Category: On The Street

That’s right, those ready this at work had better tell the boss quickly that you’re taking the afternoon off! Powercruise Sydney is on RIGHT NOW! Powercruisers are currently ripping up the track and torching tyres to all the delight of watching spectators with the event already filling with NSW toughest cars.

So do your self a favour, develop a sickness now, take the arvo off and head right over to Eastern Creek and get your automotive lunacy fix now!

Category: Holden News

The Holden Sportwagon might be overshadowed by the Coupe 60 and HSV W427, but there were a few other cool new additions unveiled at the Melbourne International Motorshow such as the new Sportwagon range.

The Sportwagon range will be carried right from the Omega and Berlina, right through to the SS-V and Calais models.

VE models
Omega $37,790
Berlina $41,290
SV6 $42,290
SS (6spd manual)$46,290
SS (6spd auto) $48,290
SS V (6spd manual) $53,790
SS V (6spd auto) $55,790
Calais $46,790
Calais V V6 (5spd auto) $55,290
Calais V V8 (6spd auto) $60,290

Omega
Standard features on Omega include:
• 3.6L Alloytec V6, peak power 180kW, peak torque 330Nm*, four-speed automatic
• Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) including Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic
Brakeforce Distribution, Electronic Brake Assist and Traction Control
• Four 16-inch alloy wheels
• Multifunction steering wheel
• Multifunction driver display
• Cruise control
• Rear Park Assist
• Automatic headlamp mode
• Single disc CD player
• Dual stage front airbags; side and curtain impact airbags

Berlina
Berlina has all Omega standard features and in addition:
• Four 17-inch alloy wheels
• Front fog lamps
• Leather wrap steering wheel
• Trip computer with triple display
• Bluetooth® connectivity for compatible mobile phones
• Six-disc in-dash CD player, MP3 compatible
• Four-way electric adjustment of driver’s seat
• Dual zone electronic climate control
• Six-inch multifunction display screen

SV6
SV6 features include:
• 3.6L High Output Alloytec V6, peak power 195kW, peak torque 340Nm*, five-speed
automatic with Active Select
• Sports suspension
• Four 18-inch alloy wheels
• Leather wrap steering wheel
• Bluetooth® connectivity for compatible mobile phones
• Single disc CD player
• Sports interior
• Sports body kit
• Dual exhaust
• Chrome highlights
• Rear Park Assist

SS
SS features include:
• 6.0L V8, peak power 270kW, peak torque 530Nm**, six-speed manual or optional sixspeed
automatic with Active Select
• Limited Slip Differential
• Sports suspension
• Four 18-inch alloy wheels
• Bluetooth® connectivity for compatible mobile phones
• Six-disc in-dash CD player, MP3 compatible
• Sports front seats
• Rear Park Assist

SS V
SS V has all SS standard features and in addition:
• Projector headlamps
• Alloy faced pedals
• Four 19-inch alloy wheels
• Leather wrap gear selector
• Leather wrap sports profile steering wheel
• Leather seat inserts
• Dual zone electronic climate control
• 6.5-inch multi-function display screen
• Zone based Rear Park Assist

Calais
Calais features include:
• 3.6L High Output Alloytec V6, peak power 195kW, peak torque 340Nm*, five-speed
automatic with Active Select
• Four 17-inch alloy wheels
• Leather wrap gear selector
• Leather wrap steering wheel
• Trip computer with triple display
• Bluetooth® connectivity for compatible mobile phones
• Projector headlamps
• Six-disc in-dash CD player, MP3 compatible
• Six-way electric adjustment of driver’s seat
• Dual zone electronic climate control
• 6.5-inch multi-function display screen
• Zone based Rear Park Assist

Calais V
Calais V has all Calais standard features and in addition:
• Four 18-inch alloy wheels
• Chrome finish body side mouldings
• Chrome highlights on exterior door handles
• Leather wrap sports profile steering wheel
• Zone based Front and Rear Park Assist
• Rain Sensing Wipers
• Rear overhead DVD
• Eight-way driver and front passenger seat
• Leather seat trim
• Memory settings for driver seat & exterior mirrors

Value for money was the key to the VE Sportwagon success and GM Holden’s Executive Director of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales. Alan Batey, believes that the Sportwagon offers superb value for money with carried over wagon name plates offering a substantial savings over the VZ stock.

“The Australian market is becoming increasingly challenging and at Holden we believe the VE
Sportwagon’s pricing, sedan-like handling and stylish design will ensure it has the competitive
edge it needs to succeed in its segment.
“The extended VE range offers real choices in practicality and flexibility to both the business
buyer and Aussie families.
“With safety features such as ESP and six airbags as standard across the range, many potential
buyers will see this as a great value car which ticks all the right boxes,” Mr Batey said.

Category: Street Commodores

It was a question that was asked ever since the debut of the VE model, where’s the two door variant? Well, now Holden answer with a real life, not CGI, VE Monaro equivalent called the Coupe 60.

GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Mark Reuss, is ecstatic how the Coupe 60 had turned out.

“It highlights Holden’s heritage of rear wheel drive performance whilst looking ahead to the
potential offered by new technologies and materials.
“This is a vehicle I know our designers would dearly love to see go into production, but for the
moment it has to remain a concept only,” he said.

The pillarless concept features a host of goodies that will send just about any car over into a mess on the floor, such as 21-inch centre-lock alloys wrapped in Kumho semi-slick tyres, MoTec style dash cluster, carbon fiber racing buckets seats with leather and suede pad design and a unique new colour called ‘Diamond Silver’.

Main Features:

Pillarless coupe body;
Derived from flexible GRWD platform;
VE sedan wheelbase.

Powertrain:
6.0L V8 with Active Fuel Management, calibrated for E85 Ethanol fuel;
6-speed manual transmission (SS specification);
Engine oil cooler.

Exterior:
Unique ”Diamond Silver” paint colour;
Electrically dropping front & rear side windows;
Racing-derived aerodynamic down-force enhancements:
• Rear under-body air diffuser;
• Full flat under body;
• Functional rear deck-lid spoiler;
21-inch centre-lock alloy wheels;
Unique design Kumho high-performance semi-slick tyres;
High-performance Brembo brake hardware with ducted air cooling for front callipers;
Side-exiting chambered exhaust system with billet alloy tips;
Unique design LED tail lamps;
Exterior mirrors with integral LED side markers.

Interior:
V8-Supercar inspired cockpit layout for enhanced driver visibility and spaciousness;
LCD sports instrument cluster located in a unique column-mounted binnacle;
One-piece carbon fiber bucket seats, featuring unique suede-pad design and distinctive red high shine
leather accents;
Front seats are adjustable fore-aft and allow easy access to rear;
Four-point race harness restraints for all seating positions;
Unique sports-inspired flat-bottom steering wheel with integrated shift light display and suede grips;
Unique interior details including air vents, column switches, gear shift knob and pedals.

Interior trim.
Perforated leather trimmed instrument panel;
Black suede trimmed pillars, headliner and parcel shelf;
High gloss carbon fiber used as a structural material for seats, doors and rear trim provides contrast to
leather and suede trim;
Details and accents are picked out with red high shine leather, a dark gunmetal finish and satin chrome.

Category: Holden News

Holden Special Vehicles have once again stolen the show with the unveiling of their new Supercar terror, the HSV W427. In case you haven’t guessed by its name, this is the very 427-powered HSV that punters have been calling for since the teaser HRT427 was canned some years before. Rest assured, HSV confirm that this bad boy will be going into production with a limited run of only 200 ever being built, available in the very same ‘Panorama Silver’ that the HSV VL Walkinshaw Group A boasted 20 years earlier.

HSV Managing Director, Scott Grant, was pleased that the new W427 could be unveiled at the very same place as the original Walkinshaw has been unveiled exactly 20 years earlier.

“To be able to produce a vehicle of these proportions is truly remarkable, Scott
Grant said.

“The W427 will be quite possibly the fastest road registrable Supercar ever
produced in Australia and among the quickest anywhere around the world,” he said.

With 427 cubic inches of Chevrolets finest lurking beneath the bonnet, early power figures have listed the output top be around the 370kW mark with torque hovering around 640NM. Safety features to offset the extra amount of grunt are also world class, with major redesigning of the braking system, ESP and MRC controls.

“A new six piston front braking system will provide a 50% increase in pad area, while
the W427 also receives a revised ESP calibration, six air bags, improved handling
and new Magnetic Ride Control settings.”

The interior also gets a work out, with lashings of red leather at every corner making it look more like a custom trim than a standard production vehicle.

And for the price? Well, if you have to ask you may as well just forget it, with estimates guessing in the range of $140k to $170k.

W427 key highlights*

Exterior
All new Front Fascia exclusive to W427
All new three piece rear spoiler in carbon fibre
All new 20 inch wheel

Interior
HSV performance seats in full red hot trim with W427 logo, steering wheel,
gear shifter and console lid in full red hot leather

Powertrain
7.0 Litre, LS7 Engine with HSV specific calibration
o 370kW @ 6500 rpm
o 640Nm @ 5000 rpm
Over radiator style cold air induction system with high flow air filter
Dry sump lubrication system with 2 stage pump
Hand fabricated aluminium oil reservoir, with internal baffles for high G loading
Front mount, 13 row engine oil cooler
Ceramic coated, high flow four into one extractors
High flow catalytic converters and exhaust system (3 into 2 ¾ )
Active bi-modal rear mufflers for exhaust back pressure management to improve noise quality
High strength limited slip differential
New high strength six speed manual gear box (TR6060)
GMPT LS7 Clutch with new actuator and pedal assembly for high clamp loads

Suspension
New springs, 30% stiffer than GTS
Revised ride height 20mm lower than GTS
New stiffer rear suspension bushing
All new MRC calibration

Brakes
New 6 piston front braking system (50% increase in pad area)
Strap drive, 2 piece floating front rotors (380 x 35mm compared to 365 x
32mm one piece on GTS)
High friction pad material

* Specifications of W427 as at Melbourne Motor Show

Category: On The Street

This year the Repco Easternats will get help over four action packed days, cramming in more burnouts and power skids that you could poke a steel belt at. That’s why the SC guys will be going along for the ride and are keen to cover the event in print and on DVD for all you Commodore hungry readers out there.

The whole event is limiting entrants to 750 cars, and it looks like the show could possibly hit those numbers with many people already gearing up for the massive automotive event.

Repco are also giving shoppers the ability to win tickets to the 2008 event for themselves and three mates, including all travel and accommodation! All you have to do is spend $50 or more in store to gain access to the special part of the Repco website, allowing users to upload pics of their own car. The cars will be judged and the winner gets to run away with the loot!

The 2008 Repco Easternats will kick off on March 21 and go through until March 23. For more information, visit the Easternats website HERE

Category: Misc

It’s difficult in this day and age for an Australian company to compete on a global level, especially when the start off from a garage shed in the late ‘80’s. In recent times, Adelaide Clutch Services changed their name to Australian Clutch Services, to reflect the companies new direction exporting Australian built clutches over seas.

ACS now exports to countries such as Greece, France, the UK, Ukraine, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden, Portugal, Israel, Fiji, USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and South Africa.

ACS Marketing Manage Tim Possingham explains that engineering a top quality product is the key to long term market success.

“We have a truly great product that mixes it the best in the world; the key to our success has just been to educate the consumer on how to recognise a quality product. From there, as soon as they connect with us, we provide first class technical support and unrivalled customer service then there comes the easiest part of all – the product. It exceeds all expectations and the end product is we have a customer for life.”

Limitless enthusiasm have seen ACS go from strength to strength and will continue to grow as the related product lines continue to thrive in overseas markets.