VE Commodore: Watch this space!!!

[TurboDOHCI6]

Sneak peak of Holden's all-new Commodore

Glenn Butler

Thursday April 6 2006

The Sydney Morning Herald and drive.com.au will tomorrow reveal all you need to know about the forthcoming Holden VE Commodore, the most important new car of 2006.

Tomorrow is VE Day – the day when The Sydney Morning Herald and drive.com.au will reveal crucial details about the VE Commodore, the most important car in the history of General Motors Holden and a car that will determine the future of the big Aussie sedan.

The most comprehensive details yet will be revealed tomorrow and vital questions will be answered.

What has Holden done to guarantee the success of this vehicle?

Why is the VE Commodore six months late?

Why does the next Commodore have less local content yet more global significance than any before it?

What makes it the most radical model in the nameplate’s 26-year history?

One thing is for sure: the VE Commodore is no light facelift. As Holden spokesman Jason Laird explained: “For the past three years we've invested $1.8 billion on local operations.”

Want to know more?

Grab the Drive section of the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday or visit drive.com.au from midday.

http://www.drive.com.au/editorial/ar...f=2&bg=32&pp=0

[BENT_8]

Oh i get it
Holden r entering the next extreme make over show
I saw one of those badges on a recycle sulo bin once so that obviously the global significance
and the lack of local content must refer to us all driving FORDS

[rst2000]

holden marketing dept at it's spin doctoring best..this is where the contra advertising dollars come home to roost.

[Polyal]

meh good on them, they know how to use the media, but ford did a pretty good job with the BA.

certainly going to be interesting, it would want to be good, I hope it looks like the concept pcis so far, which are terrible!

[bathurst77]

Im getting sick of THIS QUOTE

"the most important car in the history of..."

Every time a new car is released
Is the VE more imprtant then the 48/215? Or even the the VB or the HQ?

The AU and BA and Terrier were all the "most important car in the history of" Ford Aust according to the motor noters and blatherings, but was it more important then the XK, XA, XD, EA

Was the 380 "more important" then any magna along the way?

[Iphido]

VE is big.. But theres bound to be heaps of hype..

VE initates some big changes for Holden. The seperation of the Statesman, new platform, new ideas about doing things a more global outlook.

I think the Statesman is going to be the biggest thing. Its going to be larger, and nearly totally unique, and well kitted out. GM doesn't really have a premium brand to protect in that area (like Ford/Jag) so they won't be holding back. Its going to destroy the fairlane/LTD, and take the battle right back to the 300c. Its going to move that area in a big leap forward.

The Holden have learnt alot with VT. It was a really good and viable platform. Im sure however Ford has some counter attack moves up its sleves. It bloody well should have.

[Dauphin]

It reminds me of the TV networks using "taken American TV viewing public by storm" or "new smash hit series" lines and then pulling a show off mid-season because of low local ratings.

[bathurst77]

"must see TV"
generally not worth the time

[Falcon Coupe]

Power to weight ratio on the VE will be interesting.

[banarcus]

Are you privy to certain information Iphido? Just seems you come with all these bold statements about the Australian automotive industry.

[Kenster]

could i say the following line:

: its a Holden ( no offence) for the past years they car been build poorly even thou superisely the car is still soild enough. The only cars from Holden i would go for are Statement and the Caprice those cars are made very well after sitting in a VS statement before.

I will be interesting to see how they use cabin space and weight & torquie ratio in overall

[ltd]

Originally Posted by rst2000

holden marketing dept at it's spin doctoring best..this is where the contra advertising dollars come home to roost.

And you know Paul Gover will be falling over himself with this Holden release. Apparently they will have Valium on hand for the Die Hards like Paul so as to stop them getting over excited to the point of fainting.

[Redrum]

Originally Posted by ltd

And you know Paul Gover will be falling over himself with this Holden release. Apparently they will have Valium on hand for the Die Hards like Paul so as to stop them getting over excited to the point of fainting.

:hihi: :hihi: :hihi: :hihi: too right!!!

[HSE2]

Looking forward to reading all about it but if they are the only questions being answered then it might be a tad disappointing.

[act2617]

The platform now arriving

Hilton Holloway

Friday July 16 2004

Somewhere under the skin of this concept car lies the basis of the 2006 Commodore and Hilton Holloway has driven it.


http://www.drive.com.au/editorial/ar...x?id=5396&vf=1

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Iphido

VE is big.. But theres bound to be heaps of hype..

VE initates some big changes for Holden. The seperation of the Statesman, new platform, new ideas about doing things a more global outlook.

I think the Statesman is going to be the biggest thing. Its going to be larger, and nearly totally unique, and well kitted out. GM doesn't really have a premium brand to protect in that area (like Ford/Jag) so they won't be holding back. Its going to destroy the fairlane/LTD, and take the battle right back to the 300c. Its going to move that area in a big leap forward.

The Holden have learnt alot with VT. It was a really good and viable platform. Im sure however Ford has some counter attack moves up its sleves. It bloody well should have.

Holden haven't worked over the Statesman to do well in Australia, they will never sell more than a few hundred per month, they have designed it to sell in the Middle East. Something like half of all Holdens sold there are Statesmans. They sell a lot more over there than here. LWB cars are dying a slow death here. People tend to buy Euros rather than local LWB cars now.

[parawolf]

Originally Posted by banarcus

Are you privy to certain information Iphido? Just seems you come with all these bold statements about the Australian automotive industry.

Don't question it, just appreciate it. Iphido is often very accurate with his predictions.

[JPFS1]

Originally Posted by act2617

The platform now arriving

Hilton Holloway

Friday July 16 2004

Somewhere under the skin of this concept car lies the basis of the 2006 Commodore and Hilton Holloway has driven it.


http://www.drive.com.au/editorial/ar...x?id=5396&vf=1

The chassis has apparently changed significantly between then and now, for obvious financial reasons.

There may be 2 versions of suspension config at the rear, with the entry not being that much more sophisticated... but marketing will have you believe otherwise. Weight is also rumoured to be kept at decent levels, not much heavier than todays car.

Tomorrow will be very interesting.

[act2617]

Originally Posted by JEM

The chassis has apparently changed significantly between then and now, for obvious financial reasons.

There may be 2 versions of suspension config at the rear, with the entry not being that much more sophisticated... but marketing will have you believe otherwise. Weight is also rumoured to be kept at decent levels, not much heavier than todays car.

Tomorrow will be very interesting.

A VE Commodore is due in Australia on the all-new GM Zeta platform for the second or third quarter of 2006. Holden has spent almost A$1 billion on design and development of the VE. It may form the basis of a large sedan in the Opel range in Europe, as well as the possibility of a revival of GM's large rear wheel drive cars in North America. There have been rumors that VE's underpinnings have already been previewed in the Opel Insignia show car of 2003. In addition, there have also been rumors that the looks of the VE Commodore have already been previewed thanks to the Holden Torana concept car. Whether these rumors are true or not remains to be seen.

http://www.speedheads.de/forum/archiv/topic/2518-1.html

Recently published spy photos of the new VE Commodore have shown it to be undergoing testing in the US. It will have a new 6.0 L L76 V8 which may be equipped with Displacement On Demand and variable valve timing. There will also be a 6-speed automatic transmission for the V8 versions, and the V6s are also rumoured to have this transmission as optional. According to Motor magazine and other publications, the 6-speed automatic transmission may be sourced from ZF, but details are not clear.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_...e#VE_Commodore


?????????? http://dhost.info/gearydesign/H_VE.html

[Falcon Freak]

VE Commonbore? sleep:

FF

[MethodX]

You go that wrong

Its rice .... sleep:

lol

[crYnOid]

Originally Posted by act2617

A VE Commodore is due in Australia on the all-new GM Zeta platform for the second or third quarter of 2006. Holden has spent almost A$1 billion on design and development of the VE. It may form the basis of a large sedan in the Opel range in Europe, as well as the possibility of a revival of GM's large rear wheel drive cars in North America. There have been rumors that VE's underpinnings have already been previewed in the Opel Insignia show car of 2003. In addition, there have also been rumors that the looks of the VE Commodore have already been previewed thanks to the Holden Torana concept car. Whether these rumors are true or not remains to be seen.

http://www.speedheads.de/forum/archiv/topic/2518-1.html

Recently published spy photos of the new VE Commodore have shown it to be undergoing testing in the US. It will have a new 6.0 L L76 V8 which may be equipped with Displacement On Demand and variable valve timing. There will also be a 6-speed automatic transmission for the V8 versions, and the V6s are also rumoured to have this transmission as optional. According to Motor magazine and other publications, the 6-speed automatic transmission may be sourced from ZF, but details are not clear.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_...e#VE_Commodore


?????????? http://dhost.info/gearydesign/H_VE.html

Some of that info is old, as the speed that things have been changing in GM is abit disconcerting. This is what I believe is accurate currently.

"Zeta" is cancelled in NA. But "Global RWD platform" isn't. VE is part a of the "Global RWD platform". The trick is that the VE will once again be a highly modified v-car but with all new suspension/sheet metal etc. Instead of the yanks getting the same car as Holden as with the "Zeta" plan, they figured out that it would cost too much money so it was cancelled for NA. I guess you could say "Zeta" was only really cancelled for NA, as that is the only area to be affected by the so called cancellation. Now with "Global RWD platform" that Holden is leading the yanks are going to use the current caddy RWD floor pan (modified) but use Holdens suspension + other bit and pieces that has been designed for VE. The reason for all this craziness? Holden's factory at Elizabeth runs very very differently to the yank factories and the cost of setting a US factory up the same as Holden's would cost way too much. But setting up a US factory similar to the current caddy factory is a relative piece of cake.

[Quicklier]

I sincerely hope it has a turb-diesel 6 (or even 4) in the line up.
I'm looking forward to what all the hype is about.

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by Iphido

VE is big.. But theres bound to be heaps of hype..

VE initates some big changes for Holden.

Especially as it's the first All-Australian Commodore rather then a re-engineered Opel design...playing catch-up to Ford really which has been "doing" this since XA days. I'm more interested in the reasons for the VE delay as you can bet the current VZ was never meant to have the new 6.0L V8 and what effect the cost cutting may have brought about. The rumour is the delay was caused by more off-shoring of components and the problems this created as a result in the attempt to rain in costs of the expensive platform.

[eb2fairmont]

How old.....it's just going to be a drip feed like Ford did with the BA and Mitsubishi with the 380.

[FGX-351]

ok its after 12, anyone got any info on this?

[AWD Chaser]

Its going to destroy the fairlane/LTD

Bah humbug

Take a look at the 2004 sale figures and tell me when the Fairlane/LTD was doing good.

http://www.fordforums.com.au/vbporta...warticle&id=69

[Falcon Freak]

Originally Posted by au3 chaser

Bah humbug

Take a look at the 2004 sale figures and tell me when the Fairlane/LTD was doing good.

http://www.fordforums.com.au/vbporta...warticle&id=69

Every year since ZA was released up to 1995. Since then Ford has lost the market which it created.

FF

[AWD Chaser]

Yep - Thats why I reackon the new falcons should all use the LWB chassis seeing Ford can't make good with it any more.

[OzJavelin]

To hear most Holden diehards talking .. Jesus Christ himself will be making his second coming in a VE Commodore .. ending poverty, hunger and war. I think there will be a lot of disappointed buyers ..