Ve Commodore Secrets Revealed

[Dingo]

Word on the street is that its only around 100kgs heavier than previous model.............

Plenty of 10 year old Vr's-Vs's going around in fine working condition that I know of, and many VN's.

Your statements are just hogwash. You can dislike a car thats fine, but dont go saying things that are wrong.

The Clubsport cant run 12.9's with an aftermarket filter thats for sure, but how about you compare the GT-P to the Clubsport. Or compare the Typhoon around a corner to a skyline insted of a straight line. its a quality vehicle thats for sure! is it just me or

can anyone else see in 18 years the Xr6 Turbo and the Typhoon being the VL turbo of today? kinda funny thinking about it really............maybe not hahah

When Holden bring out another turbo charged car (if they do) then you can compare Typhoon to them etc etc. The V8 car has an image in Australia, the deep burble the aggresive lines etc etc it all comes down to personal preference to some it may be shit, to others its a passion, regardless of how it performs and handles etc etc.

Edited April 14, 2006 by Dingo

[Roy]

I like the guards. Its about time more manufactureres bring back pronounced guards.

As for ppl comparing an SS to S13s, FDs???? Seriously...............?

To quote a UK magazine at the demise of the Vauxhall Monaro

"shortcomins were few and far between- a heavy, slow gearshiftand a lack of intamcy to the steering being the main bugbears-but the Monaro always countered with a characterful engine, its long striding performance and its distinctive and distinctly un-European demeanour.

Add to this sense of solid build quality , an unburstable drivetrain and a surprising ability to to regularly exceed 20mpg, and its clear the Monaro was much more then a meat headed muscle car.

Neatral and predicatble right up to its formaiddable limits"

Thats from EVO mag, and they test drive only the best sports cars, so havea wide range of experience with cars.

Read what Jeremy Clarkson has to say about the Monaro. Again, he loves the thing and its ability to go sideways at serious speeds and still be so controllable.

My friends 300kw GTS uses less fuel then my 2L R32 for the drive between Sydney and Melbourne. And its a quick and well balance street car. If you dont call it a sports car then fair enough. I persoanlly would be calling it a sports car for what else are you going to call something that is quicker then so may jap and Euro cars?

A sports car has to go, stop and turn. The sports models of the Commodore do that. Build quality. LOL i have seen so many sh1tty imports, especially R32 and S13s its not funny. I wonder how the Aus built GTRs would have faired with out local conditions if they actually sold in any real numbers and covered 20,000kms annually on our roads????

I dont think they do too bad a job at building cars for our market. It seems OS the cars are appreciated far more then they are locally...

I like imports because they are cheap. If Nissan sold the V35 Coupe here, how many would be throwing their coin at one???? A big weight atmo V6 that is even underdone in the lighter 350Z. LOL, ill be going to a Mitsubishi, Subaru and Holden dealership well before i go near any Nissan showroom.

And if you cant appreciate the sort of mumbo a 6.0L pushord donk gives you then there will be no convincing you they deserve to be on the road.

And again comparing cars that Holden build today to cars that the Jpas were building over a decade ago???? I will gladly march down to my Holden dealer and buy a V8 Commodore before i go near a Nissan dealership for...um ok ill import one. Ummm still all buckets of boring. Ok great i will go to Toyota then...ummmm buckets of boring. Ok what about Honda then....ummmmm. Ok how about Mazda...nice colour but you can keep the RX-8.

The only current Jap cars that hold any interest woudl be an STI or EVO, and im not a big fan of AWD cars....but i could see myself in an EVO.

Holden are doing a better job today at building interesting cars then many other makers.

[Rezz]

As for ppl comparing an SS to S13s, FDs???? Seriously...............?

I personally was posting about my experience with a late model Commodore SS. The fact that I had just gotten out of an S13 beforehand doesn't mean I was comparing the two. I've driven many many *sportscars* and the FD RX-7 was the standout *Sportscar* in my opinion. That was my idea of a sportscar. Now one of the other members said "just cause there not imported,doesnt mean that cant handle like a sports car." I replied basically that the bar is set so high these days for *sportscars* that the Commodore shouldn't even be put in the same sentence, and it's all relative to what you've driven before. It's a GT sedan and theres nothing wrong with that - if you're happy with the build quality

If you dont call it a sports car then fair enough. I persoanlly would be calling it a sports car for what else are you going to call something that is quicker then so may jap and Euro cars?

A GT sedan/coupe.

I wonder how the Aus built GTRs...

I think you mean Aus delivered?

I dont think they do too bad a job at building cars for our market. It seems OS the cars are appreciated far more then they are locally...

I totally agree with you there. This is why I hope the VE is a great car and the locals will finally get a car that they KNOW is good from top to bottom (with proper brakes and sub-1650kg... wishful thinking)

And again comparing cars that Holden build today to cars that the Jpas were building over a decade ago???? I will gladly march down to my Holden dealer and buy a V8 Commodore before i go near a Nissan dealership for...um ok ill import one. Ummm still all buckets of boring. Ok great i will go to Toyota then...ummmm buckets of boring. Ok what about Honda then....ummmmm. Ok how about Mazda...nice colour but you can keep the RX-8. ...Holden are doing a better job today at building interesting cars then many other makers.

What the Japanese makers offer in Australia is only half the story. Pit the Commodore up against the Toyota Mark X (JDM only) and you know what would happen? The local car rags would say the Toyota is a great car... but the Commodore is best for Aussie roads. With such one eyed support for the 'Can-do-no-wrong' Holden Commodore, I'm not suprised all the Japanese makers offer are FWD refrigerators in the large car class. And vice versa in Japan. Their car magazines are very one eyed and give 100% support their local brands too... OS car makers in Japan have such a hard time, all except Mercedes and BMW - who incidently make better cars...

Commodores up until now have had so much local support even with all it's quality flaws etc, but now it's time to see the car for what it really is. Can it stand up to the OS makes with decreasing import tariffs? Once again, I hope so.

[Roy]

What the Japanese makers offer in Australia is only half the story. Pit the Commodore up against the Toyota Mark X (JDM only) and you know what would happen? The local car rags would say the Toyota is a great car... but the Commodore is best for Aussie roads. With such one eyed support for the 'Can-do-no-wrong' Holden Commodore, I'm not suprised all the Japanese makers offer are FWD refrigerators in the large car class. And vice versa in Japan.

For me to hand over serious money, there just isnt anything comign out of Nissan, Toyota, Mazda that make me want to hand over my money. Evos are about the only new car i want. The Mark X isnt my thing....

I hope that Nissan and other car manufacturers havetn forgotten how to build affordable fun cars.

And wasnt having a shot with regards to the FD sportscar thing. But using the FD as a basis of comparison is pretty unfair. May as well pick a McLaren F1:)

I tend to think GT/Sports Saloon etc is a better buy line for them, but even though they are big heavy four doors, they are more sports car then Celicas and those Hyundai cuope things, hell im not even a fan of Preludes or Integras so !?!?!?!?!?

[Rezz]

Yep, the relatively cheap large RWD sedan with plenty of power is what Australia makes best... even Toyota's Crown Majesta (4.3L V8 FR sedan) is more a Mercedes E-class competitor. The concept of a cheap V8 RWD sedan is foreign to the rest of the world bar the USA, and I'm not suprised the Top Gear crew loved the Monaro.

If the VE Commodore V8 had quad cams (higher rev limit and peak torque higher in the rev range), sub 1600kg kerb weight and better build quality, I would get one... I think I just described a BMW 540i...