Holden Commodore News

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.

The Bathurst rookie was the driver who punted the red-hot favourite out of the great race just seconds after the start yesterday and he was as upset as anyone."I'm so, so sorry. I just didn't see you," Perkins said as he shook Skaife's hand in the Holden Racing Team's garage."Don't worry, it wasn't your fault," Skaife replied.And then he revealed that his race would probably have been over without the big hit on Mountain Straight."The clutch was slipping so badly that it probably wouldn't have made it to the top of the hill," Skaife said. "It was hardly driving at all. I was in fifth gear, but it wasn't making any speed."Skaife and Garth Tander were odds-on for the biggest race of the V8 Supercar season after dominating throughout the time-trials at Mt Panorama.The five-time winner cemented his spot on top when he claimed pole position, although hot weather on Saturday stopped him from undercutting Greg Murphy's all-time best lap at the track. But it all went wrong when the lights went out to start the race."As soon as I let the clutch up, it started slipping. And I didn't even warm up the tyres or anything because I wanted some wheelspin," Skaife said."I knew I was in trouble, so I moved to the left. I saw Steven Richards coming and let him through the gap. I was limping up Mountain Straight and just trying to stay out of trouble."That trouble arrived when Perkins, who was way back in the pack after starting 28th, arrived over the blind brow and ran into the tail of the red car.He got hard on to the brakes, and was able to swerve a bit to the right, but the impact fired Skaife's car into the concrete wall."The red car was just about stopped. Unfortunately, I just ran into the back of him," said Perkins, the 20-year-old son of former Bathurst winner Larry Perkins.Perkins originally thought he had hit the second HRT Commodore of Jim Richards, which started from position 12."I couldn't believe the guy off pole was that far back," Perkins said.He was able to drag the badly damaged Jack Daniel's Commodore back to the pits, but, like Skaife's car, it was too badly damaged to return to the race.Skaife was gutted after one of his best Bathurst preparations."I don't think I've ever wanted to win the race so badly. There is the whole Peter Brock thing," he said. "There was a lot of expectation, wasn't there? It was just unbelievable. I cannot remember being so psyched. I have never felt we've had such a complete preparation."The crash almost certainly ended Garth Tander's chances in the V8 Supercar championship, after he was switched from his regular ride with the Toll-HSV Dealer Team into Skaife's HRT Commodore to try to give him the best shot at the series crown. He and Toll teammate Rick Kelly were split to improve their chances of taking the title fight to Craig Lowndes."I'm gutted. Simple as that. To be over in less than 100 metres . . . I can't believe it," Tander said. "The car is stuffed."The disaster at HRT was completed when Jim Richards hit the wall on lap 24 in the team's second car."It's a shit of a game. Half-intelligent blokes wouldn't come here," Skaife said.Then he went to hitch a helicopter ride off the mountain with wife Toni so they could get home to Melbourne. "I don't think I want to hang around," he said.

Skaife choked as soon as the starting flag dropped, with a slipped clutch that saw him drop to the back of the field before the first corner.

Less than 20 laps have been completed in the past hour with two separate safety car periods for crashes to Michael Caruso and Paul Radisich.

The Falcon drivers battled from sixth on the grid, steered cleared of continuing carnage around them, and sprinted home in the final seven-lap dash to take the chequered flag.