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By
EWAN KENNEDY
10 March 2008
It didn’t come as a surprise to industry observers who had
anticipated a car like this for weeks, but the unveiling of the
newest Holden sports coupe at the Melbourne International Motor
Show was most welcome nonetheless.
It’s tagged the Holden Coupe 60 Concept and is one of the
most stunning styling exercises we have ever seen. From its
low-slung sleek front, through its pillarless sides with big
guards framing huge wheels and tyres, this machine will bring
tears of joy to lovers of hot Holdens. Indeed, to lovers of muscle
cars of all marques anywhere in the world.
There are plenty of visual cues to the VE Commodore in the car
and, though Holden denies any plans to revive the Monaro nameplate
once again, it seems unlikely that the aforementioned muscle car
lovers will settle for anything less than that iconic title.
Note the word ‘Concept’ in the name of the car. Holden and
GM are refusing to talk about it going into production. A concept
for a new Chevrolet Camaro has already been shown at motor shows
in the USA and is undoubtedly a cousin of this gorgeous GM-H
machine.
Fascinatingly, this is a pillarless coupe, that is there is no
pillar between the front and rear windscreens. This leads us to
speculate that the body could also be built as a convertible.
Wouldn’t that be a wonderful machine in which to cruise of a
warm summer’s evening anywhere in Australia?
The 60 in the title is a tribute to Holden's 60th year in
Australia. In November 1948, a conservative four-door sedan was
unveiled to an adoring Australian public. Since then the company
has enjoyed good times, and rough times, and is today running high
in confidence. So a full-on coupe is just the thing to celebrate
the moment.
There's a fair bit of V8 Supercar in this Holden, particularly
in the interior with its almost-race seats.
Under the bonnet sits 6.0 litres of muscular Chevrolet V8.
Holden won’t talk power output, but expect somewhere in the
region of 400 horsepower, or 300 kW in non-muscle-car speak. In a
move to pacify the environmentalists Holden has tuned the concept
car’s engine so it can run on E85, a mixture of 85 per cent
ethanol and 15 per cent petrol. Fellow GM subsidiary, Saab, is an
expert in the E85 field.
Will this car ever see the light of day? Our feeling is yes, a
very definite yes, and that it will carry the Monaro nameplate.
That’s the good news, the not so good news is that if the Coupe
60 Concept does become a reality it’s not likely to be before
2010. Keep your fingers crossed!
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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