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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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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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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Holden Ute Series II SS V8 Arrives in Carscoop’s Garage

Our man Tristan has snagged the keys to a Holden Ute Series II SS V8 model for a first drive in Queensland, Australia this week, and just to make it a bit more interesting, he’ll be driving the Down Under-flavored El Camino to a classic car gathering in Brisbane.

Blurring the line between cars and trucks, the Holden Commodore-based sport pickup comes from a long line of Utes dating back to the middle of the previous century. The Ute almost made it to North America when Pontiac revealed the G8 Sport Truck at the 2008 New York Auto Show, but GM’s growing financial troubles at the time put a stop to that plan, and eventually the brand itself which was discontinued in 2009, and finally shut down in 2010.

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New Rumors of the Pontiac G8 Returning to North America as a Chevrolet

The demise of the Pontiac brand in 2009 also brought about the death of the G8, the Americanized derivative of the Australian-built Holden Commodore SS. It was a sad day for Pontiac and Holden fans alike, the loss of the G8 export contract costing Holden millions of dollars and putting the future of its Elizabeth, South Australia plant - and the brand itself - in jeopardy.

When the Holden-derived Chevy Caprice Police Car was revealed for the North American market twelve months ago, rumors of a reborn G8 in the form of a Chevrolet were rife. Now, Aussie motoring website Drive is reporting that U.S. exports of the Holden Commodore SS are "imminent", with a launch expected before the end of the current model's lifespan.

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LupiniPower's Chevrolet SportUte is a wild one; Packs 535HP from Supercharged V8

The Holden Commodore Ute may not have been given the chance for a career in the States as the G8 ST sport truck after the demise of Pontiac, but GM's modern-day El-Camino from Down-Under continues to be offered in markets outside Australia including South Africa were it is sold as the Chevy Ute SS.

LupiniPower, a local tuner from South Africa, has taken upon itself to introduce a hotted-up version sporting a 6.0-liter supercharged V8 with 535-hp and a massive 590 lb-ft (799 Nm) of torque. That's an increase of 173-hp and 200 lb-ft over the stock Ute with the naturally aspirated V8 engine.

Thanks to the added power, LupiniPower's SportUte completes the 0 to 60 mph (96km/h) sprint in 4.4 seconds instead of 6.0 seconds, while 0-100 mph (160km/h) goes by in 9.9 seconds, close to 4 seconds faster than the standard Ute.

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GM Slashes Prices of Remaining Pontiacs and Saturns by up to 46%

If you ever wanted to buy a Pontiac or a Saturn and you don't mind that both brands will soon pass into the books of history, now's the time as General Motors is offering dealers huge incentives to move a few thousand leftover vehicles from the two discontinued marques, the Wall Street Journal reported today.

According to the paper, the Detroit automaker sent a letter to dealers on December 23 stating that it would pay them around $7,000 for every new Pontiac or Saturn on their lot that is moved to their rental-vehicle or service-vehicle fleets.

With this move, the leftover vehicles will be classified as used (even though they're new, the dealers will technically be the vehicles' first owner) thus allowing dealers to sell them at a huge discount which is said to be as much as 46% off the sticker price.

The daily newspaper said that the offer will expire on January 4 which is the last day of the December car-sales month with GM booking the sales to dealers as fleet deliveries.

Saturn's leftover portfolio includes the Vue compact crossover, Sky Roadster, Aura Sedan, Astra compact hatch and Outlook crossover, while Pontiac's range comprises of the Solstice Roadster and Coupe, G6 Sedan, Coupe and Convertible, and the G8 sports sedan.

However, you'll have to check with your local dealer to see which models are available. And if you do, don't hesitate to leave us a comment here telling us what kind of an offer they made you.

Via: WSJ (Sub. Required)

Pontiac Gallery

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Saturn Gallery

GM May Reduce Pontiac Line-Up to Just One Model - Which One Should it be?

When it comes to survival, then nothing's absurd. In order for General Motors to stay afloat in these tough economic times, the U.S. automaker has to revaluate its entire strategy and make decisions that were unthinkable up until now - including the shrinkage of Pontiac which currently sells six-model (G8, G6, G5, Solstice, Vibe, and Torrent). "It might be just one model," Mark LaNeve, GM's North American sales chief, said in an interview. The firm that was supposed to build exciting cars has seen drop in sales every year since 1999. In the first 11 months of 2008, sales of the Pontiac brand are down 23 percent from a year earlier to 250,902 units.

"The one remaining Pontiac model would be sold alongside Buicks and GMCs, on a scale similar to its Corvette available in Chevrolet showrooms", LaNeve told Bloomberg. The question is, if GM decided to keep the Pontiac nameplate alive and not can the brand entirely, which car should remain?

According to John Wolkonowicz, an analyst from IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts, that model will most likely be the Holden Commodore based G8 sedan which was introduced this year in the U.S. market.

But honestly now, is there a point of GM holding onto the Pontiac brand with a one-model range when it is facing such serious problems that threaten the company's existence?

If the General believes -for whatever reasons- that it needs the G8, why not just sell it under the Chevy nameplate? Yes, once upon a time Pontiac made cars that stood out from the competition and filled GM's pockets with money, but times change and if you can't support a brand with its own unique line-up then we find no reason to keep it alive for sentimental's sake.

Source: Bloomberg

Face-Off: Transform Your Pontiac G8 into a Holden Commodore or HSV GTS

Like they say, there's nothing like the original. However, if you want our opinion, in the case of the Holden Commodore we prefer the twin nostril fascia of its Americanized sibling, the Pontiac G8. The HSV GTS is another story as Holden's officially designated performance division has done wonders on the Commodore's appearance. Either way, if you happen to own a Pontiac G8 and dig the original look of its 'down-under' comrade or the kick-ass sporty looks of the HSV model, an Australian company called JHP Vehicle Enhancements will ship you a complete kit to perform the conversion. Prices start off from $1,990 US for the Commodore package and from $3,880 for the HSV GTS kit. Check out the details after the jump.

GENUINE HSV VE GTS FRONT CONVERSION KIT

The HSV GTS front conversion kit includes:

• Hood, Hood Latch/Catch, Hood Insulator,
  
• Front bumper fascia extension,
  
• Upper grille radiator, Front bar fascia, Front bar absorber,
  
• Front fog lamp bezel x 2 (Left hand side and right hand side),
  
• Front fog lamps x 2, Lower RAD Grille (black) & badge,
  
• Front fog lamp wiring harness,
  
• Hood header panel,
  
• Bumper mesh.

GENUINE GM VE FRONT CONVERSION KIT

The VE front conversion kit includes:

• Hood, Hood Latch/Catch, Hood Insulator,
  
• Front bumper fascia extension,
  
• Upper grille radiator, Front bar fascia, Front bar absorber,
  
• Front fog lamp bezel x 2 (Left hand side and right hand side),
  
• Front fog lamps x 2, Lower RAD Grille (black) & badge,
  
• Front fog lamp wiring harness.

RELATED POSTS:

• Face-Off: See How Cars Would Look Like With Fascias From Other Brands

Via: Autofiends , Link: JHP

Pontiac to Debut G8 ST Pickup Truck Concept at SEMA

Since the Holden-based Pontiac G8 ST -where ST stands for Sport Truck- isn't due to arrive in dealers' showrooms before late 2009, General Motors decided to keep up the excitement with the introduction of a so-called concept version loaded with factory accessories at this week's SEMA Show. Highlights of GM-accessorized Pontiac G8 ST Concept include a custom red paint job with enhanced clear coat, lowered ride height, chunky 20-inch alloy wheels, leather-trimmed seats with red inserts, custom interior trim kit, G8 GXP steering wheel and shift knob with red inserts and a hard tonneau cover.

There are no changes under the hood as the Pontiac G8 ST Concept retains the production model's 6.0-liter small-block V8, rated at 361HP and 385 lb.-ft. of torque (522 Nm). The V8 unit features GM's Active Fuel Management technology, which allows the engine to switch from eight-cylinder to four-cylinder operation during light-load driving conditions, enhancing fuel economy. The transmission is a Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic. According to Pontiac, the production model has a 0-to-60 time of 5.4 sec.

RELATED STORIES:

• 2010 Pontiac G8 ST Details and Images
• Pontiac Names the G8 Sport Truck
• GM Wont Introduce Second-Gen G8 Sedan