Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) announced today the first details on the Gen-F lineup, which it has dubbed "the greatest performance production cars ever built in Australia." The new Gen-F lineup will include five different vehicles: Maloo, Clubsport /Clubsport Tourer, Senator Signature and the range-topping GTS.
The new Gen-F lineup received a more sophisticated, modern and integrated design, with the GTS version being distinguished by updated bumpers, a larger super-flow performance spoiler finished in body color with “Pitch Black” accenting and 20-inch forged-alloy wheels in Satin Graphite.
Holden is also offering an all-new premium interior with new seats and fabrics, instrument panel, cluster, gauges, center console, trims and finishes. The GTS version if offering tons of standard features, like its 9-speaker Bose premium audio system that includes: an 8-inch high-resolution, color touch-screen display; a USB input; single CD player with MP3 compatibility; hard-drive storage; and full iPod integration.
Click past the jump to read more about the HSV GTS.
The racecars headlining Australia’s V8 Supercar Series are starting to take shape and over the weekend we saw another one of the cars get its own public unveiling.
Erebus Motorsport took the time to present their prized racer for the series: the E63 AMG V8 Supercars Racecar.
The car itself holds a historical component to it because, as a racecar built in Australia, it’s the first time that an AMG racer was manufactured outside of Germany. Erebus Motorsports is bringing three unique models of the E63 AMG V8 Supercar Series to the racing season, each coming with a unique livery. Of note though is the overall look of the racecars, all three of which are pretty impressive in their own right.
Mechanically, the E63 AMG V8 Supercar Racecar has to subject itself to "Car of the Future" regulations, which means that engine displacement should not exceed 5 liters, rpm are limited between 7,000 and 7,500, and most importantly, horsepower shouldn’t go past 650 ponies.
In the case of the E63 AMG V8 Supercar Series, the team had to "make do" with a modified version of the V8 engine on the SLS AMG. Considering that the standard SLS powertrain includes a 6.3-liter V8, it likely took a significant amount of tweaking just to keep in line with the series regulations.
Expect the Mercedes E63 AMG V8 Supercar Racecars to compete with the likes of the Holden Commodore V8 and the Nissan Altima V8 when Australia’s V8 Supercar Series kicks off next month.
A few days after Holden officially pulled the covers off of the new VF Commodore, the model’s race car version, the VF Commodore V8 Supercar was also introduced, providing fans of Australia’s V8 Supercar Series a glimpse of what the new model is going to look like before it hits the track this season.
This year, the V8 Supercar Series will race under new “Car of the Future” regulations, which were put into place to make cars more affordable to build and attract more manufacturers to compete in the series.
This particular racecar was built by Holden’s in-house racing team, Holden Racing Team, and carries a few styling cues used in the new VF Commodore, including the trapezoidal gaping front grille. More importantly, those bumpers in the racecar appear to be similar in design to what we’ve seen from the U.S.-bound Chevrolet SS, whose own debut has been scheduled for this coming weekend.
On the flip side, the race version of the VF Commodore will be fitted with a Chevrolet-sourced 5.0-liter V-8 engine that produces 650 horsepower and mates to a sequential gearbox with power sent to the rear wheels. That’s a lot more power than the rumored 350-horsepower, V-8 engine the production VF Commodore may feature.
In any case, the debut of the VF Commodore V8 Supercars Race Car does point to the excitement surrounding the opening of the 2013 season of the V8 Supercars Series at the end of the month.
Over in Australia, the Holden Commodore is considered a national treasure, a model that has been around since the 1970’s and is considered as one of the most popular models down under.
So you can imagine why the recent debut of the 2013 VF Commodore, particularly the upscale Calais V trim, is a big deal in the land of the Aussies. Our mates over there love this car and everything it represents as a high-powered luxury sedan with some hints of muscle attached to it.
Unfortunately, it’s rumored to be headed to the trash can in a few years - unlike its American twin, the Chevrolet SS - so the debut of the 2013 VF Commodore is even more special than normal because, well, this could very well be the last version of the almighty Commodore to grace Australia before it’s discontinued.
Let’s all hope that the model has a life left in it, but for now, we’re here to rejoice in the present. And the present says, "Welcome to the world, 2013 Holden VF Commodore!"
The Land Down Under is fixing to get an infusion of M awesomeness after BMW’s Australian division launched a series of limited-run M Sport models as part of the company’s "Festival of M".
That’s really great, made even more so by the fact that the M Sport lineup will feature a number of models, each coming with their own unique modifications. The biggest of the bunch is the X5 M Sport Limited Edition and BMW Australia decked with a bevy of new components. The M Sport body kit is obviously fitted into the SUV, as was a chrome M Sport tailpipe finisher, bi-xenon headlights and a set of 20-inch M double spoke alloy wheels. Looking at the photo of the SUV, though, there doesn’t appear to much of a difference from the standard model.
Meanwhile, the interior is dressed up too, at least to a certain extent. There’s the M leather-wrapped steering wheel with gearshift paddles and electric seats. Other components include a Navigation Professional package, an automatic tailgate, a rearview camera, voice control and anti-dazzle exterior mirrors. This one isn’t exactly our cup of tea, at least compared to what the other M Sport limited edition models.
The next two are the 5-Series and Z4, both of which will receive an M Sport package that includes an M Sport suspension, a new aero kit, a leather steering wheel, a set of bespoke 18-inch alloys, blue leather-piped velour floor mats, chrome-plated "Limited Edition" door sill finishers, an anthracite headliner for the coupe, and blue-stitched upholstery. Now this is more like it. The mixture of aesthetic and aero upgrades is definitely right in our wheelhouse. If you can get aftermarket performance upgrades on that Z4, then you really have something there.
Finally, the 1-Series and 3-Series Coupe and Convertible have received M Sport Plus packages, comprising of an aluminum glacier silver interior trim with glossy-black kidney grilles. The 3er, in particular, also has new sport seats, black exterior mirror caps, and stainless steel foot pedals.
If given a choice, we’re definitely rolling with the Z4 M Limited Edition. Its program is comprehensive enough without being too tacky.
Check out the price list of all M Limited Edition models after the jump.
While we are all waiting to see the new generation M3 sedan, BMW decided to offer us a new special edition based on the coupe version. The new M3 Pure Edition has been specially designed for the Australian market and is priced at $AUD 125,000 ($131,400 at the current exchange rates) - or about $AUD 30,000 ($31,500) below the standard $AUD155,100 ($163,000) M3.
Despite its low price, this M3 Pure is highly equipped. It offers standard features like: bi-xenon headlights, Professional satellite navigation, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, anti-dazzle rear-view mirror, front and rear parking sensors and a new carbon fiber roof replacing the standard sunroof option. For the interior BMW is offering new seats trimmed in Anthracite cloth and black leather, black Novillo leather headrests embossed with the BMW M logo, and Titanium Shadow interior trim.
If the list of standard features is not enough for you, BMW is also offering a pretty impressive list of optional features: BMW’s M Drive, dynamic damper control, Competition Package and metallic paint.
Deleted from the standard M3 package — helping to drop the $AUD 30,000 from the base price — are the keyless entry and ignition, adaptive headlights, high-beam assist, heated seats, harmon/kardon audio, CD changer and the folding mirrors. This makes the Pure Edition a pure driver’s car with no real frills, besides a monstrous engine, to write home about.
Unfortunately, this option is only available in the Australian market and doesn’t look like it’ll make its way to the U.S.
Australians, for the most part, are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. It’s rare to have a conversation with one and not say "he’s a pretty cool dude.” So, when news broke out that our friends from “Down Under” recently set a new world record, we were interested to see what it was they actually accomplished.
Low and behold, it was about something that fit right in our wheel house.
At the Summernats Car Festival 2013 in Canberra, 69 cars set a new Guinness Book world record by performing the world’s largest simultaneous burnout. As you can see, the amateur video of the record-setting achievement, posted by YouTube user "lolsupkent," comes with a lot of smoke, a lot of burnt rubber, and presumably, a lot of ecstatic people for being involved, or having witnessed the record-setting achievement.
If for nothing else, the video goes to show how fun a burnout really is. Having 69 cars do it simultaneously is, well, 69 times more enjoyable. If you’ve ever wondered how clouds are made in Australia, look no further than this video for the proof.
Australian racing company Austech Motorsport has spent a large part of its time developing a GT race car based on the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. The team has actually been around for quite some time now and its objective has always been to provide privateers with an affordable race car that can be homologated to take part in different racing series with minimal work.
According to Austech’s website, the Genesis Coupe racer has yet to be homologated for racing use in GTE, GT3, and Grand Am classes, but Austech made it clear that the car can be raced in a number of international racing series, as well as endurance events, like the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.
Austech designed the Genesis Coupe GT Race Car with an emphasis placed on strength and serviceability of its components, allowing engineers to be able to work on the car with minimal hassle. That being said, there’s some acknowledgement due for a company that takes the time to develop a car specifically for racing use.
This Genesis Coupe carries a 5.0-liter V-8 engine and can produce anywhere between 470 to 520 horsepower, depending on the category restrictions for each racing series. Torque peaks out at 368 pound-feet. Austech also fitted the Genesis Coupe with a 100-liter (26.4-gallon) fuel tank capacity and a sequential shifting gearbox.
The Genesis Coupe race car looks the part of an affordable entry to a racing series, and according to Austech, will be available to race beginning in the 2013 season with a price of €280,000 ($370,860 at the current exchange rates).
Lexus of Brisbane recently made a pretty important purchase to bolster its standing as one of the premier Lexus dealerships in Australia. This all-important purchase was three IS-F race cars built by Mauer Racing of Switzerland.
Bought initially to become demonstrators and customer experience racers, Lexus of Brisbane is also thinking of unleashing these three bad boys out on a race track in the future. And why not, especially when you consider that Mauer Racing built these cars to serve that sole function.
For one, these cars are powered by the same TRD-developed, 600-horsepower, 4.7-litre V-8 engines that powered several Daytona prototype race cars in the United States. In addition, the race cars have also been given a slew of new race-specific features, including Motec engine management systems, ZF Sachs dampers, H&R springs, AP racing clutches and AP airlocks.
Other design details of the IS-F Race Cars include a wide-body cage monocoque that significantly helps in cutting down the car’s weight to just 1,290 kg (2,843 pounds). A six-speed, rear-mounted Hewland transmission was also installed, as were a set of 18-inch BBS wheels – 11-by-18-inch center-lock fronts and 12.5-by-18-inch center-lock rears - wrapped in racing tires.
Considering the history of how Lexus Brisbane purchased these three cars — a customer made the suggestion, and it went out and sealed the deal — there’s no telling what the plans are for it, apart from what it’s already mentioned.
Undisciplined drivers on the Australian roads now have a new reason to think twice before putting the pedal to the metal, as the highway patrol has just added a new Ford Falcon GT to its fleet. With 536 horsepower under the hood (up from the car’s standard 449 ponies), this is the most powerful police car to ever patrol Australian roads. These extra ponies are thanks, in part, to a bigger exhaust system and high-flow fuel injectors.
The car has been specially developed to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the NSW Police. It comes equipped with the latest radar unit, number-plate-reading technology and a suite of on-board computers that will make catching the bad guys really easy. In all, the Falcon GT police cruiser cost in excess of $100,000 and there is no mention of whether it will see actual police use, or just be a show car. We assume it will be relegated to the latter.
’’It’s a conversation starter,’’ says Inspector John Lipman, the commander of the traffic technology section. ’’It’s about interacting with car enthusiasts and having a similar vehicle to what they would have or what they might aspire to.’’
