Holden reveals final Commodore specials

HOLDEN has revealed its final three locally-manufactured Commodore-based special editions. The Motorsport, Magnum and, most evocatively, the Director were unveiled at a function for staff and a select band of the brand’s most loyal customers at the company’s Fisherman’s Bend headquarters.

Prior to the covers coming off the cars, much was made of the iconic status of the Commodore nameplate. Its plaudits include 38 years in production, over three million units built and 15 consecutive years as the country’s best selling car.

The Motorsport Edition is billed as a tribute to the ‘King of the Mountain,’ a mantle assumed by Holden for the Commodore on the basis of its 24 Bathurst 1000 wins.

Based on the Redline sedan, some 1200 Motorsports will be built for Australia and 151 for New Zealand. Ordered under the option code ‘KOM’ the car comes with a $61,790 price before on-road costs for a manual and $63,990 for the automatic.

The car’s most striking feature is its phantom black roof while other styling cues include a black lip rear spoiler and lairy looking red stripe around the black 20-inch wheels.

Power is unchanged over the standard SS-V Redline, with a power output of 304 kW and 570 Nm from its naturally-aspirated 6.2-litre LS3 V8, adding genuine performance promise to its Motorsport moniker.

Helping get all that grunt get traction is a magnetic ride control suspension system that will be familiar to some HSV owners, driving mode control and an enhanced high rate rear subframe bush.

The magnetic ride system employs suspension position sensors on each corner of the vehicle to read road conditions and adjust dampers up to 100 times a second for reduced body-roll but a comfortable ride depending on the driving conditions.

Pulling the car up is the familiar Redline four-piston Brembo brake package over cross drilled discs, with two-piece rotors at the front end.

The car is certified GM level 3 track capable, thanks largely to enhanced engine and transmission cooling, joining the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette, Camaro and Cadillac CTS as the most track-capable General Motors vehicles.

Alongside the Motorsport, Holden unveiled a Magnum ute – a nameplate long time enthusiasts may remember when it first rolled out on the WB Statesman Magnum, built by Peter Brock’s HDT Special Vehicles operation in 1983.

Only 240 of these will be sold in Australia and another 51 for New Zealand with the latter figure serving as a ‘tip of the hat’ to the racing number of long time Kiwi Holden hero Greg Murphy and his enduring popularity across the ditch.

Ordered under the option code ‘UTE’, the Magnum features sedan-tune FE3 rear suspension, biased towards improved ride and handling. It also has upgraded front seats, a hard lid, Magnum badging and an embroidered instrument panel.

The ute that Holden claims is its fastest and best equipped ever shares the brake and engine cooling package enhancements from the Motorsport and keen customers will be asked $59,290 for a manual example or $61,490 for an auto.

The trio of limited Commodores is capped off with the Director which is up for grabs in auto-only form priced at $63,990, serving as an unashamed tribute to Peter Brock from the company with which he endured a bitter public divorce almost 30 years ago, partly over a car of the same name.

GoAuto understands that members of the Brock family were contacted prior to its reveal and approved of the tribute to Mr Brock, with one member saying that he would have been immensely proud of the car.

Based on the Calais V sedan and ordered under the option code DIR, only 360 Directors will be built. The special version sports a black roof, paddle shifters and hood vents, along with the magnetic ride suspension as outlined for the Motorsport. It also shares the brake package and cooling enhancement from that car.

Each of these special models will be individually numbered and dealers will be taking requests, though obviously not everyone will get their first choice.

Successful customers will be offered an optional tailored soft car cover which will be customised with the vehicle’s limited edition number as well as the owners name.

Keys for the swansong Commodores are presented in a commemorative case, which comes complete with a built-in video of the special cars in action on the track, while Motorsport owners will also receive a 1:18 Biante scale model of their car.

Interested Commodore fans are advised to act fast as GoAuto understand that substantial pre-orders have been taken for the Motorsport and the Director while the Magnum is effectively already sold out.

2017 Holden Commodore pricing*

Motorsport Edition	$61,790
Motorsport Edition (a)	$63,990
Director (a)	$63,990
Magnum	$59,290
Magnum (a)	$61,490

*Excludes on-road costs