Holden Commodore 2008 News

It is not the first time cars have been treated as art.

They are hybrids and the best-known is the Toyota Prius, though there is a range of Lexus hybrids up to the flagship LS600hL.

The thoroughbred Holden and Ford tourers will run on E85 ethanol fuel in a move driven to push the environmental message.Team owners Larry Perkins and Ross Stone will head a sub-committee on the move, which offers some technical challenges in terms of fuel lines and bladders and associated components as well as safety revisions.Saab is the only car company, which sells a new car capable of running E85 fuel in this country, and there are only limited amounts of dedicated E85 bowsers in Australia.It is doubtful whether the majority of the massive V8 fan base in Australia will give the move a second thought.Recent surveys suggest that what is on the priority list for fans is that the formula remains purely Holden and Ford and for the rear-wheel-drive V8 powertrains to be continued.V8 Supercars chairman Tony Cochrane admits the move may have little relevance to the paying V8 public but the underlying message is for the sport to be seen to be socially responsible.“It may take 10 or 15 years for E85 pumps to be available everywhere but we've got to start somewhere,” Cochrane said.“We want to try to get on pole position in this argument.“We want to be seen as a community leader.”Full investigations into the move to E85 will be undertaken over the next 10 months when the project will be fully evaluated.“In the hands of Larry (Perkins) and Ross (Stone) I'm sure that everything will be looked at and investigated,” Cochrane said.The plan follows the V8 Supercars Racing Green tree planting program, which was implemented last year to offset the carbon footprint of the sport.“We see it as a highly responsible way forward and the ethanol industry is really starting to crank up in this country,” Cochrane said.An ethanol plant is close to completion at Dalby, west of Toowoomba.Cochrane says governments, particularly Queensland, are pushing the ethanol message.“The government is keen to see ethanol gain a foothold and we want to be seen as a community leader,” he said.“As for the future I can assure you that every (V8 Supercar) board will look at what we can do to be more community responsible whether it be the environment or whatever it may be.”Indy Cars from the Indy Racing League in the United States, which reunited with Champ Car last week after a 13-year split, run on 100 per cent ethanol.The Champ Cars continued to use methanol but it is likely that under the new unified front for 2008, the American open wheelers will run on ethanol. 

One of the reasons given for Australia's record one million new vehicle sales last year is affordability. Cars have never been so affordable, say the economic pundits. But they've also never been so expensive.Australia's favourite car for the 12th year in a row, the Holden Commodore, cost about $31,500 five years ago for an Executive and under $30,000 10 years ago. A base Omega now costs $34,990.However, the dollar isn't worth as much as it used to be and wages are much higher.Commsec chief economist Craig James says cars are the most affordable they have been in 20 years, according to Commsec's affordability index. The stockbroking arm of the Commonwealth Bank uses a formula that predicts the amount of time it would take an average weekly wage earner to pay off the list price of a base model Holden Commodore auto.At today's average income of $1102.40 a week, it would take 31.3 weeks to pay off a Commodore. Five years ago that was 36 weeks, 10 years ago it was 42.3 and 20 years ago it was 35.7. The number crunchers agree cars are more affordable in 2008.But what do you get for your money these days? Remember when remote mirrors, airconditioning, central locking, power windows, CD players and anti-lock brakes cost extra?Now they are standard in even the cheapest and most basic models on the market.We compared the mid-strength Berlina spec of the 2002 VY Commodore with the latest VE Commodore to see what you get standard.The VY cost $40,850 for the V6 and $45,440 for the V8 and five years later these have decreased. The V6 is now $39,990 and the V8 $44,490. The punter gets more for their buck and it starts under the bonnet of the V6 with 180kW compared with 152kW in the VY.Primary safety features in the VY went to anti-lock brakes. The VE adds an electronic stability program with ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist and traction control.Secondary safety features in the VY extended to a driver and front passenger airbag.Now you get dual-stage front airbags, side impact airbags and optional curtain airbags.Features in the VY were scant, but you did get climate control air and 15-inch alloy wheels.The VE now comes with dual-zone climate air, 17-inch alloys, plus a host of other features such as an auxiliary plug for your iPod, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity, front fog lamps, leather wrap steering wheel and rear park assist.“Given that prices haven't increased or have been maintained in most cases, despite significant safety, technology and feature upgrades, and when taking CPI into account, it's incredible value,” GM Holden spokeswoman Shayna Welsh says.The Commodore isn't the only vehicle to offer more for your money. Imported vehicles have far more value than they have had previously.While the strong international value of our dollar has made most other manufactured imports cheaper, few imported vehicles are cheaper than they were five or 10 years ago.Car importers argue that if they were to reduce the price of new vehicles it would also erode the value of used vehicles.We don't want our five-year-old car to be worth half what we paid for it when we trade it in.Instead of reducing new car prices, importers are adding more equipment at no extra cost.One imported brand that has been experiencing rapid sales growth is Honda, but not just because of the favourable exchange rate.With most of its Australian fleet built in Thailand, the company has been able to pack their vehicles with features because of the cheaper production costs in Thailand and the lower import duty through the free trade agreement with Australia.Ten years ago Honda Australia launched a special edition Honda CR-V with ABS, sunroof, alloy wheels, roof rails and other added features to celebrate its golden anniversary.It cost $33,950 for the manual transmission variant and $35,950 for the four-speed automatic, while the standard model was $29,950 (manual) and $31,950 (automatic).Airconditioning, remote central locking, power windows and electric mirrors were standard on all models with a two-litre engine.Today, the base model CR-V costs $31,990 (manual) and $33,990 (auto), which is almost $2000 less than the '98 anniversary model and $2000 more than the base model.Today's CR-V has a 2.4-litre engine and has a host of features. Safety gear includes ABS with EBD, brake assist, stability control, four airbags and front active headrests.Standard creature features include steering wheel-mounted cruise and audio controls, speed sensitive audio volume and an auxiliary audio input to connect to iPods. 

The Clipsal 500 pre-race drivers' autograph session has become a traditional highlight of race week.And hundreds turned out for the event in a closed-off section of Pulteney St, city, waiting in long queues to move along the Holden or Ford drivers' tables to get items signed.Adjacent was the Pit Stop Challenge of celebrities and grid girls trying their hand at quick-time wheel changing and visited by motor sport doyen Murray Walker, here from the UK again for the big race.“The atmosphere in Adelaide is second to none,” said current V8 Supercar champion Rick Kelly, of the HSV team, while signing fans' memorabilia."“We're happy to do these autograph sessions. It's all part of the job but it's fun."“I've signed just about everything over the years - you name it, we've signed it.”Fans yesterday had model race cars, the official 2008 Clipsal Adelaide 500 race program, V8 Monopoly boards, posters, photographs, car parts and clothing, including shirts, some still being worn.Holden enthusiast Brett Shillabeer, 35, of Greenwith, took a rear wing from an SS Commodore to be signed by the Holden race drivers.“It's from a storeroom at work,” he said.“It was taken off a company car.”Young race-fan mates Andrew Yoemans, 5, Ryan Mayo, 6, and his brother Liam, 4, also from Greenwith, were getting drivers' signatures and are all set for four days at the track starting this morning.“Mark Skaife is my favourite but Rick Kelly is the best,” Ryan said.

The 11th-hour withdrawal of a two-car team, WPS Racing, has left just 29 cars entered in this first round of the 2008 V8 Supercar Championship.It's the smallest field ever in the Adelaide 500, the inaugural race in 1999 having 40 starters, selected by qualifying from 54 entrants.Since then, the strict licence-franchise arrangements to have a car on the grid has capped the field at 32.In recent years, the sport's governing body, V8 Supercars Australia, has kept one licence in reserve as 31 cars have raced.However, the late withdrawal last week of the WPS outfit run by Queensland businessman Graig Gore has cut two cars from the field, not allowing enough time for any aspiring team to get the backing to take over the available licences.It also means that popular driver and former Bathurst race winner Jason Bargwanna has been robbed of being among the handful of drivers to contest all 10 years of the Adelaide 500. The other driver left marooned is Max Wilson.Gore, 41, cited health reasons and business commitments for pulling out. He suffered an inner-ear injury.V8 Supercars Australia spokesman Cole Hitchcock argued yesterday that a 29-car field would still provide a good sight and a good race in Adelaide.“It's not desirable,” he said of the late withdrawal.“But 29 cars is not an issue. It won't lessen the spectator appeal or the racing itself,” Hitchcock said.In turn, each of those teams will sell their current “level-two” licences back to V8 Supercars Australia who can then sell them to new entrants if approved.A level-one licence gives a team greater rights and a greater share of V8 Supercars Australia dividends.Team BOC, run by Brad and Kim Jones, was quick to pounce, yesterday announcing it had secured the WOW sponsorship that had been with the WPS team.The sponsor is making a last-minute move to the Team BOC stable, which already has new life breathed into it by switching from Falcon to Holden, getting two near-new VE Commodores from Holden Racing Team. Experienced Cameron McConville will drive one of the cars.Clipsal 500 chief executive Andrew Daniels said he would prefer a full grid but the matter was out of the hands of the Adelaide race promoters.“We would love a full field of 32 cars. But 29 is not an issue. They are all professional teams and they'll have good, close racing.“The privateers are disappearing from the top ranks, leaving the more-professional teams whose cars have greater reliability and aren't likely to fall out of he race.” 

The age-old battle between Ford and Holden is set to sizzle at this year’s Melbourne Motor Show.

All the Victorian teams in the V8 Supercar Championship, along with those from the division-two Fujitsu Series, took to the twisting Winton racetrack in north Victoria yesterday.It was the first time they were allowed to track test their new or rebuilt cars for 2008, with the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.New champion Garth Tander's move to HRT, with a few senior engineers from HSV going with him, already looks successful.In a brand-new racing VE Commodore, Tander set the fastest lap time at Winton, 1min 23.6sec.Next was another Holden driven by his former team-mate and 2006 champion Rick Kelly, still with HSV, on 1:23.88.Lee Holdsworth, in a Garry Rogers Motorsport Commodore, was a good third quickest (1:23.89) and Mark Skaife, Tander's HRT team-mate, fourth fastest (1:24.02).Team BOC has ex-HRT Holdens and its driver Andrew Jones was high on the charts early. The best Ford driver through the day was Steven Richards, although FPR team-mate Mark Winterbottom's late lap of 1:24.29 was .02sec better. Tander was happy with the new car and its lap speed as he eyes the Clipsal 500, the opening round of the 2008 championship.“Today's been great preparation for the Clipsal,” he reported late in the day.“We've been ticking all the boxes in time for the event."“The new car is great and we've been doing long runs to get miles on the new car and test all the components."“I believe we're in very good shape - even better than last year, so I'm confident of a good result.”HRT has been the most successful team in the past 10 years of the 500 in Adelaide.HRT team manager Rob Crawford said the Clipsal 500 was the toughest race of the year for drivers, cars and teams and Winton's test had been used as much as possible to replicate the Adelaide conditions.“Adelaide is Holden's home and it's important to Holden and HRT that we perform well,” he said.“I don't think we could have had a better preparation.” 

It was put to use last week for the pricing of the new Impreza STi (right), which is going to put huge pressure on the new Mitsubishi Evo X with its predicted pricing in the $70,000 range.

The Holden VE Ute, voted the best car by carsguide readers, is among 122 products shortlisted for this year's Australian International Design Awards.Other shortlisted products include the Saab 9-3 BioPower with a choice of ethanol, economical diesel or petrol powered engines.The new Volkswagen Eos CSC is on the list for its world-first, five-section hard top with an integrated sliding/tilting glass roof.The Freighter EziLiner trailer is listed for its semi-automatic system for vertically tensioning the side curtains.There are also listings for Volvo's C30 and the Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic family vehicles.A panel of industry professionals will spend a week judging each of them for their originality, design, safety and commercial viability.This year's judging panel includes design experts from Motorola, Frog Design and Smart Design in the US and top Australian designers.The winners of the 50th annual awards will be announced on 30, May 2008.This year the Australian Design Awards become the Australian International Design Awards as local products compete on the world stage.Awards manager Stephanie Watson said a win this year against global competition would mean even more for local designers.Entries cover a range of industry sectors other than automotive, including consumer, business and technology, medical and scientific, sport and leisure, housing and building, agriculture and heavy machinery and furniture and lighting.