Eco is one very good engine.

I see the Ecotec as the Small Block of the future as 75% of the market is 4 cylinder cars now and the Eco is in great numbers. GM will be adding more power to it soon in various models with a new gen of engine.

The engine is willing but the HHR driveline just is not up to that kind of a task with out a lot of work.

 

Its very capable of those numbers just not with what the OP is talking about.