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Gallery 1
Holden benchmarked BMW’s delightful E39 5 Series from a decade prior when developing the VE Commodore, and in the steering and suspension of 2006’s ‘billion-dollar baby’ it showed.
Meanwhile the VF Series II Commodore SS V Redline, as the pinnacle – excluding limited editions – of this final rear-drive sedan, coincidentally lines up with the now-decade-old BMW M3 E90 sedan and E92 coupe.
The BMW is now one-third of the price it was new, and on par with the Holden that is an equally cracking driver’s car.
The BMW E90/E92 was the first of the compact M cars to swap six cylinders for eight, and this delectable motor soared past its 8300rpm power peak with a strident, metallic howl.
Only 400Nm seems measly, but at 100Nm-per-litre it makes the pushrod LS3’s 570Nm look inefficient. The 6.2-litre is also slower to rev, with a soft sub-7000rpm cut-out.
The M3 had adaptive dampers matched only by the Commodore Motorsport Edition.
Five ultimate BMW M3s part 5: M4 GTS
The generations that succeed both these two are also completely different in configuration and character – the boosted-six F80 M3 is as controversial for some as the next imported all-paw Commodore is. That will likely carve future-classic status into both the E90/E92 and VF Series II.
Here’s one from TradeUniqueCars.com.au
