GM Holden Making Fast Getaway From Oz Production

GM Holden makes one last stab at domestic production, unveiling three new limited-edition Commodores alongside the debut of the new 2017 Red Bull Holden Racing Team Supercars.

The three Commodores add sophisticated, track-focused driving technology to the 6.2L LS3 V-8 engine to produce what General Motors’ Australian subsidiary calls the most capable Commodores ever.

Just 1,200 SS-V Redline-based Motorsports, 360 Calais V based-Directors and 240 SS-V Redline pickup-based Magnums will be built, all individually numbered with unique option codes.

Daniel Pinnuck, lead development engineer-GM Holden Limited Editions, says the three models use additional technology to squeeze even greater performance out of the Commodore, one of Australia’s favorite vehicles.

“Motorsport Edition, Director and Magnum have developed from a Holden team passion project into road-going homages to our people and our rich heritage,” Pinnuck says in a statement. “They blend performance and technology to create the most capable Commodores we’ve ever built.

“We had a great base with the 6.2L LS3 V-8 engine, but the addition of a Holden-developed driver-mode-control system featuring Magnetic Ride Control, adaptive suspension for the sedans and the introduction of our track-focused FE3 suspension for the ute (pickup), have given these cars even more to offer.”

Magnetic Ride Control uses tour, sport and performance settings to let drivers switch between different suspension tunings.

Pinnuck says his team also developed engine- and transmission-cooling packages to meet GM Level 3 track-performance standards, placing these Commodore models among theCorvette, Camaro and Cadillac CTS as GM’s most track-capable vehicles.

The manual-transmission Motorsport Edition is priced at A$61,790 ($46,586); the automatic Motorsport Edition, A$63,990 ($48,238); the automatic Director, A$63,990; the manual Magnum, A$59,290 ($44,698); and the automatic Magnum, A$61,490 ($46,466).

GM Holden ends 83 years of local production in October and will become a full-time importer. Toyota also is ending Australian manufacturing by year-end; Ford ceased local production in October after 91 years.