Holden Commodore 2006 News

The recall affected the rear seat belt buckles in around 13,000 of the car makers newest line of vehicles, which were developed at a cost of a billion dollars and released in July.

Holden pruned prices on upmarket versions of the VE by as much as $8400 for the luxury Calais compared with the VZ Commodore, but raised the price of the entry-level Omega by $500 while scaling back the run-out factory discounts on the previous model.While Commodore sales rebounded last month to 5455, the result included 700 old-model VZ station wagons, leaving a market of approximately 4745 VEs. Dealers report strong demand for higher-priced versions, but muted interest in the volume-selling Omega.Operations director for fleet managers Leaseplan, Anthony Rossi, said some of his client fleets had been disappointed with pricing for the Omega, and were waiting for the price to fall."We've had some major customers who have not been very happy with the way the numbers are coming out for VE," he said. "I'm hearing some dealers are wavering a bit. There are signs they are prepared to break ranks on pricing".Automotive industry consultant Tony Robinson of risk management firm Sureplan agreed the fleet industry was lobbying for a lower price on the Omega. "I'm hearing from fleet managers who are very disappointed with VE pricing and are prepared to sit on their hands, at least until they get a look at the (Toyota) Aurion."Mr Robinson said other local makers who had previously tried to dictate prices to fleet buyers had all retreated. "Mitsubishi tried it with the 380, Ford tried it with the AU, even Toyota tried it in the '90s under Bob Miller — but they all stepped back."Mr Rossi said there was "a vibe," among dealers that fleet discounting would start soon.But Holden marketing manager John Elsworth said sales were on target and there were no plans to increase the factory fleet discount on Commodore models. "We're selling about what we thought we would."The build mix from Holden's Elizabeth plant was moving towards more highly specified versions, Mr Elsworth said. "We have a flexible plant and we can align what we build with what dealers order. Right now, that's driving towards the Calais and SS versions and SV6."Retail discounts on upmarket Commodores were already running at up to $4500 on Calais V and SS V models, said the director of car-buying agent Privatefleet, David Lye. "That leaves plenty of margin for dealers, but it's perhaps a little more than you'd expect at this stage in the car's lifecycle."The previous entry-level Commodore Executive and Equipe models had been consistent low-volume sellers with Privatefleet's buyers, but all the agency's Commodore sales last month had been SS, Calais or SV6 models, Mr Lye said.A bright spot for Holden was strong sales for the Commodore-based WM Statesman and Caprice limousines, which returned to dominance of their market segment and reversed the slumping sales of the previous model. And total Commodore sales included a monthly record of 491 high-performance and premium-priced Holden Special Vehicles models.Dealers reported stronger demand for the repriced performance and luxury versions of the VE than for the basic versions and some metropolitan dealers reported difficulty keeping luxury and performance versions in stock."I can't keep a Statesman demonstrator — as soon as I put one on the floor it's sold," one dealer said.Last week's October sales figures showed a rebound in car sales, with 80,000 sales putting the local market on track for 970,000 by year's end. But local makers were largely left out of the action in a recovery confined to light and medium-sized models.Toyota's Melbourne-made Camry was the only local model to benefit from the resurgent medium-car segment. Large locally-made cars failed to share in the prosperity with sales down by 3.4 per cent on the previous October.Ford Falcon monthly sales dropped to under 3000, and for the first time the six-cylinder and V8 powered Falcon was outsold by the new four-cylinder Toyota Camry, which recorded 3046 buyers.Mitsubishi's Adelaide-built 380 sedan remained stable at 944 sales to record a disappointing 14,100 for its first year on sale but Toyota's new Aurion large car had 343 registrations, despite only going on sale last week.

Lowndes has every right to be under pressure after being asked to attend a stewards hearing at Tasmania's Symmons Plains just hours before the crucial next round starts at the track.The Gold Coast-based driver faces losing precious championship points or a hefty fine for post-race comments at the Gold Coast round last month.He has been accused of claiming Gold Coast officials deliberately conspired to reduce his lead over his rivals and so produce a closer finish to the series.And after having his championship lead chopped to just 30 points by Holden young gun Rick Kelly with three events left, Lowndes can ill afford to have any points deducted.But Lowndes today kept his eyes on the prize, opting to focus only on his race set-up for the Tasmanian round near Launceston which starts with a practice round on Friday.Lowndes said he would unveil a brand new Ford Falcon at the round that may just determine whether he breaks a 10-year drought and claims another Australian touring car crown.His teammate Jamie Whincup will take control of the Bathurst-winning Falcon.Lowndes said the new Falcon had a test day at Ipswich's Queensland Raceway last week - and he liked what he saw."The new car is very, very good and the team is delighted with the way it has come on," he said."I am extremely happy with the way the new car performed at last week's test day and I am looking forward to using it for the remainder of the championship."Lowndes is buoyed by the fact that he is a two-time champion at Symmons Plains but is wary of the tight course's perils."We have not yet had a wet race at Symmons Plains so things could certainly get interesting if we have rain," he said."It is also a track that is semi-difficult to pass on so team strategy and qualifying position will be the keys to getting a good result."After winning six of the 10 rounds to date, Ford can wrap up the manufacturer's title with victory at Tasmania.AAP

And he's not joking.Leno helped bankroll the ultra-light two-seater EcoJet which was built and developed in collaboration with motoring giant General Motors at Leno's garage in LA where he houses his 100-odd collection of cars.It began with a sketch Leno drew on the back of a napkin. He showed the drawing to GM global design director Ed Welburn who authorised a model.Eight months later the partially-completed EcoJet was unveiled last week at the Special Equipment Marketers Association show in Las Vegas.Leno's main design principles were that it had to be "green", modern, but not drive like a hybrid Toyota Prius.The car runs on biodiesel made from vegetable oil and Leno joked that he would probably only drive it "during harvest season".Biodiesel is a popular fuel source in Europe, becoming increasingly common in the US and now available in Australia with two production plants at Narangba north of Brisbane.EcoJet is powered by a Honeywell LT101 gas turbine engine expected to produce 650 horsepower (484kW) and 786Nm of torque which compares with a VE Commodore Omega's 180kW and 330Nm.However, while the Commodore sips about 10.9 litres of unleaded petrol every 100km, the Ecojet will drink 39 litres of biodiesel over the same distance.Leno, Alcoa and GM bankrolled the project but no one is divulging the cost."I'm not sure. I'm afraid my wife would find out," Leno said. "I am president of the more-money-than-brains club."The final version of the EcoJet will have a skin of carbon fibre and Lexan, a strong and lightweight glass alternative.It sits on an aluminium chassis and aluminium wheels developed specially by Alcoa, and features suspension, brakes, and transmission from the Chevrolet Corvette C6 sportscar.Even the duco is "green" using eco-friendly waterbased paint from German chemical and manufacturing company BASF.

It was the second full month of sales for Holden’s VE Commodore and while it remains the best selling car in the country, many of its traditional buyers continue to look at other car segments.Holden declined to say how many new Commodores it expected to sell, but the investment and general buzz of a new model meant expectations were high.Holden sold 5455 new VE Commodores over October, which represented 51 per cent of the large car sales, according to figures released from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries today.A spokesman said Holden was pleased but reserved judgement on how the car was being received by the public."We’re not declaring victory yet," a Holden spokesman said. "We’re waiting till the end of the year to see if the large car market has rebounded because of the introduction of a new car."Holden claimed that a recent decline in fuel prices had a positive effect on large car sales, but uncertainty still loomed."The open fear on fuel (costs) reflects on the consumer confidence in buying a large car, which is why November and December will be educative in that regard."A major Sydney-based Holden dealer said the retail market for Commodores was tough, but fleet sales were buoyant."I can’t get enough Omega and Calais for fleet, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I thought we’d sell more to private buyers,” he said. “I expected much more enquiries.”The large car segment was now down almost 20 per cent on year-to-date sales figures as car buyers looked at alternatives.Total car sales for the large car segment were 10,639, with Ford selling 2,945 Falcons (down from 3,642 for October 2005).Sales of the Mitsubishi 380 barely held from the same time last year, selling 944 cars this October compared to 951 last year.The under $25,000 light car segment surged a massive 21.5 per cent in year-to-date sales totalling 9,729. The Toyota Yaris dominated sales with 2,858 – nearly 30 per cent of the total market.The Toyota Camry dominated the under $55,000 medium car segment . More than 3,000 Camry’s were sold in a segment with total sales of 6,422 cars - a decline of 3.6 per cent year-to-date.Overall sales of new cars and trucks in Australia rose five per cent in October with almost 80,000 vehicles retailed for the month.The result took total sales for the year to 802,306, 2.8 per cent below the year-to-date figure at the same time in 2005.Toyota was the top selling company with 18,589 vehicles in October, well ahead of Holden on 12,779 and Ford on 8,691.Year-to-date Toyota was also well ahead with 175,953 vehicles compared to 122,144 for Holden.FAST FACTSTop selling carsHolden Commodore 5,455Toyota Corolla 3,722Toyota Camry 3,205Ford Falcon 2,945Toyota Yaris 2,858Mazda 3 2,585Hyundai Getz 1,594Ford Focus 1,584Holden Astra 1,575Toyota HiLux 4x4 1,457Top selling companies Toyota 18,589Holden 12,779Ford 8,691Mazda 4,769Nissan 4,436Honda 4,433Mitsubishi 4,354Hyundai 3,422Subaru 2,817Volkswagen 1,980

Holden has re-engineered and re-aligned its entire performance car range with the introduction of the VE Commodore, introducing a new model – the SS V – as the performance flagship.In response, Ford has upped the ante on the BF Falcon and its highperformance Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) derivatives.And if that's not enough, 2006 saw Chrysler introduce the stove-hot 6.1-litre V8 powered 300C SRT8, which represents the biggest and most powerful V8 engine you can buy in a muscle car today.HOLDEN COMMODORE PERFORMANCE MODELSHolden's flagship muscle car gets a new designation with VE – it's called the SS V. Below that is the SS, which roughly equates to the outgoing VZ Commodore's SV8 model. And, at the entry level is the SV6, which gets the high-output version of the 3.6-litre V6.There's no mistaking the performance intent of SS V, with its huge wheel arches, in-your-face front air dam and purposeful rear wing. Inside is a new touch – a racestyle flat-bottomed steering wheel and jet fighter-style instrumentation.It's powered by the L98 6.0-litre V8 producing peak outputs of 270kW (5700rpm) and 530Nm (4400rpm).(VE's engine is very closely related to the VZ's L76 6.0-litre, which produced 260kW and 510Nm.) The L98 is standard on SS and SSV (it's a $4700 option elsewhere in the range). What's changed dramatically is chassis refinement. The VE performance models offer levels of turn-in, steering feedback, grip and driver involvement that's up there with some very capable Euro cars – most of which can't hold a candle to 270kW either.SS V rides on 19-inch five-spoke alloys shod with 245/40 Bridgestone Potenzas, while SS and SV6 share 18-inch slotted five-spoke alloys and 245/45 Potenzas.SS and SS V are available with six-speed transmissions – both the manual and auto are six-speeders – and the auto is a slick-shifting masterpiece. SV6 gets either a sixspeed manual or five-speed auto.You want performance? Both V8 models will shatter six seconds to 100km/h and go on to annihilate 14secs for the standing 400m.Comparable times for the SV6 are 7.5 and 15.5sec respectively. Quite simply, the new VE doesn't hang around.HSV has an over-riding desire: To stand alongside elite luxury brands like BMW and Audi with its head held high. And now, with its VE Commodorederived vehicles, it can. The brand wants – needs – customers to see it as a stand-alone marque, separate to Holden.The new E-Series GTS and Senator are exactly the right vehicles for those buyers. GTS is boldly a performance car, rolling on massive 20-inch alloys (the biggest ever fitted to an Australian production car) and equally huge tyres.Rears are massive 275/30 section Bridgestones, while fronts are 245/35. The slightly more subtle and rounded Senator has Europe even more directly in its sights – and cars like the BMW 5-Series need to be worried.Visually stunning without being gaudy, both are instantly differentiated visually from Holden's lineup. Power and torque are up, albeit modestly, to 307kW (from Holden's 270) and 550Nm (Holden: 530).But the biggest news with these cars is at each corner, beneath theskin. They share something with the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and new Audi TT – HSV's elite entrants boast Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) suspension.This allows them to change from ultra-taut supreme handling machines to super-smooth cruisers at the flick of a microchip.HSV's entry-level E-Series offering – Clubsport – lacks the miracle of MRC, but it packs exactly the same underbonnet punch as GTS and Senator.Priced in the early-$60,000s, it's around $12,000 easier to slip into – about midway between Holden's SS V and HSV's GTS.FPVNothing Holden can offer in the sixcylinder department can hold a candle to Ford's prowess with tweaking big kilowatts from its in-line 4.0-litre six.Producing an amazing 245kW in standard trim inside Falcon XR6 Turbo, thanks to a turbocharger with intercooler, Ford Performance Vehicles ups that to 270kW in its hi-tech F6 Tornado ute and Typhoon sedan.That's more power than the straight six-powered BMW M3, and although the Beamer lacks a hairdryer, there is the not-so small matter of the $80,000 extra, above the price of the Typhoon, you must spend to acquire one.FPV's Force 8 is powered by the quad cam 5.4-litre Boss 290 V8, which manages near-HSV outputs despite having 600cc less engine capacity.FPV's 'Force' models, like HSV's offerings, are aimed squarely at corporate executives who want an Australian-built alternative to European luxury marques, according to Ford boss Tom Gorman.Both FPV models are available exclusively with the world-renowned, slick-shifting ZF 6HP26 high-torque six-speed automatic transmission, which manages to snatch sophisticated shifts in the face of awesome grunt from both engines. Both models also boast supreme stopping power thanks to Brembo brakes – four-piston callipers at the front and single-piston callipers at the rear. An even more powerful Brembo brake system with six-piston front callipers and four-piston rears is optional.CHRYSLER 300C SRT8If you really, really want to stand out in a performance car, plant your rear end in one of these babies. The Chrysler Street and Racing Technology (SRT) version the 300C knows no equals, and boasts exclusivity-factor up to here.With a class-leading 317kW and a 0-100km/h time in the mid-five-second range, plus a competitive $71,990 pricetag, the Chrysler 300C SRT8 is the first SRT vehicle to be powered by a 6.1-litre Hemi V8, which offers not only Australia's biggest muscle car engine, but 25 per cent more power than the 5.7-litre standard engine.With 20-inch alloy wheels, performance-tuned suspension and Brembo brakes, the 300C SRT8 is engineered with stopping power to match its incredible capacity to accelerate.Since going on sale in its 5.7-litre V8 and 3.5-litre V6 guise the 300C has carved an unprecedented 30 per cent share in the sub-$100,000 large segment. The 300C SRT8 is the second SRT branded vehicle to be sold in Australia, joining the high performance Crossfire SRT6.The 2006 Chrysler 300C SRT8 connects with the road via a new wheel and tyre assembly consisting of 20-inch forged alloy wheels shod with high-performance Goodyear F1 245/45 (front) and 255/45 (rear) threeseason asymmetrical tyres.Power-adjustable sport seats with suede inserts are standard up front – they're heated, naturally, and come with memory functions.

The VE Commodore, unveiled in Melbourne yesterday, will make its debut in the 2007 Supercar series."It's the biggest architecture change from 1997, when the road car was changed to VT," Skaife said."Based on that was the 1998 race car introduction."Since that time, this is the biggest race car change that Holden have made."The new model is still undergoing the approval process needed to become eligible for racing, with the prototype dispatched to South Australia for further testing after yesterday's unveiling.Skaife and fellow Holden Racing Team driver Todd Kelly have spent hours putting the car through straight line testing and making design suggestions.While that has given them only a limited guide to how it will perform in race conditions, Skaife was confident the work put in over the past 18 months would put Holden in good stead for next year's championship."If this car goes half as well as it looks we're a big chance," he said."I can't wait to start 2007 and I can't wait to get my bum in the car to get out in anger and have a real go with it."It looks fantastic and there's good things to be gained when we start developing it."We don't spend millions of dollars to go slower."Skaife said a feature of the design was the care taken to ensure the race version looked more like the road version than with previous models."When you look at that car, it immediately says VE, which I think sometimes we stray away from that a little bit too far," he said.Holden intends all of its racing teams to start next year's series with the new model.AAP

The new Commodore — Australia's most lavishly produced vehicle — regained its coveted spot as the nation's favourite car during September, its first full month on the market.But it still recorded little more than half the monthly sales of its heyday.A recall of some Commodore models last week for a fuel-line problem, and the collapse of contracted parts manufacturer Iron Engineering, were the latest hiccups to hit Holden.Holden sold 5262 Commodores in September — 4100 of the new model, plus the dregs of left-over old stock.That was an improvement on recent lean results, but still well short of regular monthly tallies in the 9000 vehicles-plus range just a few years ago.The all-time monthly record was set in October, 2002, when 9667 Commodores were sold.Holden dealers and the company itself fiercely deny the new car is an expensive dud, but high petrol prices and stiff competition may make it impossible to regain its former dominance.Jim Rutherford, who manages the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries' sales database, said Holden might have been a victim of poor timing."They probably picked the worst possible time to release an eight-cylinder car, albeit a relatively efficient one," he said.Sales of small cars have boomed in the past year as buyers downsize to more fuel-efficient models.Ford has announced production cutbacks for its Falcon, the Commodore's traditional rival, in response to a slide in sales of big passenger cars.Mitsubishi's 380 has also failed to deliver on expected sales, and Toyota last week launched its Aurion V6, another competitor in the large-car segment.Wayne Pearson, managing director of industry consultants Horwath Motor Industry Services said Holden dealers were “not out there slashing their wrists”. Sales had been slower than expected, however.Mr Pearson said the days of dominant "category killers" like the old Commodore might be over, with consumers slower to commit to new models.Philip Brook, Holden's marketing manager for large cars and SUVs, agreed buyers were slower to sign up to new models.Fleet buyers, in particular, were taking time to adjust to the new Commodore, he said.But Mr Brook said Holden was pleased with the initial response and expected strong results in coming months.Sales of luxury Commodores were healthy, with waiting lists for models such as the Calais.HOLDEN COMMODORE SALESSeptember 2000: 5973September 2006: 5262FORD FALCONSeptember 2000: 4897September 2006: 3583MITSUBISHI 380/VERADA-MAGNASeptember 2000: 2303September 2006: 973

The recall of more than 1500 V8 Commodore and Statesman models comes only two months after sales of the highly anticipated cars, which cost $1 billion to develop, began.The potential fuel leak affects a fifth of the new VE models sold - V8 models built in July and August.According to a government website that reports recalls, the problem lies with a faulty fuel hose."In extreme cases the vehicle may develop a fuel leak and a fuel smell may become evident to the driver," the warning states on Product Recalls Australia."A condition can occur where a fuel hose that connects the main fuel line and the injector rail in the engine bay may have been manufactured incorrectly."If damaged, the location may not be visible as it is covered by an outer sleeve band."Owners of the affected vehicles soon will be contacted by mail.The previous Commodore was also recalled for a potential fuel leak in 2000.Commodore sales are the lowest in 12 years.

Helped by the exceptional driving of his Triple Eight Ford teammate Jamie Whincup, the pair won the first Bathurst following the death of nine-time winner Peter Brock early last month.Lowndes reached the pinnacle of his career 10 years after his previous victory with Greg Murphy in a Holden Racing Team Commodore.It was a win that Lowndes steeled himself to pull off to pay the ultimate tribute to Brock, who carefully guided and moulded the 32-year-old into one of the most accomplished drivers in the world.But minutes before the 1000km race blasted away, Lowndes was so choked up with emotion that Roland Dane, the team principal of the Brisbane-based Triple Eight squad, gave him the option of standing down from starting and letting Whincup take the helm for the opening stint.Lowndes rejected the offer and started the race which was marred by a succession of crashes and a record number of 10 safety cars.Thirty-seven of the 161 laps were run under yellow-caution conditions.Lowndes and Whincup were chased hard by the eventual runners-up, brothers Todd and Rick Kelly in the Toll/HSV Holden.Former Formula One test driver James Courtney pulled off an ironman performance in the Jeld-Wen Ford he shared with Glenn Seton, finishing third after doing a double stint.Courtney fought a cramping left hand over the final 10 laps to keep the Stone Brothers Ford ahead of his more accomplished teammate Russell Ingall, who was a fighting fourth with Luke Youlden.It was a day when $1 million-a-year driver Lowndes earned every cent of his pay packet, along with the much more conservatively paid Whincup."It was always going to be special to be the first one to have their name on that trophy," Lowndes said as he fought back tears in reference to the Peter Brock Perpetual trophy commissioned in the last few weeks following the legendary driver's death."It was always going to be emotional and we knew the press would focus on the Brock side of it so the best way I could pay my respect was to put my name on the trophy.""In many respects I think this weekend will hold as the No. 1 result for me."Whincup, who starts contract negotiations next week, may have just raised his value considerably, particularly as he blistered across the top of the mountain in the second sector consistently quicker than Lowndes.And it was Whincup who flung the Triple Eight Ford into the lead, sneaking underneath Todd Kelly on lap 110 just after a restart.The Triple Eight crew performed faultless pit stops in a race that lasted a few seconds short of a marathon seven hours.The worst of the string of crashes was by Team Kiwi Racing's Paul Radisich who was trapped in his mangled Commodore for 20 minutes before being freed. On lap 73, Radisich ran off the road and head-on into the wall near the GMC bridge.Rescue teams cut a whole in the roof of his car to extract Radisich from the wreck. He was lucky to escape serious injury.Pre-race favourite Mark Skaife, starting from pole, crashed out on the first lap.The Holden Racing Team driver was struggling for pace and was running off the racing line on the climb up the mountain when rookie Jack Perkins smashed into him from behind.