Holden Commodore 2007 News

New car buyers are reaping rewards from the strongest Australian dollar in more than a decade.The exchange rate has gone over 100 yen for the first time in 15 years and the dollar is also running strongly against the US dollar, British pound and the Euro.Government figures show car prices have declined in recent months, and surging demand is likely to take sales beyond one million vehicles for the first time this year.The losers, a growing concern, are exports such as Holden Commodore and Toyota Camry.“The Aussie car buyer has never had it so good, cars have never been better value,” Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries president John said.“Importers are taking advantage of the strong Australian dollar to cram a lot more features into cars.“At the same time, the market is impacted almost monthly by some new model or brand.”Conomos said the exchange rate is allowing importers to hold prices while boosting value at all levels.He believes the number of importers is a bonus for buyers.“We have around 55 companies in this country, compared with only 35 or so in the US,” he said.“I don't know any other country that has a 70 per cent share held by imports, and still rising, while retaining a local manufacturing industry.”He said Free Trade Agreements are boosting value as buyers also benefit from reducing import duties.“While the Australian market is under such immense competition, I see no reason why sales will not drive beyond one million vehicles this year,” Mr Conomos said.“Consumer confidence has never been higher. The election in New South Wales has had no bearing on demand, the threat of interest rates has had no effect and the Federal Government looks positive.“Consumers are the beneficiaries and it will stay that way for more than a year. Most car companies will be looking to expand their volume.”The sales chief at GM Holden agrees with the FCAI boss, but Alan Batey said competition is still tough.Batey said Commodore and engine exports are being impacted by the strength of the dollar.“Value for money in this market is very, very important,” he said.“The dollar-yen exchange rate is at the toughest we've seen in a decade. It's a very, very tough market.”Ford Australia president Tom Gorman worries about the longer-term impact of the strong dollar.“Being an exporter from Australia at 81.5 cents to the US dollar today for anybody is difficult,” he said.“At the present exchange rate, for you to keep your margins where you want them to be, it's very hard to be an exporter. That is going to be factor into a lot of future decisions.“Both Toyota and Holden have very big export businesses here. It's the vast majority of Toyota volumes.“At 81.5 cents to the US dollar and the equivalent relationship with other currencies around the world, I'm not so sure how attractive those export opportunities are.“I think that's another big issue for us to come to grips with.”

Occasionally use a bicycle to commute, or use public transport, and you'll probably be eligible to drive a V12 sports car on Sunday.Hypothetical? Not according to the Australian Greenhouse Office, which argues that hybrid cars aren't the answer.Bigger reductions in greenhouse gases — which include carbon-dioxide, nitrous oxides and methane — are possible around the house.The office also reports that passenger cars contribute 7 per cent of Australia's total greenhouse-gas emissions — less than the nation's cow and sheep population emit through flatulence.Bushfires beat both, but the doozy is the greenhouse gases emitted to produce electricity — a whopping 35 per cent of Australia's total. Unless new and cleaner power sources for electricity generation are found, Australia — and the world — won't be able to justify mass use of plug-in electric cars.Think GM's aborted electric car was part of a conspiracy? It wasn't, but it made for an interesting film, Who Killed The Electric Car?.Basically, if all the 11 million passenger cars on Australian roads were suddenly converted to plug-in electric power, there would be no car emissions. But the electricity required to charge these cars would create a massive increase in greenhouse gases.Current electric plug-in cars marketed in the US and Europe require an average of 0.25kWh for each kilometre travelled.Electricity from a combination of gas and coal-fired stations in Australia produces 0.99kg of carbon-dioxide equivalent (CO2 which adds to other greenhouse gases) for 1kWh according to the Sustainable Energy Development Office.An electric car travelling 20,000km a year indirectly produces 4950kg of CO2 a year.By comparison, a Toyota Prius hybrid emits 2120kg of CO2 a year; a Toyota Camry petrol four-cylinder 4660kg; a Holden Commodore V8 6600kg; a Volkswagen Golf diesel 2980kg; and a Smart Fortwo 2260kg (source: Australian Greenhouse Office).Even a BMW X5 SUV diesel emits 4620kg — 330kg a year less greenhouse gas than an electric car.Of course, there are emissions from refining oil and gas. In Australia, that is estimated at "less than 4 per cent" of all energy emissions.Future electric cars are expected to have more efficient batteries, with the Lotus Elise-based Tesla prototype claiming 0.16kWh/km — resulting in 3168kg of CO2 a year.Change the electricity station to natural gas — which emits only 0.21kg per 1kWh — and electric cars start to make a difference.Change to sustainable power — wind or solar — and we will have virtually emission-free transport. That won't happen overnight.What can happen is a substantial reduction in greenhouse gases through simple changes to our houses. Each Australian household produces an average of 15 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually.On a per capita basis, that makes us one of the world's worst greenhouse gas polluters.This is because most of our electricity comes from coal burnt in one of the 24 power stations around the country.In the period 1999-2004, greenhouse emissions from electricity generation in Australia rocketed 50.4 per cent.In the same period, passenger car emissions rose 18 per cent — up because there are more cars on the road, but comparatively modest because car manufacturers are making "cleaner" cars.If every Australian motorist is serious about becoming green, they can cut car use by 30 per cent. Walk, use public transport or cycle.Do this and motorists will reduce the nation's greenhouse emissions by 2.5 per cent.However, we can achieve that same 2.5 per cent reduction by reducing our electricity use by 7 per cent.Change the incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs, turn off electrical appliances that have a standby mode, take shorter showers, change from electricity to gas or solar hot-water heating, raise the airconditioning temperature by 1C or 2C in summer, turn off lights in unoccupied rooms, and so on.Simply, legislation should be focused on how green we build new houses, not just new cars. The bottom line is we all have to become smarter and that includes car use. Just stop blaming the car for all our greenhouse woes.Do you agree with Neil Dowling's view? carsguide.com.au Things you should knowAustralia's total greenhouse emissions were 564.7 million tonnes recorded in 2004 (the latest data available).Livestock generated 65 million tonnes of the greenhouse gas methane, while passenger cars emitted 41.7 million tonnes.It takes 22 years and 10 months of driving at 20,000km a year for the $37,400 Toyota Prius to finally equate to the price differential of the $19,990 Toyota Corolla, assuming $1.20 a litre for petrol. But in that time, the Corolla dumps 30.5 tonnes more CO2 into the air than the Prius.If every household in Australia installed one energy-efficient light, it would equal a drop in emissions of taking 130,000 cars off the road.Appliances on standby account for one-eighth of household energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.Further information: greenhouse.gov.au

New figures from GM Holden show V8 sales have risen significantly in the past 10 years. The number of Commodore buyers chosing a V8 ahead of a V6 also rose significantly.And V8s are a serious choice for private buyers.“The V8 mix is fantastic,” says GM Holden executive director of sales and marketing Alan Batey. “It's amazing. HSV has had record sales. There are hardcore people in this country who like exciting cars and fuel price on its own will not discourage them.”Batey says showroom results this year have been positive for Commodore. GM Holden finally moved ahead of its overall 2006 score for the first time in April as customers came back to its family flagship.Overall Commodore sales were 928 better in April 2007 than for the same month in 2006.Looking back 10 years, GM Holden says its percentage of V8 sales has more than doubled. They dipped between 2000 and 2005 but demand recovered quickly with the introduction of the latest 5.7 V8.“People still want performance cars,” Batey says.The number of V8 engines sold in 1996 was just over 4000 and increased to 7400 in 2006. The percentage of V8 sales was 5 per cent in 1995, 12 per cent in 2001 and peaked at 13 per cent last year.“The petrol crisis started in 2005 and by '06 was really biting. Yet that's when V8 sales were really strong,” GM Holden spokesman John Lindsay says.Batey says the VE Commodore is now kicking into high gear and he is confident the car is through the worst.“We're really happy with Commodore,” he says.“If you look at its share of segment, we've had a better launch than we had with the VT a decade ago if you consider all the dimensions. We have more V8s than we've ever had, more higher-end models than ever. We're building our car park. We're starting to see more of them on the road.“From a Holden perspective, the Commodore is still clearly the best-selling car in the country. It's not the demise of large cars but it's also not domination. There are people who want large cars, and want V8s and sport performance.”

Experts say hybrid-engine technology could be available in the Holden Commodore sooner than we think. Recent important developments include:- General Motors in the US announcing it has put a hold on future rear-wheel-drive planning while moving ahead with development of hybrid and electric strategies for its global brands that include GM Holden;- GM Holden confirming it is working on a diesel option for Commodore;- A leading manufacturing expert warning Australian carmakers at a key conference this week they need to expand their focus to smaller and greener cars to survive;- Most overseas car companies expanding their development into alternate-powered cars;- The European Commission unveiling a strategy to make car companies cut carbon dioxide emissions in all new vehicles by 2012, and;- The US Supreme Court ruling that carbon dioxide emissions from cars are subject to the same tough standards as other emissions.GM vice-chairman Bob Lutz says the company is putting a hold on rear-wheel drive projects. “We've pushed the pause button. It's no longer full-speed ahead,” he says.Two of the most important RWD cars in the works are the Chevy Camaro sports coupe, due back late in 2008, and the full-size, RWD replacement for the Chevy Impala sedan for 2009. Both are expected to be huge sellers in the US and contribute profits to GM, which is still burdened by financial woes.“It's too late to stop Camaro, but anything after that is questionable or on the bubble,” Lutz says.The RWD cars will be larger and heavier than front-wheel-drive cars so it comes down to the matter of fuel economy. Or, as Lutz says: “We don't know how to get 30 per cent better mileage (from RWD cars).”That 30 per cent bogey arises from a proposal by the US Government to raise corporate average fuel economy standards by 4 per cent a year so cars will have to average 34mpg (6.9L/100km) by 2017, up from 27.5mpg (8.5L/100km) today. On top of that, the Supreme Court ruled last week that the Environmental Protection Agency can regulate carbon dioxide expelled by cars, a gas that contributes to global warming. The EPA doesn't do so now.GM Holden boss Denny Mooney has confirmed development for a possible diesel option for Commodore but denies a bespoke hybrid development for Holden.Following reports this week that Holden engineers were working on a hybrid system, the company says the development engineering is a GM global program based in North America, driven by a joint venture with DaimlerChrysler and BMW.“We're (GM) doing engineering work on a two-mode hybrid,” Mooney says. “It's our joint venture with DaimlerChrysler and BMW.”Mooney says the expense of hybrid development puts it outside the capacity of individual brands within GM but a global GM hybrid or electric strategy could flow to Australia.Holden has dabbled in hybrid and electric technology with the ECOmmodore which highlighted the use of supercapacitors and lead acid batteries. The work, a joint venture with the CSIRO, centred mainly on maximising stored electric power.In Melbourne this week a leading manufacturing expert and director of the US Centre for Automotive Research, Jay Baron, urged local makers to embrace change.He told the Society of Automotive Engineers conference any failure to reflect the needs of a rapidly changing global market was risky.Although supportive of Australia's carmaking business and its export efforts of both cars and intellectual property, he believes hybrids and smaller cars represent the new growth areas for the next 10 years.Baron was also surprised Australia, with a market of less than one million new cars a year, could sustain four major car manufacturers.“A state-of-the-art high-volume manufacturing plant today has to produce somewhere over 200,000 cars a year,” he says.Locally, Ford, GM Holden, Toyota and Mitsubishi are well under this figure. “If you're not producing that volume, then you are a scaled-down niche plant and being in a niche market right now is risky,” he says.“Rear-wheel drive cars are slowly becoming niche markets. In Australia the question is: Are there enough niche markets out there so that you can supply the world with rear-wheel drive cars?“It's a little bit of a risky future not to be looking at where the growth is and the growth is small, efficient cars and new technologies.“There is a whole family of hybrids coming out that could totally change the market again as they slowly scale up.”The change in car buying values and habits is part of a broader cultural shift in the industry.“In North America we're moving away from sports utility vehicles to CUVs — crossover utility vehicles — and higher mileage vehicles,” he says. “In Australia you're transitioning from rear-wheel drive to small front-wheel drive cars, which tend to be more imported.“So you're experiencing similar problems to those we're having.”Baron was the keynote speaker at the conference, which also featured Holden's executive director of engineering, Tony Hyde, Toyota's vice-president of the Toyota Technical Centre in Melbourne, Max Gillard, and the design director of Ford Asia-Pacific, Scott Strong.Toyota spokesman, David Buttner says the company has no plans to produce smaller cars in Australia, but the development of future hybrids is an important factor for the company, “We are continuously evaluating the opportunities to introduce hybrids into Australia, we are working with all stakeholders including the government to facilitate this development,” he says.Ford spokeswoman, Sinead McAlary says the company is constantly examining ways to improve all aspects, such as fuel economy, but a complete shift in focus may not be possible.“To say the Australian industry should develop small cars or hybrids is not necessarily very practical,” she says. “The Australian market is also not ready for the Australian car industry to be producing hybrids.”McAlary says hybrids only accounted for around 3000 sales last year, which is less than the number of Falcons that Ford produces in one month.She says the technology is expensive and people have to be prepared to buy the vehicles, before manufacturers can change the way they operate. “The market has to be ready for it,” she says.And while car companies feed into the new technology that's already being developed in the US and Europe, McAlary says “our industry is too small for us to develop it by ourselves”.Toyota with the Prius, Honda with the Civic and Lexus with the RX440h and GS450h are the only three companies selling hybrids in Australia, but many manufacturers have displayed concept vehicles.One of the newest overseas manufacturers to create a hybrid is Proton, in collaboration with Lotus. Unveiled at the Geneva motor show, the Proton Gen.2 EVE hybrid concept has a claimed fuel economy figure of just 5.6L/100km — some 28 per cent better than the petrol road-going version. Proton has not revealed whether it is planning to mass-produce the hybrid.

Though the large-car segment grew 4.7 per cent in March, small and light cars still dominate the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries' Vfacts figures for the month.Holden sold 5752 VE Commodores and Toyota managed 2037 Aurion V6 sales, the first time the car has eclipsed 2000 sales since it was launched last year.The Aurion's kissin' cousin Camry four-cylinder managed 2574 sales.Ford and Mitsubishi still trail in the family sedan stakes, selling 3249 and 1022 respectively. But their lowly large-car sales were offset by strong import performances.Overall, Mitsubishi had a 22 per cent lift in first-quarter sales against the same period last year, on the back of solid Colt, Lancer, Outlander and Pajero sales.Ford's Focus and Territory helped maintain the momentum for the Broadmeadows-based carmaker, as well as fleet sales that pushed Fairlane numbers to 263 for the month.FCAI chief executive Peter Sturrock says the remarkably strong start to the year may have even taken industry optimists by surprise."Consumers appear to have shaken off any lingering concerns about fuel prices and interest rates and have responded enthusiastically to the intensely competitive prices," he says.The new-vehicle market is being pushed by deflation, with new cars becoming cheaper and better equipped as the various brands fight it out.The market was up 8.3 per cent, compared with March last year, with an all-time sales record of 94,392 vehicles.If the sales momentum continues, this year could eclipse one million sales for the first time.In the first three months of the year 255,068 vehicles were sold, up 20,463, or 8.7 per cent, on the same period last year and surpassing the previous record for the quarter of 237,000 set two years ago. Despite the buoyant first quarter, the FCAI is still forecasting 970,000 sales this year.All segments, except people movers, are experiencing growth.The fastest-growing of all segments remains small passenger cars, which added 8532 sales, or 16.7 per cent, in the first quarter compared with last year. The small-car stars continue to be the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3, selling 4029 and 3182 respectively last month.Light-car sales grew 3334, or 11.9 per cent, SUV compact 2851, 22.2 per cent, and SUV medium 1617, 4.7 per cent.Toyota set a cracking pace in March with 21,390 sales, giving it No.1 sales spot ahead of Holden on 13,454 and Ford on 10,074.So far this year, Toyota has 22 per cent of the market, with Holden at No.2 with 14.3 per cent and Ford third with 10.7 per cent.

Where manufacturers have previously pursued one environmental solution, most are now embracing multiple strategies to the high-profile problem.GM chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner best summed up the industry's new multi-pronged environmental strategy as energy diversity.He referred to alternate energy sources such as electricity, ethanol, biofuels, compressed natural gas, hydrogen and combinations of these working happily together in the same vehicle.Wagoner says GM will also continue to seek improved efficiency from internal combustion petrol and diesel engines and expand its commitment to electric power.GM will introduce a test fleet of 100 hydrogen-powered Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell vehicles in the US this year and 10 in Europe, he says.Other car companies working on alternate powertrain solutions, such as Kia, also pledged to introduce test fleets, particularly for government evaluation.The first of GM's new energy strategies to be introduced in Australia could be the extension of the Saab Biopower range from the 9-5 to the 9-3 model range, including vehicles running on 100 per cent biofuel.GM has also developed a new cleaner turbo diesel V6 engine which could power the new Holden VE Commodore.Wagoner confirmed that the 184kW 2.9-litre Italian-made engine would be compatible with the VE chassis, but he could not confirm its application in the Australian market. A GM Holden spokesman says the company will consider the engine.Mercedes-Benz has started its push to clean up diesel emissions with a detox system called BlueTec. It is claimed to reduce nitrous-oxides (NOX) from the exhaust by up to 90 per cent compared with previous diesels.The German firm has introduced BlueTec in its upper-luxury E320 sedan in the US market and will follow that up with three more models next year. The E320 and the follow-up R320 people mover, ML320 SUV and GL320 4WD will be released in Europe in 2008 and are expected here later in 2008 or early 2009.Volkswagen showed a Passat and a Polo with the technology, the latter capable of a low 102g of CO2 and greatly reduced NOX.Japanese makers are aggressively pushing hybrids. They are led in this by Lexus, which announced it is making more hybrids combining electric motors with petrol engine models than conventional petrol-fuelled vehicles.Geneva launched the Lexus LS600h luxury saloon that it claims has the power of a V12 with the economy of a V6. It has a V8 petrol engine combined with an electric motor to deliver 327kW. Yet Lexus claims the lavishly-equipped saloon will get an average fuel consumption of only 9.5-l/100km while having a CO2 emission level of less than 220g.Toyota showed a hybrid concept sedan, the Hybrid X, that is more a styling exercise than a mechanical marvel. Then there is the Toyota FT-HS hybrid sports car that combines a 3.5-litre petrol V6 with an electric motor; a car that doesn't ignore performance or style.But while Europe is going diesel and Japan is leaning towards hybrids, there is some blurring of technologies.Honda announced a NOX-depleting system similar to BlueTec and says it will be fitted to its diesel-powered cars. It plans to launch its new diesels within three years, first in the US and later in Europe and Australia.At the same time, Honda says it will make its fuel-cell electric car available to selected buyers by next year, making it likely to be the world's first car maker to make a production fuel cell passenger car.The new Honda, which uses hydrogen gas and air to produce electricity to power electric motors, is based on its long-standing FCX concept vehicle.To keep its feet in all camps, Honda plans to introduce a small-car hybrid that is currently in concept form.The Small Hybrid Sport shows that even hybrids can be fun and sexy.Subaru unveiled its 2-litre turbo-diesel engine that will go into European models later this year but won't come to Australia until at least late 2008. It is Subaru's first diesel and has been devised to improve sales in diesel-crazy Europe.Meanwhile, BMW and DaimlerChrysler have announced they will join forces to create a new hybrid system for the premium car segment.Both companies plan on introducing the new technology into rear-wheel-drive models within the next three years.A BMW spokesman says the technologies will be tailored to fit the specific character of the different vehicles.And, two battery city cars were among the show oddities, including the Zebra which was painted like animal fur.

Gorman says life could be tough for the new Falcon, codenamed Orion and scheduled to be launched in 2008, but all the company can do is try to make the best Falcon it can."The architecture, technology and the hard points are set. What we can adjust is minor bits of jewellery here and there," Gorman says. "The segment is smaller than when we devised the program but we are committed to the vehicle and intend to go ahead with it to the best of our ability, even if it's a lot harder than what we envisaged two years ago."People might say it is the wrong vehicle at the wrong time, but we always say to our people not to add `poorly executed' to that list of challenges. When I arrived here three years ago the large car market was 23 per cent of the Australian market."Now it is 13 per cent. That's 100,000 fewer large cars that get sold here each year. If you take that we're about 35 per cent of that, that's 35,000 fewer Falcons annually. Our strategic response was to come up with Territory and that has offset some of that loss."If we try to give it the perception of a medium-sized car, drop a 2.0-litre engine in it, then the thing won't get out of its own way. What you create then is a car that breaks its promise to the people who want the car."The promise we make with Falcon is to give them great performance and safety in a car you can be proud to have in your driveway. So let's not cut two inches off the back. Let's make it look like we're proud of it."With large car sales shrinking in Australia, rivals Holden and Toyota have looked to exports to keep the factories running. Earlier this month Holden announced a deal that will see it ship potentially more than 30,000 VE Commodores — rebadged as the Pontiac G8 — to the US each year.Gorman would not reveal what stage Ford Australia's efforts to export more of its locally made cars is at, but says exports are important for the future of local production."How we integrate global rear-wheel-drive initiatives with Ford Motor Company and what we do with exports are critical to us, but those aren't things we can do tomorrow," he says. Gorman says the signs are Falcon has hit its low point and sales should rebound in February as business buyers return, although consistent sales of 3000 or more Falcons each month are unlikely this year.He ruled out slashing prices to boost the numbers, though. "You have to be very careful with that because we have a brand new Falcon coming and you have to have a good value story with the transition to the new vehicle," he says.Hints at how the new Falcon is likely to look may lie in the design direction Ford used for its latest concept car, known as the Interceptor, which was unveiled at last month's Detroit Motor Show.Ford is adding more aggression to all of its future models, as shown in the Interceptor."This car shows what you can do with a strong rear-wheel drive architecture," executive director of Ford design in North America, Peter Horbury, said at the show. "Like the Falcon, it's tough. It makes a statement."Although no one is suggesting the Interceptor will be copied by Ford Australia, the same aggressive influences could be at work.

The painters and decorators have been the busiest men in the workshops in the off-season as sponsorship changes — many of them major — have changed the appearance of much of the field.So when the cars roll out for the traditional opening of the championship season in Adelaide (March 1-4) quite a few fans will struggle to recognise the cars of their favourite drivers.Not that many of the teams ever stay the same from year to year. Regenerative merchandising is a lucrative business in all sports and even the most subtle changes to the livery of a race team can result in merchandising bonuses.But this year some of the better-known teams have been burning the midnight oil as major sponsors prepare to shout their presence to the grandstands.This year's series consists of 14 rounds, with just two international events — in New Zealand and Bahrain.The V8s will not appear at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne this year because of a scheduling clash — a pity really becauseV8 officials had prised hard-won concessions from the Grand Prix Corporation as far as merchandising was concerned. But there is every chance the V8 teams, which relish the idea of promoting themselves and their sponsors before the huge crowds at the grand prix, will be back next year, given a more accommodating calendar.With the paint brushes barely dry in the workshops, here is a look at the colour of things to come this season:First off the block was Triple Eight Engineering which, even before the end of last season, telegraphed its association with the giant Vodafone telecommunications company. Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup will both pilot a bright orange-red Team Vodafone Falcon after the Betta Electrical sponsorship bit the dust.Sticking with Blue Oval, the Ford Performance Racing team has launched a new-look Falcon for Steve Richards with the Castrol Edge logo prominent on the green and red background.Stone Brothers will send out the exciting young gun James Courtney in new livery for the Jeld-Wen Windows and Doors mob.Dick Johnson Racing's reprieve came late but turned out to be worth waiting for with Jim Beam adorning the side of both his cars — and prominently so.Britek Motorsport has owner Jason Bright running things this year, as well as driving, and Fujitsu has stuck, while Irwin Tools will go around on the second Alan Gurr car.On the Holden side, all eyes are on HRT.The team which leads merchandise sales in the sport usually comes up with annual changes, even if sometimes they are a bit subtle. The launch of the new-look car was delayed last week but was unveiled yesterday as a brighter red than last year, another convert to the day-glo image, with the addition of a bit more black.Tasman Motorsport — with Greg Murphy joining Jason Richards for an all-Kiwi combination this year — has again opted for a segmented sponsorship with the team offering individual sponsorship at different rounds.The controversial Firepower company is expected to make a powerful impression — but over just four rounds.The Jack Daniel's rivalry with Jim Beam this year looks to be as emphatic as Holden v Ford, with Jim Beam not only joining forces with Dick Johnson, but also grabbing prominence as a V8 championship sponsor.Larry Perkins' cars remain predominantly in the Jack Daniel's sponsors' colours, albeit with a bit more white striping this season. Super Cheap Auto, with Cam McConville and Paul Dumbrell driving together this season, seems to have survived a turbulent12 months on the Stock Exchange and is back again with Paul Weel Racing.Even Garry Rogers has hired a signwriter and redesigned his two Holdens to carry prominent Valvoline and Cummins signs for the cars which carry the hopes of two young drivers who were quite impressive last year — Dean Canto and Lee Holdsworth.The Sirromet Wines car of Paul Morris is changed to a basic white background this year.John Bowe, having announced this will be his last year in a V8 Supercar, will roll out the Glenfords Falcon for Paul Cruickshank Racing bearing the racing No.111 as a tribute to Cruickshank's friend Mark Porter, who was killed at Bathurst last year.And for the champ?Well, Rick Kelly's Toll HSV signage is again the prominent part of the livery for both he and teammate Garth Tander.As far as Kelly is concerned, the change from the No.15 to the No.1 is small but nevertheless significant.RAY KERSHLER'S TOP 10 DRIVERSHOLDEN Rick Kelly: Defending champion in a well-heeled team. Under pressure to produce back-to-back championships now the point system has been restructured.Garth Tander: May be the main threat to his Toll HSV teammate,Rick Kelly. Unlucky last year when team tactics backfired and undermined his chances.Todd Kelly: The elder of the Kelly brothers. His team will be determined to restore some pride in the famous HRT brand and they have the backing to do so.Greg Murphy: Will form a formidable partnership with Jason Richards. In his fifth team in 11 years, Murphy might at last settle in as a championship contender.ROUGHIEDean Canto: Young driver who was consistent last year in a solid team. Has been given the chance to express himself this year when speed will count.FORD Craig Lowndes: In the eyes of Ford fans he is the defacto champ. Well drilled team will be striving to go one better for their star this year and may well do so.Steve Richards: Swapped over from Holden and should slot straight into a high profile Ford team.Another driver who will relish the revamped points system.Mark Winterbottom: Backing up from a tremendous season where he proved himself both quick and tactically adroit.Same team helps. And so does a new partner.James Courtney: Will start his second V8 season with immense confidence after a superb rookie year. Could be the surprise packet in the field.ROUGHIEJason Bright: Normally a front-runner, he has moved to take control of his own team. That may take time. He will need luck but has the speed to make his presence felt.

The car is the Chevrolet Camaro and, even though it is still to be confirmed by GM Holden, the 2006 American concept should be at the Melbourne Motor Show next month.The Camaro coupe and convertible will eventually be sold in Australia, according to GM's global product chief Bob Lutz, so an early local visit makes sense for GM Holden.The Commodore export deal was confirmed last week in an announcement by GM at the Chicago Motor Show and GM Holden at Fishermans Bend.The final price and export volume have still not been revealed — though $US25,000 and 40,000 look good — but the VE will definitely be sold as the Pontiac G8 in the US and Canada with only minimal body changes from the SS Commodore on the roads in Australia.The VE Holden Ute will probably follow.Holden chairman Denny Mooney says it and other Holdens are being considered for export to the US.The Ute would not have to be sold in the US as a Pontiac just because the sedan carries that badge, and there has been talk in America that it might become an El Camino, one of the classic badges in Chevrolet history."It could be a GMC truck or it could be a Chevrolet El Camino," Mooney says.GM Holden shipped a record 31,000 Commodores and Statesmans — badged as Chevrolet Lumina and Chevrolet Caprice — to the Middle East, Korea and China last year.Mooney says the Pontiac deal is potentially bigger and will easily top the 18,000 Monaros that were shipped to the US.The Monaro's numbers were lower than hoped, but the car had forged a link to the US and the Commodore would have a much better chance of succeeding at all levels."The two-door coupe market in the US is small. The sedan market we're exporting this car into is 20 times bigger," Mooney says.The Monaro, sold as the Pontiac GTO, was a success for GM and Pontiac, he says, because its many accolades have boosted the company's image.The VE deal could lift production at Holden's Elizabeth factory and help to top up falling demand for big sixes in Australia.

Once shrugged off as a minor irritant, the subject of fuel economy has become one of critical interest to the Australian heartland.Getting your vehicle, be it petrol or diesel, to go as far as possible on the least amount of fuel is ultimately going to put dollars back in your pocket ... but how do you do it?Most people think of fuel-economy driving in terms of special cars crawling along, with highly trained drivers gently brushing the accelerator only when absolutely necessary.Not true, says Holden engine management engineer Scott Doughty.Doughty is part of the team responsible for ensuring there is that balance of economy and performance real-world customers demand in their Commodores."The general rules for efficient fuel economy in everyday driving don't just apply to our cars," Doughty says. "Much of it is commonsense and the technology in modern engines is pretty much industry standard."Some of the golden rules are applicable to everyone: Keep the gears up, get into the high gears as early as you can, keep the engine revs down, all those sort of things."Many people, particularly those who have been driving for a long time, think that by driving with lower throttle openings but higher engine speeds they are saving fuel and putting less stress on the car."In fact the opposite is true. Lower engine speeds and greater throttle-opening — that is, a higher gear — is far more efficient so get to the higher gear quickly and stay there as much as you can."Increasing mass and drag is another sure way to spend more time in petrol stations."People fill their cars with all sorts of stuff and drag it around all over the place or they bolt a big roof rack on the roof — anything like that is going to make the aerodynamics less efficient and add to drag," Doughty says."I just don't think they realise the amount of fuel they are using. They don't need to do that. It is as simple as unbolting the roof rack or unloading the boot."However, the fuel-saving strategy is not restricted to high-tech or smaller engines. He says: "There is a degree of improvement you can get from any engine. You can achieve some pretty good economy, even on V8s."To prove that point Holden has each year run an efficiency drive from Sydney to the Gold Coast; almost 1000km of real-world driving. Each of the cars is set a fuel and speed target for each stage over a variety of conditions, ranging from city and highway to mountainous backroads.Some of the results are truly surprising — with V6 models returning figures in the 7.5L/100km range and V8s under 10L/100km.While the obvious purpose of the exercise is to show benefits of the Holden models, there are lessons to be learned for owners of most brands. Key to the results from the V6 engines was the Alloytec's throttle-off fuel saving technology; something that is now common in current-generation engines.Before the advent of the latest engine control units (ECUs), the use of gears to force engine braking brought no fuel benefit. With the new technology, the same behaviour will put dollars in your pocket.Doughty says idling in neutral or lifting off the throttle in high gears where the revs fall below 1600rpm is not going to aid fuel consumption significantly."Fuel is still being fed to the engine to keep it running. But if you throttle off and use the gears to keep the engine revs between 1600rpm and 2100rpm, the ECU cuts fuel to the engine, allowing the engine to be turned over by the drive wheels rather than fuel ignition in the cylinder chambers," he adds.The ECU re-opens the fuel feed when engine revolutions are moving out of the nominated range or the throttle is depressed.Doughty says that with variable valve-timing, cam-phasing, electronic throttle control and modern electronic control units the strategy can be used without negative effects on the engine."It may take a bit of an education program but it is certainly something that can be used on a daily basis," he says.While loath to quantify the possible dollar savings from more efficiency-conscious behaviour, Doughty has no doubt that most people could benefit significantly: "Fuel economy becomes 100 little things that together to make a significant improvement."Keep to the golden fuel rules1. Keep the car in as high a gear as possible and get to the higher gears as quickly as possible.2. Have a light touch on the throttle. For most applications 25 per cent throttle is quite adequate. Hard acceleration is the enemy of fuel economy.3. Look ahead and read traffic conditions. Plan to maintain momentum, reducing the need for excessive braking and subsequent acceleration.4. Monitor tyre pressures. Low pressures increase rolling resistance of tyres and use more fuel. You should keep to the manufacturer's specifications.5. Stick to the speed limit. High speeds use more fuel.6. Reduce mass and drag. You would be surprised how much unnecessary equipment accumulates in the boot of a car. Roof pods, racks and extended wing mirrors all minimise the efficiency of a car through the air. More weight and drag equals less economy. Remove the bits when they are not being used.7. Avoid idling as you are wasting fuel going nowhere.8. Keep your vehicle in shape; clean air filters keep impurities in the air from damaging the engine and can improve fuel economy.9. Don't turn on the airconditioner as a first response to heat; even the most efficient airconditioners expend a fair bit of fuel.10. When buying a car, consider its fuel economy.