When we first heard the rumours of such a hypo' Commodore being available off the factory floor, it was a "GREAT SCOTT" moment. Are they serious 304KW? That is mad power. If you're into muscle cars it can only put a smile on your dial.
So how are Holden able to deliver such a high performance V8 off the factory floor? Well it's most likely due to the fact local manufacturing will cease in 2017. Holden wants to end production on a high, and in this case they're certainly delivering. Also, with the local V8 being no more, they have a glut of engines normally reserved for HSV.
So what makes this V8 Commodore so special? You only have to look at the figures to see why we're excited. Power is way up, 304KW, as opposed to the 270KW from the old V8. A meaningful increase in torque from 530nm to 570nm. Weight gain is negligible at 1745Kg, an increase of only 15Kg. AFM (Active Fuel Management) has been dropped, so all 8 cylinders are firing, all of the time. The crowd has spoken and Holden listened. AFM was never a popular option.
If you go for the top of the tree with the SSV Redline edition; Brembo brakes, heads up display and 19" inch wheels are added to the party. Last but by no means least, a bi-modal sports exhaust system is now standard. The soundtrack on this new V8 sounds too good to be legal, but absolutely is.
The car will be speed limited to 230Kmh for the auto and 240Kmh for the manual. We'd love to know of the real top speed with the limiters turned off. With the numbers being quoted here, 300Kmh is a real possibility. For acceleration times, Holden quotes 0-100Kmh taking just 4.9 seconds. That is serious performance for the money.
The new V8 Commodore range is priced from around $50K to $60K AUD
CARLIGIOUS will be doing a full drive review on the new VF Series II V8 Commodore in the near future, so watch this space. All images shown feature the Commodore SSV Redline edition.
Picture source: Holden