HDT Commodore VL/VE Group A is a Retro Throwback to the 1980s

If you're not from the Land of Down Under or at least an avid Holden fan, then you're probably unfamiliar with the 1987 HDT Commodore VL SS Group A prepped by Australian racing legend Peter Brock. So before we get into the details on the new VL/VE Group A package, allow us to fill you in on a bit of the history.

Up until the late 1980s, Peter Brock was running HDT, or Holden Dealer Team, but GM's Australian division subsequently cut ties with him after he began publicly supporting and fitting all HDT models with the a device called the "Energy Polariser".

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A Video Tour of the 2012 Chevrolet Caprice PPV with the Detective Package

The first batch of GM's Australian-built 2012 Chevrolet Caprice PPV [Police Patrol Vehicle] cruisers hit the streets across the States earlier this year with more to arrive in the following months.

Despite the fact that the police car launch has sparked some interest for a civilian version as well, the Detroit maker has not such plans on the table – at least not for now.

Today, we stumbled upon a detailed -if not a bit tiring and lengthy- video walkaround of the 2012 Caprice from a Youtube user who goes by the name "Saabkyle04". The unmarked police cruisers with the detective package were located at a GM dealership in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Holden Goes Back to the Future to Restore its First Concept Model, the 1969 Hurricane

Most people around the world know Holden for building the 2000s Monaro coupe and Commodore sedans but the Australian company that became a GM subsidiary in 1931 has a rich history that goes well beyond those two models.

In 1969, the Melbourne-headquartered automaker presented its first ever concept model, the Hurricane, codenamed RD 001. It was a futuristic research vehicle described by the company at the time as an experiment “to study design trend, propulsion systems and other long-range developments”.

Some four decades years after it captured the headlines at the 1969 Melbourne Motor Show, and Holden decided it was time to restore the historic concept back to its original condition and showcase it to the public once again.

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Vauxhall's VXR8 Sport Saloon Wins MPG Marathon Award, No Really

In an eco-marathon, you normally expect the winner to be a hybrid, a diesel or some other super-frugal -and usually underpowered- car. Well, in the Fleet World MPG Marathon the champion had no less than 431-horses kicking and screaming to be unleashed under its bonnet.

You read that correctly: the LS3 6.2-liter V8-powered VXR8 - essentially a Holden HSV rebadged as a Vauxhall for the UK market- won the two-day, 350-mile economy trial.

How did this happen? There's a simple explanation: this award wasn't given to the most fuel efficient vehicle in absolute numbers, but to the one that recorded the highest percent improvement over the official fuel consumption figures.

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GM Prepares All-New 2012 Chevrolet Colorado for Launch, but it won't Come to the U.S.

After traveling all around the world in concept format, the new 2012 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck has entered the final testing phase in Thailand before the introduction of the production model that will go on sale towards the end of the year.

Today, General Motors released some new photos showing the prototype models being put through their paces as the company prepares to produce the midsize pickup in its Rayong assembly plant in Thailand.

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Subtle Updates for 2012 Holden Commodore

While Holden's engineering team is working hard on the development of the new generation Commodore dubbed VF, which is expected to launch within the next two to three years, the company's designers took some time off to spiff up the current model.

For the 2012 model year, Australia's homegrown Commodore VE (sold as the Pontiac G8 in the States before the brand was axed) receives some minor exterior and interior enhancements, plus the introduction of the track-inspired FE3 sports suspension on the Redline series.

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2011 Australian International Motor Show Photo Galore

Even though it’s not as famous as its Frankfurt, Paris, Tokyo or Detroit counterparts, this year’s edition of the Australian Motor Show, which takes place in Melbourne from July 1 to 10, has some interesting debuts including the Mad Max Concepts pictured above as well as a number of new production and prototype models from the local divisions of General Motors (aka Holden) and Ford.

You can take a look at all the vehicles in our comprehensive photo gallery right after the break. For those of you interested in learning more about the Ford-badged Mad Max Interceptor prototypes, check out our previous post here.

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Police Forces in Georgia and Iowa Sold on GM’s New Chevy Caprice PPV

General Motors has began delivering its first 2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV) to law enforcement officers across the U.S. Among the first to receive GM’s new patrol car are police departments in Forsyth County, Georgia and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Forsyth County Sheriff Ted Paxton said that after trying out the Chevy for a month his office decided to replace its current fleet of around 175 other patrol vehicles with Caprice PPVs.

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2011 AIMS: New HSV Black Edition Versions of Commodore Based Sedan, Station and Ute Models

General Motor’s Holden Special Vehicles unit in Australia is following in the footsteps of Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division as well as more recently, Porsche, with the presentation of a black-themed and named special edition series based on the E Series 3 range launched last September.

Making its world debut at the 2011 Australian motorshow in Melbourne, the SV Black Edition package is offered in the ClubSport R8, Maloo R8 and ClubSport R8 Tourer, which are the sports versions of the Commodore sedan, ute, and station wagon models respectively.

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GM’s Holden Readies Rebadged Chevys for 2011 Melbourne Auto Show

It’s a global economy we live in and as such, it doesn’t come to much of a surprise when we see the same vehicles launched under different brands and names in various parts of the world.

Of course, it would be somewhat unfair to Holden if we didn’t mention that it has played a key role in the development and design of several GM products including the 5-door Cruze that will be show in pre-production trim at the 2011 Australian International Motor Show (AIMS), which takes place in Melbourne from July to 10.

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Aussie V8 Supercar Series Coming to America in 2013

The thundering sounds of Australia’s V8-powered racecars will soon be heard in the U.S.A. as Texas Governor Rick Perry and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, announced today a five-year agreement to bring the famed Australian V8 Supercar series to the new Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas beginning in 2013.

"The addition of V8 Supercars into our lineup at Circuit of The Americas will add to what we already know will be a rich and exhilarating fan experience," said Steve Sexton, President of Circuit of The Americas.

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First Drive: 2011 Holden Cruze Series II SRI-V

Appearing soon after General Motors announced its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, the Cruze – which launched in Oz almost two years ago– aims to appeal to buyers that would normally not buy a Holden. Its key competitors in the Australian market are the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and the (European) Ford Focus.

With the recent launch of the Aussie-built Cruze Series II, we thought it was about time we tackled GM’s “game changing” small car. The 1.4 L turbo is said to be the cherry on top of the Cruze cake, and the perfect target for a review. The question is: can it live up to the hype? Read on…

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Holden Engineers Fine-Tuning 2013 Chevy Malibu for Global Markets

The all-new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu has made its way to Australia landing in the hands of Holden’s engineering team, which was recruited by General Motors to assist in the calibration of the mid-size sedan for both the local and global markets outside of North America.

The Australian team is working on the Malibu at Holden’s Lang Lang Proving Ground in the State of Victoria while also evaluating the car on public roads. GM said Holden will continue development of Malibu until the end of 2012.

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Hoon Crackdown: Two Anti-Hooning Ads from Different Ends of the Spectrum

In Australia and New Zealand, “hooning” is a term applied to any anti-social and often dangerous behavior behind the wheel of a car. Burnouts, car surfing and illegal street racing all fall under this rather broad definition. And it’s an ever-growing problem. Each year there are more reports like, “Hoons kill innocent driver in Dandenong, say police” and, “Man killed in Burwood Highway 'hoon' crash.”

So it’s obvious that cracking down on hooning is very important to the governments of both nations. Here we have two adverts, one from Oz and one from Kiwiland, that use tactics both old and new to get their message across. The Aussie one plays on that, “If you hoon, you’ll lose your car” message while the NZ one plays on the, “If you hoon, you’ll lose your life” vibe. Who knew that New Zealand’s roads were covered with hidden landmines?

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Report: Next Holden Commodore VF to get Aluminium Panels, Electric Power Steering

*Current Holden WM Caprice pictured in the above development sketch

When Holden’s next-generation VF Commodore series launches in Australian in 2014, it will be the first locally-produced automobile to incorporate mass produced aluminium panels in its construction. In addition, the new large car, which will also spawn a long-wheelbase Caprice model, will get improved aerodynamics and electric power steering in place of the current-gen’s hydraulic unit. It’s all part of an effort by Holden to lighten up its flagship model and thereby make it more fuel efficient in an effort to remain competitive with the likes of the locally-produced Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Fuel savings are expected to be around the 7% mark, bringing the 9.1lt /100 km (26 mpg) combined rating of the 3.0 L V6 SIDI down to a more politically-correct 8.4 lt/ 100 km (28 mpg). Similar savings will be experienced with the older 3.6 L Alloytec V6: 9.1 lt / 100 km (26 mpg) down from 9.8 lt / 100 km (24 mpg). The program is part-funded by the Australian federal government, which poured AU$39.8 million in from the now defunct Green Car Innovation Fund.

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Holden Begins Local Testing of New Cruze Hatchback

Following the Australian market launch of the locally made and subtly refreshed Cruze Series II Sedan in March, GM’s Holden division announced today that it has began testing the five-door hatchback version of the subcompact model to fine tune the car before its introduction later this year. Holden also released two new photos of the Cruze hatch, which was designed by the firm’s Port Melbourne design studio. Read more »

Sport Truck Redux: New Rumors About the Holden Ute Heading to the U.S.A.

It’s a poorly kept secret that many Americans are quite fond of the Australian-made and Commodore-derived, Holden Ute, which we recently drove in Queensland. It’s big, brutish and comfortable with a bevy of engine and equipment options to suit virtually any budget or taste - so long as those tastes only extend to, “Big, brutish V6 or V8 engined utes”.

Before the Global Financial Crisis of 2009, the subsequent bankruptcy GM and the disillusion of the Pontiac brand, as many as half of the Holden Commodores built in Australia were destined for the U.S. and the world in the form of the Pontiac G8. A thinly disguised Holden Ute even made a showing at the 2008 New York Auto Show as the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck.

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Celebrating 50 Years of Queensland’s Lakeside Park [with Gallery]

Nestled somewhat innocuously behind a golf course in Pine Rivers Shire, South East Queensland, Australia, is historic Lakeside Park Raceway. It holds the distinction as the Queensland’s first permanent, purpose-built racetrack and has sat - for fifty years - on the banks of Lake Kurwongbah. It is a monument to both motorsport and Australia’s can-do attitude, having been built on a foundation of favors, borrowed equipment and volunteer labor - not to mention a former dairy farm.

It is 2.4 km (1.5 miles) of bitumen and yet, it is so much more. Several Aussie motorsport legends – including Dick Johnson, Tony Longhurst and Mick Doohan – cut their teeth at Lakeside. It may not share the prestige or recognition afforded to other tracks like Mount Panorama or Philip Island, but to those who know it Lakeside is just as beloved.

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First Drive: 2011 Holden VE Series II SS V8 Ute

2011 is a very special year for two Australian motoring icons. For one, it’s the 50th anniversary of Queensland’s first permanent, purpose-built raceway: Lakeside Park. It’s also marks the 60th anniversary of Holden’s FX Utility, a vehicle widely considered by enthusiasts to be the forefather of the home grown Aussie “ute”. In recognition of these historic occasions, we took a Holden VE Series II SS Ute for a test drive and headed north to attend the first of Lakeside’s three 50th anniversary events. Part one of this feature will cover my impressions of the Ute, whilst part two will take in the event itself. So let’s get cracking.

Overview

The VE Ute is already an attractive vehicle and in SS guise this is complemented with 18-inch alloys, front fog lights and a lowered sports suspension. With its 6.0 L V8 the SS is certainly powerful, but it’s also safe with a maximum 5-star ANCAP rating thanks to its six airbags and electronic stability control.

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Holden Revives Thunder Nameplate for VE Series Ute Line-up

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the original 1951 Holden Ute, General Motors’ Australian subsidiary is planning several special edition models this year starting with the revival of the Thunder nameplate for the VE Series II Ute line-up. The Thunder package is offered on the SV6 and SS models and offers customers some additional equipment and bespoke styling cues, worth around $3,000 if ordered separately.

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