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HOLDEN will soon release a Motorsport Edition of the Holden Commodore as it attempts to build excitement in the large car in the lead-up to the end of manufacturing.
WHAT IS IT? A farewell to bent-eight, rear-drive sedans as much as it is will be a farewell to Aussie manufacturing once production starts in April. And it’s a cracker – Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) suspension, upgraded brakes and track-certified cooling, plus several luxury and special-build extras.
RELATED: What’s new about Holden’s limited-edition Commodores
MAIN RIVALS In terms of what the Motorsport Edition offers for the money, how it sounds, and how it drives, a big, fat zero. This is a proper V8 muscle sedan for the price of a turbo-four, all-wheel-drive Volkswagen Passat. Or an optioned-up Skoda Superb with the same oily bits.
PLUS: Brilliant dynamics; excellent brakes; megaphone engine; seat comfort; space; styling; relative affordability; practicality; rarity MINUS: We’re not completely sold on the Motorsport Edition styling ‘extras’; no cars for the press fleet; signals the fast-approaching end of Aussie manufacturing and our V8 rear-drive car culture
Less than a year before the pin is finally pulled on domestic production, Holden has gathered together all the best components from global Zeta-platformed cars to create three limited edition models – the ‘Motorsport Edition’ sedan, ‘Director’ sedan and ‘Magnum’ ute (see separate web story).
The Motorsport Edition ($61,790 manual; $63,990 auto) is the headline variant (with the greatest production volume). Based on the VFII Holden Commodore SS-V Redline sedan, it scores the Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) suspension as fitted to the Chevrolet SS export model (and various HSVs), completely re-tuned by Holden.
The Motorsport also scores unique high-rate rear subframe bushes that are much stiffer in fore/aft, diagonal and vertical planes, preventing the rear cradle from rolling and pitching in extreme (track) situations.
Braking and cooling packages complement the upgraded suspension. Mounted behind lightweight forged 20-inch split-rim wheels, the ventilated brake rotors receive cross-drilling front and rear, and a floating-disc two-piece front rotor design for shorter, more consistent brake-pedal travel. An aluminium hat for each front rotor saves 3.25kg across the front axle.
The Calais V-based ‘Director’ ($63,990) plays its Q-car card to understated perfection. Lacking only the high-rate rear subframe bushes of the Motorsport, the Director is otherwise an engineering ringer of its bespoilered brother. Its black roof, bonnet vents, forged 20s, red-rimmed front air intake and ‘D I R E C T O R’ bootlid lettering may give the game away, but this auto-only sleeper is a true Calais-on-the-juice, straight from the factory.
The Motorsport also gets ‘KOM’ on its build plate (for ‘King of the Mountain’), reflecting Commodore’s 24 Bathurst victories and 470 ATCC/V8 Supercar wins. Buyers can also opt for ‘NOPD’ (no pre-delivery), meaning your car arrives collector-friendly, wearing full plastic protection. And a car cover is optional, which buyers can personalise with their own name.
We kicked off hot laps in a manual Motorsport. The LS3’s grunt means you can hold the car in these lovely, flowing oversteer drifts across the top of the track, yet there’s real precision to its turn-in and mid-corner purchase, and tireless stopping force from its brakes. About the only limiting factor is the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tyres after countless laps at max-attack.
Yet it’s bittersweet, all of this. Going out on a high note is one thing; knowing there will never be a car like the rear-drive VFII again makes the whole experience a lot harder to swallow. Greatness, however, is everlasting.
How many hot Commodores?
With just 1800 limited-run Commodores planned for 2017 – 1200 Motorsports, 260 Directors and 240 Magnums – you’ll need to be quicker than the V8 manual’s launch control to score one, though not all will be available to Joe Public. Holden employees (current and retired) and dealer principals will be offered cars first, leaving 1000 Motorsports, 250 Directors and 200 Magnums for general consumption.
In a nod to Greg Murphy’s race number, New Zealand gets 51 Directors, 51 Magnums and 151 Motorsports.
Dealers start taking orders for all three MY17 Limited Edition models from today (January 19), though deliveries won’t start until July.
SPECS Model: Holden Commodore Motorsport Edition Engine: 6162cc V8 (90°), ohv, 16v Max power: 304kW @ 6000rpm Max torque: 570Nm @ 4400rpm Transmission: 6-speed manual Weight: 1780kg 0-100km/h: 4.9sec (claimed) Fuel economy: 12.6L/100km Price: $61,790 On sale: Now
