Since I haven’t blogged much lately—I completely missed July—and need quick entry to make, I thought I’d fill up a bit of space with the a subject I can go on about ad nauseum—cars.
Specifically I thought I’d briefly analyse the all-new Holden Commodore.
This is a Falcon. I’m not putting a picture of no steenking Holden on this blog
The Commodore is an Australian car previously based on the Opel Senator but, for the first time with this VE model, designed in Australia. It is exported to the Middle East and Asia. It will also, as Wheels reports, form the basis for the new Chevrolet Camaro and presumably the next Pontiac GTO, (since the old VT Commodore is the basis for the current “best ever” GTO).
Naturally, since my chosen tribe in the great Australian musclehead ...sorry ... musclecar divide is Ford, I should cast scorn on the Commodore from a great height—it is after all a Holden. However I think the new Holden Commodore looks very nice and is probably a fine car, although I’ve yet to read any road tests. This is mainly because Holden is staggering the Commodore’s launch, giving everyone the opportunity to get a good look at the car before anyone can judge it.
It certainly a good looking car, although when I saw one —an SS-V in the metal this weekend, I first mistook it for a Falcon XR6, the shape of the headlights and grille opening is remarkably similar. For a Ford fan this just proves that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and that the current model Falcons are some of the best looking cars ever made in Australia, although I’ll reserve judgement on the BF II, which made a good first impression, but not so good second.
Looks are very important, and that’s pretty much all I can comment on with any authority here, but of course looks what really matters is how she goes. It’s a heavier car with similar engines to last year’s model, but with more power. Although these days that’s pretty much ‘who cares?’ material because these cars have enough bottle to tow a block of flats if requires, or at least have more than enough fun to keep anyone entertained at legal speeds.
Most importantly in these price-conscious times is that bigger and heavier means, on all but the base models according to Wheels, they’ll use more fuel, which is not a good thing. A point which Ford will be emphasising over the months until it introduces its all-new Falcon in 2007-2008.
* ‘Dunny door’ is ryhming slang for Commodore. ‘Dunny’ is an Australian word for toilet, so it’s not very complimentary rhyming slang.
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